What’s Next For First Fridays In North Beach? This Popular Event’s Future Is Now Uncertain

NORTH BEACH, Md. —  First Fridays in North Beach are an annual festival that runs from May to October, inviting the public to come out and explore the waterfront boardwalk and connect with local vendors. But the first event of 2026 took a turn when a fight broke out between teenagers. Now, locals are asking: What’s next? Can this event continue?

A little before 8 p.m. on May 1, a fight broke out between two minors, described as “teen girls” by witnesses. Officers from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office broke up the fight, but then witnesses described a second fight and a massive crowd of teenagers and young people running toward the pier; rumors swirled about a gun being present, both at the event and later online.

From the videos of the incident posted on social media, it’s not clear if people were fleeing something or running toward something, but witnesses say the young people were “running toward” a fight.

Crowd control can be a serious issue for major events. In addition to individual altercations, crowd crushes and stampedes can be deadly when crowds are too dense or move too quickly. People can be crushed or trampled — a grave concern for an event like First Fridays, where many small children are in attendance.

The Town of North Beach posted on Facebook on May 2 that they are “actively working in coordination with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office to address the situation and reinforce a safe environment for our community. We appreciate your patience and cooperation.”

The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office did not release a statement about the incident.

Kassandra Skirchak of MadiLu Craft Co., a first-time First Fridays vendor, said she felt the whole thing was “sad.”

“This is an event where you have kids walking around and doing the chicken dance on the boardwalk, moms and dads are walking with their babies in strollers trying to enjoy it,” Skirchak said in an interview with The BayNet. “I feel so let down about this. I’m not going to put my kids in harm’s way. And this showed me that I can’t show up with my kids and feel safe.”

Skirchak is one of the handful of vendors who pulled out of the event for the rest of the season. Town officials confirmed that anyone who decides not to continue at First Fridays will receive a full refund.

Skirchak said the incident was frightening, but it was the lack of communication to vendors surrounding it that solidified her decision to cancel her registration. She said that after the fight incident, nobody from the town came to check up on vendors or give them more information. She also didn’t receive any communication following the event about next steps the town was taking, outside of a public Facebook post.

“It’s disappointing, because this is a great way to get out there and build connections with the community,” Skirchak said.

All the vendors The BayNet spoke to felt the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office did a great job handling the incident and feel confident in the department — though several said that at an event as large as First Fridays, they need more officers.

Jamie Ellwood of Golden Hour Suncatchers said she was “frustrated” by the incident and hoped the town could work with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office to increase safety measures. She also hopes the event continues and plans to keep showing up.

“I’m not scared of being there. I’m more scared of the incident becoming a distraction and convincing people not to go. It means a lot to vendors to be there. It’s really unique to North Beach, and I hope whatever solution they come up with doesn’t take away from that.”

Jane Vogt, co-owner of Janemark Winery & Vineyard, is also new to First Fridays, but worked at the Friday farmers market for years before it was discontinued.

“These things happen when you get a lot of people together,” Vogt said, describing a fight that happened right behind her booth at a different event years ago. Officers broke up that fight, and everyone continued with their day. While the town and police need to be prepared, she believes canceling the event isn’t the solution.

Vogt said First Fridays are a major part of the town’s identity — and its tourism industry. It brings in people who may not have even heard of North Beach before the event, which boosts the economy year-round. She said she knows people who moved to North Beach for First Fridays and the “small-town feel” it helps foster. To lose it would be devastating.

“We’re going to go to First Friday, we’re going to enjoy it. I think the families and vendors are going to go and have a good time. It really is a great thing the town does, and I want to see it continue.”

Cindy Stachowski of Stachowski Meats is another experienced vendor who wholeheartedly supports continuing the event. Stachowski has been in business since 2009 and has been a First Fridays vendor since 2016.

“It wasn’t the first type of activity with kids that have gone on down there. We have a loyal fan base that comes to see us, and we love getting new customers. I feel confident, and I love this event. I love doing this,” Stachowski said.

And though she hadn’t received follow-up communication from the town herself, she did run into North Beach Town Administrator Linda Vasallo at a later event and had what she believed was a “helpful” conversation about First Fridays.

For her part, Vasallo said she welcomes this kind of feedback. Her office hasn’t received many calls about the incident, but staff members have been approached in the community and have been monitoring all of the online chatter to help inform their decision.

“We don’t hear from everybody, and a lot of people put their feedback on social media. We want to make sure we’ve seen and heard everything. It’s the responsible way to make sure we’re looking at all the public feedback,” Vasallo said in an interview with The BayNet.

Vasallo confirmed that staff members are working with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office to examine safety measures and come up with a recommendation for the event. That recommendation could include increased security measures, curfews for certain-age attendees, adjusted hours and more. Canceling the event entirely is also on the table.

Once the group decides, they’ll bring it to the Town Council. Vasallo said the town plans to make a decision about the future of First Fridays within the next week.

“Public safety is priority No. 1,” she said. “We’re going to continue to work safely with law enforcement partners so if there’s any indication of anything going forward, we’ll be prepared.”

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