Every Spring, Locals Here Drink While Tossing Socks in a Fire

In the Maryland capital of Annapolis, the surest sign that winter's over isn't cherry blossoms—it's flaming foot coverings. Hundreds of people packed the city's Eastport neighborhood over the weekend for the Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning, a nearly 50-year-old waterfront ritual timed to sync up with the spring equinox, reports NPR, which describes the event as "a potent blend of smelly socks, alcohol, music, piles of oysters, and more than a hint of pyromania." The premise is simple: Toss your old socks into a bonfire, raise a drink, devour mollusks, and declare sailing season officially open. "I like to watch the socks burn, something about that," said lifelong resident Mary Keller.

The tradition dates to 1977, when boatyard worker Bob Turner reportedly had enough of a bitter winter, peeled off his socks, and burned them, vowing not to wear another pair until the following cold season. This year's festival followed another harsh stretch, with locals repeatedly calling the winter "brutal." Ice in Spa Creek and the Severn River was so thick that the Annapolis Yacht Club had to delay its "Frostbite" race series for the first time in two decades, race official Dick Neville said, adding, "When the creek freezes, you can't race."

On festival day, though, it felt like a different world. The Eastport Oyster Boys and the Naptown Brass Band blasted music as attendees lined up for piles of oysters shucked by veteran Mike Dicus, who estimated he'd opened "a couple thousand" by the time he was interviewed, with many more to come. Annapolis poet laureate Jefferson Holland cued the main event with his "Ode to the Equinox," prompting a sock barrage into the fire—everything from Egyptian cotton versions and worn-out blends, to old dress socks retired by the age of remote work. For regulars like Scot Labin, the symbolism is straightforward. It's "really just an excuse to drink," he said, beer in hand, "but build it around sock burning and bringing out the old and ringing in the new and you've got a good party." Check out some photos here.