Trappe's Nace's Day Parade Gets a New Marker on Its Route This Year
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
He led the parade in full U.S. Army uniform, with gold epaulets, a colorful sash at his waist and a sword in his hand. Bands, singing groups, riders on horseback and decorated wagons followed him through Trappe, according to the Civil War Trails marker text recorded by the Historical Marker Database. Nathaniel "Uncle Nace" Hopkins led that parade every year from 1867 until he died in 1900.
On Saturday, November 7, the 159th Nace's Day parade starts at 1 p.m. This year it comes with something new. On October 15, an updated Maryland Roadside Historical Marker honoring Hopkins was unveiled inside Scotts United Methodist Church, and it will be permanently installed along the historic parade route.
That location fits the history. The church he helped organize, the park named for him and the older marker at his home site all sit on the same short stretch of Main Street where the parade ends. The new marker adds the parade itself to that record.
The marker was developed by the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture and the Maryland Historical Trust, Talbot250 reported. Jaelon Moaney served as master of ceremonies. He sits on the Talbot250 Commission and is vice chair of the state commission, and Talbot250 credits him with working alongside state officials, historians and Hopkins descendants to get the marker made.
Talbot County Council Member Keasha Haythe grew up in Trappe. At the ceremony she remembered marching in the Nace's Day parade, first with the Talbot Twirlers and later playing clarinet in the band. The Talbot Spy's account of the unveiling confirms the plan to install the marker along the parade route. The exact spot and the full text of the new marker have not been announced yet.
Hopkins was born into slavery near Trappe around 1830. He served in the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War and then came home to Trappe. The Talbot Historical Society's biography, written by board member Dr. Willie Woods, says he enlisted in 1863 while still enslaved. After returning, he worked with newly freed families in southern Talbot County. In 1878 he helped establish Trappe's first Black school, and he later helped incorporate the congregation then called the "African Church," which became Scotts United Methodist Church.
A Star Democrat profile adds more. He acquired property, established the community of Money Make and had roads built so its residents could reach town more easily.
The celebration he founded marks a date that is specific to Maryland. On November 1, 1864, a new state constitution abolished slavery in Maryland. The Talbot Historical Society notes that this made Maryland the first state to free its enslaved people by popular vote, and that the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 had not applied to Maryland because Maryland was not in rebellion. Hopkins started the annual observance three years later, in 1867.
This year, November 1 falls on the Sunday before the celebration.
Most of the places tied to Hopkins can be visited on foot in a few minutes, and one is a short drive away. Here they are in one place:
| Site | Where | What it marks |
|---|---|---|
| Scotts United Methodist Church | 3748 Main Street | Congregation Hopkins helped incorporate; worship service and parade endpoint |
| Nathaniel Nace Hopkins Park | Main Street, down and across from the church | Half-acre park dedicated to Hopkins |
| "Nathaniel Hopkins: Soldier from Trappe" marker | In front of Scotts UMC | Civil War Trails marker that identifies the site as his home |
| Bicentennial marker and headstone | Old Paradise Cemetery, Ocean Gateway/U.S. 50 at Barber Road | His burial site |
| New Maryland Roadside Historical Marker | Along the parade route, exact spot to be announced | Hopkins and the celebration he founded |
The older bicentennial marker near U.S. 50 sums up his life in a few lines, as transcribed by the Historical Marker Database:
"Leader of his people who was born a slave circa 1830; fought for Union in Civil War; originated annual Trappe Emancipation Day celebration, 1867, and headed it until his death in 1900."
The park is the newest of these sites. According to the Town of Trappe's parks page, buying the lot and tearing down a derelict building there took a $200,000 Community Development Block Grant plus more than $100,000 in town funds. The grant also requires the land to stay open space for seven years. When the park opened, the Star Democrat described a brick-pillared entrance, a concrete patio, a lawn, plantings, a drinking fountain and benches. The town is still looking after it. At the Town Council's July 1 meeting this year, President Newnam thanked Superintendent Lane for his work on Nace's Park.
This year's theme is "Mapping Our Way Forward." The Talbot250 event listing gives the schedule:
The Trappe Town Council confirmed the November 7 date and the 1 p.m. start at its September 2 meeting. The Rural Life Museum of Trappe has said it will march too.
No road-closure or parking plan for 2026 has been published. Past years give a rough idea. In 2025, the council approved closing Maple Avenue and Main Street for the 1 p.m. parade, with Main Street closed from Mulliken Lane to the red light until 4 p.m. Organizers used Veterans Park for parking and Nace's Park for activities. In 2024, the closure ran on Main Street from Slaughter Lane to Howell Point Road between 1 and 4 p.m. Those were last year's and the year before's arrangements. This year's will come from the town.
The Star Democrat's coverage of the 156th Nace's Day describes a marching band playing Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" down Main Street. The parade ended at Scott's United Methodist Church, where families lined the route, children ran out for candy, and there was a bouncy house, plenty of food and a DJ. Eunice Roberts, a Nace's Day Committee member, told the paper that planning had started a year earlier and that 32 groups marched.
That pattern goes back to the beginning. The Talbot Historical Society says the celebration later grew to include church services, speakers, food, games and music, and that Trappe's Black residents have carried it on since Hopkins died. The "159th" count doesn't match simple arithmetic from 1867, and the Historical Marker Database's notes on the celebration describe a committee that later worked to revive it. His descendants still put it together. In October 2025, Talbot County said they continue to sponsor the event. Talbot250 calls Nace's Day the longest continuously observed public Emancipation Day celebration on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
The Rural Life Museum of Trappe, at 29241 Backtown Road, holds its annual meeting at the Trappe Volunteer Firehouse on November 17 at 6 p.m. Its free Cookies with Santa runs Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Santa photos, cookies and crafts for kids. The museum's regular first- and second-Saturday hours run through November, so the Saturday after Nace's Day, November 14, is its last regular open day of 2026. You can also visit by appointment year-round at 410-476-4857.
I've lived and worked around Trappe for a long time, and I always look forward to Nace's Day. If you have family coming in for the parade and want help working out where the Hopkins sites are, or you just want to talk about life in this part of Talbot County, Eddie Matthews is glad to help. Let's Connect.
Whether you’re buying your first home, selling a trust property, or navigating a probate sale, my goal is always the same: to provide honest guidance, strong advocacy, and a smooth experience from beginning to end. Real estate is about people, not just properties. I would be honored to help you take your next step.
