The Maryland Traditions Folklife Program presents the annual Heritage Awards to outstanding stewards of Maryland’s living cultural traditions. This year’s winners are St. Mary’s County bluegrass musician and promoter Jay Armsworthy who was given the award in the Person or People category; the Arch Social Club of Baltimore City, a generational supporter of the African-American community and its culture in the Place category; and to Puerto Rican percussion and dance practices of bomba and plena as upheld by Cultura Plenera of Howard County in the Tradition category.

The awards will be presented on June 7 at UMBC’s Proscenium Theatre as the featured event of the annual Maryland Arts Summit. “It is always a distinct pleasure to support folklife through our Heritage Awards,” said Chad Buterbaugh, Maryland Traditions Director, MSAC. “I invite everyone to join us on June 7 to see why Jay Armsworthy, the Arch Social Club, and Cultura Plenera make Maryland such a special place to live.” For more information and to register to attend the summit, follow this link to the MSAC’s page.

Maryland’s eight outstanding Welcome Centers will be holding open houses on May 7 providing a perfect time to explore “Maryland’s Front Porch” and get to know your tourism partners from around the state. The centers will be hosting local public and private tourism partners, and their expert staff will be on hand to help you better understand how tourism works for Maryland. Open houses will be held from 10am-2pm at the Mason-Dixon, Bay Country, Youghiogheny Overlook, 95-N, 95-S, South Mountain East, South Mountain West, and Sideling Hill Welcome Centers. Follow this link to visitmaryland.org for more information about our Welcome Centers.

The National Parks Service has designated large swaths of Western Maryland and West Virginia Forest as the nation’s newest National Heritage Area. The mission of the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) is to celebrate the forest’s historical role in providing the resources that fueled America’s growth and to highlight the region’s unparalleled beauty and unique cultural assets.

Over the next two to three years, the AFNHA will be working to create a partnership management plan to guide future work. AFNHA invites all stakeholders and interested parties to join the discussion. To learn more about the designation, follow this link, sign up for the AFNHA newsletter here, and plan to attend a stakeholders meeting. The first will be held May 6 in Keyser, WV, with more to follow. Follow this link to register.

Don't keep your successes a secret. Take a few minutes today to complete the two-question Maryland Green Registry Leadership Awards application and let us help you get the word out. Your efforts will inspire others to “green” their operations and share their efforts as we work together toward a sustainable Maryland. The deadline for registration is April 26. Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles will present the Leadership Awards on May 20, 2019 at an evening networking event held in partnership with the National Association of Environmental Professionals at the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore. If you are not already a member of the Maryland Green Registry, follow this link to join.

On June 6-8, Maryland Citizens for the Arts, in conjunction with the Maryland State Arts Council, Maryland State Department of Education, and AEMS: Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance will host the Maryland Arts Summit at UMBC. Panels led by and for the Maryland arts sector will include arts advocates, arts educators/teaching artists, independent artists, and arts organizations. The summit will also highlight the work being done throughout the state through dialogue, learning and networking opportunities, and focus on the growth of Maryland arts. The first of its kind for the arts in Maryland, summit events will start on June 6 with a pre-conference hosted by AEMS. The MSAC Maryland Traditions Heritage Awards will be presented on June 7 in the UMBC Performing Arts and Humanities Building and the Individual Artist Award ceremony will take place on June 8 in the UMBC University Center. Throughout the summit, an artists’ bazaar will take place and serve as a networking and promotional opportunity for Maryland artists to showcase and sell their work.

The Maryland Office of Tourism Development is planning to transform the Sideling Hill Rest Area into a one-of-a-kind gateway attraction that promotes Maryland’s mountains, valleys and waterways, from the Catoctin Mountains and further west, with exhibits, programming and on-site transactional opportunities. The Maryland Office of Tourism Development and the Maryland State Arts Council held a workshop at Frostburg University in January 2019 with tourism and arts partners in the region to begin the conversation about what defines the region’s differentiators, what are the must-see destinations and experiences, and what are the best ways to inspire visitors to stay longer and spend more in the region. The notes from the workshop’s working groups are available at this link and open for public comment. The public comment period will be open until April 15, 2019.

USA Today is polling now for their annual 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, and Easton and Berlin are in the running. Easton, is nominated for “Best Small Town Cultural Scene,” and you can vote here. Berlin, with its famous walkable downtown rife with amazing shops is nominated for “Best Small Town for Shopping,” and you can vote for Berlin here. Voting is open through May 6. You can vote once per day in each category, and voters are encouraged to stuff the ballot box for these great Maryland towns. To keep tabs on the voting, follow USA Today’s social media pages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

How can OTD help spread the word about your attraction or event? "Maryland Mondays" is the perfect way to help us help you. Each Monday, OTD launches a new “Maryland Mondays” ticket give-away program across all of our social media channels, consumer newsletter, and weekly “Maryland Minute” radio spots. Combined, these channels reach thousands of potential customers each week. To find out how to get involved by providing tickets to your attraction for an upcoming "Maryland Mondays," email OTD’s Leslie Troy.

For the latest on events and everything going all around Maryland, view the latest edition of Visit Maryland Now! here.

Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on iHeart radio stations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.