The
Blue Angels really shouldn’t exist. They’re loud. So loud that hours after the Navy Flight Demonstration Team rattled Annapolis in 1988, a 160-year-old building collapsed on Maryland Avenue. They are dirty. You’d have to drive from Annapolis to D.C. to Baltimore and back 45,000 times to equal the pollution emitted by the FA-18 Super Hornets’ flying practice on Tuesday, a show on Wednesday and a Naval Academy salute at week’s end. Expensive? The visit to Annapolis costs $700,000 to $1.5 million, depending on who’s counting. The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors.
Become one. And you know what? People simply do not care. Woo whee, that’s America up there! The biggest and loudest thing on the planet. Woohoo! The Blue Angels arrive at Joint Base Andrews for their
Commissioning Week appearance on Tuesday after a flyover at about 11 a.m. A practice run for the show follows about 2 p.m. The jets return on Wednesday about 2 p.m., executing aerobatics singly and in formations based on combat maneuvers. The show is centered on the Naval Academy, and parts of the Severn River and the Naval Academy Bridge are closed for safety. The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors.
Become one. Almost everyone who lives or works in Annapolis has a favorite spot to watch. Kids ask if they can get out of class for this, and parents often agree. Show cruises are available from companies such as
Watermark and
Schooner Woodwind , although they often sell out fast. Having a friend with a boat is great if you can swing it. Driving onto the Naval Academy Yard is restricted, but you can walk on through the Visitors Center to see the air show from the seawall or Hospital Point. Valid ID required, no foreign passports accepted. Any place with a view of the horizon is good. Try the sidewalks on the Spa Creek Bridge or a downtown parking garage — heads up, they fill up early. Annapolis Mall finally got the clue and will host a viewing party atop its
Green Parking Deck this year. Now, about that collapsed building. One brick wall of the two-story building at 56 Maryland Ave. collapsed about five hours after the Blue Angels practice flight. The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors.
Become one. Was the rattle and hum the cause? Experts at the time said a bulge caused by bricks slowly moving had been spotted years earlier, but never repaired. The timing could have been coincidental. No one was hurt. Zoom zoom. Here are some other great things to do in the week ending May 21.
Garden restored
In the 1960s, developers planned to tear down the old Carvel Hall Hotel and the adjacent William Paca House to make way for new homes. The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors.
Become one. Preservationists stopped the project and saved the home of one of Maryland’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. But Carvel Hall, long past its prime as a spot for people visiting the Naval Academy, came down. What preservationists found beneath it was a surprise: the remains of
Paca’s famed formal English garden . Using archaeological discoveries and contemporaneous accounts, Historic Annapolis spent the next decade restoring it. You can tour that legacy guided by a docent, and then stroll the beautiful grounds on your own. The Friday tours continue through summer. General admission is $12, or $7 for children. It’s free for members of the military and Historic Annapolis.
A fairy walk
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Become one. Get out your fairy wings for a walk at Quiet Waters Park. The Friends of Quiet Waters Park Sculpture Committee is hosting a
Fairy House Festival at the Holly Pavilion. Fairy houses made by community artists from natural materials will be displayed on the Holly Trail. The festival is one day, but the houses will remain up through June 22. The festival is free, but admission to the park is $6 per vehicle.
Got talent
Comedian and actor
Howie Mandel , a judge for 11 seasons on “America’s Got Talent,” will bring his stand-up act to Maryland Hall in this Rams Head Presents Show. The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors.
Become one. Tickets are $70-$125, plus taxes and fees. It’s one of two Rams Head shows at the arts center this week. Tickets to the Punch Brothers, a well-known bluegrass band, are sold out.
Crafty
The artisans of
Makers of Maryland , a coalition of artisans and craft practitioners, will set up demonstrations and classes at Annapolis Town Center. The free event will include music and food at the Boat House pavilion.
Youth concerts
Spanish flutist Irene Mata Tejero will perform with the Orion Youth Orchestra during
Annapolis Symphony Academy Day at Maryland Hall. A recipient of multiple national prizes, she won first prize in the 2023 Musical Youth Competition of Spain, launching a concert tour with pianist Graham Jackson. The 5 p.m. concert, led by ASO Artistic Director José-Luis Novo, is one of two by the academy, which offers studies with members of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. The Lyra Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Susan Dapkunas, will perform at noon. A performance by the Aquarius Wind Ensemble under the direction of Anthony Valerio will immediately follow it. In addition to the concerts, family-friendly activities and musical exploration are planned. Free, but some classes require registration.
Monday music
The
ITZALL Goode Concert Series returns to 49 West Coffeehouse with Heather Aubrey Lloyd and Sara Milonovich. Tickets are $20 in advance or $23 at the door, plus taxes and fees. If you plan to pay at the door, a reservation is recommended.
