🍦Best: Workout spots/beer selections. Choose your poison

Good morning, Annapolis. I just read an article that said some dogs know the names of over 300 toys. Meanwhile, I tell my dog to sit and she runs through every command she knows until she finally guesses the right one. Should have built more training into the 2026 budget. . .

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

Looking for a weekend getaway this winter? Escape to a cozy, tranquil retreat at Nemacolin, just a short 3-hour drive from Annapolis!

Take a break after the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season and enjoy the serene surroundings of the Laurel Highlands. Hit the slopes for skiing or snowboarding at the Peak, warm up with a whiskey tasting, or just enjoy the recently renovated estate rooms at the Chateau and Grand Lodge.

Nemacolin even features a year-round outdoor pool, heated to perfection for your enjoyment – even in the colder months!

Nemacolin has something for everyone. Plan your stay and experience real life magic by visiting nemacolin.com.

We know you like Naptown Scoop and we’re grateful for it. Would you read a statewide Scoop about Maryland? It’d contain major government news (like how we cover Annapolis and Anne Arundel’s respective councils), big business news, major events you might consider driving a bit for, and things like that. We’re thinking about once per week.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools dancers are taking center stage again. Of Maryland’s top 26 dancers, 18 are from Anne Arundel County. Those earning the All-State honors: Mariah Barbee, Vittoria Beatty, Ellis Byrd, Ashlyn Carruthers, Cynnia Carter-Henry, Sophia Crivella, Haylen Fitzmaurice, Jaden Ford, Abigail Greer, Janae Johnson, Leola Keys, Ava Lazzor, Cecilia Peixoto, Madelyn Purdum, Marlowe Richardson, Camila Sandi, Callie Schlude, and Mallory Willis. Gabrielle Guy received All-State Honorable Mention.

Adding to the celebration, Meade High School senior Daphne Dobill-Dalle earned the Excellence in Student Choreography Award at the Maryland Public High School Showcase, recognizing outstanding student-created work. These honors spotlight AACPS dancers’ talent, dedication, and leadership, with performances on display at countywide Dance Festivals beginning Feb. 17.

Do you have a masterpiece sitting in your closet that really belongs on a wall? The Annapolis Art in Public Spaces Commission has announced three new exhibits and is requesting artist submissions. Three specific shows will be held at the Pip Moyer Rec Center and run for two months, each celebrating a different heritage month.

Each show will also feature an artist reception and offer the opportunity for artists to promote and sell their work. Interested painters, sculptors, photographers, and more should email [email protected] for more information.

“Quitter’s Day” — when people ditch their New Year’s resolutions — may have come and gone last Friday. But plenty of locals are still showing up.

It gets a bad rap as overpriced (as many high-end places do), but Life Time delivers if you want a top-tier gym experience in Annapolis. Snap Fitness and Annapolis Athletic Club (and when it opens at the mall, One Life Fitness) are great if you don’t need your gym to look (and cost) like a Four Seasons. And of course, there’s always the Pip Moyer Rec Center in Annapolis. Where a full year is less than $300 for city residents.

For yoga, we love Yoga Factory, and, of course, Duffy’s studio, groundswell. Peake Social’s adult sports offer great ways to stay active without “going to the gym,” and the team also owns the popular Rise Kickboxing (formerly Kicked Up Fitness). Jiu-Jitsu is having a moment, too. We’ve done it at Team Randoori.

We have a sneaky feeling many readers are still hitting their workout goals. What do y’all recommend? Reply to this email with your scoop.

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With the opening of World of Beer, we thought it’d be a good time to show beer-drinking Scoop readers a little love. World of Beer has to be on this list because with 340 beers well. . . they just do. And while most serious beer drinkers in Annapolis probably already know this spot, we still think it’s worth sharing. Drumroll please. . .

Lure’s Bar & Grille

Lure’s offers 50 beers (over half on draft) and just nails the selection. In fact, over half a dozen beers on the Lure’s list are also on BeerAdvocate’s list of the most popular 250 beers in the world. It doesn’t hurt that Lure’s also has killer food.

