There’s more music than you could possibly get to in the coming week, plus good food and fair fun.
Lots of music
Thursday to Sunday
More than 100 acts will perform on 13 stages over four days at the second Rams Head Annapolis Songwriters Festival, making it the biggest music event of the year in Maryland’s state capital. Blondie may have top billing with her outdoor show starting at 5 p.m. Saturday at City Dock, but other top headliners include Michelle Branch, Amanda Shires, James McMurtry, the Chattahoochies, Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, K. Michelle and Patty Griffin. The festival closes out with LeAnn Rimes Sunday night at Maryland Hall.
Those performances are rounded out by a range of national and local talents. The event features a mix of free music at bars and restaurants downtown plus ticketed performances at the main stages, with prices for individual shows ranging from $20 to $125 plus service fees.
Fairly great time
Thursday to Sunday
Opening day of the 71st annual Anne Arundel County Fair was actually Wednesday, but just because you missed the fair ambassador contest at the fairgrounds in Crownsville — it used to be called the fair queen contest — doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty more to enjoy. Check out agricultural, food and craft displays, pig races, tractor pulls, pie-eating contests, livestock auctions, music and theater plus food and carnival rides. Special hours for seniors and people with disabilities. $10, with free admission for children under 10 accompanied by an adult. $15 for a midway wristband.
Upcycled art
7-10 p.m. Friday
Ever see an old cabinet on the sidewalk waiting for trash pickup and think, I could make something out of that! That’s what artist Nic Berg does, turning trash into eclectic art. Berg’s show “The End of Trash” will be open at The Well Infused Life. Free admission.
Get lost
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye at the Maryland Corn Maze in Gambrills, or at least tall enough to get lost in a maze carved for your amusement. The annual fall attraction on the old Naval Academy Dairy Farm is about 20 minutes from Annapolis and includes hay rides, apple cider and more. Buying tickets in advance is recommended to avoid crowding. $15.95 with discounts for teachers and anyone with a military ID.
End of the Revolution
Saturday to Sunday
The Revolutionary War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and Annapolis will celebrate the 240th anniversary of that event as well as the city’s role in it at a two-day series of lectures and presentations at the Annapolis library on West Street. Free.
Buongiorno
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Festa Italiana Annapolis is a daylong celebration marking the feast of Mother Frances Cabrini, founder of a Roman Catholic religious order that helped Italian immigrants to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, Annapolis Lodge holds the festival each year to honor the patron saint of immigrants, serving food and offering craft demonstrations, music and a celebration of heritage. Admission to the event is free with food and crafts for purchase. Proceeds benefit local charities and scholarships.
Musician benefit
7-10 p.m. Monday
If you didn’t get enough music at the four-day music festival in Annapolis, head back to Rams Head On Stage for “In The Vane Of Laurel Canyon.” It’s a fundraiser for AMFM, or the Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians, a nonprofit that raises funds to support local musicians when they can’t work. Sixteen local musicians and groups will perform the sounds that originated in the Los Angeles suburb during the 1960s and ’70s. $30.
