Flag Day “Drive-Thru” Market
at St. Mary’s County Airport…Jets to Fly!
Maryland’s Most Innovative Farmer’s Market
June 14, 2020 from 10am-1pm

St. Mary’s County’s agriculture and aquaculture heritage runs deep. With the most oyster farms in Maryland and over 23,000 acres preserved for farmland, the county’s rural character is part of the allure and attraction to locals and visitors alike.

Juxtaposed within this rural environment is the highest concentration of high-tech jobs in the D.C. Region. With research and development facilities at NAS Patuxent River, the University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft System Test Site and numerous aviation-related companies located at the airport, St. Mary’s County Regional Airport is the fastest growing General Aviation airport in the state. The local researchers are pioneering a future in which unmanned aircraft fly safely alongside their manned counterparts.

This creative and inventive airport district will host Maryland’s “Most Innovative” drive-thru Farmer’s Market on Sunday June 14th from 10 am to 1 pm. Shoppers will stay in their cars and cruise a course of over 1.1 miles with over 18 vendors to comply with current Maryland COVID-19 and restrictions and reduce traffic delays.

“No where else can you get a Stuffed Ham sandwich or a Blackened Rockfish wrap while shopping local farm and aquaculture products” said Chris Kaselemis, St. Mary’s County Economic Development Director.

Since June 14 is Flag Day, there will be some special visual and aural displays for those driving at the airport. American flags will adorn the entrance and the vendors will adorn their displays with the Red, White & Blue. Visitors are also encouraged to wear and display flags on their cars. Additionally, all traffic will cease for a few minutes at noon for the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. With good weather, a jet and other aircraft will also make a flyby.

The event is hosted by Historic Sotterley, Inc., a National Historic Landmark whose mission is to connect us to our history, to the land, to our common values, and to one another. “We love that we can be such an important part of connecting our region’s past to its present and even to its future with events like this” stated Sotterley’s Executive Director, Nancy Easterling.

We know that some of you will be hoping to find particular items from your favorite ven-dors. To ensure you come away with exactly what you want, you will have the opportunity to contact vendors in advance to place a pre-order. Once we have the full listing, vendor information will be available on Sotterley’s website at www.sotterley.org.

For updates, check Historic Sotterley’s website or Facebook page.
We hope to see you at the Market!