We also have an honorable mention: Sailor Oyster Bar. While its list isn’t large (17 not counting NA), it more than makes up for it with character. See: its collaboration with Forward Brewing (Sailor Oyster Beer), the venerable La Fin du Monde Belgian Tripel, and Miller High Life pony bottles.

You couldn’t miss the building with that iconic blue and white. It was terribly damaged during a freak tornado in 2021, forcing Chris’ to close. Luckily, Chris’ is alive and well in Edgewater these days. Its old building? Not so much. It was demolished recently leading us to wonder what’s being built. And our friend John Rosso of Rosso CRE helped us out. AutoZone signed a lease on the land in early 2023 but permitting has been dragging on like a bad movie. They must be closing in on permits because the buildings on site have now been completely demolished.

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.

When one of the world’s most celebrated sopranos takes the stage in Annapolis, you make time. And you bring a friend. 

Soprano Christine Goerke joins the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra for music by legendary composers, conducted by José-Luis Novo. Legends brings the sweeping beauty of DeBussy, the passion and power of Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) and Don Juan, and the unforgettable drama of Aaron Copland’s Billy the Kid to the stageat Maryland Hall and Strathmore. It’s the perfect January  night out for anyone who likes their music bold and unforgettable. 🎟️Scoop readers can use code SCOOP for Buy One, Get One Free tickets to the Maryland Hall performances. Two weeks to performance day: Reserve your seats now.

Now playing

🏫 Compass Rose enrolling for theater classes, January–March/April. Find a variety of performing arts classes for people of all ages, including youth and adults.

📖 Colonial Players presents Other Desert Cities, January 9–31. Family tensions reach a boiling point when a once-promising novelist shares her soon-to-be-published memoir.

Coming soon

🕳️ Children’s Theatre of Annapolis presents Holes, February 6–22. A wrongly convicted teen seeks to uncover the truth behind the juvenile detention camp where he’s been sent to dig holes.

🏙️ Compass Rose Theater presents Rent, February 6–March 8. Impoverished bohemians in New York’s East Village struggle with love, loss, and life in this popular rock opera.

🎶 Annapolis Opera presents The Alchemist, February 22. This reading of an all-new opera explores a deadly sin in the eras of the Gold Rush and the Great Depression.

Get involved

💎 Colonial Players holds auditions for Poor Clare, January 18-19. Be part of this comedic modernized take on a 13th century noblewoman’s journey to self-discovery.

Next Monday marks Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which means city and county government offices will be close in observance of the holiday. Trash and recycling pickup will not be affected (county or city), and city bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule (State Shuttle 6:40 AM-10 PM; Magenta Shuttle 6 AM-11 PM).

As for City Rec & Parks, the Stanton Center will be closed but the Pip Moyer Center will be open for regular hours (6 AM-8 PM). County Rec & Parks will be open, and there will be a Martin Luther King Day of Service at Beverly Triton Park at 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.

Interested in getting more involved in your community this year? Starting at county budget meetings is a great start, as it provides an overview of where the money goes and allows you to share your priorities with the people holding the purse. Here’s where and when you can get fiscally responsible.

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If you're craving more connection in 2026, you're not alone. Real BFFs is a free community for Annapolis-area women who want genuine connection and real friendships. Through casual meetups and welcoming events, Real BFFs makes it easier to meet people who actually want to connect. If this is your year for more community, Start Here.*

*indicates sponsored advertising content.

47 🌡️ 42 | 🌤️ | 5% | 💨 S 10 mph (9 knots)

49 🌡️ 30 | ☁️ | 13% | 💨 S 6 mph (5 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 38ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

49 West | Seth Mitchell & Friends | 7:30–9:30 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
Middleton Tavern | Middleton Songwriters Showcase | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Kurt Gibbons | 6–9 PM

49 West | Pam & Paula Classical Duo | 5–7 PM
49 West | The Songbird Collective | 7:30–10 PM
Brian Boru | Nate Finn | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Middleton Songwriters Showcase | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Shawn Musselman | 6–9 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Local Souls | 9 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Chris Dean | 9 PM

Men's Basketball (12-6)
1/12 @ American | L 65-51

Women's Basketball (9-6)
1/14 vs. American | 7 PM

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