Year-long Harriet Tubman Centennial in Maryland

March 2013 marks the 100-year anniversary of the passing of Harriet Tubman, an enslaved Maryland native who became the legendary “conductor” of the Underground Railroad.

Her homeland on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties) has launched a year-long celebration of her life and legacy.

Harriet Tubman Centennial events will happen throughout the year to remember this famed American hero who led more than 70 enslaved people to freedom, served as a Civil War spy and nurse, and fought for women’s rights.

The Harriet Tubman Centennial Launch Weekend from March 8 to 10 will include a number of events to commemorate her life and legacy. There will be a groundbreaking for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park near Cambridge (Dorchester County), and a ribbon-cutting for a similarly named Tubman Byway that extends 125 miles in Maryland. The Harriet Tubman Banquet is scheduled for Saturday, March 9. Jazz musician Marcus Shelby presents a Tubman musical tribute with a March 10 concert at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge.

A journey on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway will take you back in time to pre-Civil War America to explore the secret network of trails, waterways and safe houses used by enslaved people fleeing north to escape bondage. 

More information is at Harriet Tubman Centennial.

For more information about top events in Maryland take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Maryland. 

The World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Everybody will be Irish in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas on March 17 to celebrate The First Ever Tenth Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The parade, which has grown to attract more than 30,000 revelers, transverses the legendary 98-foot-long Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs, known as the “shortest street in the world”. The event was created in 2003 and has always been referred to as “The first ever” each year it has taken place.

Thousands of people flock to the downtown area each March 17 to celebrate the unfettered fun and exuberance the parade generates. There will be leprechauns, floats, marching bands, Irish Wolfhounds, green fireworks, and Irish Elvis impersonators, and much more. Remember to wear green.

2013 Grand Marshals are Bo Derek (known as the actress from the movie “10”) and John Corbett (best known for his work on Northern Exposure). The parade has been recognized worldwide with numerous international awards. Last year, CNN named it #1 among Quirky St. Patrick’s Day Parades.

The Arkansas Blarney Stone, reportedly discovered by a leprechaun in the forests that surround Hot Springs, was placed on display in front of the Hot Springs Convention Center in 2006, and is now the scene of the annual Blarney Stone-kissing contests known as Romancing the Stone.

Visit shorteststpats.com for more details of the Parade festivities or call Hot Springs CVB at 501-321-2027 or hscvb@hotsprings.org.

For more information about top events in Arkansas take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in Arkansas.