Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum hosts Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXXX on Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8

 The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum hosts Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXXX on Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8, welcoming one of the nation’s largest gatherings of small boat enthusiasts and unique watercraft back to its waterfront campus.

 Hundreds of amateur and professional boatbuilders and enthusiasts will come from all over the region to display their one-of-a-kind kayaks, canoes, and other traditional small craft at the 40^th edition of the annual festival, which runs 10am–5pm all three days.

 

Public entrance to the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival is included with CBMM’s general admission, which is good for two consecutive days and free for CBMM members.

 

Head to cbmm.org/MASCF to learn more about the three-day event. Anyone looking to register as a participant and gain access to the full slate of events can get more info at cbmm.org/MASCFparticipants.

 

A family-friendly fall staple, MASCF invites guests to marvel at the craftsmanship and innovation used in traditional and contemporary small craft, showcased both on land and in the water, while enjoying all that CBMM has to offer across its 18-acre campus. Throughout the weekend, boat owners are encouraged to share their knowledge and boating experiences with guests.

 

Saturday offers a full slate of MASCF activities. CBMM Shipyard staff and Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School instructors will offer boatbuilding and maritime demonstrations that day, and Chesapeake Light Craft will be on site with a selection of vessels from its fleet for guests to demo.

 

That afternoon, there will be a spirited small craft race on the Miles River. Guests are encouraged to watch all the action from CBMM’s waterfront and docks.

 

Also on Saturday, guests are invited to a special presentation in CBMM’s Shipyard. A weeklong workshop on traditional Japanese boatbuilding, led by author, boatbuilder, and educator Douglas Brooks, concludes with a traditional Shinto launching ceremony to celebrate the completion of a 21-foot Japanese river boat. That evening, Brooks will be the keynote speaker at the dinner for MASCF participants.

 

Everyone on campus for MASCF will be able to vote for their favorite boat, with the People’s Choice award and others announced among participants on Saturday evening. Limited offerings will be available for the public to see on Sunday.

 

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival.

Antique & Classic Boat Festival and Coastal Arts Fair to be held at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum June 16-18

Wooden and fiberglass classics, vintage racers, and other antique boats return to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum from June 16-18 for the 35th Antique & Classic Boat Festival and Coastal Arts Fair.

Hosted by the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the Antique & Classic Boat Society, this Father’s Day weekend tradition is one of the largest classic boat shows in the Mid-Atlantic region and annually brings a sense of nostalgia to the Miles River and CBMM’s waterfront campus. Learn more here.

In addition to the wide range of vessels on display representing a multitude of makers and eras, the Antique & Classic Boat Festival is accompanied by a juried Coastal Arts Fair showcasing vendors whose products, services, and art represent boats, the water, and coastal life.

Driven by the Antique & Classic Boat Society – Chesapeake Bay Chapter’s mission of continuing the legacy of these venerable vessels through preservation, restoration and education, the festival will feature a lineup of 10 seminars on Friday and Saturday highlighting experts, historians, and authors. (Find the full schedule here.) Other festival highlights include a Field of Dreams for those looking to buy, boat rides, a nautical flea market, and a children’s scavenger hunt, as well as a DJ spinning classic tunes.

The three-day celebration of the past, present, and future of antique and classic boating invites guests to take a step back in time. This year’s festival highlights the theme of “Show Us Your First Love,” inviting boat owners to display their boats and share stories about what first launched them on their lifelong love of classic and antique boats.

In addition to advanced sales online for Friday-Saturday and Saturday-Sunday, tickets will be available at CBMM throughout the festival. No single-day tickets will be sold to this rain or shine event.

Additional free event parking for Saturday’s festivities will be available at St. Michaels
Middle/High School, with a complimentary shuttle service to and from CBMM.

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including the Antique & Classic Boat Festival and Coastal Arts Fair. Carry-on alcohol from dock or land is prohibited.

