🍦EYC Lights Parade ranking ✨

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Annapolis. This is Naptown Scoop, the newsletter that’s as exciting to open as the next number on the advent calendar.

In today’s Naptown Scoop:

• Annapolis named to Best Christmas Town In America List 🎅 

• Armed Forces Bowl match-up: Navy vs. Oklahoma 🏈 

• AFF Shorts Challenge theme announced 🎥

Let’s get to it.

— Lauren Burke Meyer, Dylan Roche, Duffy Perkins, Chelsea Harrison, & Ryan Sneddon

SPONSORED BY CURRENT DERMATOLOGY

Announcing our Favorite Things Holiday Week at Current Dermatology!

'Tis the season for giving, and we’re thrilled to invite all Scoop readers to this year’s Favorite Things Holiday Week! Join us for a week of holiday cheer, fabulous savings, and exclusive surprises showcasing some of our favorite things!

🗓 When: December 16-20, drop by anytime during business hours (8a-4p)
📍 Where: 810 Bestgate Road

What to Expect:

🎁 10% off all Gift Cards – Treat yourself or a loved one
🎁 Goodie Bags with every gift card purchase – packed with sample products and chances to win surprise gifts, including:

• Full-sized skin care products

• Free vials of Dysport and Daxxify; and

• Gift cards up to $2,000 toward a treatment of your choice!

Come celebrate with us, check a few things off your holiday shopping list, and leave with a little something extra just for you!

THE DIGEST

What do Newport, Vail, and Annapolis have in common? 🎄

They’ve all been named to Travel + Leisure Magazine’s list of the 25 Best Christmas Towns in America! Although, we aren’t surprised by this, after wandering the beautifully decorated streets for Midnight Madness this year. But the magazine loves our lighted boat parades, late night shopping, and our tailgating, putting us in a list with 24 other towns that give Hallmark a run for the money.

Need a Chromebook? AACPL can help 💻

In yet another move to demonstrate the library is one of the greatest community resources, Anne Arundel County Library and Foundation has teamed up with County Executive Steuart Pittman for a new initiative: You can now rent a Chromebook from the Brooklyn Park branch for up to 12 weeks. This helps address what’s known as the “digital divide,” the technological barriers that still exist for many residents even though access to a computer and reliable internet has become a necessity.

AACPL has lent laptops, Chromebooks, and Wi-Fi hotspots since 2020, but this new $50K project expands on that, making more devices available for a longer lending time. T-Mobile for Government, Wellpoint Maryland, and the Library Foundation are funding the program. You can reserve a Chromebook online and pick it up at Brooklyn Park branch.

EYC Lights Parade in USA Today 🏆

A few weeks ago, we encouraged all of you to cast a ballot for the Eastport Yacht Club Lights Parade in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Once again, local residents (ahem and lots of Scoop readers, we’re sure) pulled through and got this local event on the Top 10 Most Festive and Fun Holiday Parades Across the US.

While we were hoping to see the Lights Parade hit number 1 (because hey, we know it’s really the best), we won’t say no to that number 9 spot either! It’s bringing some attention to Annapolis on a list that also features America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in Chicago.

Health and Wellness Resource Fair 💖

Ready to crush those resolutions for 2025? The Mayor’s office has announced a pre-NYE Health and Wellness Resource Festival held on December 30, 1–4 PM at the American Legion post on Forest Drive. The Resource Festival will provide opportunities for anyone interested in advancing a healthy lifestyle. Connect with service providers, vendors, and support networks to make 2025 the best year yet. — 1707 Forest Drive, Annapolis

AFF Shorts Challenge theme announced 🎥

Calling all wannabe Hitchcocks, Scorseses, and Spielbergs: Annapolis Film Festival is looking for you! The Shorts Challenge, themed “A New World” for 2025, is a competition where five finalists pitch their short films to a live audience with the hope of getting a project greenlit. If you win, expect funds for production and a screening at an upcoming festival. Submissions are now open with a deadline of February 14, 2025.

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WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

Coming Up This Week

The surest sign yet that the holidays are getting closer: There’s practically a celebration of some kind happening every night of the week, and sometimes even two or more celebrations! Here’s what’s happening:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Bring your favorite people for an all-ages game of Family Bingo at Broadneck Library on Monday at 6 PM.

🍝 The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Taste & Sip food expo on Tuesday at 5 PM at Chartwell Country Club.

🎅 Don we now our ugliest apparel for Ugly Sweater Day with Santa on Wednesday at the Annapolis Town Center.

⛪️ Join St. Martin’s in-the-Field for Advent Nights & Advent Lights every Wednesday in Advent at 5:30 PM, beginning with dinner followed by programming.

🎨 Get artsy this season by participating in Holiday Paint Night at Libbey’s on Wednesday at 6 PM, two drinks and paint supplies included in registration price.

🏌️‍♂️See who’s moving forward in the brackets at the weekly Scramble League at X-Golf Annapolis on Wednesday at 7 PM.

📽 Take a break from shopping and enjoying a movie screening at the Midnight Madness Outdoor Movies at Reynolds Tavern on Thursday at 6 PM.

