Photos: Annapolitans Shop Midnight Madness

Annapolis businesses offered music, drinks and discounts to shoppers who came to enjoy the annual holiday block party.

Hundreds of people flooded the streets of downtown Annapolis on Thursday to drink, shop and pet baby alpacas during Midnight Madness. The annual downtown event is hosted by the Annapolis Business Association to encourage people to shop local. "We come every year," Christina Lynch said. "We live in town and we try to support the local businesses." Lynch and her three children spent several minutes petting four alpacas who grazed the night away outside Alpaca International on Main Street. "They're so sweet," Lynch said. "This is the highlight." A few streets over on Maryland Avenue, Ben Wiser from Flying Dog, a Maryland-based brewery, offered samples and beer suggestions to customers at Annebeth's. At Star Monograms the night started off …

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Main Street Gears Up for Midnight Madness

Downtown Annapolis shops will stay open late on Dec. 6 and 13.

Stores in downtown Annapolis will keep their doors open until midnight on Thursday and again on Dec. 13 for the annual block party known as Midnight Madness. Visitors to Main Street, State Circle, Maryland Avenue and inner West Street will enjoy musical performances, refreshments and discounts from area retailers. Here's what will be going on around downtown. Retail Discounts December 6th December 13th

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POLL: Where in Annapolis Is Your Favorite Place to Shop for the Holidays?

If there's one thing Annapolis has no shortage of, it's shopping.

  Annapolis is filled with unique local shops that offer a variety of items from trendy boutiques to pottery to children's clothing. Parole is a regional shopping destination with Westfield Annapolis mall and the Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole. There are many special events around the holidays to encourage residents to buy local and shop in general. Midnight Madness was held earlier this month downtown and shoppers filled the streets to purchase gifts and enjoy holiday music and snacks. West Annapolis also has its own event each year where shoppers can enjoy free carriage rides and kids get to meet Santa. For the first time Westfield Annapolis opened at 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday to jump start the holiday shopping season. So the question…

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Shoppers Support Downtown Businesses at Midnight Madness

The event, hosted by the Annapolis Business Association, brought shoppers from near and far to downtown Annapolis Thursday night.

Downtown Annapolis was filled with holiday spirit Thursday night as residents, visitors, musicians and more gathered for the annual Midnight Madness holiday shopping event. Inside Brown Eyed Girl—A Funky Boutique on Main Street, shoppers were greeted with snacks and treated to 10 percent off certain items. “We’re having a great time and everybody is so happy,” said Kathy Stanfield, who owns the store along with GeorgiAnna King Schurr. Schurr noted that the event is great for small businesses. At Blanca Flor shoppers browsed the store’s collection of silver jewelry while enjoying the sounds of the guitar. “It’s been really nice,” Donna De Garcia, owner of the store—which has been in business for 18 years—said of the event. From corner to …

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Having Your Cake and Eating It Too

Making My List

With downtown stores offering sales and specials this Thursday, it will be easy to stick to a budget during Midnight Madness.

Mention this column at Mary & Blanche! on Main Street this Thursday during Midnight Madness and receive 10 percent off your purchase. Isn't that nice to hear? Any sentence spoken during the holiday rush that involves the words percent and off is almost as nice as "have yourself a merry little Christmas."  Marian Rainford of Mary & Blanche! also will be offering refreshments, or, as she likes to call them, "Libations—That sounds more fun, doesn't it?" It is all about fun in Mary and Blanche! On its website, the Annapolis Business Association describes the store as: A unique boutique that delivers its promise of providing "an outrageously funny place to shop" by offering shoppers a funky, fresh and fantastic assortment of cards and gifts for…

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