15 Things To Do In Chesapeake Bay Region in July

Home to wildlife, wineries, oysters and history, this 200-mile-long estuary along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia—the largest in North America—boasts plenty to do on the water and along its wild shoreline. Here is a list of things to put on your July calendar.  

1. Chesapeake Bay lighthouses, from Havre de Grace to Fort Monroe, are unique and full of history as they serve as beacons for ships in the night. You can tour a historic lighthouse through the Chesapeake rich maritime history.  chesapeakelighthouses.com. 

2. Are we ready for Thunder? Thunder on the Choptank has moved to Cambridge and its time to take in boat races on July 27^th. 

3. Drink you way through craft beers on July 13^th at the “Raise the Roof” craft beer fest featuring music by Good Shot Judy and Bobby “Blackhat” Walters. Proceeds benefit Historic Christ Church & Museum, a National Historic Landmark. 

4. Plan to do absolutely nothing besides lounge at the beach at least once this month—those lazy summer days are numbered. Grab a beach tote to prep your lazy day
5. Do some island hopping on the Eastern Shore and wind down at the Wylder Hotel Tilghman Island concerts series. Click here for a full list of upcoming performances.
6. Learn about one of the Eastern Shore islands during a literature discussion of Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island, by Earl Swift (a nonfiction finalist for the 2019 People’s Choice Awards) at the Literary Virginia Book Group.
7. Paddle Boarding is the hot new water fitness sport.  Spend a Saturday and explore Onancock from the water.  You can rent a paddle board through Southeast Expeditions and work on your abs. 

8. Crab cakes, crab pasta, crab soup or just plain crab is on the menu at the Taste of Cambridge Crab Cook Off. This what summer eating on the Chesapeake is all about. 

9. Be the captain of your vessel and earn how to sail In a city that named itself “America’s Sailing Capital”. The Annapolis Sailing School offers 2-hour “TrySail” courses for novice mariners. 

10. Get your groove on to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Concert in the Park in Norfolk's Town Point Park on July 28^th. 

11. Enjoy the bounty of the Eastern Shore every week at a local farmers market.
12. The beauty of the Chesapeake Bay should be taken in with a bird’s eye view of nature. In a world of congestion, construction and shutdowns, take some time to engulf yourself in nature and take in the beauty at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
13. Stop driving and get Ferried Over by America’s oldest privately owned ferry route, the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry.  Swing down to The White Haven Ferry  since it’s more of a newcomer. It’s only been taking the trip across the Wicomico River since 1687.
14. Attend Artscape, the largest free arts festival in America that will celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing on July 1^st. 
15. Do something only a local knows about. The Savage Neck Dunes, a 300 acre preserve in Virginia’s eastern shore, is something only the locals know about.