CharterFest: A Party 300 Years In The Making
By Jennifer Della 'Zanna
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Let it be known that City of Annapolis is commemorating the 300th anniversary of the signing of its royal charter, and the celebration will be in full swing May 1–4 with a free, citywide party dubbed CharterFest. All are invited!
Can you imagine the town crier ringing his bell and calling the citizens of the City of Anne to festivities three hundred years ago? At that time, Annapolitans would have spent the month of May enjoying the St. Phillip’s and Jacob’s Day fairs. Queen Anne of Great Britain chartered the town in 1708 as recognition that the settlement at the mouth of the Severn River was a vital and growing area contributing to the success of Anne Arundel County and the entire state of Maryland. It was a bustling port, residence of the wealthy and privileged of the time, and poised to become home to some of the most important events in a new nation’s history—although Her Royal Majesty may have changed her mind if she could have foreseen some of those.
According to Stephanie Duncan Troxell, Director of Community Partnerships of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel Conference and Visitors Bureau, plans are already in place, in conjunction with the annual Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival, to make this a “spectacular May event.” The festival kicks off on the evening of Thursday, May 1, with a CharterFest reception at local Annapolis pubs. The Maritime Heritage Festival joins the party at 5 p.m. on Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated City Dock. There will be a block party to herald the weekend festivities of both festivals, which include the themes of nautical education and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the commemoration of our charter.
Throughout the festival, Annapolis will be an open-air gallery showcasing the talent of local artists. The project, known as ArtWalk, displays large works of art on the exterior walls of buildings around town. There will be sailing demonstrations down at the dock all weekend, and you can visit the
Schooner Virginia
, a replica of a 1918 pilot schooner. Restored sailing vessels will be available for viewing, and the Army will bring its new tug workboats to try to show up the Navy here in Annapolis! And don’t forget the regattas. The Jobson’s Cup and the Irish Rowing Race will both take place this weekend, and we should all show up to cheer on the Annapolis Irish Rowing Club to victory in their bid to become champions again this year!
To celebrate our heritage as a colonial city, a national Towne Crier competition for both youth and adults will be featured. A local youth qualifying event, which was open to representatives from schools all over Maryland, took place on April 12. At that time, one elementary, one middle school, and one high school winner were chosen to compete in the North American Towne Crier Championship Competition, which will take place at the top of Main Street on Saturday, May 3. The three local winners, along with Squire Frederick Taylor, Annapolis’ official towne crier, will serve as hosts for the event. Squire Frederick also will be one of the judges for the national competition.
On Sunday, the first block of West Street will be closed to traffic to enjoy First Sunday Arts Festival. The festival atmosphere will continue as vendors tempt everyone with food and wares. Entertainment will abound with stages set up for storytelling and music. Without the cars, it might just feel like you’re back in 1708. There might be a few more people to party with today, though. The population of Annapolis was about 25,000 in 1708 (compared to today’s almost 40,000), and they didn’t attract the 4 million visitors annually that we do today—in large part because the entire population of United States was less than 400,000 at the time of our charter.
Certainly there have been many changes to the city since 1708, and not just in population and automobiles. Annapolis has led the way in industry and technology over the centuries, with the first passenger train in 1840, the first paved street in 1867, and don’t forget Maryland’s first brewery in 1703. But there are some things about Annapolis that will never change—the sound of its water, the majesty of its buildings, the beauty of its streets, and the hospitality of its people. We have been united as a city longer than we have been united as a country. Celebrate that unity this May with CharterFest. There hasn’t been a party like this in centuries.
If You Go
What: CharterFest, in conjunction with Maryland Maritime Heritage Festival
When: May 1–4
Where: Locations throughout Downtown, Annapolis. Most events are centered at City Dock.
Charterfest is a free, citywide event. For more information visit
Annapolis Alive
or the
Maryland Heritage Festival
.