I used to volunteer here years ago. Simply put, love it. Bands, music, and food. I think it was…read moredefinitely worth while and I hope it comes back if it hasn't already.

This was an alright event. We purchased VIP Tickets this go…read moreround and l was very impressed. The tent keeps you out of the sun. We had our own private wine vendors. They gave us bottled water and regular refreshments. The food was So delicious! We didn't even have to purchase separate food from any other vendors because it was all you could eat and trust me anything having to do with Bacon keeps me Happy. I'm really not big on sweet bacon because l prefer mine smoked but l have to say it was really good. I definitely wouldn't mind checking that restaurant out. My only problem was that The VIP porta potty was extremely hot. Hey you didn't want to be in there to long and the water to wash your hands took forever to come out. They would have done better just having some hand sanitizer available. Other than that l can definitely see the perks in the VIP. Which cost $100 per person but l feel it was worth it. Just as long as they don't go up on that price. Overall we had such a good time!

This is my super delayed love letter to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. As a DND/role player, my…read moreSaturday in September at the Ren Faire was incredible. I went with my DND group and we had an amazing time. There is so much to do, eat, and see here. You can easily spend an entire day at the MD Ren Faire. INSIDER TIP: Come early and bring plenty of cash with you. The earlier you come, the less insane lines you have to fight. And if you already have cash on you, you don't need to wait in the never ending ATM line. I hadn't been since I was a child and the space was still magical. It's all in a forest with a bunch of unique buildings and stages to really bring the magic alive. The map is your friend. It shares where everything is and it also shares all the showtimes. We immediately met some charming acrobats and saw both of their shows that day. We learned that fire isn't allowed in shows here (probably because the forest), but all the performers impressed us with very sharp knife juggling. This ren faire has it all. You can get crab pretzels, beer, oysters, crepes, and more. You can buy corsets, masks, daggers, tapestries, and more. You can watch jousters, jugglers, acrobats, AND MORE. My favorite part of my visit this year the the miniature Venetian museum. If you're interested in attending, be sure to look at the correct dates to buy tickets in advance. They will put you in an online queue that can take up to hours to get through, but it's so worth it.

I've been to Renaissance festivals before, but nothing like the Maryland one. The festival grounds…read moreare well designed giving it a very immersive feel. It's also set back in the tree line a bit which really adds to the experience. There's a variety of entertainment options from Shakespeare to jousting and some very fine vendors. The best part though was definitely seeing all the attendees in costume, people really go all out! I tried to go last year but sadly missed out on getting tickets. I learned my lesson though and added the ticket release date to my calendar so I was ready! I bought my tickets the day they dropped, which was a good thing since they sold out quickly again this year. So my advice is plan on going and also get tickets asap!

Thank you Yelp for the free tickets to the 2016 Annapolis Irish Festival! This was an amazing…read morefestival, full of food, music, games, and lots of beer. The festival was located on the outskirts of Annapolis. It was very pleasant to see that they weren't charging for parking, which is not very usual during this kind of events. At the entrance of the festival, they had an ID checkup and they were also selling beer tickets. I thought that was very convenient because the table was next to an ATM...just in case people needed some cash for their beers/food. They had three different stages, which two of them were covered. I would encouraged everyone to bring your own chairs...which makes it easier to move from one stage to another while enjoying of different artists. My favorite band of the day was The Fitzgeralds from Canada! They played twice during Saturday and both times were pretty amazing! The food was really great too. They had all different kinds of food, from BBQ, to fried chicken, sandwiches, ice cream, turkey legs and fried Oreos (my favorite!) Even though, Budweiser was the main sponsor of the event... they also had different local breweries at the festival (remember to #KeepItLocal people!). It was really great to see all the families come together at this event and have such a great time! I might not be of Celtic descendant...but I was feeling a little Irish!

I love seeing a Yelp tent whenever I'm out at an event. You can guarantee to receive some type of…read moregoodies. This particular tent had a Pachinko type of device that you drop a coin in to see what gift it selects. Even though she did ask if i was happy with my choice. I actually was aiming for that one. I won some hand sanitizer. You can never get enough of that stuff. I always keep it handy in my purse or bags. Thanks Yelp booth. Again always a pleasure to see you!

