🍦Time to see the County’s next budget

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. TIL Jason Derulo has a tank full of sharks in his living room. The only way I can ever think knowing this might be useful is if it comes up on Jeopardy! so on the off chance you get on the show and it happens to be a question on that episode, you’re welcome.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

Kindergarten registration
Paca Girlfriends tickets
Cape St. Claire fire station groundbreaking

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, & Duffy Perkins

Weekend preview

Squire Fred at the Annapolis Book Festival circa. 2023

🎈 = family-friendly events

Friday

🎈💐 May Day - Businesses and residents decorate their front doors, porches, and stoops with magnificent flowers in the hopes of winning a blue ribbon and an invite to the exclusive winner’s tea.

🎈🍽️ Food Truck Fridays - 12+ food trucks serving amazing variety every Friday evening through November.

🎈🌱 Providence Spring Plant & Pottery Sale - Everything for spring planting plus beautiful handmade pottery perfect for Mother's Day gifts. Also on Saturday.

Saturday

🎈📚 Annapolis Book Festival - 23rd annual celebration with renowned authors, children's activities, live music, and huge used book sale at Key School.

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

🎈🌱 Festival at the Farm - Healing horses, therapeutic experiences, yoga, meditation, and local food at Wellness House of Annapolis.

🩰 Grand Opening Celebration - Ribbon cutting and open house for Fred Astaire Dance Studios' new Severna Park location.

🎈🌸 Quaker Spring Market - Garden plants, gourmet baked goods, gently used treasures, and handmade Afghan jewelry.

🌱 2026 Spring Local Fun Festival - Shop Local celebration with live music, family activities, and "Spring into Wellness" section at Park Plaza.

Sunday

🎈🎨 First Sunday Arts Festival - Free outdoor art market with 150+ vendors, live music on multiple stages, and local culinary delights.

🎈🛍️ Annapolis Vintage Market - 25 curated vintage vendors, food trucks, and live music at Hudson Street parking lot.

🎈🐮 Anne Arundel County Farmers Market - Sunday edition of the weekly farmers market with fresh local goods.

🎈🧱 Naptown Cubers Rubik's Cube Competition - Local speedcubing competition at the Busch library.

🎈🎶 Songbird Festival 2026 - Free music festival celebrating local and regional talent at Maryland Hall.

Trivia schedule 🙋‍♀️
Naptown Scoop's full events calendar 📅
- Submit an event 📣
May Day Guide 💐

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📆 Events calendar

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🏕 2026 Summer Camp Guide

📣 Advertise in Naptown Scoop

Team Naptown Scoop Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS progress: $11,028/$20,000

🚴 SUPPORT TEAM NAPTOWN SCOOP🍦

LOOKING BACK

In case you missed it. . .

Photo by Naptown Scoop

The most popular stories of the week

Monday: 😷 Measles in Anne Arundel (possible exposure locations)
Tuesday: Our freshly updated list of the best local coffee shops
Wednesday: The real 2026 Commissioning Week Guide (lots of Blue Angels info)
Thursday: Comprehensive guide to May Day

Other things we think you should know

🖥️ Annapolis is redesigning its official website and wants your input.
🏛️ Public hearings started for the FY27 budget. They will continue at the next City Council meeting (May 11).
🍎 Magothy River Middle School STEM teacher Joe Bigsby was named AACPS Teacher of the Year.
🔱 The Naval Academy announced Capt. Clinton A. Cornell as the next commandant of midshipmen.
🏍️ Nitro Circus is coming back to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on August 23.
🏈 Navy’s Landon Robinson (Bengals) and Eli Heidenreich (Steelers) were picked 226th and 230th in the NFL draft on Saturday. It’s just the second time Navy’s had two picks; the first was 1956. Later in the week, Alex Tecza accepted an invite to the Steelers mini camp. Severna Park native Trey Smack was also grabbed, the only kicker picked in the entire draft.

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A Better Lawn Is Still Within Reach—Act Now!

Spring isn’t over yet—but the ideal time to start lawn treatments is quickly slipping away. Beginning service now can still make a noticeable difference and set your lawn up for a greener, healthier season ahead, especially with the right plan in place.

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Take advantage of 50% off your first service + a free soil test with code LDNAPSCOOP.

Availability is limited—call today to get started.

📞 (410) 956-8300

🌱 Visit: LawnDoctor.com/Annapolis-MD

GOVERNMENT

Big couple days at 44 Calvert

Steuart Pittman’s revealing his final budget in office today. And the County Council meets Monday night.

Today (5/1) at 11 AM: County Executive Steuart Pittman delivers his final FY27 budget address from Council Chambers, themed "A House In Good Order." Expect a focus on health and human services, public safety, education, and government operations. Streaming live on Arundel TV and Pittman's Facebook.

Monday at 7 PM: The County Council convenes at 44 Calvert Street with a meaty agenda. A few of the bigger items:

Region 5 plan: A final vote on the General Development Plan and comprehensive zoning for west county — Odenton, Piney Orchard, Gambrills, Crofton, and friends.
Cannabis spacing: A new bill would set minimum distances between dispensaries and schools, residential property, and other dispensaries.
Apartments above shops: A proposal to allow apartment dwellings as an accessory use in C4 commercial zoning districts.

Also up: a child care tax credit, supplementary appropriations, and a TIF tweak for the National Business Park.

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In other news. . .

🚲 And so it begins. . . Todd Olds, Rex Houlihan, and Scott “Scooter” Alyn are starting the Coast 2 Coast 4 ALS Bike Ride in La Push, WA today. They’re doing the 4,000-mile ride to raise money for ALC care and a cure. Team Naptown Scoop has raised $11,000 of our $20,000 goal. Will you help us hit $20k before the team reaches the Starboard in Dewey Beach?

💐 Those are pretty flowers: If you wander through the historic district today, you’ll notice hundreds of beautiful flower bouquets in baskets on front porches. It’s called May Day and it’s one of our favorite Annapolis traditions.

🎫 Admit one: General Admission tickets for Historic Annapolis’ wildly popular Paca Girlfriends party go on sale today at 10 AM. We’ve had this on the calendar for months and you can bet we aren’t the only ones so don’t delay.

🚌 Got toddlers? AACPS 2026-2027 kindergarten registration opens on Tuesday at 8 AM. Children must be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2026 to qualify. You’ll need the original birth certificate, immunization records, two proofs of residency, and documentation for your income so start collecting documents today. We’ll share the application link on Monday.

🚒 From the ashes: Construction on Cape St. Claire’s Station 19 officially began on Wednesday. The $19 million fire house is expected to be complete by November 2027 and is a serious upgrade from the current building which has been in use since the 50s. The project’s been 15 years in the making so everyone’s pretty stoked to see dirt moving.

🚴 Slow down: MD’s State Highway Administration is pitching a safety overhaul for the 1.7-mile stretch between Solomons Island Road and Westgate Circle — new crosswalks, a 10-foot shared-use path, relocated bus stops, and a bike lane that'd replace a turn lane between Homeland and Linden. ($)

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