The Preakness Festival will be a weeklong celebration featuring a star-studded concert, a family festival, and a golf tournament to honor the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes. Inspired by the Kentucky Derby, Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore envisioned the festival as a way to transform Maryland into a hub of culture, entertainment, and community engagement. The festival aims to solidify the Preakness as the premier sporting and cultural event in the state.
Events announced for the Preakness Festival include the George “Spider” Anderson Music and Arts Festival, a Maryland Horse Farm Tour, the Governor’s Open Golf Tournament, the Magic of Maryland Music Celebration, and the Government House Festival Fundraiser. The festival will also feature events celebrating Maryland’s equine history, such as a Maryland Art Place Best in Show and a contemporary fine art exhibition. The goal of the festival is to create a $400 million economic impact, similar to the Kentucky Derby, and to support community-driven initiatives across the state.
The Preakness Festival will incorporate celebratory traditions from the Park Heights neighborhood, where the Preakness has been held for 150 years at Pimlico. The festival aims to be a family-friendly event that brings together the state and city to support the renaissance happening in Park Heights. Organizers of the festival include the Sport and Entertainment Corp. of Maryland, and plans are in place for a full renovation of Pimlico Race Course to make it a year-round center for thoroughbred racing in the state.
