Hunger for Summer

Savor the flavors of Maryland this summer with a commitment to buying and eating locally across the state. The Buy Local Challenge takes place July 18-26 – pledge to eat at least one thing from a local farm every day that week. Start your search for natural ingredients as you stroll through farmers’ markets. Celebrate National Ice Cream Month along the Ice Cream Trail. (Yes, dairy farms count toward the Buy Local Challenge!)

Smell of Seafood Spice

Celebrate a scent that's synonymous with Maryland – the spices that coat bushels of blue crabs each summer. These festivals are dedicated to the fragrant flavors of local seafood. When you’re ready to crack a few claws before or after the festivities, find Maryland blue crabs fresh from the Chesapeake Bay.

Artfully Fun

Glimpse great art around the state this month. Painters produce art from life (as opposed to in the studio) during Plein Air Easton, July 11-19, with workshops, exhibits, lectures, and children’s programming. Behold visual and performing arts and witness creations of all kinds during Artscape, America's largest free arts festival, in Baltimore July 17-19.

Make Contact with Global Culture

Get in touch with your heritage at festivals celebrating a multitude of cultures. Step dancers, crafts, and food bring the flavor of the Emerald Isle to Maryland during the Annapolis Irish Festival, July 10-11 in Crownsville. Hear the stories of American Indians during the American Indian Pow-Wow, July 11-12 in West Friendship.

Hear at the County Fair

Live music, children’s laughter, cows mooing – these are a few of the sweet sounds of summer you’ll hear at these annual carnivals and county fairs. Listen to the melody of fireworks erupting at the Havre de Grace Carnival & July 4th Celebration, July 1-5. Hear the harmony of animals at the Washington County Agricultural Expo, July 17-25 in Sharpsburg, or the Harford County Farm Fair, July 30-Aug. 2 in Bel Air.