🍪 Enjoy some Cookies & Cocoa with Santa on Friday at 5 PM at the Severna Park Community Center, where there will be a holiday gift market and an elf workshop.

🕯 Tour the festively decorated historic downtown with a Colonial-attired guide on the Holiday Candlelight Stroll on Friday at 7 PM.

Musical Monday 🎶

Lean your ear this way, because the holiday tunes are continuing around Annapolis. This Musical Monday, we’re highlighting a few great yuletide concerts:

🎵 Christmas Cabaret: Holiday Swing
Classic Theatre of Maryland dedicates this month’s cabaret to a selection of holiday favorites on Monday and Tuesday at 7:30 PM.

🎵 ASO plays Holiday Pops
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s annual tradition brings together 70 world-class musicians for a mix of carols and other holiday tunes, with performances on Friday at 7:30 PM at Maryland Hall and Saturday at 3 PM at Severna Park High School.

🎵 Holiday by the Bay
The Naval Academy Band performs an eclectic mix of multicultural holiday favorites, from traditional to modern, on Thursday at 8 PM at the Naval Academy Chapel.

🎵 Annapolis Blend Holiday Concert
This 4-part a cappella and barbershop women’s chorus has an uplifting lineup of seasonal music planned for its holiday concert on Tuesday 7 PM at Unity by the Bay.

BDTM December 2024 Events 🗓️

The Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (BDTM) hosts a dynamic lineup of free December events, including:

• Voices for Change on 12/11 from 6–8 PM: Maryland’s thought leaders discuss the history and current state of juvenile justice reform, focusing on its impact on Black youth. Register virtually.

• Kwanzaa Celebration & Sacred Spaces Exhibit Artmaking Workshop on 12/14 from 10 AM–4 PM: Artist Jabari Jefferson will let attendees engage in art-making for the upcoming exhibit on Feb. 8, 2025. Celebrate Kwanzaa with vendors, cultural foods, family fun, and a live performance at the museum (84 Franklin Street). Register.

• REVISIT/REIMAGINE: This museum exhibit highlights Civil Rights history and its modern parallels, on display through 1/4/25.

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.

CIVIL NEWS

⚖️ City Council meeting

On the agenda for tonight’s City Council meeting:

• City of Annapolis Departmental Reorganization

• Changes in Exempt Service Job Classifications

• Fair Cannabis Employment Practices

• See full agenda

The meeting is at 7 PM in City Council Chambers. The public is welcome to attend. Click here to submit testimony or watch online. — 160 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis

State of the County 💯

How is Anne Arundel County doing when it comes to meeting its goals? We’re going to find out this week. County Executive Steuart Pittman is prepared to deliver his State of the County address, “Healing Wounds, Building Trust,” tomorrow at 11 AM online. You can watch here and even sign up ahead of time to receive a link right to your inbox.

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EXTRA SPRINKLES

Windows so clean you’ll need a warning sign for birds

Smudges, streaks, and grime? Not on our watch. Blue Heron Property Services brings our windows back to their best with expert cleaning that’s safe, thorough, and affordable. Locally owned and proudly rated 5 stars on Google, they’ll make your home or business shine inside and out. Request your free estimate today and see the difference — literally!*

Party With A Purpose!

After six years, the best party with a purpose, Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Denim & Diamonds Bash, is coming back! Save the date for Saturday, April 26 to help raise vital funds for pediatric mental health needs in our community. The Bash will feature fabulous cuisine, gourmet food trucks, a great band, and lots of fun surprises – you don’t want to miss it! Learn more about sponsorship opportunities at aamcdenimanddiamonds.org.*

*indicates sponsored advertising content.

WEATHER

Monday

50 🌡️ 43 | 🌧️ | 80% | 💨 S 9 mph (8 knots)

Tuesday

53 🌡️ 50 | 🌧️ | 36% | 💨 SSE 7 mph (6 knots)

💧🌡️ Water temperature = 46ºF
Temperature readings taken from the mouth of the Severn River the night before publication

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN

Monday

49 West | Songwriters Showcase | 7:30–9:30 PM

Tuesday

49 West | Unified Jazz Ensemble | 7–9:30 PM
The Point | Aidan Ewald | 5–8 PM

NAVY SPORTS

🎙 LISTEN: Quarterback Braxton Woodson Grows Up Against East Carolina

In this latest episode of the Navy Football Podcast, hosts Bill Wagner, Eric Kettani, and Keenan Reynolds talk about backup quarterback Braxton Woodson and his recent role in leading his team to victory against Tulane after a struggling first half of the game. The hosts also join cornerbacks coach Robert "RB" Green for the Alumni Spotlight segment. Listen.

Navy vs Oklahoma match-up for Armed Forces Bowl

The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl announced yesterday that Navy Midshipmen and Oklahoma Sooners will play the 22nd Armed Forces Bowl on Friday, Dec 27 in Forth Worth, Texas. Kickoff is at noon and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.

Go Navy! Beat everyone! 🟡⚓🔵

Past results

Women's Basketball (7-3)
12/7 vs. Stetson | W 66-49

Men's Basketball (3-7)
12/7 @ NJIT | L 69-64

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THANKS!

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