Adrian for Laurel

It’s less than a month away! – The famous Preakness Stakes will be run on Sunday, May 16, and for the first time (and perhaps last), it’ll be held at our very own Laurel Park!

This really does mark a historic occasion, and while Laurel Park is technically just outside our City’s incorporated limits, the racetrack has been long been a part of Laurel’s identity through the years.

Folks reached out to ask me how they might take part in the festivities and create some special memories, as well as what City programs are available, so I wanted to put together a rundown of ideas and resources for you:

• The official website of the Preakness Festival has a lot of great information, including how to buy tickets and the many neat events happening in the weeks leading up to Race Day itself.

• One great example is Maryland Horse Farm Tours – A fun, FREE day on Sunday, May 10 for families to connect with horses in the horse farms around Maryland where racehorses are grown and to learn about Maryland’s unique equine history.

• A great opportunity to get a free introduction to the basics of horse racing and to see the races up close and personal is at the Voices of Laurel “Day at the Races” event this Saturday April 25 from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are FREE but RSVP requested to get a head count. Look for the Voices of Laurel reserved tent setup right next to the track itself, and two special races will take place between 1:45 p.- 3 p.m. for the VoL team.

• And for those curious history buffs out there, the Voices of Laurel crew also put together a great history of Laurel Park over time, as well as coverage of what’s next for the racetrack after the Preakness is run this year.

• The City of Laurel is running it’s “Saddle Up, Laurel!" promotional campaign for our town’s small businesses to highlight what makes them special, encouraging them to decorate their storefront, providing promotional posters, encouraging race-themed specials & events, and featuring them throughout City communications. Check out the campaign page linked above and reach out directly to “ecd AT laurel.md.us” for information on how to get involved!

• Keen observers may also have seen the horse racing graphics installed by DPW along Main Street – there’s two locations: one near the City parking lot close to Route 1, and the other near the Laurel Mill Playhouse closer to Route 216. (see picture below)

• Another City-sponsored event: Come out for Movie Night at the McCullough Field/ Sturgis-Moore area on Tue, May 12 at 8 p.m. to watch Secretariat, the acclaimed 2010 movie telling the 1973 story of the ninth horse to win the Triple Crown and who still holds the fastest time records in all three races.

There is more out there, but hopefully this gets you off-and-running to your own Preakness celebration and don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or the City team for any questions!