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Hello !
This is a MVN!
This is one of the most valuable newsletters we have sent. In addition bringing you up to speed on the hot topics in the area, we are bringing you some valuable offers for dining, a weekend getaway, and some entertainment that will have leave your wallets and purses very happy. Please take the time to read it all!
Fantastic Deals
 Here is the good stuff. We have partnered with Landmarks Great
Deals to bring you some fantastic money-saving offers on the different inns and beds
and breakfasts that dote the Chesapeake Bay--Easton, Tilghman Island,
and right here in Annapolis. Take a look at the article just published
and then consider a weekend away from the hustle and bustle at the Black Walnut Point Inn, The Tilghman Island Inn, the Inn at Horn Point or even the renowned Inn at 202 Dover! All at an amazing price. Note to the Dad readers--Mother's Day is coming up soon! Hint! Hint! These deals will save you 50% or more and are ONLY available until Tuesday, March 27, 2011!
And since we need to eat, why
not pick up a gift certificate from our friends at Barhopolis. Right now
they have a 50% off sale 17 of your local favorite restaurants like the
Mexican Cafe, The Rockfish, Tsunami, Cafe Normandie, Gordon Biersch,
Fado, and many more. But for subscribers (luck you) you can take an additional 25% off when you check out. Just use the promotional code
EYE25 and save a bundle! To get started, click here!
Now--go forth and shop!
Awesome Events
There are a few events coming up that are worth pointing out and making a big fuss. Be sure to mark your calendars!
MARCH MADNESS. Not the basketball, but the Downtown Merchants! The Annapolis Business Association has put together a program this weekend (March 24th and 25th) where you stop in a participating downtown store (there are 32 of them) and drop your name into a box--you could win a $750 shopping spree. Yes, you can have up to 32 different entries and the winner will be drawn on Monday evening! ( Details)
IN VINO VERITAS. St. John's College is presenting a day full of the grape complete with tastings, panel discussions, and workshops. In addition there will be a cooking demonstration as well as advice for pairing wines with food! It all happens on Saturday, March 24th from 1:30pm to 6:00pm at the Francis Scott Key Auditorium on the St. John's campus in Annapolis. ( Details)
CHESAPEAKE BAY WINE FESTIVAL. Head on over to the Eastern Shore on May 5th and 6th and get your wine on. Eye On Annapolis is proud to be a media sponsor of this event along with our friends at Chesapeake TASTE magazine. Learn more about this annual event that draws more than 4,000 on their site. Or if you are ready to get your tickets while they last, here is the link! We will be giving some tickets away as well!
BAY BRIDGE BOAT SHOW. While we are talking about our neighbors to the east, don;t forget the Bay Bridge Boat Show from April 19-22! This is the first in-water spring boat show in the area and it is put on by the same folks that bring the fabulous boat shows to Annapolis in October of each year--United States Yacht Shows.This year looks to be filled with some fabulous vendors and the latest boat, equipment, and supplies. For more details and to purchase tickets, click here.
NAPTOWN BAR-BAY-Q. They did it last year for the first time and this year the Parole Rotary has kicked it up a notch or two. The event will be May 4-5, 2012 at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds and will feature two stages with live bands and more pork, beef, and barbeque than you can imagine. Tickets are available online (they are only $5) as are special VIP tickets which include an exclusive tasting tent.
ANNAPOLIS IRISH FESTIVAL. If you were there last year, you know what a great time it was! This year, like the Parole Rotary, they have kicked it up a notch with more stages, more entertainment, and more fun. Kids are free and tickets for the entire day are $20 (but keep an eye on us--we will have plenty to give away) so it makes for a fantastic family outing. This year, Busch Gardens is sponsoring the Leprechaun Land (kid's zone) and will be bringing the fun that only Busch Gardens can. Check it out. Save the date--July 14th! If that was not a bargain enough, use the promo code EYE and save 50% on up to 12 tickets. No scalping now! Here is the link to buy your tickets online!
CHESAPEAKE BAY BLUES FESTIVAL. There is nothing like putting your toes in the sand and listening to the hot riffs ans soulful sounds of some of the hottest blues and jazz artists. No need to head to the Caribbean, the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival brings it right here to Annapolis at Sandy Point State Park on May 19th and 20th! This year will see Jonny Lang, Shemeika Copeland, Tedschi Trucks, Big Head Todd & The Monsters and many more! Get your tickets while you can, and if you are looking for VIP tickets--they are going fast!