Antique & Classic Boat Festival and Coastal Arts Fair
Friday, June 16 – 10am-5pm
Saturday, June 17 – 10am-5pm
Sunday, June 18 – 10am-3pm
(All tickets are good for two days. Purchase now for Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday.)

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

CBMM to celebrate Independence Day with Big Band Night

 CBMM to celebrate Independence Day with Big Band Night

 

ST. MICHAELS, Md., June 1, 2023 – In celebration of Independence Day, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will host Big Band Night on July 1, inviting guests to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets for an evening of music, dancing, and fireworks along the Miles River.

 

The Shades of Blue Orchestra brings its signature sound starting at 7pm, and CBMM’s waterfront campus offers a great vantage point to enjoy the St. Michaels fireworks, which begin at dusk that evening. The rain date for the concert and fireworks is July 2.

 

Food, ice cream, and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase during the event, which is generously sponsored by Eastern Shore Tents & Events.

 

Mixing popular standards, a variety of musical styles, and dance-able rhythms, the Shades of Blue Orchestra combines brass, woodwind, and rhythm instruments to present music from the 1930s to present representing an eclectic variety of genres. This 18-piece Big Band based out of Baltimore has been entertaining guests across the region since 1976.

 

CBMM’s Welcome Center will open at 6pm for guests to enter campus for Big Band Night. Admission to this event is $6 for CBMM members and $10 for non-members, with children ages 5 and under, plus active and retired military, free. Purchase tickets and get more information at cbmm.org/BigBandNight.

Celebrate all things oyster October 29 in St. Michaels

 Get ready to celebrate the Bay’s favorite bivalve at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s OysterFest on Saturday, Oct. 29.

 

Running 10am-4 pm, CBMM’s OysterFest features oysters served a variety of ways, along with other local fare, craft beer, and spirits, plus live music, an oyster stew competition, a full schedule of oyster-themed demonstrations and presentations, children’s activities, and more.

 

At the rain or shine event, festivalgoers can savor Chesapeake Bay oysters, with both raw and cooked options available, from the Talbot Watermen Association and other local oyster farms. There will also be a variety of Chesapeake delicacies and other food offerings via local vendors available for purchase, plus a beverage selection that includes specialty cocktails featuring Windon Distilling Lyon Rum, Chesapeake-style Bloody Marys featuring George’s Beverage Company mix, and an array of local craft beer options.

 

The always-popular oyster stew competition begins at 11am and invites guests to sample offerings from various local restaurants and vote for their favorite, while the American Chesapeake Club will be on hand to discuss Maryland’s official dog, the Chesapeake Bay retriever, and showcase its retrieving ability.

 

One Hundred Shores project is offering a unique workshop that allows guests to connect with the Bay’s water from 100 different locations across the Chesapeake estuary in a dyeing process to create shirts which illustrate a map of the watershed itself. Registration is available now at bit.ly/OysterFestOneHundredShores.

 

In its fourth OysterFest appearance, Maryland-based Swamp Donkey Newgrass will be playing the Tolchester Beach Bandstand all day long, delivering an exciting combination of original songs and unique covers that span many genres in a style they have made all their own. 

Throughout the day, Van Lennep Auditorium will host a variety of guest speakers and oyster-related presentations sponsored by the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center, starting at 11am with a cooking demonstration from Executive Chef Gregory James from Stars Restaurant at the Inn at Perry Cabin.

 

At 12:45pm, Bivalve Trail podcast host Lexi Hubb will offer a presentation on Thomas Downing, a Black American born free on Virginia’s Eastern Shore who helped make New York City the Oyster Capital of the world in the mid-1800s. Later, Hubb and co-host Bill Troxler will describe how they created the narrative, music and soundscape for Downing’s story, illustrating time periods, settings, and emotions without visual cues. 

 As part of CBMM’s partnership with The Great Maryland Recipe Hunt, food historian Joyce White will offer a culinary history of Chesapeake Bay oysters, beginning at 1:30pm. The foodways documentation project, One Hundred Shores, and the Bivalve Trail programming are presented by the Regional Folklife Center through the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council. 

