FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2012

Maryland Day commemorates the formal founding of the colony of Maryland, when the newly-arrived colonists erected a cross on St. Clement’s Island, offered prayers (perhaps by saying Mass), and took “possession of this Countrey for our Saviour and for our soveraigne Lord the King of England.” In 1916, the Maryland General Assembly authorized Maryland Day as a legal holiday devoted to Maryland history.

For the fifth year in a row, Four Rivers Heritage Area is partnering with regional heritage organizations and businesses to showcase the area’s historical, cultural and natural heritage. Events and activities will take place throughout the Maryland Day Celebration weekend of March 23, 24, and 25. Participants include:

• Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau: 26 West Street and Annapolis City Dock
• Annapolis Maritime Museum: 723 Second Street and Creek View Drive, Eastport
• Annapolis Tours by Watermark®
• Banneker-Douglass Museum: 84 Franklin Street, Annapolis
• Captain Avery Museum: 1418 East West Shady Side Road, Shady Side
• Charles Carroll House: 107 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis
• Chase-Lloyd House: 22 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Philip Merrill Environmental Center, 6 Herndon Avenue, Annapolis
• Chesapeake Children’s Museum: 25 Silopanna Road, Annapolis
• City of Annapolis
• Courthouse Museum in the Anne Arundel County Courthouse: Church Circle, Annapolis
• Deale Area Historical Society: Historic Village at Herrington Harbour North, 389 Deale Road, Tracey’s Landing
• Galesville Heritage Museum: 988 Main Street, Galesville
• Hammond-Harwood House: 19 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis
• Historic Annapolis Museum: 99 Main Street, Annapolis
• Historic London Town and Gardens: 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater
• Hogshead: 43 Pinkney Street, Annapolis
• MainStreets Annapolis Partnership
• Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts: 801 Chase Street, Annapolis
• Maryland State House: 100 State Circle, Annapolis
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center: 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater
• United States Naval Academy Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center: 52 King George Street, Annapolis
• West Annapolis Heritage Partnership
• Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center: 1101 Smithville Street, Annapolis
• William Paca House: 186 Prince George Street, Annapolis
• Wimsey Cove Framing & Art: 3141 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater

Additional Maryland Day Celebration participating partners include the Maryland Welcome Centers, South County Chamber of Commerce, and Reynolds Tavern in Annapolis. Continually updated information is available online at: www.marylandday.org.

Mark your calendars now and plan to bring the whole family to Annapolis and Southern Anne Arundel County for three days of fun, interactive and educational activities that celebrate the best of Maryland’s unique history, natural resources, and culture. New this year: Girl Scouts can complete activities for the “Maryland Heritage” badge at sites throughout the area.

Four Rivers, one of Maryland’s 12 certified state heritage areas, is a nonprofit organization operating in partnership with the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Anne Arundel County, the City of Annapolis, the Town of Highland Beach, and heritage-related organizations and businesses. Its mission is to stimulate preservation and economic development of the region by supporting and promoting its natural, historic and cultural resources. Our website URL is www.fourriversheritage.org. For more information about the Maryland Day Celebration event, please visit the event website, www.marylandday.org, or call the office at 410-222-1805. E-mail contact: Heritage_Area@aacounty.org