Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley invites all residents to the celebration of Independence Day with a parade and fireworks on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Amos Garrett Boulevard and proceed along West Street, around Church Circle, and down Main Street. Following the parade, at 8 p.m., the Salvation Army James B. Anderson Conservatory Band will perform patriotic music at Annapolis City Dock. The fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m.

INDEPENDENCE DAY IN ANNAPOLIS
Main Street and the Spa Creek Bridge (from Eastport to downtown) will be closed to traffic beginning at 6 p.m. and remain closed until the conclusion of the fireworks, at approximately 10 p.m. Please note that parking in downtown will be crowded. In addition, close-in parking may make it more difficult for out-of-towners to get out of town after the celebration.

Please be aware that the closer you get to downtown the harder it will be to park and the more difficulty you will have getting out of town after the celebration. For up-to-date parking
information, visit www.AccessAnnapolis.com.

Parking is available at Hillman, Knighton or Park Place. The free downtown “magenta” shuttle will run along West and Main Streets. The downtown shuttle will run from 8 a.m. to midnight on July 4, 2023. On Tuesday, July 4, the City will have a cooling bus parked outside the Harbormaster’s Office on Dock Street.

Due to heavy traffic and large attendance, local garages may fill up early. Therefore, the City will also provide free shuttle service from the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Gate 5) to Lawyers Mall from approximately 4:30 p.m. to midnight. Parking at Navy Stadium will be $10 per vehicle on Monday, July 4, 2023.

PARKING RESTRICTIONS
Beginning at 4 p.m. and extending until about 10:30 p.m., parking will be prohibited and violators may be towed from the following areas:

• City Dock
• Main Street
• Randall Street
• Market Space

Both sides of Severn Avenue between First and Burnside Streets

ROAD RESTRICTIONS AND CLOSURES
In Eastport, vehicular traffic into the north side of the Eastport Peninsula will be restricted between 5 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Pedestrian traffic will be permitted. Roadblocks will be set up at 5 p.m. at Sixth Street at Severn Avenue, and Sixth Street at Chesapeake Avenue denying access to downtown via the Spa Creek Bridge. Off Edgewood Road, Bembe Beach Road from Awald Road to the end will be closed for a private event.

Prince George Street will be posted “Resident Only Parking” from Craig Street to Maryland Avenue from 2 p.m. to midnight. East Street will be posted as “Resident Only Parking” from Prince George Street to King George Street from 2 p.m. to midnight. Randall Street will be posted “Resident Only Parking” from Prince George Street to King George Street from 2 p.m. to midnight.

Vehicular traffic will be denied access to the downtown area beginning at 5 p.m. until approximately 10:30 p.m. Road blocks will also be set up in the following locations:

• Church Circle and Main Street
• Duke of Gloucester Street at Conduit Street, at Green Street, at St. Mary’s Street and at Compromise Street

Traffic will be allowed to flow down Duke of Gloucester Street from Church Circle and into Eastport via one lane (not into downtown Annapolis) until 9 p.m. At that time, the Spa Creek Bridge will be closed and Duke of Gloucester Street will be closed to ensure pedestrian safety and to facilitate the movement of foot traffic leaving the area after the fireworks display. Be alert to road closures in the area of Bladen Street and College Avenue (State of Maryland construction project).

For full event details, visit www.annapolis.gov.

Navigating Annapolis During Naval Academy Commissioning Week

The United States Naval Academy’s Commissioning Week activities run from May 21 to 26, 2023. The graduation and commissioning ceremony for the Class of 2023 take place on Friday, May 26 at 10 a.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Rowe Boulevard.

For a full listing of events and activities, visit https://www.usna.edu/CommissioningWeek.

In the days before the graduation and commissioning ceremony, City residents and visitors should expect heavy traffic, temporary road and bridge closures, parking limitations, maritime traffic restrictions and increased security in downtown.

Hours and restrictions for vehicular and pedestrian access to the U.S. Naval Academy during Commissioning Week will be posted on the Commissioning Week website; the outdoor graduation ceremony is limited to invited Naval Academy and Class of 2023 guests and authorized personnel only.

PARKING: The best option for getting onto the yard is to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and take the free shuttle to enter through the Visitor Center at Gate One. With the closure of the downtown Hillman Garage for a rebuild, the closest parking garage options are: Gott’s, Knighton and Park Place. For more information on parking and navigating downtown, visit: www.AccessAnnapolis.com.

HEAVY TRAFFIC: Make a plan to accommodate the increase in cars and pedestrian traffic as much as possible. Allow yourself plenty of extra time and please be courteous to out-of-town drivers who are unfamiliar with City streets. Download the “Prepare Me Annapolis” mobile app (Apple/Android) to receive local traffic alerts.

