TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
  Governor Hogan Celebrates the Opening of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center

First Lady Yumi Hogan Hosts Spring Student Artwork Exhibition

Light City Baltimore Opens Next Week

Rob Reiner to Kick Off Annapolis Film Festival March 30

Plan Your Maryland Day Weekend

Maryland Traditions Announces 2017 Folklife Festival

December Maryland Tourism Monitor is Here

IN THE NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
Governor Hogan Celebrates the Opening of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center
 
On March 10, Governor Larry Hogan joined
Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, Senator Ben Cardin and others in cutting the ribbon at the opening celebration for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. The ribbon cutting took place during the ceremony honoring Tubman’s family members as well as those who volunteered and contributed to the park’s completion. The park officially opened March 11, and thousands of visitors made the pilgrimage for opening weekend events. For more information about the Maryland’s newest state park and visitor center, go to our website.
 
 
  TFA NEWS IN BRIEF
 
 
 
First Lady Yumi Hogan Hosts Spring Student Artwork Exhibition
 
 
   
First Lady Yumi Hogan hosted the First Lady’s Gallery Awards presentation during the Spring Student Artwork Exhibition. Mrs. Hogan is an accomplished artist, a professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and an avid supporter of arts education, and these exhibitions featuring Maryland student artists have become a bi-annual tradition since she assumed the role of First Lady.

“Your artwork is an expression of your genuine self,” said the First Lady. “Each brush stroke or click of a camera is an act of portraying your thoughts as you see fit. In other words, you alone have the control to create your special identity through your artwork.” The exhibition and awards were produced by the MSAC, the Fine Arts Office of the Maryland State Department of Education, and the Maryland Arts Education Association. The show, which includes works from students in more than 20 Maryland school systems, will remain on display through April 20 in the First Lady’s Gallery in the House of Delegates Building in Annapolis.

 
 
 
Light City Baltimore Opens Next Week
 
 
   
Bringing more than 50 free concerts and performances, a 1.5 mile BGE Light Art Walk, and the unique “Light City Labs” innovation conference to town, Light City Baltimore, now in its second year, is the first and largest light festival in America. Performances on tap include free concerts by Ozomatli, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Biz Markie and many more. Light City Labs features conferences dedicated to health, sustainability, food, design and education. Despite inclement weather, last year’s inaugural event welcomed more than 300,000 visitors to Baltimore’s harbor. This year, organizers expect even greater attendance figures. For a complete listing of events including the Light City Labs, visit our Light City Baltimore page.

 
 
 
Rob Reiner to Kick Off Annapolis Film Festival March 30
 
 
   
This year’s Annapolis Film Festival opens with significant star power, as acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner presents his new feature film “LBJ.” In just its fifth year, the festival — running March 30 through April 2 — has quickly grown to be a real player in the film festival world. The festival drew 2,500 attendees in its first year and grew to more than 10,000 in its fourth. This year, organizers expect it to be even bigger, with six venues hosting films. For show times and tickets to the Annapolis Film Festival, visit their site here.

Also this month, Hagerstown will be holding its Maryland International Film Festival, taking place March 31 through April 2. For more information, visit their website.

 
 
 
Plan Your Maryland Day Weekend
 
 
   
Maryland Day commemorates the 383rd anniversary of the arrival of the Ark and Dove and the landing of the first European settlers in what would become the great state of Maryland. Those first settlers sought to create a colony dedicated to the ideals of religious freedom and tolerance, and since then, Maryland Day has been a time to celebrate the best of our state’s heritage and traditions. Though the original landing was on March 25, this year’s celebrations will be held March 24-26, and will include dozens of events at more than 20 sites. For a complete listing of events, visit our website.
 
 
 
Maryland Traditions Announces 2017 Folklife Festival
 
 
   
The seventh annual Maryland Traditions Folklife Festival will be hosted Saturday, June 10, from noon to 7 p.m. at the Creative Alliance at the Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore. This free, family-friendly festival celebrates folk and traditional arts from across Maryland. It will feature recipients of the 2016-2017 Maryland Traditions Apprenticeship Award, including master Xueling Qin, who spent the year teaching Beijing opera techniques to her apprentice Sarah Xie. Other featured performances and activities include a participatory West African drum circle and dance, a Native American beadwork class, southern Maryland bluegrass, an Eastern Shore crab derby, and a revue of Baltimore hip-hop traditions by the Baltimore Boom Bap Society.

 
 
 
December Maryland Tourism Monitor is Here
 
 
   
The December Maryland Tourism Monitor highlights strong performances of OTD marketing and social media efforts. Traffic to VisitMaryland.org doubled to more than 1.8 million unique visitors through the first six months of FY 17 driven by strong, organic traffic. This strong growth has correlated with more than 160,000 outbound clicks driving traffic to partner websites. Social Media has also continued to show impressive growth with gains of 13.5 percent in Twitter followers, 29.1 percent in Facebook fans, and 120.8 percent in Instagram followers. Communications efforts through press outreach, familiarization tours and journalist visits generated more than $5.75 million in advertising value while also supporting strong M3 measurements. These marketing efforts corresponded with a 27.5 percent increase in visitors to Maryland’s welcome centers with 57,701 visitors stopping at the centers in December alone. To read the full monitor, which also shows steady growth in revenue including a 4.6 percent growth in monies generated by the Tourism Tax Codes, follow this link.
 
 
 
 
 
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  UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
MAR 31
Thru
APR 1
 
Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival, Timonium
A great day of beer sipping, bourbon tasting, music listening, cigar smoking and barbecue eating. Beers, bourbons, lots of barbecue, live music and more. For more information, visit our events calendar.
 
 
APR
1-2
 
Fells Point Privateer Festival, Baltimore
Inspired by a long maritime history of schooners and privateers, the festival includes land invasions depicted by living historians, crafts, food, a market, live music, entertainment and children’s activities. For more information, go to our website.
 
APR
2-8
 
Talbot Restaurant Week
Participating restaurants offer prix fixe lunches and dinners, many with special menus showcasing their finest dishes. This is a wonderful opportunity for diners to try new restaurants or revisit favorites. For more information, visit our website.
 
 
APR
8-9
 
Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival,
St. Michael’s
Enjoy 35+ artisans from all over the East Coast, showcasing their beautiful work. Find out more at our website.
 
APR
14
 
Civil War Trails Annual Spring Meeting, Shepherdstown, WV
Receive program updates and plans for Civil War Trails, learn about becoming a Civil War Trails site and membership perks, network with other Civil War sites and tour Shepherdstown Battlefield. RSVP 804-783-7423
 
 
 
 
 
 
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