Appearances Scheduled for 2008


Saturday, April 26                   Harford Arts Celebration

                                                                  Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Bel Air     10am - 7pm













Sat. - Sun., August 16 & 17   45th Annual Havre de Grace Arts Show

                                                            Tydings Park, Havre de Grace     10am-5pm








Sunday, September 21          Bel Air Festival for the Arts 

                                                            Shamrock Park, Bel Air



















Saturday, October 4                Darlington Apple Festival

                                                  Main Street, Darlington











Sunday, October 14                 SwanFest  


                                                                     Swan Harbor Farms, 401 Oakington Road, Havre de Grace

                                                                     11am - 4pm

For more information please e-mail info@harfordbookfestival.orgmailto:info@harfordbookfestival.orgshapeimage_4_link_0

Celebrating reading by bringing together those resources that promote and support literacy in the community

www.harfordbookfestival.orghttp://www.harfordbookfestival.orgHome.htmlshapeimage_5_link_0

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Presented by the Soroptimist International, over 250 artists and crafters from throughout the U.S. display and sell work. Food and entertainment all weekend. Free shuttle from designated parking to the show, downtown, and attractions. Boat accessible; Saturday and Sunday.


For more information about the Havre de Grace Arts, call 410-939-9342 or Email: hdgartshow@hotmail.com

2008 marks the 43rd annual Bel Air Festival for the Arts, sponsored by the Bel Air Recreation Committee. With 350 artisans and craftspeople, the show represents one of the largest one-day events in Harford County, Maryland. The Bel Air Festival for the Arts will be held in Shamrock Park on Hickory Avenue in Bel Air, Maryland. The park is located behind the Bel Air Public Library and the Bel Air Police Headquarters building.

The show includes some of the finest and most unique fine art, photography, and hand-made crafts on the east cost. The Festival features continuous live entertainment on the band shell stage plus performers roving through the crowds. A wide variety of wonderful foods are available. Profits from food concession sales go directly to benefit Bel Air Parks and Recreation programs.

Offering a great opportunity for early Holiday shopping, as well as food, entertainment, and activities for the children, the Bel Air Festival for the Arts is an event the entire family will enjoy. Free shuttle bus service provides transportation from the MVA parking lot on Route 24 to the Festival site. All day parking is available at the Bel Air parking garage across the street from the Festival on Hickory Avenue for a $2.00 donation to the Bel Air Auxiliary Police. Admission to the Bel Air Festival for the Arts is free.

For more information about Bel Air Festival of the Arts visit them online at www.belairfestival.com

The Darlington Apple Festival is an annual event held the first Saturday in October, rain or shine, in the quaint village of Darlington, Maryland in the north-east corner of Harford County.  The festival includes an outdoor stage with all day entertainment, hundreds of country crafters exhibiting and selling their work, a fall harvest of mums, pumpkins, and of course, Apples !  There is also a children's area with games and pony rides and kids can even stuff their own scarecrows. There are also hayrides for the whole family all day long.  And Food !!!   All the usual things plus pit beef, barbecue, apple fritters and of course, Maryland Crab Soup ! No Dogs or other pets are allowed on the festival site with the exception of handicapped assistance dogs, dogs used by law enforcement and dogs displayed at the festival site under the restriction and control of qualified handlers.

For more information about Darlington Apple Festival, call 410-457-4189 or visit them online at www.darlingtonapplefest.org

Sponsored by the Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation’s Swanfest is a family fun festival. Set on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay, Swanfest includes children’s activities, hand-crafted goods, three stages of entertainment, mansion tours, canoe rides, hayrides to the pumpkin patch, petting zoo, great food and more.


$5 per car admission entitles you to a day of non-stop fun and entertainment!  Plenty of on-site parking is available. “Swanfest is one of the nicest fall festivals for the family in the area. There will be food, crafts, entertainment and activities to please all ages.  It’s also an opportunity to visit one of the prettiest sites on the water in Harford County,” said Committee Member Karen Tegges.


Harford County purchased the 531-acre estate in 1994 for inclusion in the county’s open space preservation program. Situated on the banks of the Bay, the estate was initially the home of several generations of the Giles Family in the 1700s. The most significant owner was John Adlum, who purchased the farm from Thomas Giles in 1797. During his tenure at Swan Harbor, Adlum pioneered wine making in Maryland. After the Adlum era and a series of short-term ownerships, John Kenney, of Washington, D.C., bought the property in 1951. Kenney conveyed 520 acres of Swan Harbor Farm to the Johns Hopkins University. The university sold 463 acres of the property to the county in 1994, and the county officially opened Swan Harbor Farm to the public in 1996. Swan Harbor Farm, in addition to being part of the Harford County Parks system, is a popular rental facility for weddings, business meetings and special events.


For more information about Swanfest or renting the facility, call 410-939-6767 or visit them online at www.swanharborfarm.org.

The Harford Arts Celebration, taking place at the Bel Air location of Barnes and Noble, is a 2-month long event featuring weekly arts contests and entertainment provided by organizations throughout the county.


The Harford Book Festival kicked off its 2008 event schedule by sponsoring the last Saturday, April 26th.  With a full day of activities for children and adults, along with a special appearance by County Executive David Craig and Melinda Craig, the event featured guest authors, children’s activities, book signings, and even live music by the Harford Community College Jazz Combo. Mr Craig and his wife were on hand for the official ribbon cutting as well as several prize drawings and a reading to the children. There were prizes given out all day, and a percentage of the proceeds from designated book sales were given to the organization by Barnes and Noble.  Over $900 was raised from the day.  In addition, it gave the organization the opportunity to explain their mission to customers and to encourage patrons to come out and visit the Book Festival at the upcoming events.

2008 Appearances

Saturday, April 26  

  Harford Arts Celebration 

    Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Bel Air

    10am - 7pm

Sat. - Sun., August 16 & 17  

  45th Havre de Grace Arts Show

   Tydings Park, Havre de Grace

    10am - 5pm

  Sunday, September 21          

  Bel Air Festival for the Arts

  Shamrock Park, Bel Air

   10am - 5pm

Saturday, October 4 

  Darlington Apple Festival 

  Main Street, Darlington

  10am - 5pm

Sunday, October 14  

  SwanFest  

  Swan Harbor Farms, Aberdeen
  11am - 4pm