Business Shoutout
Vault Denim is a new company here in Annapolis that sells designer jeans
at wholesale prices. There's no store - the jeans are sold at privately
hosted parties in people's houses (think Tupperware, Pampered Chef,
etc.). To celebrate their launch in Annapolis, Vault Denim
representative Jeanne Barr (a local Annapolis gal) is throwing a jeans
party on April 29 to thank everyone who has "liked" them on Facebook and
to give people a chance to check out the jeans. As a special thank you
to their Facebook fans, Jeanne will be raffling off the party's "hostess
credit" (10% of the total jeans sales from the party - the credit can
be used to buy jeans for yourself). To enter, you have to "like" them on
Facebook and attend the party. For more information on the company or
the party on the 29 th, head on over to Vault Denim Annapolis on Facebook, give them a "like" and tell them we sent you.
Opinions Wanted
Last month, we upgraded our look. We wanted to bring a more user friendly experience with easier navigation to the site. Personally, we thin we succeeded, but the proof is in the pudding so they say. So we want your opinion as well.
Do you like the new look? What are your thoughts?
And a second question about the usefulness of a second newsletter--this time weekly with updates to the newest stories.
Hot Topics!
Our readership has skyrocketed--thank you! The past two months have seen unique visitors fall thismuch shy of 90,000. WOW! So, what were they reading? Here are the top five since the last time we spoke!
- Hate is coming to Glen Burnie (our coverage of the Westboro Baptist Church protest)
- Man with fake genitals arrested in community college case (my personal favorite)
- UPDATE: Stabbing/road rage incident in Gambrills
- Son attacks mother with hammer in Cape St. Claire
- Critically missing man (he is still missing, please read)
Have you checked out our new blog called Chowin' Down. We are sending undercover "critics" to restaurants and bars for honest reviews. We are not going to sugar coat it like the local paper or cater to advertisers like the local city magazine. The columns are a recap of of the experience by regular people who happened to be out eating on their own dime! Good, bad, or indifferent. This month, our "agents" took a taste of LeveL in Annapolis and Deale Umai Sushi House in Deale.
Local Flavors!
On the local biz front, we have gained even more sponsors this month. These guys help us pay the bills and help make our County such a special one. Please support local businesses when possible. I encourage you to check these supporters out--give their ads a click and see what it happening in your local community!
Vault Denim Annapolis. Tupperware meets Levis. What a fantastic way to shop for jeans--in the comfort of your home with incredible pricing on designer and name brand jeans.
The Maryland State Education Association wants you to be informed about how our state lawmakers are handling the funds for public schools. Please take a moment to review their site and so you can be informed of their position.
Bay Bridge Boat Show. This is the first in-water spring show in the area. Come out and see the latest boats, accessories, equipment, and gear to get ready for the summer season. The show runs April 19-22 at the Bay Bridge Marina just over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Annapolis.
The Circulator Trolley. I am really starting to love this addition to the Downtown Annapolis scene.I pout it to good use on St. Paddy's Day! Plus it is free. Yes, that is right--free! Just flag the trolley down at any point on the route (or wait at one of the marked stops) and you have Annapolis at your disposal! Bonus: park in the Knighton or Park Place garages for reduced fees and take the trolley! Both of them are $5 up to 24 hours!
Wild Willy's is your not-downtown answer to live music and entertainment. Wild Willys is on Somerville Road across from the Annapolis Towne Centre and features one of the largest televisions on the East Coast along with nightly entertainment and fabulous food. If you are in the mood for a fun night out or a great place to watch the games--head on over to Wild Willy's. While somewhat new to the Annapolis nightlife scene, they are a great neighbor and host many different benefits!
Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival. Come join 4000 of your closest friends and stroll throughout the grounds of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival this May 5th and 6th! Sample a bevy of wines from local, regional, and national vinyards. Live entertainment is planned as well. This is a tented event, so even if it rains, it will not rain on this parade.
Floyd's Barbershop. Floyd's Barbershop has an interesting local hook to their success. The chain was started by brothers from just across the county line in Bowie. Now with more than 50 stores nationwide, Floyd's is coming home, so to speak, with a rocking shop at Westfield Annapolis.
Chesapeake Bay Trust. You see them all around--the cool license plates depicting the Chesapeake Bay. Why not ditch the boring white plate and do a little bit to help save our most important resource. When you renew your registration,help clean up the Bay--and after the storms we had--the Bay needs some cleaning up! Here is a fun commercial-- take a watch!
Artists 4 Amy. A series of concerts are planned to benefit Artists 4 Amy and the Parole Rotary Foundation. Artists 4 Amy is a foundation set up to help parents with the unexpected expenses of caring for a sick child by Silvia and Tom Poore who lost their daughter, Amy, to cancer. The final concert is coming up in April and will be held at Wild Willys.
