Blessing of the Fleet

On October 3 and 4, come out to the St. Clement's Island Museum for the Blessing of the Fleet! The Blessing of the Fleet is a religious celebration of Maryland's birthplace, the landmark of St. Clement's Island, and a blessing of the boats, or fleet, as October 1 generally begins the oyster harvesting season in Maryland.

This is the 42nd year that the Blessing of the Fleet has been held. During the festival, enjoy a classic car show on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Catholic mass on Sunday, arts and crafts, livestock and a petting zoo, an oyster tonging demonstration, hourly $100 cash giveaways, wine tastings, boxing robots, and pony rides. Plus, on Saturday night, watch as beautiful fireworks light up the sky over the Potomac River! The 2009 Blessing of the Fleet will also feature music by local bands, a parade on Sunday, and lots of fun childrens activities.

In honor of Maryland's 375th birthday, the 2009 Blessing of the Fleet will include a special cover on the event program that features Maryland's 375th birthday along with a picture of the cross and the Blackistone Lighthouse. There will also be a short story in the book that will describe the connection between St. Clement's Island and the founding of Maryland.

On Saturday, October 3, the event will run from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. and on Sunday, October 4, the event will run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information about the event, please contact the 7th District Optimist's Club at 301-769-2763 or rspogue@aol.com. To visit their website, click here. To download the event flyer, click here.