Spring festivals and fairs in Maryland offer inexpensive family fun with food, entertainment, and crafts and activities for kids.
Find family book festivals and cultural festivals, boat shows and craft shows, spring flings, food and drink festivals, music festivals and pirate weekends.
This list includes spring fairs and festivals in Maryland and Washington, D.C., starting in April.
As always, we suggest you call ahead to verify times and locations before attending an event. Be sure to check back often for updates as more events are added. Have fun!
April 2024 Fairs, Festivals and Carnivals in Maryland and D.C.
Bay Bridge Boat Show
April 12-14. Demo boat rides, simulated paddle and surfboard rides, children’s activities, over 200 brokerage boats, equipment and accessory vendors, food and more. $12-19. Children 15 and under free. Fri. and Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Bay Bridge Marina, Stevensville. annapolisboatshows.com/bay-bridge-boat-show
Anne Arundel County Fair Flea Market Series
April 20. Antique Tractor Pull. 80 vendors of new and used items for sale, including household goods, kids’ toys, tools, garden equipment, computers, electronics, party plan vendors and more. $5/adult, kids under 10 are free. 8am-2pm. Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, Crownsville. aacountyfair.org
Annual St. John’s / USNA Croquet Match
April 13. noon-6pm. The croquet match brings together two starkly different institutions together for fierce competition for the Annapolis Cup. St. Johns College, Annapolis. Tickets required $75 sjc.edu
Spring Open House
April 13. Trail walks, children’s games, farm tours and more. Free. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Goshen Farm Historic Site and Education Center, Annapolis. Goshenfarm.org
GreenFest
April 13. “Science and Our Environment” Activities, exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Howard Community College, Columbia. hcgreenfest.org
Song Bird Festival: A Women’s Experience
April 20, 11am-4pm. Songbird Festival 2024 is a must-attend experience for music lovers and supporters of female artists. Family friendly, get ready for a day filled with soulful melodies, powerful performances, and uplifting vibes. Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis.
Anne Arundel County Fair Flea Market Series
April 20. Antique Tractor Pull. 80 vendors of new and used items for sale, including household goods, kids’ toys, tools, garden equipment, computers, electronics, party plan vendors and more. $5/adult, kids under 10 are free. 8am-2pm. Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds, Crownsville. aacountyfair.org
Fairy & Garden Gnome Festival
April 21. Imaginative fun and natural play. Unicorn rides, animal petting zoo, create magical costume pieces, discover fairy houses, and face painting. $10 reserved in advance, free for ages 2 and under. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. AnnMarie Garden & Arts Center, Dowell. 410-325-4640, annmariegarden.org
Canton Spring Festival
April 30. Food trucks, drinks, a kid zone, and live entertainment. Free. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Patterson Park, Baltimore. bmorespringfest.com
DC Beer Fest
April 13. Dozens of craft breweries, spring seasonal beers, food trucks, lawn games, and DJs. Ages 21 and older. $50. Noon-3 p.m and 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Nationals Park, Washington. dcbeerfestival.com
Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show
April 26-28. Sailboat rides, boats for sale, entertainment, drink tastings, food and more. $18 in advance, children 12 and under free. Fri. and Sat., 10am-6pm; Sun., 10am-5pm. Downtown Annapolis, Annapolis. annapolisboatshows.com/annapolis-spring-sailboat-show
Johns Hopkins Spring Fair
April 25-27. Funnel cakes, corn hole, a cappella concerts, beer garden, food court and other events run by Johns Hopkins students. Free. Thurs. 4-9:30pm; Fri. 10am-7:30pm; Sat., 10am-8pm. Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus, Baltimore. https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/spring-fair/
French Market
April 26-28. The Book Hill neighborhood of Georgetown transforms into a Parisian-inspired open-air market. More than 40 locally-owned boutiques, cafes, salons and galleries will offer designer goods, art, home furnishings, and French fare. Fri. & Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Downtown Georgetown, Washington. Georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com
Y Healthy Kids Day
April 27. Family fitness activities, healthy treats, crafts, face painting, a moon bounce and more. Free. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Two locations: Greater Annapolis Family Center Y, Arnold and The Y in Pasadena. ymaryland.org
Annapolis Book Festival at The Key School
April 27. Event features well-known authors, family-friendly comic-con, children’s activities and book sales. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The Key School, Annapolis. keyschool.org/community/annapolis-book-festival/index.aspx
Winefest
April 27-28. Featuring over 300 wines from around the world. “Walk St. Michaels” using the WineFest map as your guide or take shuttle busses provided by WineFest. Regional food specialties, artisans, renowned jazz musicians and more. Ages 21 and older. $55-$200. Downtown St. Michaels. winefestatstmichaels.com
Celtic Festival and Highland Gathering
April 27. Maryland’s oldest Celtic festival featuring live music and dance, craft and country-dance demonstrations, historic displays, Celtic market and more. $30. Children 6-12, $5. Under 5 free. 10am-6pm. Jefferson Park and Museum, St. Leonard. cssm.org/festival
Maryland Day
April 27, 10am-4-m. Five learning neighborhoods. Hundreds of activities. One unforgettable day of fun and discovery. Bring family and friends to the University of Maryland’s annual springtime open house, Maryland Day! Free admission and parking. UMD Maryland Day
Spring Farm Festival
April 21. Crafts, folk music, and beekeeping demonstrations. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $5; $10 per family. Hancock’s Resolution, Pasadena. historichancocksresolution.org
Naptown Vinyl Record Show
April 28. A day full of music, food, great company and surprises, for the entire family. Free. 10-4pm. Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis. Marylandhall.org
May 2024 Fairs & Festivals
Spring Fest
May 2-5. Greet the warmer weather at Springfest’s 33rd Anniversary! It’s four days full of tasty treats, lively music and awesome handmade crafts from more than 200 artists. Come to Inlet Lot – right off Ocean City’s iconic Boardwalk – for a fun-filled celebration like no other this spring season. Ocean City. https://www.ococean.com/springfest/
Southern Maryland Spring Festival
May 2-5. Aweekend of family fun with carnival rides, entertainment, food, yard sale, crafters and much more! This fun-filled, family-oriented event is a popular local event for the community and the festival showcases many of our local talents and businesses. St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown. https://southernmdspringfestival.org/
Bluegrass Festival
May 3-4. Three stages featuring 14 bands. kids activities, food, beverages and more. $30-182; 2 day passes available. New location on the Baltimore Peninsula, 101 West Dickman Street. charmcitybluegrass.com
Anacostia River Festival
May 4. Join us at this FREE family-friendly event as we celebrate 10 Years of Culture Brilliance at the Anacostia Park. Free fishing workshop, Live Entertainment, Arts, Crafts, & Games, Art Exhibitions And More! Free. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Anacostia Park, Washington, D.C. https://nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/event/anacostia-river-festival/
Annapolis Irish Festival
May 4. 11am-9pm. Lots of great music, activities, and good food and drink! $25/adult. Free for kids 12 and under. https://abceventsinc.com/annapolis-irish-fest/
For more events and activities this month, check out the Chesapeake Family calendar. It’s loaded with hundreds of activities.