Family activities include Chesapeake-themed games, activities, and demonstrations, and a chance to build a take-home model boat.

 

Guests will also be able to explore CBMM’s exhibitions, including Oystering on the Chesapeake and Waterman’s Wharf, where they can try tonging or nippering for oysters.

 

They’re also invited to participate in an oyster slurp-off contest, tour one of the visiting Chesapeake Bay buyboats and vessels within CBMM’s historic floating fleet, watch an antique diving demonstration, and visit the Phillips Wharf Fishmobile.

 

This year, OysterFest is generously sponsored by Glenmede and Patriot Cruises and supported by What’s Up Media, Eastern Shore Tents & Events, Windon Distilling, George's Beverage Company, and Kelly Distributors.

 

OysterFest admission is $6 for CBMM member adults and active members of the military (with ID); $18 for non-member adults; $15 for seniors (age 65 and up), college students and retired military (both with ID); $6 for non-member children ages 6–17; and free for member children 6–17, and all children 5 and under. CBMM members at the Family & Friends level and above can also receive the $6 discounted admission for two adult guests.

 

Food and drinks are available for an additional cost, with carry-on alcohol prohibited. Proceeds from the event support CBMM’s education, restoration, and exhibition programs.

 

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including OysterFest. Carry-on alcohol from dock or land is prohibited.

 

Purchase your tickets in advance now and learn more at cbmm.org/oysterfest.

Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXXIX is Sept. 30–Oct. 2

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Sept. 6, 2022 – From Friday–Sunday, Sept. 30–Oct. 2, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will once again host one of the nation’s largest gatherings of small boat enthusiasts and unique watercraft at Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXXIX.

 

Over the three days, CBMM guests can marvel at the craftsmanship and innovation used in traditional and contemporary small craft while enjoying CBMM’s waterfront campus and indoor and outdoor exhibitions. Hundreds of amateur and professional boatbuilders and enthusiasts, hailing from near and far, are set to showcase their boats at the 39th annual festival.

  

Sailing skiffs, rowing shells, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, prams, and one-of-a-kind boats will be on display and in the water throughout this family-oriented event, and small craft owners from across the country will be available to share their knowledge and boating experiences with guests.

 

On Saturday, CBMM Shipyard staff and Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School instructors will be on hand to offer boatbuilding and maritime demonstrations. Also, beginning at 1pm on Saturday, there will be a lively Miles River race of small craft, which can be viewed from CBMM’s waterfront and docks.

 

Festival-goers will be able to vote for their favorite boat, with the People’s Choice award and others announced among participants on Saturday evening. Limited offerings will be available for the public to see on Sunday.

 

For safety reasons, dogs are not permitted on museum grounds during CBMM festivals, with the exception of certified service dogs.

 

Public entrance to the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival is included with CBMM’s general admission, which is good for two consecutive days and free for CBMM members. Hours are 10am–5pm each day. For more information, visit cbmm.org/smallcraftfestival. Anyone looking to participate as an exhibitor should visit cbmm.org/mascfparticipants.

 

CBMM begins next phase of Master Plan upgrades

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that it has broken ground on its new Welcome Center—a major milestone marking the start of Phase II of its ongoing Master Plan campus upgrades. 

 

Opening in 2023, the new, fully ADA accessible building will house CBMM’s Welcome Center, Museum Store, and two exhibition spaces.  

 

“The new building will immensely enhance the guest experience at CBMM and provide an even warmer welcome to campus,” said Kristen Greenaway, CBMM’s President & CEO. “Our Master Plan is designed to create increased space for CBMM’s core museum offerings—including exhibitions, education, and in the shipyard—and we can’t wait for you to see it!” 

 

CBMM’s Master Plan also includes a Phase III focus on utilization of outdoor space and an expansion of Shipyard facilities, designed to showcase the ever-expanding range of shipyard education, boatbuilding, and exhibitions. 

