Havre de Grace's first Blessing By The Bay brought in dozens of people and leaders from more than a dozen churches to Hutchins Park on Sunday.
The event, billed as a continuation of Saturday's first Fish, Fowl & Folk Festival, ran from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the riverfront park.
The "wonderful event" was inspired by Camay Murphy, the Ministerium's organizer Mary Whitehead said, and City Councilwoman Monica Worrell came to a Ministerium meeting this spring to ask if its leaders would consider such an event.
"We took a vote that same day and we all said yes," Whitehead said. "What we wanted to do is have churches represented from all the different denominations, and we started here in Havre de Grace but we extended it also to Harford County and the state of Maryland."
The event began with a blessing of the boats, led by the Rev. Norman Obenshain of Havre de Grace United Methodist Church. "They had the big fire [company] boat come and Pastor Obenshain prayed over that," Whitehead said.
Several community groups and churches set up tables under the large tent at Hutchins Park, and a prayer tent was also set up in front of seats for people to listen to worship leaders.
"We have people from all over coming here, even people from the Eastern Shore," Whitehead said. "This is a day for praise and worship and giving God the glory for all that he has done for us."
Organizations that led the praise and worship included St. Patrick Catholic Church, First Christian Church of Havre de Grace, Revelation 22 Ministries, St. James A.M.E. Church, Answered Prayers, New Beginnings COG, Churchville Presbyterian Church, The Healing House, Growing in Life & Word, Our Father's Heart, Central Christian AOG and North Harford Church.
Whitehead said she hopes the event can be annual and that Sunday's turnout was "more than what we hoped for."
"We just thought, this is our first annual grouping and we're expecting this many people; in fact, we didn't even have enough chairs," she said.