🍦Fourth of July Game Plan

Bay Paddle, No Harm Tour, Navy Football’s 2025 Recruiting Class...

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Naptown Scoop
June 30, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. This is your annual reminder that Old Navy is the spot to get Fourth of July clothes for the whole family. They’ve even got matching sets. God bless the USA.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

  • Bay Paddle

  • No Harm Tour

  • Navy Football’s 2025 Recruiting Class

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins

It’s all about balance

Why should you trust your face to a Facial Plastic Surgeon?  With many types of aesthetic providers in practice today, it is important to make an informed decision when choosing elective or reconstructive procedures on the face or scalp.  Dr. Namita Murthy, a double board-certified Facial Plastic Surgeon has spent more than a decade in rigorous surgical training to achieve this level.  Dr. Murthy’s comprehensive surgical training covered a wide breadth of experience including cosmetic facial aesthetic surgeries, skin cancer reconstruction, facial rejuvenation procedures and hair restoration.

At Murthy Facial Plastic Surgery, we have a high level of commitment to providing excellent, individualized service to help you look and feel your best.  We offer unrushed, thoughtful consultations allowing for both education and solutions. We use an innovative, fully HIPAA compliant platform that allows direct, immediate physician access.

Dr. Murthy blends a natural aesthetic with advanced surgical techniques to deliver refined results.  Discover the best aesthetic treatment that fits seamlessly into your busy life!

THE DIGEST

U.S. Offshore Championship Coming Back to Annapolis in October

Applications are now open for the U.S. Offshore Championship, an event held in Annapolis on the U.S. Naval Academy’s Navy 44s. Up for grabs is the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy, which dates back to 1909 when Phoenix, a Naval Academy graduate and Civil War veteran, won it with his 171-foot schooner Intrepid. The Navy 44s demand smaller teams than the Intrepid, so crews of five minimum should consider applying. We love the fact that regatta organizers want crews who have raced together consistently: teams must have raced together in at least five regattas over the last 18 months. Applications are due July 15; racing happens October 3–5. Find out more here.

Who do you want to see at Let’s Go! 2026 👀 đŸŽ¸

Maybe you were there in the crowd for the Let’s Go! Music Festival at the beginning of the month. Or maybe you had to skip this year, but you’re already looking forward to next year. Well, festival organizers want to hear from you about what artists you’d love to see. And before you go thinking your dream list is too big for Let’s Go to ever book them, just remember they’ve had stars like Third Eye Blind, Young The Giant, 311, The Revivalists, Taking Back Sunday, Dashboard Confessional, Bush, Goo Goo Dolls, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

So just remember there’s no name too big or too small. Give your recommendations for Let’s Go 2026 and keep your fingers crossed.

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Your Patio’s Calling for a Do-Over

That dirt and pollen build-up? It’s stealing your backyard’s spotlight. Blue Heron Property Services uses a safe wash to wipe away the mess without damaging your patio. The result? A clean, fresh space that’s ready for everything from morning coffee to summer parties.

No elbow grease needed. Just sit back, relax, and let Blue Heron do the work.

Annapolis homeowners trust them to make patios look their best. Ready to join them?

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Coming Up This Week 🗓️

Great news — it’s going to be (marginally) not as hot this week. It also leads up to a holiday weekend. So that’s cool. Here’s what we’re looking forward to:

WEDNESDAY

🦖 Teen Movie Event: Jurassic World: Rebirth 1–5 PM. Join AACPL for this exclusive showing in a rented out AMC theater — plus snacks, swag bags, and an exhibit of real dinosaur fossils.

🍝 Dinner Under the Stars 6–10 PM. Enjoy a meal al fresco along West Street while listening to live music beneath the starry sky.

👟 Forward Run Club 6 PM. Meet up at Forward Brewing for a 3-mile run through Eastport and downtown Annapolis, with drinks and dinner afterward.

THURSDAY

🎸 Annapolis Maritime Museum Tides & Tunes 7–9 PM. Hear two bands at this week’s waterfront concert featuring IlyAimy and the Ryan Keith Band.

SATURDAY

🌾 Summer Field Market 9 AM – noon. Stop by Wildberry for an outdoor market on the farm with local vendors.

