Organizers are hard at work making plans for the City of Annapolis’ 300th birthday, an event they hope will bring in substantial tourist dollars.
Early plans call for a handful of “signature” events, designed to appeal to a regional audience, and a calendar of smaller community events tailored to individual neighborhoods.
Charles Weikel, executive director of the Annapolis Charter 300 Committee, said organizers hope to raise $1 million for the 18-month party.
Some of the big events include a formal Queen Anne’s ball, a fall cultural event that could debut a specially commissioned musical composition, a book fair featuring local authors and a public commemoration in November of the signing of the city’s charter.
“The potential for tourist dollars could be substantial, but that’s also dependent upon the entire community getting involved,” said Bob Burdon, president of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. “I think it’s also going to renew the concept of and commitment to community that so often gets lost in our high-tech world.”
The festivities will kick off in 2008, 300 years after Queen Anne granted the colonial city its charter, making it the first democratic city in the Southern colonies.
Celebration planners have already tossed around ideas that include historical re-enactments and period church worship.
“There’s also been a lot of discussion about fountains like the South Gate fountain,” Weikel said. “But how much of that can be accomplished depends on the money.”
