🍦Annapolis Mall announces bevy of new tenants

Good morning, Annapolis. ChatGPT just inked a deal with Walmart that’ll allow users to buy right from the chatbot itself. I can see it now. I’ll asking Chat for dinner recipes and suddenly I’ll own every single gadget Ninja’s ever made.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

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Congrats to Drew and Debbie on their growing family. Drew and Debbie are the resin coyote decoys you might’ve seen standing on the Thomas Point Lighthouse landing dock if you’ve ever sailed past. These imp-paw-sters serve the important function of stopping seagulls from using the dock as their own personal restroom, but they’ve also become a hit with locals and tourists alike. We ran the first-ever naming contest for Drew the decoyote back when he was first installed, and he has since gotten a female companion named Debbie.

Far be it from us to speculate how it happened between two resin statues, but somehow Drew and Debbie have a pup — and their pup needs a name. Lighthouse manager John Potvin’s 6-year-old granddaughter has suggested a few options: Nugget, Jelly Bean, Taco, Skittles, Twilight, and Twinkle. Now it’s up to you to pick your favorite and help name the new addition to the pack.

Angler James L. Frazetti, Jr., deserves some recognition as he recently broke the state record for pompano dolphinfish. Frazetti’s fish weighed in at 7 pounds and 8 ounces, which is a whopping five pounds heavier than the previous record. The best thing about this story is that Frazetti wasn’t even out fishing for pompano dolphinfish - he was in Ocean City fishing for mahi-mahi, also called dolphinfish. Frazetti thought his catch looked a little different, so he took it to Anglers Sport Center in Annapolis to have it weighed, then had the DNR verify that it was the pompano dolphinfish, not the mahi-mahi (common dolphinfish).

Frazetti had been on the water trying to hook his 10th species to complete the DNR’s FishMaryland competition and earn Master Angler status, but pompano are not among the dozens of eligible species on the list. So the poor guy had to go out the next day and do it all over again, when he caught a 36.5-inch golden tilefish. What a weekend.

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Our favorite (and yes, only) mall just revealed 300,000+ square feet of new tenants. Yes, some had already been revealed (like DICK’S House of Sport and Dave & Buster’s), but it feels like the lineup at Annapolis Mall is improving every week and we are here for it.

An expanded Talbots will relocate to a larger space across from The Container Store this holiday season. Tesla and Dave & Buster’s are also on the way in 2026 and early 2027, respectively.

All these changes come after Centennial and former GGP CEO Sandeep Mathrani’s Atlas Hill Real Estate bought the mall in September 2024. At the time, Centennial’s CEO said, “Our short-term focus will be on enhancing the tenant mix through careful remerchandising efforts that will elevate the shopping experience.”

One thing we absolutely love about Black Market Bakers is originality. We never bite into a Key Lime cruffin and say, “I could make a better one at home.” Because we can’t. And it’s not just because we burn DiGiornos. But if we needed any reminder of their unique skillset, the team at BMB showed us just how much love and kitchen equipment goes into their recipes when they filmed a behind-the-scenes video of the new West Street location (scroll to the second slide).

The new bakery and warehouse, which is right next to the Classic Theatre of Maryland, is large enough for the bakers to supply their satellite locations, (Port Annapolis & Churchton). Edgewater is big enough to bake for itself. While there’s still no opening date set for 1804 West Street, the videos make us question whether we might have BMB pumpkin croissants on Thanksgiving morning. Here’s hoping.

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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FALL FESTIVALS

Davidsonville | Homestead Gardens Fall Festival Weekends | Pony rides, hayrides, apple cider donuts, pumpkins (picking, painting, buying), and honestly too much more to write in this tiny space | Sat 10/18 & Sun 10/19 10 AM – 4 PM

Downtown | Fall Festival on Maryland Avenue | Local vendors, live music, food, and of course your favorite MD Ave shops. Don’t miss the pup parade at 2 PM | Sun 10/19 10 AM – 5 PM

OTHER FALL FUN

Spa Creek | Capital SUP Halloween Paddle | Dress up (and warmly), grab your paddleboard or rent one, and paddle Spa Creek in costume | Sat 10/18 9:30–11 AM

Spa Creek | 6th Annual Freaky Flotilla | Couldn’t get enough paddling in costume with Capital SUP? Do this one, too | Sun 10/19 10 AM – ??

