Chestertown, a small town on the Chester River in Kent County, MD, has a history that is more than 300 years old. The town was one of the English colony of Maryland’s six Royal Ports of Entry and the primary port for the upper Eastern Shore. At the time of the first census taken in 1790 the center of the United States population was near the town. The town has kept it’s colonial heritage with brick homes rising up on the waterfront that was built before the American Revolution in 1776.
During the weekend of October 26-29, 2018, the town’s waterfront will be alive bringing back memories of those days with Sultana’s Downrigging Weekend Tall Ship and Wooden Boat Festival. It is one of the largest annual Tall Ship gatherings on the East Coast where one will see a waterfront packed with ships, schooners, and wooden boats. There will be musical performances, lectures, a Halloween Parade, Fireworks. Plenty of activities for kids of all ages from 2 to 102 during the weekend. For a complete schedule of activities see Sultana Education Foundation Web site at www.sultanaeducation.org
MUSIC
FEATURED PERFORMANCE:
SATURDAY, 9:00 PM. FISHWHISTLE
Join the “High & Wides” with Sam Guthridge (banjo/mandolin), Marc Dykeman (guitar), Mike Buccino (upright bass), and Nat Grower (fiddle) for a swinging night of bluegrass, country, and blues down by the Tall Ships.
SCHEDULE
Friday Oct 26:
5 PM: Bill Schustik and and Donald Peacock at SEF Holt Center
Saturday, Oct 27:
11 AM: Mtn Lion String Band at Waterfront Main Stage
3 PM: Betty and the Bullet at Waterfront Main Stage
8 PM: Eastport Oyster Boys at the Mainstay at the Garfield
9 PM: High & Wides at the Fishwhistle
Sunday:
11 AM: Chestertown Ukelele Club at the Waterfront Main Stage
1:30 PM: Dovetail Trio at the Waterfront main Stage
Chestertown is also one of Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment Districts. The district was certified in 2015. Long before this designation, Chestertown RiverArt began their Studio Tours. The 19th Annual Studio Tour continues on Saturday and Sunday, October 26 & 27, 2018. 70 artists across Kent County and 2 across the river in Queen Anne’s. Beautiful scenery along with art. Brochures with maps are available at any gallery, at RiverArts Gallery, or online at www.studiotour.chestertownriverarts.org. Works by all the artists can be seen at the RiverArts Gallery in Chestertown if you want to browse before you go.
The Arts doesn’t end there. THE UNLADING, a dramatized poem in one act, written by Kent County’s award-winning playwright and poet, Robert Earl Price will be performed four times throughout the 2019 Downrigging Weekend Festival at Janes Church with a cast of six local actors. Price imagines the thoughts, words and past lives of enslaved Africans as they are unladed from a Dutch Man of War. Performances are FREE.
Friday October 26 at 6pm
Saturday October 27 at 1:30pm and 7:00pm
Sunday October 28 at 1:30pm
Janes United Methodist Church
120 S Cross St, Chestertown, Maryland 21620
