Good Morning St. Mary’s 👋.
This week has the full June sampler: crabs at the fairgrounds, lavender in Mechanicsville, Clydesdales on a farm, live boxing, and Pax River aircraft noise doing its part to make sure nobody forgets where we live.
Let's get into it.
📊The Insiders Have Spoken
Last week’s crab cake showdown had a lot of moving parts, but the final numbers don't lie. Fitzie’s Marina & Pub absolutely dominated the field among named entries, though "Somewhere else entirely" actually walked away with the highest raw vote count of the week. It sounds like a few of you are fiercely guarding your secret down-county spots, which is totally fair.
Now, let's look ahead to the weekend.
🍕 It's Friday night, the family is starving, and nobody wants to cook. Who makes the absolute BEST PIZZA in St. Mary’s County?
🏡 Around the County
St. Clement's Island Water Taxi Has a New Vessel: St. Clement's Island Museum water taxi is running with a new, larger vessel between Colton's Point and St. Clement's Island State Park. Temporary passenger-capacity limits are still in place, so call ahead before making the drive.
NAS Pax Noise Advisory Runs June 10-25: NAS Patuxent River has Field Carrier Landing Practice scheduled from Wednesday, June 10 through Thursday, June 25. If you live near the base and hear the familiar "what are they doing up there" sound, this is the paperwork behind it.
Recreation & Parks Is Pushing National Trails Day All Month: The county is asking residents to complete self-guided walks using downloadable materials at parks and trails across St. Mary's. The first 500 people who report their visit to the Leonardtown office in June get a sticker, which is very “county-government” in the best possible way.
Maryland Dove Leaves Home Port June 15: Historic St. Mary's City has one more weekend before the Maryland Dove leaves home port for Sail 250 Virginia. If you want to see the ship dockside before it disappears for a stretch, this is the window.
Royal Farms Eyed for Callaway: A new concept plan has been filed for a Royal Farms in Callaway. There’s a public hearing on July 14th to figure out how we manage future gas station developments and fuel sales. The intersection is already plenty busy, so this one is definitely worth keeping an eye on as the paperwork moves forward.
Leonardtown's Miedzinski Park Is Getting a Splash Pad: Maryland's enacted FY2027 capital budget includes $300,000 for new amenities and a splash pad at Miedzinski Park in Leonardtown. Parents rejoice!
⭐ The Top Pick
Saturday, June 13 | 11 AM to 7 PM | St. Mary's County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown
This is the big one this week. Live music, arts and crafts vendors, a classic car show, kids activities, and the annual crab-picking contest. Adults are $10, kids under 12 are free. It doesn’t get more St. Mary’s than this.
🍔Insider Spotlight
Looking for the Perfect Burger? Smash House Has It Down to a Science.
If you've been tracking the local food scene, you already know that Smash House has become a staple for downtown Leonardtown. If you haven't been by their standalone spot yet, you are missing out on one of the coolest dining setups in the county.
They completely nailed the design here. The whole place feels alive with a bold, retro pop-art style, featuring an incredible black-and-white comic book wall paired up with vibrant neon street art. It gives the space a high-energy graphic novel vibe that makes it just as fun to sit inside as it is to eat.
And they don’t mess around with generic ingredients, either. They use premium beef sourced right from local Sassafras Farms, smashing it on a blazing hot griddle to get that perfect, ultra-crispy edge while keeping the inside juicy.
You can’t go wrong with the classic OG Smash, but if you want to take things up a notch, look at the Bacon Jam Burger or the legendary Smash Fries (which are loaded with beef, melted American cheese, chopped pickles, and onions). It’s messy, it’s delicious, and it is worth every calorie.
Know a local business or hidden gem that deserves a spotlight? Give them some love and let me know.
📅 Your Weekend Calendar
🟢 Wednesday, June 10
Cousins Maine Lobster at Hollywood Tractor Supply | 12 PM to 8 PM @ Tractor Supply Company, Hollywood. The lobster truck is doing a long Hollywood stop, which means a midweek lobster roll is in the cards.
Community Pet Food and Supply Day | 5 PM to 7 PM @ The Well Pet Clinic, Lexington Park. Fido & Friends is hosting a pet pantry day for local families who need help with food and supplies.
🟢 Thursday, June 11
Little Pirates I | 10 AM to 11 AM @ Historic St. Mary's City Waterfront. The Maryland Dove event is built for ages 3 to 4, letting them play pirate for the day.
Lunch and Learn: The Ultimate Crab Cake Sandwich | 12 PM to 1:30 PM @ No Thyme to Cook, Solomons. A midday cooking demo in Solomons built around crab cakes.
Dino Palooza | 2 PM to 4 PM @ Chancellor's Run Regional Park, Great Mills. The library's outdoor summer-reading kickoff brings crafts, games, and 3D-printed dino buddies to the park.