Middleton Tavern, O'Brien's Oyster Bar, O'B's Prime, and Annapolis Unplugged. They are your favorite places to dine in Annapolis. For steak, seafood, entertainment and a great piano bar featuring Larry Lay, head to Middleton Tavern. For a more rocking night and some fantastic Oysters Annapolis, O'Brien's Oyster Bar is the place to be. And right upstairs from O'Brien's is O'B's Prime--Annapolis' best kept secret steak house--small and intimate and a perfect place for date night!
Rams Head On Stage. They have been around for more than 20 years. That is quite a run in Annapolis and it is no wonder. Rams Head On Stage is known for bringing world class music to our back door. Check out the schedule and I am sure you will find a favorite--old or new! And to be honest, the venue is one of the best--small, intimate and some awesome acoustics!
Zachary's Jewelers. There is not much that can be said about Zachary's that has not been said before. They are a staple of the Downtown Annapolis scene and now in Severna Park. They are the model for a community involved business. And, they have free monthly kid events on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in addition to their fabulous baubles.
Naptown barBAYq. Oh yeah, it's back! Bigger, badder, and better than last year. The 2nd Annual barBAYq, sponsored by the Parole Rotary will be coming to the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds May 4-5. It will feature 25 bands on 2 stages. Oh, and it will have just a little bit of food as well! The event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society!
Sonic of Edgewater is HERE. Really it is. The business opened right after Christmas and has been doing a booming business. My family has had their share of Sonic goodness. The drive thru line can be long, so here is your tip--pull into an open drive-in slot, order your food and either stay there and eat it or take it home!And be sure to check out our Business Spotlight with Sonic on Anne Arundel Week In Review.
Annapolis Irish Festival. Last year, it drew more than 10,000 people. This year, the day is longer and there will be a special Friday night show before the event. Expect to see the greatest names in Irish music--traditional and modern including local favorites The Rovers! Vendors galore, activities and plenty of fun stuff for the little leprechauns. Do it now, mark the date in pen on your calendar--July 14th!
Bayside Bride is an awesome new project by local photographer Natalie Franke. This is a one stop resource for any wedding related information in the Chesapeake Bay area. Photographers, venues, caterers, transportation, planners, preparations, clothing, gifts, and more! If you are getting married in the Chesapeake Bay region, Bayside Bride is the one site that must be bookmarked.
Homestead Gardens is in all out spring mode. If the outside of your home needs some sprucing up, make sure you think of Homestead Gardens. You can do it yourself or have their experts come and craft a backyard oasis just for you--and think how jealous the neighbors will be!
Please take a moment and check out our sponsors and advertisers. Give their ad (on the right) or the link (above) a click and explore what they have to offer! You won't be disappointed!
If you enjoy Eye On Annapolis, please do us a favor and let others know. A word of mouth referral is by far the biggest compliment we can receive. Let your friends, neighbors, co-workers and enemies know about us! Let the businesses you patronize know about how affordable it is to reach more than 60,000 local people each and every month!
IMPORTANT
If you are reading a post, take the time to leave a comment! We want to get the conversation started. If you enjoyed or want to share a post, we try to make it easy for you if you are on Facebook--just click the little "like" button at the top or bottom of each post and if you are on Twitter, there is a "re-tweet" button there as well and most recently, we added a Google +1 button--just give them a click--oh heck, click them all.
If you are on facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, FourSquare etc.--please follow, fan, subscribe, etc to us there as well. We do a lot of fun stuff and giveaways all the time and it makes it a lot more personal for everyone! All the links are at the bottom of the newsletter!
And last but never least, as always--we're
glad you are here!
All
the best and see you around the County,
John W. Frenaye, Jr
Publisher
We're socially connected. Are you?
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Local Businesses 
Local business makes the world go around. Well maybe not the world, but certainly Anne Arundel County.Please check out these local businesses and support them when you can!
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Have A Tip, Topic, or Idea? 
This site belongs to the readers! As our shareholders, we want to know what you want. If you have any suggestions for the site or this newsletter, please let us know.
If you have a tip for us, please let us know and we will follow up on it. Do yo have a photo of an event or incident? Please send them in and we will publish them!
And,if you are interested in writing for
us, we are always interested in well reasoned thoughts from guest bloggers!
You can contact us by replying to this email, sending us an email at info@eyeonannapolis.net, or by using the "Contact Us" page on the website.
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March 2012 Newsletter
