Fellow Federationists:
We are moving into a busy fall season in the NFB of Maryland. We have completed all of our 2026 NFB BELL Academy sessions successfully. We held a hilarious fundraiser in conjunction with the Give A Hoot Comedy Club. We had an incredibly successful Crab Feast fundraiser to support student scholarships. We held a state convention planning board meeting and retreat, and we are in the middle of our season of gathering together for meals, swimming, and other fun activities to do together in good weather. We’re shortly to kick off Blind Equality Achievement Month, and we have plans to commemorate White Cane Awareness Day in many chapters. We are also putting the finishing touches on NFB Movement Challenges our local chapters are hosting throughout the fall. We’re excited about Wizarding Weekend on Magical Main, the NFB Water Stop at the Baltimore Running Festival, and our Trick or Trunk activities. We’re also hard at work preparing for the NFBMD Scholarship Dinner and Auction and Bid for Opportunity and the NFBMD Winter Market.
Read on for information about our important activities and plans.
Winter Market Vendors Needed!
The NFB of Maryland will be hosting a Winter Market on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at the NFB National Center in Baltimore, Maryland. We are seeking vendors, so please share this opportunity with your colleagues, friends, and small businesses you frequent. Please invite those you know to visit the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland 2026 Winter Market Vendor Application. Those with questions can contact makersmarket@nfbmd.org.
NFBMD Bid for Opportunity Dinner and Auction!
Get ready for a nice evening out. Join us on November 14 for our Bid-for-Opportunity dinner and auction to benefit the John T. McCraw Scholarship Program and NFBMD youth activities. The dinner will be held from 5PM – 9PM at the College Park Knights of Columbus, 9450 Cherry Hill Road, College Park, MD 20740. Tickets cost $70. Dinner includes fried or baked chicken, grilled salmon, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, green beans, salad, rolls, beverage, and dessert.
There will be an auction for all tastes, including a $10 table. Those wishing to donate items should contact Debbie Brown at 301-881-1892 or Deborahb14@verizon.net.
Transportation from Baltimore will be available for $10 per person. Those interested in reserving a seat should contact NFBMD Transportation Coordinator Ellen Ringlein at Germlish77@gmail.com by November 6, 2026. Transportation will be offered on a first come first served basis.
To purchase tickets, send a check to NFB of Maryland, Debbie Brown’s attention, at 11923 Parklawn Drive, #104, Rockville, MD 20852, via Zelle (Payments@nfbmd.org), or pay online using the PayPal button at https://nfbmd.org/bidforopportunity.
Get ready for Austin in 2026!
The NFB 2027 National Convention will take place from July 2 – 7, 2027 in Austin, Texas. The JW Marriott Austin Hotel will be the primary location and host all convention meetings and seminars, while the Austin Marriott Downtown will serve as our overflow hotel. Both hotels will offer a nightly convention rate of TBD per night for singles and doubles and TBD for triples and quads, plus a tourism fee and taxes of TBD%. You can begin making your reservations on January 1, 2027.
Convention pre-registration is expected to open March 1 and close May 31, 2027.
We hope to see you in Austin!
Pay Your 2027 Dues!
NFBMD maintains an online portal for individuals to pay their chapter and division dues. We are asking members to pay their 2027 dues by December 31, 2025 so we can ensure that our rolls are accurate for State Convention voting.
Individuals may use NFBMD’s Dues Portal to pay their 2027 annual dues and/or lifetime membership dues for those chapters that have lifetime membership. The portal lists all NFBMD chapters and divisions and their dues amounts. Individuals may pay for as many chapters and divisions as they wish. The portal is located at http://nfbmd.org/dues. Alternatively, individuals may mail a check to their chapter or division treasurer.
Individuals may also pay their chapter dues at the Membership Table at the State Convention, but we strongly encourage individuals to pay dues prior to convention.
Please note that those paying via the online portal will incur a small processing fee.
Important Upcoming Dates
- October 1 – 31, 2026 – Blind Equality Achievement Month
- October 15, 2026 – White Cane Awareness Day
- November 14, 2026 – NFBMD Scholarship Dinner and Auction, College Park, Maryland
- November 15, 2026 – NFBMD Winter Market, Baltimore, Maryland
- January 21, 2027 – NFBMD Day in Annapolis, Annapolis, Maryland
- February 1, 2027 – Washington Seminar Great Gathering In, Washington, DC
- February 2, 2027 – NFB of Maryland Day on the Hill, Washington, DC
- February 11 – 14, 2027 – NFBMD 2027 Convention, Pikesville, Maryland
- July 2 – 7, 2027 – NFB National Convention, Austin, Texas
- July 26 – 30, 2027 – NFB YouthSlam, Baltimore, Maryland