🍦Gibson Island’s most famous resident

Good morning, Annapolis. Ever wonder how Camp David got its name? It was originally called Hi-Catoctin (after the surrounding mountains) and it wasn’t even for the president. It was built in 1938 as a rustic camp for federal employees. But after the presidential yacht was deemed unsafe, FDR converted the camp to the presidential retreat in 1942. He called it Shangri-La, but Dwight Eisenhower thought that was too fancy so he renamed it Camp David after his only grandson in 1953.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

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Welcome to month three of our housing check-up. Here’s where the market stood at the end of August, using county-wide numbers:

Buyers also had 1,328 active listings to pick through. And prices got cut on almost half. Then there’s the top of the market.

Former Fed chair Jerome Powell sold his Gibson Island weekend house for $7.2 million, a bit shy of double what he paid for it 20 years ago. Powell’s not leaving Anne Arundel County’s most exclusive ZIP code though. He and his wife, film producer Elissa Leonard, snagged the smaller house next door for $3 million in early 2025.

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Team Naptown Scoop Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS progress: $13,273/$20,000

🎈 = family-friendly events

🎈🎡 Anne Arundel County Fair – The 74th county fair runs through Sunday in Crownsville, with pig races, tractor pulls, and dinosaur and firefighting shows. Eat some fried food for me!

🎭 CP presents Our Town by Thornton Wilder – Colonial Players stages Thornton Wilder’s classic about small-town life and the question: do we appreciate our lives while we’re living them? 8 PM Thursday through Saturday, 2 PM Sunday matinee, $21–$26.

🎈⚔️ Maryland Renaissance Festival – Revel Grove’s 50th season rolls on in Crownsville, Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM.

🎈🪕 BAYGRASS 2026: Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival – Two-day beachfront bluegrass, jamgrass, and Americana festival at Sandy Point with oysters, local beer, yoga, and a mission to protect the Bay. Gates open at 10 AM both days; Béla Fleck and Michael Cleveland headline Sunday.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market – Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, tacos, coffee, and baked goods. Saturday starts at 7 AM, Sunday at 9 AM. Free to browse.

🎈🎭 You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown – Compass Rose Theater brings the Peanuts gang to life in this award-winning musical. Saturday 2 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday 2 PM, from $15.

🍸 Colonial Cocktails: Bitters and Booze – Sip 18th-century cocktails mixed from period recipes while learning the history of bitters at Historic London Town. 6:30 PM, $34 ($26 for members).

🎺 Here Come The Mummies – An eight-piece funk band in mummy costumes playing what they call terrifying funk from beyond the grave. 8 PM at Rams Head on Stage.

🏓 Peace Love Pickleball – Fourteen teams play for seven local nonprofits at The Putaway in Millersville, with a skills clinic on the side courts and paddles available if you show up empty-handed. 6 to 9 PM, $50 spectator tickets including food, beer, and wine.

🍽️ Food Truck Fridays – Over a dozen food trucks serving everything from fresh oysters to local brews. Free admission, 4–8 PM.

🎨 Local by Design at The Gallery – Shop over 30 local artisans selling fine art, furniture, jewelry, vintage finds, and home décor. 11 AM to 4 PM, free.

🎀 Community Preview and Ribbon Cutting - Toastique SP – Severna Park’s newest brunch spot opens its doors with an open house and ribbon-cutting at noon. Free.

🩰 Ballet in the Garden – Outdoor ballet in the gardens of the Hammond-Harwood House, with a glass of wine and a sneak peek of the upcoming season. 5 PM, $65–$85.

⛵ Hospice Cup Regatta & Shore Party – America’s largest charity yacht race, plus a shore party with food, drinks, auctions, and live music at Horn Point Marina. Shore party at 5:30 PM, $30–$50.

🏃 Annapolis RUN for The Light House – Scenic half marathon, 5K, and walk through Quiet Waters Park and Hillsmere Shores, benefiting the Light House homeless prevention center. 8 AM, from $25.

🎈🍝 Annapolis Fall Italian Festival – Free family festival at the Sons & Daughters of Italy Lodge with homemade Italian food, live music, vendors, and a sausage-eating contest. 10 AM to 3 PM, rain or shine.

🎈🎨 Anchors + Artisans – Monthly pop-up market at Annapolis Town Center with 50+ local makers, live music, and family activities. 11 AM to 4 PM, free.

🎶 The Sound of Liberty: Celebrating America 250 – Revolutionary-era music paired with new opera scenes exploring the fight for freedom, at St. Margaret’s. 4 PM, $20–$25, and active military and veterans get in free with the code FREEDOM250.

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That squirrel sneaking up on an Eastern whip-poor-will just won Kyle Smith $700 and the cover of next year’s DNR nature calendar.

