Halloween Happening Fundraising Event…read more Definitely for those under the age of 8 or so 10 if you restrict TV/movies etc from your kids and they haven't been predisposed to certain things. Not bad for $15 per person They don't offer any discounts not even military.. You walk up the paved walkway purchase your ticket ($15pp), I think under 6 is free but don't quote me on that. And you wait in line. We waited about 45mins before our group of roughly 20 went into the Haunted Barn walked down a lil hill to the mini maze, and we all loaded up in the trailer for the hayride. Please dress for the occasion, it was 43 degrees out and they don't have space heaters outdoors or fire pits etc to keep you toasty wok you wait. Although a fire pit and selling s'mores kit would've been another selling point. They did have apple cider, canned sodas chips candy and popcorn for sale. I'd suggest pack your own snacks and drinks. Oh and they had glow sticks for the kids. Organization could've been a bit better, lighting to the restroom would've been nice and more scary props. And that god awful smoky smell from the fog machine or whatever was horrendous like old fireworks just bad.

Amazing! I had an awesome time here yesterday for the Hot Air Balloon Festival and Laser Show…read more Food, Drinks, Live Music and beautiful scenery.

We enjoyed this festival at Anne Arundel Fairgrounds. A good assortment of organisations' stands…read moreabout Irish, Celtic, and Scottish cultures. A stand featuring Irish Wolfhounds. Cute gigantic dogs. Good brews (sláinte!), other drinks, and foods. We liked the bands. Also a drums & pipes band. I opted for the Jameson Whiskey Tasting session. Got to sample some of their rarer (and more pricey) whiskeys. Really good opportunity to get a taste of them without spending hundreds of dollars for the bottles.

Fun!!!!! I didn't know that I like Irish music so much…read more Tickets: cash or card. $25 VIP $110 with free beer, wine, cider, soda, and water. Customer service: awesome! They give free sunblock at the gate. Stage: 3! Now at the biggest Shamrock stage. A great band is playing. The vocal makes us laugh a lot:D Drink: Nice beer:) Healthy smoothy:)) Food: fantastic! Shepard's pie, BBQ, grilled oyster, popcorn, etc. Shopping: Green t-shirts! Leather bags. So many cool things. Parking: Free. Kids friendly event:) So many cute fun kids playing around.

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!

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 is our second time going to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, and I have to say it's truly…read moreimpressive. I'm not much of a Ren Fair goer, but go since my partner loves it so much. I just can't get over how massive this place is with activities for adults and kids alike. There are multiple stages, and the jousting show is truly impressive. My kids enjoy the juggling, all the puzzles, and of course, dressing up as princesses and princes. There is a lot of food on site. Overall, it's okay. I wouldn't say its the best food, but a good variety. There is also alcohol for purchase including wines, beer and of course, ancient mead. Some of the standouts on our latest visit was the free pony rides, and the rock wall. My son also liked playing the many games throughout the festival. One important tip: make sure you bring cash. Many of the vendors accept Apple Pay, or as they call it, sorcery. But you'll still find many vendors such as the soda/water vendors only taking cash.

I go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival every year, and it never disappoints! The food is…read moredelicious, and there is plenty of entertainment throughout the day. I highly recommend the crab dip and crab pretzel, and you can never go wrong with a turkey leg. Wear comfortable walking shoes, and consider bringing a fan and reusable water bottle because it gets hot!

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)

Bottom Line: A good beer festival but I hope to see some improvement in 2016…read more I've been to various beer festivals, mostly centered around craft beer meccas like San Diego and the Pacific Northwest, so I weary about a non-craft brew town throwing a craft beer festival. Even though Annapolis is not a strong contender in the craft beer scene their festival did not disappoint but there is some room for improvement. Here are some observations from the 2015 festival that I hope will let other Yelpers know what to expect in 2016 and steer the organizers towards an even better event in 2016. - Parking and Logistics: Parking is only $5 and there was plenty of it. The gates opened at noon and the line started forming about fifteen or so minutes before hand. I actually had a "voucher" rather than a ticket but we relieved to know I did not first have to stand in a Will Call line to get my ticket and then stand in the entrance line to turn in my ticket. However, there is a second line for ID checks and to pick up your glass. - Beer Festival Only: This event is billed as a beer and music festival and there is even some mention of art. Really, this is just a beer festival which is ok with me! The music was hard to hear unless you sat right in front of the stage and the art was few and far between. - 1/2 Price Tickets a Must: Tickets for unlimited tastings were priced at $40 but I suspect most people used Groupon, Living Social or similar to pay about 1/2 price. Admission is worth $20 but not $40, in my opinion. $10 for DD ticket seems way to steep as this really is a beer festival and a DD would probably be bored here. - Brewery Diversity: The diversity of breweries was great! Most of the breweries that advertised were there and I would say 75% of the advertised beers were available too. I thought that was a great turnout as breweries and beer lists often do change between publishing of the list and the actual event. I am understanding of that and was ok with the no-shows, additions and overall beer selection. I really enjoyed trying beers some some local breweries like Long Trail (awesome pumpkin beer), Calvert Brewing (delicious creme ale) and Assawoman Bay Brewing (Angry Brown Clown is pure delight) with which I was not previously familiar. Most booths were supported with volunteers but a few breweries did have their own reps there. - Generous Pours: For a tasting event, I found the 5 oz. pours to be very generous. It would be easy to get wasted here but I really wanted to taste beers so I usually asked for a 1/2 pour or a splash. I tasted 42 beers in about five hours and left mostly sober. It seems many other people were largely tasting too as no one seemed obnoxiously sloshed (just hungry and dehydrated). - Draft Pours: Sometimes when you go to beer festivals they are pouring from bottles or cans. I am glad to say that most of the breweries had their product on draft. -Optimize with a List: As a beer nerd I went with a list. Make all the jokes you want. If you are serious about trying certain beers, or just want to be the butt of your friends' jokes, then check out the beer list in advance and make a list of what you want to try when you are there. I proudly carried my list around me and tried almost my entire list plus a few bonus beers. A couple people even asked me where I found my list. :-) - Operation Dehydration: The event rules said no outside food and drinks. As a rule follower, I did not bring my water. I guess I am a sucker as many people brought water in, as they should be allowed, since bags were not checked. I think if you are hosting a beer festival it would be smart to allow people to bring water. I am sure the event was proud to be charging $3 for a bottle of water but let's be smart about this and encourage hydration. - Dismal Food Situation: As other Yelpers have noted year after year, the food situation here is dismal. There is only one vendor with real food. This translates to very long waits for mediocre, over priced food. I am trying to figure out why the food situation is so bad. Maybe its because all of the good vendors are tied up at the concurrent Renaissance Festival? For those wanting chow at the festival, I recommend you order a pizza and have it delivered to the fence. Maybe for a generous tip the pizza guy will shove it through the chain length fence into your mouth since outside food is not allowed. -Port-a-pots: There was plenty of port-a-pots and there were zero to little lines. Thank you! Unfortunately, there was only one or two port-a-sinks and of course they ran out of soap and water very early. More hand-washing stations would be awesome. Despite intermittent rain I had a good time. I absolutely believe in the City Dock Productions and the Annapolis Craft Beer and Music Festival and hope to see improvement in years to come.

Except for the fact that it rained like crazy. This was a nice event. Oh and they could have had…read moremore porta John's. C'mon people you know what happens when we drink beer. Lol I enjoyed the beer glass that we got to keep and they had a very good selection of beer. Especially liked the pumpkin ale. Very tasty indeed. :-)