Maryland
Preakness will become a festival throughout Maryland in 2025
Maryland leaders announced plans to transform the Preakness Stakes into a full-scale festival starting in 2025. The festival will span months and include family-friendly events, the traditional horse races and a headline concert, spreading across the city and the state.
First Lady Dawn Moore, who will co-chair the new Preakness Festival, said attending the Kentucky Derby two years ago sparked the idea for a Maryland version of the event.
“It was my first time at the Derby, and I was absolutely amazed by the level of engagement,” she said. “You could feel the Kentucky pride, and I thought, ‘The state of Maryland could do something of our own, and honestly, we could do it better.’”
During the announcement at Camden Yards on Wednesday, Gov. Wes Moore said the festival will generate excitement and be a financial boon to the state as well.
“Maryland’s horse industry alone generates around $3 billion every year and supports over 25,000 jobs,” Gov. Moore said. “About a quarter of Maryland’s agricultural sector, which is the largest sector in Maryland’s economy, comes from the equine industry. ”
Terry Hasseltine, Executive Director of the Maryland Sports Commission and President of Sports & Entertainment, explained that Preakness brings in about $41 million, while the Kentucky Derby brings in about $396 million, adding that taking from the Derby’s playbook works.
Mayor Brandon Scott sees Preakness 150 as an opportunity to highlight Baltimore’s ongoing revitalization.
“As a son of Park Heights, Preakness hasn’t always been a place where we felt welcome. It was held in Northwest Baltimore, but it was very clear that it wasn’t for Northwest Baltimore. Over the past few years, we’ve begun to change that narrative by bringing the surrounding communities into the fold.”
FUTURE OF PIMLICO
In 2026, the Preakness will be temporarily held at Laurel Park while Pimlico Race Course undergoes redevelopment. The event is expected to return to Baltimore in 2027.
Earlier this year, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation for the state of Maryland to take ownership of Pimlico Race Course. The Board of Public Works also approved $400 million in bonds, to upgrade the dilapidated track.
Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, who represents northwest Baltimore, told WYPR in May that the redevelopment will benefit surrounding communities. “10% of those profits will go toward redevelopment in the neighboring communities around the track,” said Rosenberg.
Those redevelopment efforts include local hiring opportunities at the track, a grocery store, a hotel and event space.
In 2027, residents will see more activity at Pimlico, as all horse racing in Maryland is scheduled to relocate there.
That will result in 140 days of horse racing annually.
You can learn more about the Preakness Festival here.
Calling all outdoorsmen and women — Maryland’s Lower Shore is home to some of the best hiking, walking and running trails on the East Coast.
Here’s a closer look at four picturesque parks and preserves with nature trails in the Berlin, Salisbury and Ocean City area.
Assateague Island
Assateague Island offers a wide variety of paved and unpaved trails open for hiking and 37 miles of flat beach terrain for wandering and beachcombing. Assateague Island’s Maryland District features a Life of the Dunes trail, Life of the Forest trail, Life of the Marsh trail.
Furnace Town
Furnace Town is nestled between the Pocomoke State Forest and Nature Conservancy’s Nassawango Creek Preserve. The popular historical site offers three Nature Conservancy Trails, three Maryland Forest service Trails, and a 26-acre outdoor museum and recreation area.
Pemberton Historical Park
Pemberton Historical Park, a 262-acre area featuring a trail system, outdoor amphitheater and more, was created in the 1980s. The park offers 4.5 miles of nature trails for walking and hiking only, allowing visitors to explore wetlands, forests and more of the natural world.
Nassawango Creek Preserve
Nassawango Creek Preserve’s primeval forest has an abundance of bald cypress and black gum trees. Visitors are invited to indulge in its four trails, the Nassawango Joe, Prothonotary Warbler, Ron Wilson Memorial Trail and Leifer Trail, as well as self-guided audio tours.
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region.
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
(Courtesy Washington Nationals)
Courtesy Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals’ first-round draft pick Chris Hacopian inked his first professional contract Wednesday, a moment made sweeter by the fact it was just a 30-minute drive from home to get to Nationals Park and put pen to paper.
The 21-year-old second baseman and 11th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft has deep ties to the D.C. region. He’s from Potomac, Maryland, and played his high school ball at Winston Churchill, where he was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2022 Washington Post All-Met selection.
According to MLB.com, Hacopian grew up a Nationals fan, admiring the likes of Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa and others. He also played his first two collegiate seasons at the University of Maryland, where his father Derek played before him, before transferring to Texas A&M for his junior season.
With the Aggies, Hacopian hit .319 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI across 42 games en route to being named First-Team All-Southeastern Conference and a Third-Team All-American by Baseball America, the Nationals said in a news release.
After inking his contract Wednesday, Hacopian donned his new jersey and ball cap and stepped onto D.C.’s beloved diamond as a part of the Nationals organization for the first time.
“That was so cool, oh my gosh. I’ve been in the stands like, 100 times, but being on the field is so different,” he said.
Hacopian was ranked 14th among MLB Draft prospects by MLB.com. The 6-foot-1-inch, 210-pound second baseman boasted one of the best bats in college baseball, according to MLB.com, with excellent control over the strike zone and feel for the barrel, along with solid pop.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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