Travel & Local Info

Travel By Air:

• • BWI - Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (17 miles from Day 3 venue & a Southwest Airlines hub)

  • DCA – Reagan National Airport (34 miles from Day 3)

  • IAD – Dulles International Airport (62 miles from Day 3)

Depending on when you arrive/depart, traffic between the venues and the further airports (DCA/IAD) can be slow.

Travel By Train:

Amtrak offers service along the Eastern Seaboard with stops at BWI Airport, 17 miles from the Bacon Ridge venue, and Washington Union Station, 11 miles from the University of Maryland. WMATA Metro service is available between Union Station and the University of Maryland venue. Bowie State University and the Bacon Ridge Natural Area are not served by Metro.

Restaurants

We are not planning to host a dinner event, but there are numerous restaurants in the area. For a list of suggestions curated by QOC member Massey Bartolini, head to this subpage.

Hotels
The event coincides with the beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. We recommend booking accommodations early. Hotels in the Bowie, Annapolis, College Park, or Laurel area are within easy driving distance of all three event venues. There is no official meet hotel.  

Camping

Tent and RV camping is available at Greenbelt National Park near the University of Maryland. (URL: https://www.nps.gov/gree/planyourvisit/campground.htm; reserve via recreation.gov). There are other camping areas near the event venues. 

Local Events

There are several major events scheduled in the greater Washington DC and Baltimore areas between March 20–22, 2026, which you may wish to consider attending (or, avoiding):

🌸 National Cherry Blossom Festival (Opening Weekend)

• Dates: March 20–22, 2026

• Location: National Mall & Tidal Basin, Washington, DC

• Expected Attendance: Over 150,000 across the weekend

• Highlights: Parade rehearsals, cultural performances, and family-friendly activities kick off this iconic spring celebration.

🎭 “Back to the Future” Theatrical Production

• Dates: March 20–22, 2026 (multiple showtimes)

• Location: Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, Baltimore, MD

• Venue Capacity: ~2,300 per show

• Expected Attendance: ~6,000+ over the weekend

• Details: A Broadway-style musical adaptation of the classic film, drawing regional theatergoers.

🎶 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven & Bartók

• Date: March 21, 2026

• Location: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD

• Venue Capacity: ~2,443

• Expected Attendance: ~2,000

• Program: A mix of classical masterpieces led by guest conductor Marin Alsop.

🏒 Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers (NHL)

• Date: March 21, 2026

• Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

• Venue Capacity: ~20,000

• Expected Attendance: ~18,000+

• Details: A high-stakes hockey matchup with playoff implications.

🏀 Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat (NBA)

• Date: March 22, 2026

• Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC

• Venue Capacity: ~20,000

• Expected Attendance: ~17,000+

• Details: Weekend game drawing fans from across the DMV

A Few Local Attractions

• College Park Aviation Museum – small, but longest-running active airport in U.S. (google map link)

• Lake Artemisia – nice place to walk (google map link)

• Downtown Annapolis (Maryland’s state capital): has many restaurants and shops, and is a nice place to walk around (anywhere between West Street / Main Street and Eastport). City streets are narrow so on-street parking can be challenging. Parking in one of the city parking garages is usually the best option. Note: there is free parking in the Calvert Street garage weekday evenings after 7 pm and all day on weekends, other garages and street parking are metered.

  • Gott’s Court Garage (google map link) is a good central starting point, to walk east towards Main Street and State Circle (the State House is the Maryland State Capitol building).

  • Annapolis City Dock (google map link) is currently mostly closed for construction but all area shops are still open.