HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — There are 40 finalists in a nationwide competition to be named "America's Favorite Small Town," and two are in Maryland, including Havre de Grace.
Parade Magazine runs the competition. Each finalist needed community votes to get to this stage.
"Once you walk around the town and see what we have to offer, it's no surprise that we're a finalist in the competition," said Lauri Orzewicz, Tourism Manager for the city. "We have shopping, we have restaurants, we have history, we have museums, so we have it all."
Havre de Grace named a finalist in America's Favorite Small Town contest
It wouldn't be the city's first title. They were also named one of the best small towns to visit by Smithsonian Magazine and made the top five list of safest cities in Maryland in 2016.
"We were always known as the best kept secret, I think our secret's getting out now, which is great," said Orzewicz. "Just about every weekend, spring and fall, we have festivals, and it goes into the winter too, so we're always celebrating here."
It's not just the events and the views, it's also the people who make it memorable. Orzewicz says they're known for having many volunteers.
She also says many come to visit and wind up buying a home.
"We do a little bit of everything here, it's a really cool place we used to visit for a three-day vacation or something like that," said Bob Murphy, who know calls Havre de Grace home.
Leonardtown in St. Mary's County is also a finalist.
Regional winners will be announced on June 1, and the national winner will be announced on June 12. To see the other finalists, click here.
