Working alongside Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore, the Preakness Festival 150 Committee, and the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, Maroon PR has played a pivotal role in promoting the inaugural Preakness Festival, which celebrates the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes in May 2025. Through strategic media relations and influencer partnerships, Maroon PR has successfully secured extensive coverage, elevating the festival’s visibility across local and national platforms.
The Preakness Festival was established to engage communities, honor Maryland’s rich equestrian history, maximize tourism potential, and enhance economic impact. The festival aims to benefit the Park Heights community, the City of Baltimore, and the State of Maryland while ensuring the initiative’s long-term accessibility to all Marylanders. This year’s festival will feature a variety of free and ticketed cultural arts and sporting events held at iconic sites throughout Baltimore and Maryland, showcasing performances from local, national, and international artists.
Maroon PR’s efforts began in December 2024, facilitating a press conference and media coverage to announce the creation of the Preakness Festival. This initiative resulted in more than 110 media placements. In March 2025, Maroon PR played a key role in unveiling the festival’s signature events lineup through a combination of earned media efforts and influencer partnerships. By activating “Champion” influencers like Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and local personalities such as Alysha January (@DiscoverCharmCity), the festival’s message reached diverse audiences across multiple platforms.
To further amplify the announcement, Maroon PR distributed a comprehensive press release and coordinated interviews with Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore and other key leaders across local and national media outlets. These efforts resulted in over 40 broadcast, print, and radio placements. Additionally, the press release was syndicated via Newswire and picked up by more than 233 media outlets, including the Associated Press, Yahoo News, and television station websites across the country.
Through strategic storytelling and media engagement, Maroon PR continues to play a crucial role in raising awareness and excitement for the Preakness Festival.
Check out a sample of media hits featuring the First Lady of Maryland, Dawn Moore:
Feature stories in the Baltimore Business Journal, Baltimore Sun, Afro-American Newspapers, and Baltimore Banner
Feature TV segments on WMAR-TV and WBAL-TV and WUSA-TV – Get Up DC at 9am
Radio coverage by WBAL-AM and WTOP-DC
Additional coverage by The Racing Biz article and PressBox
The Preakness has always been a special event for Maryland & now, it’s reaching a whole new level. @DawnFlytheMoore & @MarylandSports‘ #PreaknessFestival is a series of events that will engage the community & drive economic impact. It’s More Than A Race! https://t.co/JWNK7NxMy8 pic.twitter.com/LuTOun8W4w
— Cal Ripken, Jr. (@CalRipkenJr) March 13, 2025