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“Maryland has always been a great tourism value,” says Gov. Martin O'Malley. “Our location and ease of access – along with the many options that we offer visitors – makes Maryland an appealing travel destination. With the many free attractions, events and historic sites, we can provide both visitors and residents with memorable experiences that are reasonably priced – a significant consideration in today's economic climate.” The range of free events around the state is an indication of what Maryland has to offer,” says Margot Amelia, executive director of the state's tourism office. “Heritage celebrations, urban festivals, arts shows and concerts – all of them free – are happening around Maryland.” For more information about upcoming free events, check this full news release online. Green Travel offers guidelines for hotels “Many of the practical measures that lodging properties use to reduce environmental impacts also result in significant cost savings,” said Margot Amelia, executive director of the Office of Tourism. “And, more and more consumers are looking for travel experiences that are consistent with eco-friendly practices.” Maryland Green Travel guidelines use parameters developed by the Maryland Hotel and Lodging Association, which reflect the American Hotel & Lodging Association's guidelines for "going green." Check the Maryland Green Travel web site for more information, or call or e-mail Catherine Batavick, 410-767-6342. The first two Maryland Green Travel lodging partners are: Marriott Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College, located in Prince George's County; and The Inn at Herrington Harbour in Anne Arundel County.
Event organizers expect 100,000 spectators for next year's weekend of street-racing events and festivities that culminates with the Grand Prix on Sunday, Aug. 7. “The economic impact on Maryland's economy could be in the range of $60 million to $70 million,” said Terry Hasseltine, director of the Maryland Office of Sports Marketing. This year, the IndyCar Series is made up of 17 races at venues in North America, Brazil and Japan. North American race sites include: Long Beach, Calif., St. Petersburg, Fla., Miami, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Toronto. Baltimore, which has a five-year commitment to host the race, is the only mid-Atlantic location.
Uncle Nace's Day has been celebrated in Talbot County yearly since 1867. Nathanial “Uncle Nace” Hopkins started the tradition as Maryland Emancipation Day. After Hopkins died in 1900, his descendants and the town of Trappe changed the name. Located in the Fells Point section of Baltimore, Globe Poster produced posters for vaudeville and burlesque shows, carnivals, and movie theaters. The Cicero family has run the company since 1935. Globe has continued to create posters – for elections, festivals and entertainment events – for the past 65 years. Representatives of the state's two longest-running jousting tournaments – the St. Joseph's Jousting Tournament and Horse Show at St. Joseph's Church in Cordova (held annually since 1868), and the Calvert County Jousting Tournament at Christ Episcopal Church in Port Republic (held annually since 1866), along with a representative of the Maryland Jousting Tournament Association (founded in 1963) – accepted the award. The ALTA Awards program is named after Alta Schrock, a native of Garrett County. Schrock, in 1944, became the first Menonnite woman in the U.S. to earn a doctorate (biology). She cultivated her interest in preserving Appalachian traditional-art forms by establishing Spruce Forest Artisan Village, Penn Alps and the Springs Festival.
Eastern Shore group convenes Tubman conference "Meeting many of the people who attended this conference,” said Camila Clark, a spokesperson for the Maryland Office of Tourism, “will help us to develop strategies that bridge the interests of all the community groups, historical societies and state and local agencies that have an interest in commemorating – now and in the future – one of our nation's great heroes, Harriet Tubman.” Last year, Maryland Senators Benjamin Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski, along with their counterparts in New York, introduced legislation that would create two national parks to honor Tubman – one in Dorchester County, where Tubman lived as a slave, and the other in Auburn, N.Y., where Tubman eventually settled after escaping and then helping numerous slaves also find passage to the north during the years that led up to the Civil War.
After receiving 2,162 submissions for this year's event, the festival will screen 102 films from 54 countries. Films will vie for awards in five categories. Silverdocs also includes the International Documentary Conference, a five-day concurrent gathering that draws 1,200 filmmakers, educators, business leaders, industry professionals and film enthusiasts. “Silverdocs is the preeminent documentary festival in the world,” said Jack Gerbes, director of the Maryland Film Office. “The fact that it's in Maryland is something that we take great pride in and we're happy that we can lend support to it.”
Star-Spangled Banner license plate debuts on Flag Day Cumberland Valley show opens in Hagerstown AFTA conference comes to Baltimore in three weeks |
The Maryland Office of Tourism is looking for lodging establishments to join Maryland Green Travel – a voluntary program that promotes Maryland as a green destination through self-certification. Forged jointly by the tourism office, Maryland Department of the Environment and Maryland Tourism Council, the program is a product of Gov. Martin O'Malley's Smart, Green and Growing initiative. 
The Choptank Region History Network hosted a weekend forum at Chesapeake College in Cambridge, for anyone interested in studying Harriet Tubman's life or preserving her legacy. About 100 educators, historians, researchers, genealogists, government representatives and Eastern Shore residents participated in a variety of workshops at the first Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Conference, June 4-6. 
Silverdocs
