🍦Main Street shakeup

Good morning, Annapolis. America may be turning 250 on July 4 but that’s nothing. A guy named Jake Perry once owned a cat named Creme Puff that lived to 38 years and 3 days old. His secret? Every two days he’d give Creme Puff some red wine. The cat also drank coffee (with cream).

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Ryan Sneddon

Bring the family and raise a glass to Independence Day at the Beer Farm at Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville on 7/4.

Join us for Stars & Pints, a festive Fourth featuring craft beer, delicious food trucks, and a FREE mini music festival from 12-4 PM. Catch live performances from The Grilled Lincolns, Michael McHenry Tribe, and DJ Ragz. These are artists who typically headline ticketed events, making this a rare chance to enjoy an afternoon of great music at no cost.

The Beer Farm pours from 11 AM-8 PM, so settle in for an afternoon soundtrack or stay through sunset with your favorite pint in hand.

While you're here, stroll next door to Homestead Gardens, open all day and stocked with summer inspiration, seasonal finds, and everything you need to make the holiday weekend bloom.

Cold beer. Live music. Local flavor. That's a Fourth worth celebrating. 🎆

The votes are in, and Tuesday's primary mostly went to the favorites.

In the marquee local race, District 2 Councilwoman Allison Pickard led the Democratic primary for county executive with more than 42% of the vote, ahead of fellow Councilman Pete Smith and county aide James Kitchin. She'll face the lone Republican, volunteer fire chief Dave Crawford, in November.

Anne Arundel County Council District 5 had just one candidate per party, so it'll be Natalie Ogilvie (D) vs. Amanda Fiedler (R) in November. But District 6 was a closely-watched race with many Democrats trying to fill the seat. At this time, former Annapolis mayor Gavin Buckley is in the lead with 46% of the vote.

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Team Naptown Scoop Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS progress: $12,363/$20,000

Mayor Jared Littmann’s office confirmed yesterday that the city is ending a deal with the Downtown Annapolis Partnership (DAP) to administer its Main Street Maryland program.

Littmann told Eye on Annapolis, which first reported the change, that the city wants accountability and measurable results. Especially as businesses white-knuckle through the City Dock construction and a tight economy.

As an independent nonprofit, DAP is free to keep operating (and hosting events). It just won’t be Annapolis’ official Main Street program admin. Executive director Erik Evans couldn’t be reached for comment. We expect to update this story as it evolves

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🎶 Thursday Night LIVE! - Unity Reggae Band brings the good vibes to Annapolis Town Center's free outdoor concert series.

🌊 Tides & Tunes - Nate Finn’s All You Need rocks Eastport for the first of two times this week (see Eastport a Rockin’ below).

⚽ USMNT in the World Cup - Our men play Türkiye at 10 PM Eastern in the final match of the group stage.

🍽️ Food Truck Fridays - 12+ food trucks serving up everything under the sun, free admission, and room to roam.

⚽ Annapolis Blues Doubleheader - The final doubleheader of the season. The women take on Virginia Atlantic WFC; the men face Christos FC. Oversized chains to the first 500 fans!

🎶 Eastport a Rockin' - 40 bands, 4 stages, 1 day. The local music festival of the summer returns to Eastport.

📚 Naptown Record & Comic Fair - Dig through vinyl and comics at ArtFarm Studios and AND Creative Gallery, with DJ Meltdown spinning all afternoon.

🎨 🎈 Annapolis Artisans Market - Three guest vendors, a free workshop, and an America 250 celebration at Local by Design at The Gallery. Continues Sunday.

🐮 🎈 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, coffee, tacos, and crafts.

🎶 Celebrate Juneteenth at Goshen Farm - Free music and dance commemorating Juneteenth, featuring the Inspirational Choir and sacred dance group from Asbury Broadneck UMC. Bring food, chairs, and family.

🐮 🎈 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Fresh local produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, and more every Sunday morning.

🌙 Full Moon Paddle - A guided evening paddle under the full moon with Capital SUP. Vessel lights provided.

