Patuxent River Appreciation Day (PRAD), one of Southern Maryland’s longest running festivals, celebrates its 44th year on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at the Calvert Marine Museum. All members of the family can enjoy the fun from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Museum admission is FREE all day.
This year’s event will feature a weekend’s-worth of fun all in one day. Festivities include toy boat building, live music, boat rides, children’s activities, art vendors, and more!
We are pleased to welcome guests back to J.C. Lore Oyster House for a special sneak peek while restoration of this historic building continues. This 1934 seafood packing house is located six-tenths of a mile south of the main museum campus on Solomons Island Road and will be open all day, tides and weather permitting.
Guests are invited to sample beer and wine, while grabbing a bite to eat from a variety of food vendors and enjoy live music throughout the day. The complete lineup of performers at the museum’s PNC Waterside Pavilion is as follows:
- 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. SOMD Jazz Orchestra
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Some Assembly
- 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Groove Span
- 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Southern Mix Barbershop
- 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pond Scum
Explore the museum grounds to visit dozens of nonprofit and community groups that celebrate the Patuxent River in a variety of ways. There will be exhibits, demonstrations, and displays about recycling, oyster farming, native plants, local wildlife, and more that help keep our area a wonderful place to live and play.
Head over to the Drum Point Lighthouse and surrounding boat basin for even more fun! Children can build their own toy boats, and the whole family is encouraged to enjoy free cruises aboard the Wm. B. Tennison, Dee of St. Mary’s, Witch of the Wave, Draketail, and Poe Skiff. Take a ride in a rowboat or pedal boat, or even try your hand at navigating a remote-control sailboat.
There’s more to discover inside the museum, with many exhibits offering additional interactive experiences for the day. Don’t forget to stop at the Museum Store to get a head start on holiday shopping with new and unique items that celebrate the paleontology, estuarine biology, and maritime heritage of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding waterways.
PRAD brings together and reflects the continuing commitment of the community, Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, Calvert Marine Museum, and other organizations that share a desire to preserve the Patuxent River and to celebrate its positive influence on the area’s quality of life in the past, present, and future. By bringing these people together in a public forum, PRAD organizers hope to grow local support of the environmental programs and tourism activities surrounding the Patuxent River and its tributaries. PRAD would not be possible without the support of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners.
Explore how the prehistoric past, natural environments, and maritime heritage come to life and tell a unique story of the Chesapeake Bay. The Calvert Marine Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $11.00 for adults; $9.00 for seniors, military with valid I.D, AAA and AARP members; $6.00 for children ages 5 – 12; children under 5 and museum members are admitted free. For more information about the museum, upcoming events, or membership, visit the website at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com or call 410-326-2042. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Exhibitor Rachel Dean with Solomons Island Heritage Tours brings a dockside demo to teach guests about crabs, fish and oysters. Photo curtesy of Robert Hurry.