 

Three phases make up the Master Plan, with the scope and timeline contingent upon funding. Funding sources will come from individual donations and naming opportunities, grants, and operations. You too can support CBMM’s efforts to enhance campus and create better public offerings by donating to The Annual Fund. Visit cbmm.org/donate to learn how. 

 

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all.  

 

Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevance, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916. 

 

##### 

 

PHOTO: 

“CBMM_WelcomeCenter.jpg” 

 

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum recently broke ground on its new Welcome Center, marking the start of Phase II of its Master Plan campus upgrades. This rendering shows what the new building will look like when completed in 2023. 

August 14 brings crabs, watermen’s rodeo to St. Michaels at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

On Sunday, Aug. 14, Watermen’s Appreciation Day returns to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., featuring a spirited boat docking contest, steamed crabs and other regional food, live music, beer, boat rides, family activities, and more. The fundraising event is organized by CBMM in cooperation with the Talbot Watermen Association, with proceeds benefiting both organizations. 

The opportunity to meet the Chesapeake’s watermen, along with local steamed crabs, beer, and other food and beverages continue to highlight the waterfront festival. Eventgoers can also take part in a silent auction in the Small Boat Shed, with all proceeds supporting the Talbot Watermen Association. 

 

Beginning at noon, the event’s “watermen’s rodeo” boat docking contest returns to the Miles River near CBMM's 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Bleacher seating will be provided for spectators to the contest, and children’s activities will be offered throughout the day.  

 

“It’s a great day of celebrating the Chesapeake Bay’s watermen—from the rodeo to the cold beer, hot crabs, and live music” said TWA President Jeff Harrison. “And we’re grateful to partner with CBMM on this important fundraising event for more than a decade now.”  

 

  

Starting at noon, the day’s catch of steamed crabs—served by watermen—will be available for purchase, in addition to beer, water, soda, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, and more. Steamed crabs will be sold by the dozen, with pricing set by July 29 and posted at cbmm.org.  

 

Also beginning at 11am, live music with Bird Dog and the Road Kings from the historic Tolchester Beach Bandstand will have people tapping their toes and dancing along CBMM’s waterfront. 

 

Admission to the 10am–5pm, rain-or-shine, event includes the boat docking contest, live music, numerous family activities, entrance to all CBMM exhibitions and historic structures, and is set at $18 for adults, $8 for children 6–17, with all children 5 years of age and under admitted free. CBMM members along with licensed watermen and their immediate families get discounted admission at $10 per adult, and $6 per child ages 6–17. Food and beverages are additional.  

  

Advanced admission tickets can be purchased online at cbmm.org/watermensday, with tickets also sold at the door the day of the event. Discounted watermen’s tickets will also be available at the door the day of the event, with an active watermen’s license shown. Boat rides, steamed crabs, beer, and additional food and beverages will be available for purchase. Free event parking will be available at St. Michaels High School, with a complimentary shuttle service to and from CBMM running throughout the day. 

  

For safety reasons, non-service dogs need to be kept home during CBMM festivals, including Watermen’s Appreciation Day. Carry-on alcohol from dock or land is also prohibited. Spectator boats wishing to view the competition from the water must remain outside the buoyed channel.  

 

For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916. 

PHOTOS:
“CBMM_WatermansDay_1.jpg” & “CBMM_WatermansDay_2.jpg” 

Watermen’s Appreciation Day returns to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. on Sunday, Aug. 14, with a “watermen’s rodeo” boat docking contest, steamed crabs and other food, beer, live music, boat rides, family activities, and more. Proceeds from the event benefit CBMM and the Talbot Watermen Association, with advanced tickets and more information at cbmm.org/watermensday. 

Maryland Dove launched into the Miles River

 (ST MICHAELS, MD – Thursday, March 31, 2022) 

Nearly three years after beginning the largest construction project they had ever taken on, shipwrights at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum have their eyes set on the finish line, with the construction of Maryland Dove scheduled to finish this spring.  

“I am incredibly proud of my team and what they’ve accomplished,” said CBMM’s lead shipwright, Joe Connor, who has served as the construction manager on the project since its inception. “We have assembled some of the most talented shipwrights I’ve ever worked with, and we’re all looking forward to seeing the ship sail away.”

