🍦Who will win Saturday's Tug? 💪

Good morning, Annapolis. This is Naptown Scoop, your daily haunt for local news. 🏚👻

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Chelsea Harrison, & Ryan Sneddon

For those WAY too excited about Christmas—Homestead Gardens has the event for you. Stop by their annual Holiday Preview Party on Friday, November 1, from 6-9 PM at both Maryland locations.

Take a stroll through the holiday tree displays, watch the trains, browse a wide range of ornaments, home décor, and seasonal houseplants. Garden Reward Members will enjoy 25% off regularly priced items during the event—and if you’re not a member yet, you can sign up at checkout!

It’s the perfect opportunity for families to unwind, explore, and get a head start on holiday shopping. Plus, the first 100 customers will receive a free ornament.

Find some holiday cheer without the rush. Plus, you’re supporting a family owned company that’s traveled the world to bring you a unique offering for the season. Get your first glance from 6–9PM this Friday! More info at HomesteadGardens.com.

You might say Impact100 is packing it forward—the organization recently chose the Blue Ribbon Project as the recipient of its annual grant. This provides Blue Ribbon Project with $65K it can use to further its Backpacks of Love program, which assembles bags of essentials for children in the foster system who are arriving to a new home. Specifically, Blue Ribbon Project can buy a van it will use to pick up and deliver donations for the program. Impact100 presented the grant money at a meeting last week. It is currently seeking applicants for next year’s grant. Get info.

Local author S.R. Webster has a new release — her book A Girl Named Ghost just launched, giving readers a psychological thriller about a woman struggling with her family’s dark past while navigating her potentially unstable mind. You might recognize Webster by her pen name, Sandra R. Campbell, which she used for her previous novels, Butterfly Harvest, Dark Migration, and The Dead Days Journal. Order A Girl Named Ghost online or keep an eye out for upcoming stock at locally owned bookstores.

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📸 @davidgendell | 📍Annapolis Harbor

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Savory or sweet? That’s the toughest decision when picking a crepe, especially at Severna Park native Abby Larkin’s shop. Formerly, Sofi’s Crepes, Abby is rebranding her business to Crepes in the Park now that her franchise agreement has ended. The name may be changing, but you can expect the same delicious crepes like The Kevin Bacon or BATS (which we highly recommend). RSVP to the ribbon cutting and grand opening on October 30 from 10–11 AM.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

Hey music lovers! Today is the last day you can use code SCOOP to get 15% OFF up to 4 tickets to the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks II - Connections performances at Maryland Hall.

Don’t miss Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, “four minutes of hair-raising symphonic music that will keep you on the edge of your seat.” Other pieces in the repertoire include Adolphus Hailstork’s Three Spirituals for Orchestra, inspired by the traditional spirituals “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” “Kum Ba Yah,” and “Oh Freedom.” ASO Principal Horn Alex Kovling premieres the breathtaking Óscar Navarro Connections solo right here in Annapolis. 11/1-2 | 7:30 PM | TIckets

The Season 63 Masterworks Series is made possible by the Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation

Three excellent productions at local companies continue their runs this weekend. Here’s what’s on the schedule:

🛏 Compass Rose Theater presents Same Time, Next Year
This Tony-winning rom-com takes place over the course of 25 years as two lovers married to separate spouses meet for a secret rendezvous every year. The show runs through November 17.

🐸 CTA presents Tuck Everlasting
A little girl forges a secret friendship with an immortal family who’ve discovered the fountain of youth in this musical based on the beloved novel running at Children’s Theatre of Annapolis through November 3.

⚖️ Colonial Players presents The Winslow Boy
This compelling courtroom drama centers on a family in Edwardian England as they seek to clear the name of their son who has been falsely accused of theft at boarding school. The show runs through November 16.

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with Anne Arundel County Public Library's events for all ages throughout November. From book clubs to movie screenings and storytimes, there’s something for everyone. Here are just two events that caught our eye:

Calling all seasoned steppers. Anne Arundel County Rec & Parks designed the Golden Age Hiking Club for adventurers aged 60 and older. Members meet once a month at different parks for Ranger-led hikes. It's a great opportunity to build friendships, explore our county, and learn about its history. The October hike was at Beverly Triton Nature Park and more hikes are on the horizon! Register today.

No two-and-a-half-decade grudge is as much fun as the one between the Maritime Republic of Eastport and the City of Annapolis every fall when they haul out a 1,700-foot, 850-pound rope for tug of war across Spa Creek. Yes, that’s right — a game of tug of war across Spa Creek, all to commemorate a brief period in 1997 when the Annapolis Department of Public Works had the audacity to close the Eastport bridge and cut the maritime republic off from the rest of the city.

If you want to get a true appreciation of this “grudge that requires a tug,” be sure to gather at 2nd Street on Saturday at the crack of noon to watch the competition and cheer for your side. Don’t worry: The rope will be tense, but the vibes will be laid-back.

After you put away your Halloween costume, here’s an excuse to dress up again—but in a fancy way on Saturday, November 2. Enjoy a black-tie evening with champagne, oysters, heavy hors d'oeuvres, and an open bar at the Chase Brexton Health Care inaugural gala, from 5–9 PM at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Dance to the Timmie Metz Band, bid in the Silent Auction, and help raise funds for The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity at Chase Brexton. The Center aims to improve health equity for LGBTQ patients through better health care services, education, and advocacy. Grab your ticket today.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

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65 🌡️ 54 | 🌤️ | 7% | 💨 SSE 8 mph (7 knots)

73 🌡️ 62 | 🌤️ | 8% | 💨 SSW 8 mph (7 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 64ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

49 West | Unified Jazz Ensemble | 7–9:30 PM
The Point | Aidan Ewald | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | The Traveling Wilburys Revue | 7:30 PM | Tickets

49 West | Dave Chappell and Friends | 5–7 PM
Brian Boru | B.en | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
Middleton Tavern | Ryan Kozel | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Joe Hickey | 6–9 PM
The Point | Jordan | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | The Robert Cray Band | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Reynolds Tavern | TBA | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Chris Dean | 9 PM

Women's Soccer (9-9-1)
10/30 @ Lafayette | 7 PM

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