Prince George’s County marks 330th anniversary with free Landover festival

A free celebration at Northwest Stadium Parking Lot F in Landover turned Prince George’s County’s 330th birthday into a public gathering, with food trucks, live entertainment, games, roller skating and county resources drawing families, seniors and young people into one shared space.

The April 18 event, hosted by the Prince George’s County Office of Community Relations with partnering agencies, gave county leaders a chance to frame Prince George’s as more than a backdrop for crime headlines, budget fights or redevelopment debates. At a time when residents are weighing who benefits from growth and whether longtime neighborhoods feel included in the county’s future, the anniversary offered a visible reminder that county government also wants to be seen as a convener.

Prince George’s was formed from land in Calvert and Charles counties by an act of the Maryland General Assembly on St. George’s Day, April 23, 1696. The county was named for Prince George of Denmark, husband of Princess Anne and heir to the English throne, a historical detail county officials have used to connect today’s residents with a 330-year-old civic identity.

County materials said the milestone was meant to pause and reflect on Prince George’s past, honor the contributions of all residents and look ahead to the future. That message fit the format of the celebration itself. By keeping the event free, county agencies lowered the barrier to entry for households that might not have made a paid ticketed event a priority. By centering music, skating and games, the county presented the anniversary as a family outing instead of a formal ceremony.

The celebration also fit into a larger history push. County parks and history programming tied the anniversary year to America’s 250th commemoration and free historic-site programming, encouraging residents to explore local landmarks as part of the county’s broader story. In that context, the 330th anniversary was not just a look backward. It was a statement about what Prince George’s wants to be now: a county that can honor its roots, widen access to civic life and make room for the next generation while it keeps changing.