A major milestone in the project happened in CBMM’s working Shipyard on March 28, 2022, when the roughly 94,000-pound ship was hoisted by crane and placed in the Miles River—touching water for the first time in its new life. It was the largest vessel launched in St. Michaels since 1904, and a spectacle to behold.

In 2018, it was announced that CBMM had been selected to build a brand-new Maryland Dove for Historic St. Mary’s City. The ship, a representation of the late 17th-century trading ship that accompanied the first European settlers to what is now Maryland, is owned by the state of Maryland, and operated and maintained by the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission. An earlier version of the ship, built in the 1970s by Cambridge’s Jim Richardson, was nearing the end of its useful life and decades of new research meant that a new ship could be designed to be a more historically accurate representation of the original Maryland Dove.

PHOTO BY GEORGE SASS

Since that first announcement, construction of the iconic state ship has been the central focus of CBMM’s working Shipyard. After tapping naval architect Iver Franzen to design the new ship, the lofting process began, with shipwrights turning the Boatshop floor into a lofting board on which full-size patterns and lines were drawn. Those patterns then came to life as they were shaped in a variety of woods—Live and White Oak, Osage Orange, Ash, and Cortez, just to name a few—and fixed to a lead backbone to give Maryland Dove its shape. Work over the past few years, all done in public view, has seen the new ship move from concept to reality, and Maryland Dove will now remain dockside for the final steps in its construction, which include finish work and the installation of masts, rigging, and sails.

“It has been absolutely amazing to watch Maryland Dove come together, piece by piece, over the past few years,” said CBMM President & CEO Kristen Greenaway. “We are very grateful for everyone who has followed along with the ship’s progress, and we invite you to stay tuned as it nears completion.”

Details for a celebration of the completion of Maryland Dove will be announced later via CBMM’s social media channels and at marylanddove.org.

Pride of Baltimore II to visit St. Michaels Aug. 7-8

                  

Pride of Baltimore II to visit St. Michaels Aug. 7-8  

The tall ship Pride of Baltimore II will visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md. the first weekend in August. The replica schooner will be available for deck tours from 2–5pm on Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 7–8, 2021. Tours are free with general admission to CBMM, which is good for two days and free for CBMM members.  

In conjunction with the visit, the Chesapeake Independent Blues, a Maryland War of 1812 volunteer interpretive organization, will also be on CBMM’s campus Aug. 7–8, providing living historical impressions of the citizen-soldiers from Talbot County who served in the Maryland Militia during the War of 1812. Reproductions of the arms and material culture used by the militia will be on display, as will civilian and uniformed interpreters. Historic weapon firing demonstrations will be offered daily on Navy Point, at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm on Saturday and at 1 and 3pm on Sunday.  

Both visits are made possible through a partnership between Pride of Baltimore II and the National Park Service. Throughout 2021, Pride is serving as a trail ambassador at Chesapeake Bay ports along the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and providing free interpretive programs and a new traveling exhibit to help both organizations to connect with underserved communities and expand recreational opportunities throughout the Bay.  

In 1988, the Pride of Baltimore II was commissioned as a sailing memorial to its immediate predecessor, the original Pride of Baltimore, which sank in 1986 due to a white squall off Puerto Rico. Both ships were built in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor as reproductions of 1812-era topsail schooners, or Baltimore Clippers, which helped America win the War of 1812 and finally secure its freedom.  

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all.  

Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevance, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.  

For more information, contact:        

                 Bethany Ziegler, Senior Communications Manager  

                 Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum  

                 410-310-0607, bziegler@cbmm.org  

                          

(ST MICHAELS, MD – Tuesday, July 27, 2021)  

###  

PHOTO:
“CBMM_PrideofBaltimore_Aug2021.jpg”
The tall ship Pride of Baltimore II will be at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., on from Aug. 7–8, with free dockside deck tours offered throughout the weekend. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.