Smith’s shot, “Right Behind You,” took the grand prize in the Department of Natural Resources’ annual Natural Resource Photo Contest, which drew more than 1,000 entries this year. “The squirrel kept inching closer, sniffing the whole time, until it was right next to the bird,” he wrote in his entry.

Judges also picked first, second, and third place in four seasonal categories. Matt Felperin took two of the four first-place slots – “American Sandcastlebuilder” for summer and “Night of the Wanderer” for winter. See all the winning shots.

One prize is still up for grabs. DNR posted the four Fan Favorite contenders on its Facebook page yesterday, and whichever collects the most likes by the end of the day on September 30 takes the cake. Not to sway the vote or anything but I totally picked “Fireflies Dancing Under the Stars.”

Every winning image goes into DNR’s 2027 calendar, which goes on sale later this fall.

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⛽ Forest Drive Hearing Tonight – Royal Farms’ Fresh Market plan for the old Annapolis Seafood Market site gets its first public hearing tonight, 7 PM at City Hall (160 Duke of Gloucester Street). The Planning Commission has set aside an hour for it. If you’d rather watch from the couch, stream it on YouTube, and you can submit written comment here.

📚 Monumental – A monument to Malcolm X is under construction on the West Street campus of the Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library, paid for by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee, the Caucus of African American Leaders, the county, and hundreds of donors. It carries his biography, photographs, and his quotes on education. The unveiling ceremony is 11 AM on Wednesday, October 14.

🚒 Marshal Law – Caroll H. Spriggs II, a former deputy fire chief for the City of Annapolis, is Maryland’s new state fire marshal – the first African American to hold the job in its 132-year history. State Police Superintendent Michael Jackson appointed him Wednesday to a six-year term. Spriggs also spent 38 years with the Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department in Calvert County. ($)

🎖️ Longer Window To Apply – AACPS seniors enlisting after graduation now have the whole school year to apply for the Military Service Award in honor of Candace C.W. Antwine, which helps cover uniforms and basic training supplies. The Board of Education opened applications Tuesday and will take them through April 15, 2027. Antwine, a Navy veteran, served on the board from 2018 until her death in 2021.

🦐 Ten Days Of Specials – Maryland Restaurant Week runs Friday through September 27, and about two dozen Anne Arundel restaurants signed up. In Annapolis: Buddy’s, Galway Bay, Latitude 38, The Lodge, Miss Shirley’s, Ruth’s Chris, The Melting Pot, and The Blackwall Hitch. Farther out, try Yellowfin in Edgewater, Pirates Cove in Galesville, or Killarney House in Davidsonville.

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85 🌡️ 72 | 🌤️ | 9% ☔ | 💨 S 12 mph (10 knots)

84 🌡️ 66 | 🌤️ | 6% ☔ | 💨 N 12 mph (10 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 78ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

🌳🎵= Outdoor concert

49 West | Jazz Wire Jam Session | 7:30–10:30 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Heartwood | 7–10 PM
🌳🎵AMM September Sunsets | D’Vibe & Conga | 6–8 PM
Beacon Waterfront Galley | Mike Miller | 6 PM
Beer Farm | Joey Fitz | 4–7 PM
Brian Boru | Suzie Mac Duo | 6–9 PM
Copper Creek | Open Mic | 7 PM
Dark Horse | Hyland Brothers | 9 PM
Killarney House | Faith & the Faithful | 6–9 PM
Market House | Guava Jelly Duo | 7–10 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Russell Jacobsen & Jeff Laumann | 7 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Bryan Ewald | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Here Come the Mummies | 8 PM | Tickets

49 West | Badger Band | 7:30–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Joe Matheus, LoveDrunk | TBA
Annapolis Smokehouse & Tavern | Starbelly | 8:30 PM
🌳🎵Annapolis Sunset Cruise | Tommy Perrell | 6:30–8 PM | Tickets
Beer Farm | Michael McHenry | 4–7 PM
Blackwall Hitch | Dana B | 4 PM
Brian Boru | Lost and Found | 7–10 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
The Choptank | Joel David | TBA
Coconut Joe’s | Ground Rent | 4 PM
Galway Bay | Ciaran Quinn | 7–10 PM
Great Frogs | Justin Singleton | 4:30–7:30 PM
Killarney House | Suzy & Shaun | 7:30–10:30 PM
Market House | Bass And Seoul | 7–10 PM
Maryland Hall | Jammy Buffet, Cumberland Honey | 7 PM | Tickets
Metropolitan Rooftop | Old Pine Trio | 8 PM
Middleton Tavern | Local Soul | 10 PM
Pirates Cove | Brandon & Thordis | 7–10 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Davy Knowles | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | Scott Voorhees | 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Open Mic Night | 6 PM
Reynolds Tavern | Mike Heuer | TBA
Stan & Joe’s Riverside | Joey Fitz | 4 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Brendan Lane | 9:45 PM
Studio 333 Collective | Letitia VanSant & Laura Brino | 7 PM

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