Anyone who raves about the AA County Fair needs to get out more. It's fine for kids but adults who…read moredon't do rides probably only need to spend an hour there to get some kettle corn/fair food and see the pig races and some live entertainment. That being said, I grew up in San Diego where the annual fair is humongous and you can spend all day there (as an adult) and never run out of things to do or see. So my expectations of what a "real" fair is might be high. I've also lived in Maryland for 6 years and never heard about the AA County Fair until this year, when I received a flier in the mail about it. Parking is free, it's $10/person to get in, kids under 9 are free. Not much shade so wear sunscreen and bring water bottles. There's a handful of vendors and booths and exhibits, some of them (like the gardening exhibits) rather wilted looking in the heat. The livestock areas are small but fun to walk though. As far as live entertainment, depending on the time you go they have things like watermelon eating competitions and tractor pulls and pig races. In terms of value and enjoyment, I'd rank the MD Renaissance Festival much higher and recommend you spend your day there and only go to the County Fair if you have kids and are looking for a few hours to kill.

The AA Co Fair is great, depending on what you are used to. For the local area I would consider it…read moreone of the better options. However, compared to some other states there is slightly less fan fair then you may expect. There are a few barns with animals you can pet. Horse and camel rides, tractor pulls, pig races, etc. You can expect access to the usual greasy food options, but not much in the "amazing" food department. Carnival rides for kids starting at 36inches in height. Overall a good option for a few hours of fun when it's in town!

30 years of celebrating the African Diaspora, recognizing the middle passage and the arrival on the…read moreshores of the Chesapeake. Paying homage and honoring the ancestors through arts & culture, food and fellowship. "About the Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival In September 1987, the Kunta Kinte Celebration was born in Annapolis, Maryland. Now known as the Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival, the festival is a celebration of the perseverance, education, and cultural heritage of Africans, African Americans, and Caribbean people of African descent. The festival is a volunteer-run event organized by the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Kunta Kinte Celebrations, Inc. About Kunta Kinte Kunta Kinte was one of 98 enslaved people brought to Annapolis, Maryland aboard the ship Lord Ligonier in 1767, and despite many years in bondage, he never lost his connection to his African heritage. Kunta Kinte's experience symbolizes the struggle of all ethnic groups to preserve their cultural heritage. The Heritage Tale According to the book Roots, on the day of the birth of Kunta Kinte in 1750, in Gambia, West Africa, his grandmother Yaisa, laughed with joy as she witnessed the birth and special blessings of the firstborn boy of her son Omoro and his wife, Binta. Eight days later, during the naming ceremonies, the Alimamo prayed over the infant, entreating Allah to grant him long life, success in bringing credit and pride and many children to his family, to his village, to his tribe -- and finally, the strength and the spirit to deserve and to bring honor to the name he was about to receive. In his writings, author Alex Haley, depicts the scene so vividly that one can imagine being in the very spot on that eventful day. One seems a part of the history of an African family whose distinguished lineage is being recited as far back as two hundred years, as the Arafan (the village Griot) lists the names of the Maurentanian forefathers of whom Kunta's Grandfather and namesake Kairaba Kunta Kinte, had often told himself. The names were great and many for the Mandinka tribes's holy man. And this distinguished lineage and the oral history continue today through their descendants of the present, the author himself, his brother George, former state senator from Kansas and their youngest brother, Julius. Roots, the saga of an American Family, is a documentary dedicated to the Haley's family Griot, their grandmother, Cynthia Haley who told the stories of her ancestry to her grandchildren, among whom was Alex Haley. He listened intently and, after many years of research and journeys in search of the facts, was able to produce, in writing, substantiation of that oral history. His grandmothers's recountings of the family history perpetuated it in the minds of her children, who in turn passed it on to the minds of men all over the world, for all times. She created the symbol for all Africans of black American families, and thus she helped all of us to know, as the author pointed out "...who we are." The Kinte Distinguished Lineage Gambia, West Africa, 1750 Birth of Kunta Kinte, grandson of Kairaba Kunta Kinte, the holy man of the Mandinkas of Juffure; son of Omoro; father of Kizzy; grandfather of Chicken George; great-grandfather of Tom Murray; great,great-grandfather of Cynthia Murray; great,great,great-grandfather of Bertha Haley; great,great,great,great-grandfather of Alex, George and Julius Haley." Access more via (https://www.kuntakinte.org/the-legacy)