Annapolis Celebrates Spring With Quirky Sock Burning Tradition

Annual Eastport Oyster Roast & Sock Burning marks the start of sailing season in Maryland's capital city.

Mar. 26, 2026 at 10:33pm

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Hundreds of Annapolis residents gathered in the city's Eastport neighborhood over the weekend to take part in the nearly 50-year-old Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning tradition. The event, which marks the arrival of spring and the start of sailing season, involves locals tossing their old socks into a bonfire, enjoying oysters and drinks, and celebrating the end of winter.

Why it matters

The Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning is a beloved local tradition that has been bringing the community together for decades to welcome the warmer months. The event highlights Annapolis' maritime culture and the resilience of its residents, who have endured harsh winters and are eager to embrace the change of seasons.

The details

The tradition dates back to 1977, when a local boatyard worker named Bob Turner reportedly burned his socks to declare the end of winter. Today, the festival features live music, piles of freshly shucked oysters, and revelers tossing their old socks into a large bonfire. This year's event followed a particularly brutal winter, with thick ice in the local waterways delaying the start of the sailing season.

  • The Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning takes place annually around the spring equinox.
  • This year's festival was held on March 26, 2026.

The players

Bob Turner

A boatyard worker who is credited with starting the Annapolis Sock Burning tradition in 1977.

Mary Keller

A lifelong Annapolis resident who enjoys watching the socks burn at the annual festival.

Dick Neville

A race official with the Annapolis Yacht Club, who noted that the club had to delay its "Frostbite" race series for the first time in two decades due to thick ice in the local waterways.

Mike Dicus

A veteran oyster shucker who estimated he had opened "a couple thousand" oysters by the time he was interviewed, with many more to come.

Jefferson Holland

The Annapolis poet laureate, who cued the main event with his "Ode to the Equinox."

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What they’re saying

“I like to watch the socks burn, something about that.”

— Mary Keller

“When the creek freezes, you can't race.”

— Dick Neville, Race official, Annapolis Yacht Club

“Really just an excuse to drink, but build it around sock burning and bringing out the old and ringing in the new and you've got a good party.”

— Scot Labin

The takeaway

The Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning is a beloved local tradition that brings the community together to celebrate the arrival of spring and the start of sailing season. The event's quirky rituals, like tossing old socks into a bonfire, reflect Annapolis' maritime culture and the resilience of its residents who have endured harsh winters.