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⚽ Extra Time – The US men play their final group-stage match tonight against Türkiye at 10 PM. Need a screen? Our watch guide maps our picks. And a few stay open 'til the final whistle: Dark Horse and West End Grill, Seasalt, and Stan & Joe's.

🌍 Mr. Worldwide – After 6+ years empty, Trader Joe’s is getting a new neighbor and it’s got just as much of a cult following as TJs. Maybe even stronger. World Market’s grand opening is tomorrow at 160 Jennifer Road. The ribbon cutting is at 9:45 AM and the celebration continues all weekend with tastings, giveaways, and more.

💍 One More Toast – Blanca Flor Silver Jewelry is throwing a send-off party at its Market Space storefront tonight, 6 to 9 PM, with live music, refreshments, giveaways, and store-wide savings: 15% off jewelry and tabletop pieces, and 20% off mirrors, pottery, and hanging stars. The downtown shop is moving on, but as they put it, the story continues.

🏷️ Going, Going… – The office building at 201 Defense Highway hit the online auction block this week, and a flurry of last-minute bids flipped it from "reserve not met" to sold. It looks to have closed around $3.485 million, though the final figure isn't confirmed – the auction site stopped showing numbers once bidding ended.

🥒 Dill With It – Annapolis's biggest pickleball weekend is back: the 6th annual Annapolis Pickleball Club / Bay Capital Mortgage Open takes over Truxtun Park September 12–13, drawing 300+ players for round-robin doubles across DUPR skill levels and age brackets. It sold out fast last year, so register early. Entry is $60, plus $5 per bracket, with medals in every division.

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87 🌡️ 72 | 🌤️ | 6% ☔ | 💨 S 14 mph (12 knots)

89 🌡️ 71 | ⛈️ | 83% ☔ | 💨 S 7 mph (6 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 73ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

🌳 🎵 = Outdoor concert

49 West | What’s Your Vibe | 8–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Michael K | 7–10 PM
🌳🎵 AMM Tides & Tunes | All You Need | 7–9 PM
🌳🎵 Annapolis Town Center | Unity Reggae Band | 6:30–8:30 PM
Beer Farm | Mike Heuer | 5–8 PM
Brian Boru | Ray Wroten | 6–9 PM
Dark Horse | ilyAimy | 9 PM
Killarney House | O'McPub Band | 6–9 PM
La Sierra | Cristopher Dean | 5:30–8:30 PM
The Lodge | Moe Stringz Steel Pan Duo | 5:30–8:30 PM
Market House | Aaron Hawkins | 6–8 PM
Mother’s Peninsula Grille | Gretna Green | 7 PM
Pirates Cove | Jason Bishop | 6–9 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Rumours ATL | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Tavern | Nate & Jim | 5 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | Leo Havens | 6 PM

49 West | The Badger Band | 7:30–10 PM
The Admiral’s Cup | Brandt Dunn, LoveDrunk | 3:30 PM
Annapolis Smokehouse & Tavern | Chossen Music Band | 8:30 PM
Beer Farm | Michael McHenry | 4–7 PM
Brian Boru | The National Bohemians | 7–10 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
The Choptank | Jon Watkins | 8 PM
Coconut Joe's | Mook Jones | 5–8 PM
Galway Bay | Bridgette Michaels | 7–10 PM
Great Frogs | Chase Segree | 5:30–8:30 PM
Killarney House | Ray Wroten | 7:30–10:30 PM
Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen | Joel David | 5–8 PM
Market House | Freelump and Alex G Lee | 8–11 PM
Market Space | Stan Graham | 6–9 PM
Middleton Tavern | Moon Cherry | 10 PM
Old Stein Inn | Dan Heely Band | 7–10 PM
Pirates Cove | Pete Best | 7–10 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Don Jovi | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | Scott Hymes Band | 8 PM
Rams Head Tavern | Alaina Tamash | 9 PM
Romilo’s Restaurant and Bar | Blueline | 7 PM
Severna Park Taphouse | Doghouse Blue | 6 PM
Stan & Joe’s Riverside | Kevin Lee | 4–8 PM
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Brendan Lane and The Sugar Packets | 9:45 PM

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, share it with the friend who becomes a die-hard soccer fan every four years and forgets the sport exists in between.