Annapolis-Eastport Tug Of War Returns This Weekend, Turns Neighbors Into Foes

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The annual Annapolis vs. Eastport tug of war returns this Saturday.

The music starts at 10 a.m., and the tug begins at noon. There will also be food trucks, craft vendors and a silent auction. The event wraps up at 5 p.m. More details are posted here.

This will be the first tug since 2019. Planners canceled the previous two tugs during COVID-19 spikes.

The contest pits Annapolis and Eastport against each other in a battle of strength deemed the "Slaughter Across The Water." Each neighborhood gathers on its side of Spa Creek and yanks at a 1,700-foot-long rope draped across the waterway. The Maritime Republic of Eastport called it the world's longest "international" tug over water.

The tradition started in 1998 after officials temporarily closed the Spa Creek Bridge for maintenance. That crossing connects downtown Annapolis with the Eastport peninsula. Both neighborhoods are part of the City of Annapolis.

Eastport residents jokingly called the construction an "unprovoked act of aggression" and declared war, a tug of war that is, against their neighbors. Locals then formed the Maritime Republic of Eastport, also known as the MRE, to promote businesses on their side of the creek during the bridge project.

The MRE has raised more than $500,000 for local charities since its creation. The group has donated to organizations like Feed Anne Arundel, a nonprofit that pays restaurants to feed residents in need.

Though the MRE is kind-hearted, its members get serious leading up to the tug. The Eastport residents march to Annapolis City Hall before each tug to "declare war."

The MRE's other main event is The 0.05k Bridge Run. That race returned this spring for its first in-person run since 2019.

Visit themre.org to learn more about the group.