SUNDAY

🎨 First Sunday Arts Festival 11 AM – 5 PM. Stroll West Street and check out 100 vendors, live entertainment, arts demonstrations, and outdoor dining.

No Harm Tour: Summer 2025

Annapolis’ community-based Violence Intervention Program “No Harm” starts its pop-up tour on July 3rd with several events in multiple neighborhoods. The mobile tour brings vital resources like health and wellness services, housing support, employment resources, youth and family programs, and more directly to residents, with events running each day from 3 to 6 PM. A variety of vendors, support providers, and non-profit agencies will be on hand to help residents. If you’d like to see when the No Harm Tour will be popping up in your neighborhood, click here.

Fourth of July: Give it to me straight

Annapolitans love the Fourth of July. We love it so much we start celebrating days ahead of time. If you’re in Annapolis for the Fourth, you’re going to have a great time. But it might be worth leaving the city limits. Just. . . trust us.

The best fireworks happen in Sherwood Forest. On July 3rd, you want to be in a boat on the Severn River for the Sherwood Forest Fireworks. How a neighborhood pulls this off, we have no idea. But it’s consistently the best. Remember that Sherwood Forest is a gated community, so either find a friend with a house there, across the river, take your boat or a friend’s, or check out the Watermark cruise. The show begins a little after dark.

The Annapolis fireworks are also spectacular (and they actually happen on July 4), and you we love being home by 11 PM. If you don’t have a boat, the best places to view are on the Eastport Bridge, at City Dock, and on your friend’s balcony in Eastport.

Severna Park has the best parade. Get out your mini flags and your lawn chairs and be ready for the Severna Park Stars and Stripes Forever Parade on July 4 from 10 AM to noon. This parade is usually bigger than the Annapolis parade, and has a classic Americana vibe.

Annapolis recognizes this, and so their bands start marching at 6:30 PM, allowing you to be a parade junkie and catch both. The Annapolis parade ends with fireworks, which does give it a few points over SP, if we do say so ourselves.

Save the date: Bay Paddle 🚣🛶

Here’s an event we can get on board with — the Chesapeake Bay Paddle on July 26. This epic day on the water in Kent Island includes races by SUP, outrigger canoe (OC), kayak, canoe, or surfski. It’s the East Coast’s only OC6 change race, where paddlers swap out while the canoe is in motion. Whether you're going solo or teaming up, you're paddling 3.2, 10, or 35 miles to protect the Bay. Stick around for a post-paddle fest that’s shore to be fun. Proceeds support oyster restoration, clean water, and efforts to chart the Bay’s course as a National Park. Register now.

Save the Date: Lifeline 100 Bicycle

Ok, so it’s not just the Lifeline 100. You can ride 15, 30, 65, or 100 miles for a good cause with this excellent group of riders - even the kids can get involved. The route runs through scenic Anne Arundel County, Annapolis, the Severn River, and more. Register now and get your friends to join you, then get ready to start pedaling October 5.

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.

WEATHER

Monday

86 🌡️ 77 | ⛈️ | 36% | 💨 SSE 9 mph (8 knots)

Tuesday

88 🌡️ 72 | ⛈️ | 44% | 💨 SSW 14 mph (12 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 81ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

NAPTOWN SCOOP LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN IS POWERED BY. . .

Monday

49 West | Rehaash- Del Amitri | 7:30–10 PM

Tuesday

49 West | Unified Jazz Ensemble | 7–9:30 PM
Brian Boru | PJ and Neal | 6–9 PM
The Point | Kavoossi | 5–8 PM
Pirates Cove | Brian Grumbine | 6–9 PM

Navy Football’s 2025 recruiting class has arrived on campus, and 67 new players are ready to suit up. Rookies hail from 21 states, with Florida producing the most recruits (10), followed by Maryland (7) because we all know “that’s what Maryland does!” Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina round out the top five with six prospects each. T-minus two months until Navy’s home opener vs. VMI on August 30. Other home games include: UAB (September 6), Rice (September 27), Air Force (October 4), FAU (October 25), and USF (November 15). Score season tickets. Go Navy, beat everyone!

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THANKS!

Thanks for reading Naptown Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who swears light beer tastes better if the can has an American flag on it. Because it totally does.