🍦The artists behind the Annapolis Great Pumpkins

Good morning, Annapolis. Today’s the birthday of Elsa Lancaster, the actress who played the Bride of Frankenstein. We’re just letting you know in case your hair looks bad today, so you can remember it could always look worse.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

P.S. Scroll down to see how Blue Heron Property Services can make a house look clean.

Seemingly overnight, albeit after a lot of creativity and hard work, the eight giant pumpkins placed around town transformed from your standard behemoth 1,000-pound gourds into enchanting jack-o’-lanterns. But these aren’t just any scary faces — artists took the pumpkins to another level entirely. Here are the carvers behind the incredible work.

🎃 Nancy Baker, a local school teacher who tours the country carving pumpkins and other foods, carved a pumpkin at the Visitors Center on West Street.

🎃 Charles Lawrance, who has created murals throughout the region and is known for FinArt, carved at 99 Main Street.

🎃 Chris Wyer, Kevin Tovar, and Juan Martinez are professional carvers in the region who spend a lot of their time carving ice sculptures for banquets and special events. They carved the pumpkins at Market Space, the corner of Main Street and Frances Street, and at St. John's College. 

🎃 Ari Star and Lauren Lietch, both local artists from Love Struck Tattoo, carved the dragon pumpkin on Maryland Avenue.

🎃 Susan Gillig-Grube, Wayne Laws, and Audrey Lee, three artists from the Annapolis Pearl Gallery, carved the pumpkin at St. Anne's Church.

🎃 Staff from the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel decorated their hotel’s pumpkin.

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Annapolis Police Officer 1st Class Amanda Benson, a 16-year veteran of the APD, has been elected president of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Women in Law Enforcement. The organization creates resources for women in law enforcement via training, educational scholarships, and networking opportunities. Benson will serve a two-year term as its president. She was chosen for her dedication to the group’s mission plus her unwavering support of fellow female officers in the APD. Way to go, Officer Benson!

Calling all local artists: The Arts Council of AACo. has a fantastic mini grant opportunity designed to help support your next creative endeavor. If you have a project in mind that’s meant to serve the greater community, but you could really use some financial assistance getting it off the drawing board, get in touch today. But don’t doodle — or dawdle — because the deadline is Friday!

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Hole-y moly! Our readers rose to the occasion and shared some bonus bagel shops. We recently highlighted Bagels And . . . , Naval Bagels, and Chick & Ruth’s. But, how did these slip through our spread?

Deadrise Bagels was a crowd favorite whose grand opening was earlier this week. Each bagel is hand-rolled, cold-proofed overnight, then boiled and baked to golden perfection. Co-owner Seton Rossini said, “I’m all about authentic New York-style bagels with a Chesapeake twist.” The Scoop team can’t wait to try them!

📍Find them at Clock Tower Place (1410 Forest Dr, Annapolis) every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 7–11 AM.

Uber Bagels & Deli: Samantha Borgida — a born and bred New Yorker — raves, “Uber Bagels are actually the best BEC.” Translation: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese. They fooled her bridal party, who thought she ordered bagels from New York.

Uber’s catchphrase served with a side of humble smear? “Simply the best bagels this side of New York.” 📍Visit at 147 Ritchie Hwy in Severna Park; Mon-Sat 6 AM–2:30 PM, or Sun 7 AM–2 PM.

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.

Maybe you’ve been holding off on registering for the Bay Bridge Run because…well, because of any excuse you can come up with. In that case, here’s a great reason to run it: charity. Charity groups motivate you to do the race by offering you 1) community, and 2) entry via fundraising. You fundraise a designated amount (it varies by charity), use their training program (if you want to), and then run on behalf of the charity across the Bay Bridge on November 9. Participating charities this year include the Apollo’s Dream Foundation, Athletes Serving Athletes, Chesapeake Conservancy, and others. See all charities and find participation info.

🧛‍♂️ Colonial Players presents Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors Oct. 24-Nov. 15. This hilariously absurdist take on the classic vampire story may cause bloodcurdling screams — of laughter.

💔 Children’s Theatre of Annapolis presents West Side Story Oct. 24-Nov. 9. Young lovers are caught between rival gangs in this musical opening the new season at CTA.