On Friday, May 26, traffic around Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Rowe Blvd. will be heavy until approximately 3 p.m.

TEMPORARY ROAD AND BRIDGE CLOSURES: On Tuesday, May 23, the Route 450 (Naval Academy) bridge will be closed between 10:45 a.m. until approximately 3:45 p.m. for the Blue Angels flyover rehearsal. The bridge will close again on Wednesday, May 24 at approximately 1:45 p.m. until approximately 4 p.m. for the Blue Angels flight demonstration.

DOWNTOWN PARKING LIMITATIONS: Expect parking to be limited throughout the week. Visit www.AnnapolisParking.com to reserve garage parking at Gott’s Garage in advance. Please note that there will be strict enforcement of metered parking, two-hour limited spaces, Residential Permit Zones and red zones. Visitors are strongly encouraged to park at Knighton (Corner of Colonial Avenue and West Street) and Park Place (Just off of West Street and Spa Road) garages and take the free downtown shuttle.

On Friday, May 26, 2023, there will be no state employee parking at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Lot. The parking lot will be reserved for graduation attendees. City and state employees who normally park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium should relocate to the Calvert Street Garage.

INCREASED SECURITY: All residents and visitors should remain aware of their surroundings. Please identify suspicious personnel, packages or behavior to local authorities. If you see something, say something. Dial 9-1-1 for emergency response. For non-emergency inquiries or questions, contact the Annapolis Call Center at 410-260-2211.

MARITIME TRAFFIC: Boaters must pay close attention to markers that delineate exclusionary zones and temporary channels (marked by red and green buoys). Please look for public safety boats and follow instructions promptly. The Annapolis Harbormaster operates on VHF 17. The area of Spa Creek and the Severn River will be patrolled by the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Natural Resources Police, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Annapolis Harbormaster, Annapolis Police and Annapolis Fire Rescue boats. For complete information on maritime traffic rules and procedures, visit: https://www.annapolis.gov/1916/Blue-Angels-2023.

The Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show is back at City Dock and will run from 10 a.m. on Friday, April 28 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 30 at City Dock in downtown Annapolis. Here a few parking and traffic tips:

Cars will not be permitted to park at the end of Dock Street (from the Harbormaster’s Office to Susan Campbell Park) beginning at midnight on April 25. Cars that remain after that time will be removed. Dock Street and Prince George Street from Craig Street to the water will be closed to vehicles and used for show setup.

Vendor load-ins will begin on April 25 for water exhibits and April 27 for land exhibits.

Parking Restrictions and Road Closures

• PARKING RESTRICTIONS: From Monday, February 27 to Tuesday, March 7, there will be no parking on Dock Street from the Harbormaster’s office to Susan Campbell Park. On Sunday, March 5, there will be no parking in the first block of West Street and along Main Street before and during the parade.
• ROAD CLOSURES: Dock Street will be closed, except for emergency vehicles, between the Harbormaster’s Office and Susan Campbell Park from Monday, February 27 to Tuesday, March 7. Streets along the parade route will close before 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, and are expected to remain closed until the conclusion of the parade, at approximately 3 p.m.

The City of Annapolis welcomes visitors downtown for the 2023 Maryland General Assembly legislative session. As the rebuild of the Noah Hillman Garage continues, please visit www.accessannapolis.com for all of the city’s mobility options. For convenient downtown parking during the session, consider the following tips.

Ride the free Magenta Shuttle: Park at any one of the garages in the West Street corridor and take the Free Magenta Shuttle into downtown (view map). The Free Shuttle will conveniently get you to and from your legislative session destination. Here’s an informational video. To track the Shuttle in real-time, download and install the TransLoc app available on the Google Play Store or Apple Store.

The City of Annapolis is preparing for the gubernatorial inauguration on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. The official swearing-in will take place at noon inside the State House, followed by a public ceremony on the northwest side of the State House (facing Lawyer’s Mall). For information specific to inauguration ceremonies, please visit mooremillerinauguration.com.

This holiday season, downtown Annapolis will be as festive and beautiful as ever. There will be lights galore, and for the three nights of Midnight Madness (December 1, 8 and 15), Downtown Annapolis Partnership and the businesses have organized carolers, hot cocoa, and selfie opportunities to capture those magical holiday memories.

Here are tips on downtown parking and transit options throughout the holiday season.

Parking citations are issued by two companies hired to oversee parking in the City of Annapolis. The jurisdiction of these companies are geographically determined. 

Generally speaking, Glideparcs citations are issued in the downtown historic district area. Annapolis Parking citations are issued in all other areas in City limits.