AAACCVB Brings National Towne Crier Competition
ANNAPOLIS, MD, March 10, 2008. To add to the yearlong ANNAPOLIS ALIVE! festivities, the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau (AAACCVB) is bringing a National Towne Crier Competition to Maryland's capital city on Saturday, May 3, 2008. To date, nearly 20 towne criers from the United States and Canada have registered to participate in the 1:00 p.m. event that will take place during the May 1-4 ANNAPOLIS ALIVE! CharterFest celebration at City Dock. In the works since the spring of 2006 when the AAACCVB first invited the American Guild of Towne Criers to consider Annapolis, the event is the brainchild of City of Annapolis Towne Crier Squire Frederick Taylor, who will serve as host for the day's festivities.
AAACCVB President and CEO Connie Del Signore says Squire Frederick did what her organization invites all area businesses to do. "He brought his meeting home. As a new member of the American Guild of Towne Criers, Squire Frederick came to us with the request that we host the national competition here in his home town."
The AAACCVB took over from there by contacting the guild and sending out a request for proposals to member hotels. After reviewing the responses, event organizers selected the DoubleTree Annapolis as the host hotel.
Area residents and visitors won't have to wait until the May 3 competition to see the towne criers in action. The criers will be providing a sampling of their craft between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Maritime Heritage Festival Block Party in the parking lot of Fawcett Boat Supplies at 110 Compromise Street on Friday, May 2. The following morning, Historic Annapolis Foundation is inviting area residents and visitors to meet the towne criers at a ticketed breakfast at the Paca House at 186 Prince George Street from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. Here, the towne criers will teach children ages 5-12 how to "cry."
Before the towne criers depart on Sunday, May 4, the AAACCVB and its member partners will give them the grand tour of Annapolis so that they can cry out their praise for Maryland's capital city when they return to their own home towns.
The National Towne Crier Competition is being sponsored by Watermark and DoubleTree Hotel Annapolis, among others. Individuals interested in helping to sponsor the event are invited to call the AAACCVB's Joyce Stinnett Baki at 410-280-0445, ext. 106.
ANNAPOLIS ALIVE! is a yearlong, citywide celebration commemorating the 300th anniversary of the signing of the Royal Charter that gave Annapolis its city status in 1708.
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