Parole | Arundel Olympic Swim Center Pumpkin Plunge | Bobbing for apples is so trite. Let’s go plunging for pumpkins! Followed by trunk or treat in the parking lot | Sun 10/19 12:30–1:45 PM

Forest Drive | Light House Pumpkin Patch | Friends of the Light House sells local Eastern Shore pumpkins to raise money to address the underlying causes of homelessness | Fri 10/17 2–6 PM & Sat/Sun 10/18–19 10 AM – 6 PM

Bestgate Road | Anne Arundel Sherriff’s 3rd Annual Accessible Trunk or Treat | Candy, games, prizes, and more. Registration requested (no cost) | Fri 10/17 5–8 PM

NOT NECESSARILY FALL FUN

Downtown/Maryland Hall | Annapolis Pride Parade & Festival | 1.2 mile parade followed by an all-day festival | Sat 10/18 10 AM – 4 PM

St. John’s College | Annapolis Arts Alliance Autumn 2025 Sketch Crawl | Visit six iconic Annapolis sites and sketch them. RSVP requested | Sat 10/18 12–4 PM

Downtown | Fish For a Cure Scavenger Hunt | Race through Annapolis in a fast-paced scavenger hunt supporting Luminis Health’s cancer institute | Sun 10/19 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Parole | Food Truck Fridays | 8 food trucks make for a unique Friday dinner with no dishes or cleanup | Fri 10/17 4–7:30 PM

MARKETS (FALL + OTHERWISE)

Parole | Anne Arundel Farmers’ Market | Fresh, local food tastes and nourishes better. We recommend not missing Darland Manor Farm for tasty beef | Sat 10/18 7 AM – Noon, Sun 10/19 9 AM – Noon

Severna Park | Severna Park Farmers Market | Someone accused us of using AI to write the farmers’ market promotion last weekend because it was “awkard.” Nope, sometimes we’re just awkward. Only two more weekends of this one! | Sat 10/18 8 AM–Noon

Lothian | Honey’s Harvest Farm Third Sunday Market | Over 20 local artists, artisans, bakers, brewers, chefs, crafters, distillers, farmers, watermen, winemakers, and more. Btw, an artist creates for personal expression and aesthetic value. Artisans are skilled craftspeople who make function, decorative objects like furniture and jewelry | Sun 10/19 11 AM – 3 PM

Crownsville | Fall Field Market at Wildberry | Dozens of local small businesses sell their wares at an adorable farm | Sat 10/18 9 AM – Noon

Severna Park | Garten Fall Market | First of the series! Amazing local vendors and delicious food and drink from Garten including the super special not usually available breakfast menu | Sat 10/18 8–11 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.

63 🌡️ 46 | ☀️ | 2% | 💨 NNW 15 mph (13 knots)

64 🌡️ 48 | ☀️ | 1% | 💨 NNW 11 mph (10 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 66ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

49 West | Jazz Wire Jam Session | 7:30–10:30 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Madisun Bailey | 6–9 PM
Brian Boru | The Langer's Ball | 6–9 PM
Dark Horse | Tyrone Vaughan | 8 PM
Killarney House | Joey Fitz | 6–9 PM
Market House | SVV Duo | 6–9 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Ryan Cobb | 7–10 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Bryan Ewald | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | The Steve Morse Band | 8 PM | Tickets

49 West | Jeff Muller & Friends | 7:30–10 PM
Annapolis Smokehouse & Tavern | Timmie Metz | 8:30 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Dana B | 4–7 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Moon Cherry | 9–12 PM
Brian Boru | Ciaran Quinn | 7–10 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
The Choptank | Ryan Cobb | 8 PM
Coconut Joe’s | JPARIS | 2–5 PM
Killarney House | Meg & Angie | 7:30–10:30 PM
Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen | Justin Ryan | 5–8 PM
The Lodge | Jennifer Schimpf | 8–11 PM
Market House | Brandon Freelump and Alex G Lee | 8–11 PM
Market Space | Russ Jacobsen | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Sidewalk Soul | 10 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Romell Miranda | 5–8 PM
Old Stein Inn | Shawn Owen | 7–10 PM
Pirates Cove | Dust on the Bottle | 7:30–10:30 PM
Rams Head On Stage | The Amish Outlaws | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | Mike Miller | 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Reagan Kent | 5 PM
Romilo’s Restaurant and Bar | Kick Back Classics | 7 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | Frank Florence | 7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Riverside | Chris Button | 3–7 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Troll Tribe | 9:45 PM

Women's Soccer (9-5-2)
10/15 @ American | W 3-0

Women's Rugby (3-3)
10/17 @ Wheeling | 7 PM

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