An Evening with the Clydesdales | 4 PM to 8 PM @ Suttler Post Farm, Mechanicsville. Clydesdales, food trucks, vendors, and Southern Maryland Drill Team Horses make this a very easy family draw.
Craft and Cocktails | 6 PM to 8PM @ The Potomac Gardens, Colton's Point. Crafts with a kick. Need we say more?
🟢 Friday, June 12
Li'l Pirates II | 10 AM to 11 AM @ Historic St. Mary's City Waterfront. The Friday version is for ages 5 to 7, so the pirate fun scales with the audience.
Paws and Popcorn Movie Night: Sing | 6 PM to 8 PM @ Meow Dyer Cat Cafe, Leonardtown. enjoy a screening of “Sing” surrounded by your furry friends.
The Wrong Party: Out of Place, On Purpose | 9 PM @ The Rex Theatre, Leonardtown. The whole point is wearing the wrong thing on purpose and committing to the bit.
🟢 Saturday, June 13
5K Run in the Vineyards | 9 AM to 11 AM @ Corteau Vineyards, Mechanicsville. A vineyard run or walk supporting ZERO Prostate Cancer.
Coastal Arts Market | 9 AM to 3 PM @ Leonardtown Wharf Park. Southern Maryland artisans take over the Wharf with handmade work.
Freedom Walk: A Reflective Community Stroll in Honor of Juneteenth | 10 AM to 2 PM @ USCT Interpretive Center, Lexington Park. Short readings and reflections along Lexington Manor Passive Park.
Tidewater Archaeology | 10 AM to 4 PM @ Historic St. Mary's City. Hands-on archaeology, site tours, and artifact work make this one of the better low-key history plays on the board.
40th Annual Crab and Music Festival | 11 AM to 7 PM @ St. Mary's County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown. Crabs, music, vendors, cars, kids activities, and fairgrounds traffic all show up in one very county Saturday.
Lavender Days Festival | 11 AM to 6 PM @ Dixon Family Farm, Mechanicsville. Lavender fields, live music, vendors, food trucks, and distillation demos.
The Fabulous Hubcaps | 12 PM to 3 PM @ St. Mary's County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown. The Hubcaps handle the midday music slot at the Crab and Music Festival.
Pony Tales Storytime | 2 PM to 4 PM @ Greenwell State Park, Hollywood. Kids read aloud to a pony, which is specific enough that it does not need much selling.
Swords and Spoons Spring Craft Show | 3 PM to 8 PM @ Swords & Spoons, California. A craft show inside the game-store. They say opposites attract.
Live Boxing | 3 PM to 7 PM @ The Rex Theatre, Leonardtown. Live boxing gives downtown Leonardtown a very different Saturday option than the usual dinner-and-drinks loop.
Second Saturday Family Nights | 5 PM to 9 PM @ Historic Sotterley, Hollywood. Sotterley adds food, market vendors, farm games, wagon rides, and Honky Tonk Cassanovas from 6 PM to 8 PM.
High Summer Mardi Gras Party with Social Band | 5 PM to 12:30 AM @ Cryer's Back Road Inn, Avenue. Cryer's is going full Mardi Gras with Cajun food, beads, and Social Band carrying the night.
Almost Queen - A Tribute to Queen | 7 PM @ Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons. This is across the bridge, but it is a big Solomons waterfront concert for readers who aren’t afraid to go on the adventure across the water.
🟢 Sunday, June 14
Cars and Coffee Car Show | 10 AM to 2 PM @ The Bell Building, Leonardtown. Cars, coffee, music, raffles, and cornhole make this a low-pressure Sunday stop downtown.
Lavender Days Festival | 11 AM to 6 PM @ Dixon Family Farm, Mechanicsville. Sunday adds the family layer with a petting zoo, face painting, and roaming magic in the lavender-field mix.
Analog Popup Market | 12 PM to 5 PM @ The Slice House, Leonardtown. More than 20 vendors bring art, skate gear, vintage records, clothing, jewelry, and housewares to the Slice House.
Summerstock Flag Day Photo Contest and Cast Meet and Greet | 3:30 PM to 5 PM @ Leonard Hall Recreation Center, Leonardtown. Kids can meet the Summerstock cast and jump into a Flag Day photo contest.
Exploring Entomology: Pollinators, Predators, and Pests | 4 PM to 6 PM @ Lexington Manor Passive Park Community Garden, Lexington Park. A free outdoor STEM program about insects, pollinators, and pests, which is much better than discovering them in your house.
Blackwood at The Potomac Gardens | 7 PM @ The Potomac Gardens, Colton's Point. Saturday-night live music at one of the more distinctive old-bar settings in the county.
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