Commissioning Week

It is graduation week at the local college. Only it isn't 'just' a local college/university, it is the United States Naval Academy (USNA). The flavour down town was so fascinating.
Take sailing - it is a town on the mighty Chesapeake. Lots of people sail. Add the Navy.
Take colleges - we have two, so young people, doing presumably hip young people things. Add the Navy.
Take Annapolis - sailing, icecream, crabs, loovely (but expensive) unique clothing stores, mysterious scottish/irish heritage that I think is there because people like either drinking, wearing kilts, or both, historic down town, the Maritime Republic of Eastport, and a huge link to the creation of the USA as we know it. Add the Navy.
And to all that, add a Commissioning week (rather than Graduation Day) where the Blue Angels turn up to do an airshow... In addition, there are drill displays, sailing displays, pipe and drum band concerts, the Herndon Monument climb, various awards ceremonies and receptions, something called a color parade, and, and a graduation that will have the Vice President giving a talk.
And what you get is this unique mix of nautical/young/fit/hopeful/patriotic (with undertones of manly men) pride. The town is all gussied up in flags and flowers, and all the shop windows have patriotic (ie, US flag)/nautical/expensive everything, from the usual Maryland flag crabs, to tervis mugs, to dresses with anchors and, of course, Navy and Blue Angel everything. The town is filled with SUPER proud parents and extended family, all dressed in some variation of Navy branded gear (proud mom/dad/grandparent shirts/bags, for example).
Photo is from the USNA Pipes and Drums Performance that I went to with the baby. He was rather impressed.
Update - changed speaker at graduation from Defense Secretary to Vice President. I think the Defense Secretary was last year.