Celebrate Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week

This annual event celebrates the cultures, history and natural beauty of the nation’s largest estuary.

Join us from June 6-14, 2026, for Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week! This annual event celebrates the cultures, history and natural beauty of the nation's largest estuary. The week will include online and in-person events, as well as volunteer opportunities and social media conversations so everyone can take part in celebrating the Bay.

Fishermen on the beach at Sandy Point State Park cast their lines into the water, the Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse visible in the background.
Sandy Point State Park is a popular place for people to access the Chesapeake Bay. (Photo by Carlin Stiehl/Chesapeake Bay Program)

History and purpose

In 2016, the Chesapeake Bay Commission worked with their legislative partners to formally designate nine days each June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. This timing was chosen to correspond with two long-running Bay events: Clean the Bay Day in Virginia and the Patuxent River Wade-In in Maryland. Each year, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia pass official proclamations in honor of Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Several local county and city governments have followed suit, and the Chesapeake Bay Program has developed a proclamation template for local governments. Organizations and businesses are also encouraged to hold events, activities and volunteer opportunities during this time.

The Chesapeake Bay Program is honored to coordinate this annual event, and will share more information about our 2026 plans as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week approaches.

If you would like to participate in the planning of Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week in 2026, please email mbaldine@chesapeakebay.net.

Events

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Saturday, June 13, 2026

Beginner Bird Walk

Join enthusiastic birders at Woodend to learn birding basics.

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Chevy Chase, MD
Morning Paddle

Join our experienced kayak guides for a guided morning paddle, showcasing the Miles River at its most peaceful.

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St. Michaels, MD
MudFest

Get Downright Dirty at Montgomery Parks Annual MudFest

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Beallsville, MD
Guided Tour: Lighthouses of the Chesapeake

Tour the historic 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse and explore the adventurous, exciting, and sometimes dangerous life of a lighthouse keeper. 

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St. Michaels, MD
Turtle Talk

Watch Eastern box turtle stretch their legs in their outdoor enclosure!

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Wheaton, MD

Celebrate on social media

Join businesses, community organizations, local leaders and nature enthusiasts from across the watershed as we celebrate the Chesapeake Bay on social media.

This year, the theme of Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week is “Built by Nature, Protected Together.” We're breaking the 9 days up into two different sub themes:

June 6-10 | Natural Defenders

Natural Defenders will explore the natural aspects of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and how they support the nation’s largest estuary.

  • June 6- Kicking off Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
  • June 7- The Bay by Land
  • June 8- The Bay by the Water
  • June 9- Ecosystem Engineers & Keystones Species
  • June 10- Migratory Species & Bay Visitors

June 11-14 | Nature’s Protectors

Nature’s Protectors will detail the manmade and human features that have shaped the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

  • June 11- Indigenous Inhabitants & Historical Stewards
  • June 12- Stewards of Nature
  • June 13- Recreation & Restoration
  • June 14- The future of Bay restoration

Social media toolkit

Our social media toolkit includes sample posts, graphics and relevant content you can share throughout the nine days. Don’t forget to use #BayAwarenessWeek when posting about the event!

Download the toolkit [PDF, 3.1MB]

Photos

Review our collection of Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week photographs to use for social media posts, event materials, and other communications. Refer to our Terms of Use page for proper citation.

Virtual background

Join us in celebrating Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week with a virtual background! You can use this background on all virtual meeting platforms.

Download the background [PNG, 4.60MB]