The 2024 Chesapeake Seafood Festival

Imagine the scene: The summer is drawing to a close, there’s a faint chill arriving in the breeze now coming in off the water, and you’re surrounded by the freshest seafood in the country at a Chesapeake Bay seafood festival. You can grill fish at home and order a bowl of bisque or a cup of chowder at many restaurants, but to get the true seafood experience, make a plan to attend a Chesapeake seafood festival this year. A seafood festival is a delicious assault on your senses as the scents, flavors, sights, and sounds explode around you, as a cool breeze comes in off the water, and wide smiles are painted onto you and your family member’s faces.

At a Chesapeake seafood festival 2024 you can expect to gobble up the freshest fish, hear live music, do crafts, take boat rides, and have so much more fun for all ages. Let’s take a look at the best seafood festivals near Maryland where you can not only enjoy tasty food but learn about the history of seafood harvesting Chesapeake Bay and the modern conservation efforts Chesapeake Bay fisheries are employing to make the seafood industry more sustainable for the future.

The Chesapeake Bay: A Seafood Legacy

When you search for the best seafood festivals near Maryland, you’ll quickly discover that the Chesapeake Bay seafood festival in Annapolis is the king (crab) of them all! You may spend the summer grilling the fish you catch, but this seafood festival will serve up crab, soup, and fish prepared by some of the best chefs in the mid-Atlantic region while entertaining your kids at the same time.

This Sandy Point State Park Seafood Festival is scheduled for mid-September with music, food, and so much more on the menu. The Chesapeake Bay Seafood Festival dates 2024 are September 14th and 15th, and early bird tickets are available now! In addition to buying your tickets early to save significant money versus at the gate on the day off the festival, you should get your orders in for the legendary steamed crabs from Jimmy’s Famous Seafood. These crab legs are a highlight of Maryland's culinary heritage seafood and will sell out, meaning they will not be available to purchase during the festival if you haven’t ordered well in advance.

Family Fun at Annapolis Seafood Festival

During the 2024 Chesapeake Seafood Festival, you and your kids can enjoy the 32nd annual crab soup cook-off, along with live music, incredible seafood and other food for carnivores, arts and crafts, and special exhibits about the history of seafood harvesting Chesapeake Bay and conservation efforts at Chesapeake Bay fisheries to make sustainable seafood in Maryland even more of a reality in the years to come.

Kids will love to attend this seafood festival even if they think crabs and fish are yucky, because of the interactive kids zone that will keep them entertained and happy, and most importantly, tire them out for the drive home! While they play, you can enjoy chef demonstrations, creative craft booths, and hear bands rocking out on stage while digging into all kinds of fresh seafood. And best of all, a portion of the proceeds will be going towards local non-profit organizations making it even easier to celebrate Maryland seafood festivals.

As you dream about all the fish you’ll eat along the Chesapeake, starting planning your summer fishing trips.