🎶 Live Arts Maryland presents The Phantom of the Opera with live music Oct. 30. No, not the Broadway musical—this is the silent film starring Lon Chaney, and its musical accompaniment for the showing will be performed live by St. Anne’s Church organist Larry Molinaro.

🔥 Annapolis Opera presents Don Giovanni Oct. 31-Nov. 2. Mozart’s masterpiece about a libertine leading a life of indulgence and deception returns to Annapolis for the first time in 23 years.

Coming soon…

🦁 Pasadena Theatre Company presents Narnia the Musical Nov. 14-23. Step through the magic wardrobe and enter the world of a divine lion and wicked ice witch.

💐 Compass Rose Theater presents Pride and Prejudice Nov. 14-Dec. 14. Don’t miss the premiere of this original adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved classic romance.

🧅 Severna Park High School presents Shrek the Musical Nov. 7-16. Everyone’s favorite ogre comes to musical life onstage at Severna Park High School in November.

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.

We all want to think something bad could never happen to us — but unfortunately, it sometimes does. That doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead. After all, having a plan is how you avoid a worst-case scenario. Anne Arundel County just adopted its most recent Hazard Mitigation Plan. This is an update the county does every 5 years to figure out how to protect people and property from natural and human-caused hazards. The Office of Emergency Management looks at data and hears public input to figure out what actions are most effective, including:

✅ Solving flood problems
✅ Educating the public
✅ Improving emergency communication

The goal? To not just respond to disasters when they happen but to plan ahead and avoid them — ultimately building a more resilient communication. Hey, we’ll hazard a guess that’s something we can all be grateful for.

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You won’t believe the difference until you see it. Blue Heron’s professional cleaning transforms dull, dirty siding into bright, beautiful surfaces that look brand new again. Their crew knows how to safely remove grime, mildew, and buildup—without damaging your home’s exterior. It’s the kind of clean that makes you fall in love with your house all over again. See the difference for yourself and get a free estimate today.

57 🌡️ 50 | ⛅ | 4% | 💨 NE 16 mph (14 knots)

57 🌡️ 54 | 🌦️ | 42% | 💨 NE 15 mph (13 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 61ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

49 West |  Hot Funyuns | 7:30–10:30 PM
Captain’s Daughter | TBA | 5–7 PM
Middleton Tavern | Annapolis Songwriters Showcase | 6–9 PM
The Point | Dan Haas | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Iam Tongi w/ Shaun Gomban | 8 PM | Tickets
Rams Head Roadhouse | Suzy & Shaun | 6 PM

49 West | Dave Chappell & Friends | 5–7 PM
Brian Boru | Suzy and Shaun | 6–9 PM
Galway Bay | Irish Trad Music Session | 8 PM
Killarney House | Jason Bishop | 6–10 PM
Middleton Tavern | Joey Fitz | 6–9 PM
Pirates Cove | Vicki Roberts Band | 6–9 PM
The Point | Jordan/Pressing Strings | 5–8 PM
Rams Head On Stage | Raynes | 8 PM | Tickets
Stan & Joe’s Saloon | Thomas Starr | 9 PM

Navy football keeps climbing. Last week they ranked No. 30 nationally. Now, Navy has cracked the AFCA Coaches Poll at No. 23, its first 7-0 start since 1978. The bump follows a 42-32 Homecoming win over FAU.

Key Navy Stats:

Next up: Navy travels to North Texas (7-1) — the site of the legendary 74-62 win for the Mids in 2007, once the highest-scoring game in FBS history. Kickoff is at noon on November 1. ($)

The Eagles absolutely spiked expectations this year! No. 2 AACS volleyball soared to a perfect 14-0 season, clinching its first IAAM A Conference title by sweeping four-time champ Maryvale Prep. It’s the first league title under Coach Jen Groshek, who took over in 2024 and turned last year’s 6-7 squad into an undefeated powerhouse. Fueled by standout freshmen Scarlett Netherton and transfer Dakota Pentorn, AACS proved hard work and a “Borrow Mine” mindset built on selflessness and shared energy can truly set the tone for greatness. The Eagles are just getting started. Coach Groshek believes they could soon rank among Maryland’s top teams. 🦅 ($)

Women's Soccer (9-6-3)
10/29 @ Loyola (Md.) | 6 PM

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