Flowermart (Baltimore, Md.; 410/323-0022; www.flowermart.org): This 2-day festival is held the first weekend in May, around the Washington Monument on Charles Street. You'll see ladies wearing flower-bedecked hats; traditional Baltimore foods, such as crab cakes and the lemon stick (halve a lemon, stab it with a peppermint stick, and suck the juice through the candy); and, of course, flowers.
United States Sailboat Show (Annapolis, Md.; tel. 410/268-8828; www.usboat.com): Boat dealers fill the city dock with an array of sailboats, Spartan racing boats, and luxurious floating living rooms. Wear sneakers or boat shoes, and you can climb aboard them all and dream. It takes place the first weekend in October. The Powerboat Show is held the following weekend.
Waterfowl Festival (Easton, Md.; tel. 410/822-4567; www.waterfowlfestival.org): This festival, held the second week in November, features paintings of canvasbacks, herons, and Canada geese, decoys both practical and fanciful, and sculptures so lifelike you'll want to smooth their feathers. There are sometimes even tiny sculptures worked in gold. For fun, stop by the duck-calling contest.
Christmas at Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, Pa., in the Brandywine Valley; tel. 610/388-1000): Everyone forgets that it's cold as they slow down to gaze at the thousands of lights -- maybe millions -- that turn the gardens into pure magic. Then they go into the conservatories to see the poinsettias and Christmas decorations. "Winter wonderland" is such a cliché, but it's really true in this case.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
