Here are some pointers to help you make the most of your time in Annapolis:

NAVAL ACADEMY

NOON FORMATION -- On weekdays, during the academic year and weather permitting (not raining and above 55 degrees), the Brigade forms up in front of Bancroft Hall and marches into lunch at 12:05 to the music of the Midshipmen’s Drum & Bugle Corps. A stirring sight and sound.

FRIDAYS -- Wedding rehearsals are held at the Chapel on Friday afternoons from 1:30 to 4:00. So on Fridays, if you have a choice of visiting the Naval Academy in the morning or afternoon, visit in the morning, so you won’t miss the Chapel.

SATURDAYS -- On Saturdays, the Chapel (including the crypt of John Paul Jones) is closed to the public for weddings. But you can always stand around and watch the bride and groom come out under crossed sabers. Weddings take 35 minutes at the Chapel. (There are no weddings at the Chapel on weekends when there is a home Navy football game.)

CHURCH SERVICES -- A sure-fire way of getting into the Chapel is to go to church on Sunday morning! Catholic mass is at 9 o’clock; Protestant service is at 11 o’clock. Go ten minutes early for the organ prelude.

DRESS PARADES -- On the Fridays before Navy plays a home football game, there is usually a formal dress parade at 4 p.m. on Worden Field, free and open to the public. A unique and impressive sight.

CREW BOATS -- Monday through Thursday, during the academic year, our 3:00 tour will probably see plenty of crew boats (long, skinny shells) on College Creek or the Severn River. Have your camera ready!

SUNDAY MORNINGS – A special time in Annapolis . . .

The following attractions are closed on Sunday mornings in the Historic District:

Discover Annapolis Tours (first tour usually 12:30)
USNA guided tours (first tour12:15)
Hammond-Harwood House (first tour at 12:00)
Chase-Lloyd House (closed all day Sundays)
Banneker-Douglas Museum (closed Sundays and Mondays)

The following are open on Sunday mornings in the Historic District:

USNA Chapel (Catholic mass, 9 a.m.; Protestant service 11 a.m.)
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church
First Presbyterian Church
Watermark Tours walking tour (10:30 a.m., April through October)
Schooner Woodwind
Watermark Cruises
and many restaurants serve a Sunday brunch

BOAT RACES
On Wednesday evenings, the Annapolis Yacht Club sponsors a series of sailboat races. About 100 boats participate in different classes, with different starting times. Take your camera and stand on the Eastport bridge for shots of the boats coming across the finishing line near the bridge, from 6 p.m. on. (In cold weather months, the races move to Sunday afternoons.)

OCTOBER BOAT SHOWS
We have a few annual events in Annapolis (e.g., Parents Weekends, or Homecoming, or Commissioning Week at the Naval Academy) which affect things like how hard is it to find a room that’s right downtown, or a seat in a restaurant in the dock area. But the real biggies are the two boat shows in October–the largest in-the-water boat shows in the world.

If you own a boat, or think you might want to own a boat someday, don’t miss these boat shows held on back-to-back weekends! The Sailboat show opens on the Thursday before Columbus Day and runs through Columbus Day Monday, then it turns into a Powerboat show that opens Thursday and runs through Sunday.

But if you’re not interested in the boat shows, come to Annapolis anyway! Accommodations in the Historic District will be at a premium, but the Visitor Center can help you locate rooms nearby. Parking is not a problem: the boat people park at the stadium and are shuttled to the show on school buses. You can park there too, but take the city shuttle (not a school bus) to the Visitor Center.

The restaurants around the harbor will be very busy. But you can join the locals at the excellent restaurants just a few blocks from the dock area–on State Circle and Maryland Avenue, or in the first block of West Street.
So don’t be intimidated by the boat shows! Come and enjoy Annapolis at one of its busiest times of the year!

MAY DAY
On May 1st, we celebrate May Day with flower baskets adorning the front doors of homes and businesses. A special treat if you’re planning a visit in the spring!