For Many Memorial Day Weekend Means a Trip to Chestertown for the Annual Tea Party Festival

For many Memorial Day weekend is associated with Chestertown and the Tea Party Festival that celebrates the town’s colonial past. In 1774 the town issued “The Chestertown Resolves” which was their answer to the British after learning of the Boston Tea Act, that was in retaliation for Bostonians dumping tea into the harbor.

The fourth Resolve states “that whoever shall import, or in any way aid or assist in importing, or introducing from any part of Great Britain, or any other place whatsoever, into this town or country, any tea subject to the payment of a duty imposed by the aforesaid act of Parliament. Or, whoever shall wilfully and knowingly sell, buy or consume, or in any way assist in the sale, purchase, or consumption of any tea imported as aforesaid subject to a duty, he, or they, shall be stigmatized as enemies to the liberties of America.”

Local lore is that on May 23rd, 1774, there was a gathering at the town center and they marched down High Street to the brigantine Geddes, and tossed her cargo of tea into the Chester River. This legendary event will be re-enacted at 2pm on May 25, 2019. The “Chestertown Resolves” will be read prior to the reenactment.

The weekend begins on Friday Evening, May 24th, with a Street Party that starts at 6pm and admission is free. Food provided by Kent County’s food trucks will be available for purchase. Attendees can also enjoy a variety of craft beers, music and games for the younger crowd. Dell Foxx and Company, an Eastern Shore favorite, will be entertaining the crowd.

The festival goes into full swing on Saturday with the early morning with Radcliffe Creek School’s Tea Party Classic Run with two distances a 5K and 10 mile run.

Vendors will be set up all along High Street from Fountain Park to the Chester River when the the “Colonial Village” located around Kent County’s historic Court House, and the Festival opens at 9am. If you want to get a good view of the Colonial Parade that begins at 10am, you’ll want to get there early. The Grand Marshall is long time Tea Party participant Andy McCown. After the parade the Edna Ross Award for outstanding service to the community will be presented to Ralph Dowling, CEO/President of Peoples Bank. (See Chestertown Tea Party Announces This Year’s Grand Marshall And Edna Ross Award)

The Tea Party re-enactment, the highlight of the day, is at 2 p.m. after the reading of the “Chestertown Resolves”. They will march down High Street, have a stand off with the Red Coats before rowing out to Chestertown’s 18th century replica tall ship, Sultana (standing in for the original Geddes) and throw its cargo of tea overboard.

Throughout the day, visitors can also enjoy walking tours of the historic district, demonstrations of colonial crafts, more than 100 craft vendors, children’s activities, local foods, a wine village beside the town dock and a wide array of musical entertainers.

Some of our featured performers:
Stephen Christoff
Katherine Fahey & Crankies
The High & Wides
Levram the Great, Colonial Conjurer
The Natural Philosopher and his Cabinet of Curiosities

For Children:
Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theater
Slim Harrison – Sunnyland Music

Colonial Reenactors:
1st Delaware Regiment
Kimberly Walters
Lady Aimee’s Fine Sewing & Sutlery
Maryland Loyalists Battalion
Dobyns and Martin, Grocers, at the Sign of the Sugar

The festival concludes Sunday afternoon in Wilmer Park with local wine and craft beer tastings, entertainment, crafts and food. Local favorite Brad Chaires, accompanied by Joe Holt will be singing your favorite tunes beginning at 1pm.

The popular Raft Race, a race of rafts made of non-nautical materials on the Chester River, is at 2:00pm. These racing machines compete for awards acknowledging the buoyancy, construction, beauty, and navigational abilities. The coveted Tea Cup, the race’s highest honor, is awarded to the raft with the best synthesis of creativity, engineering, and speed.

While not an official part of the Chestertown Tea Party Festival, on Monday Kent County will celebrate Memorial Day with a parade in Chestertown that begins at 10am.

The weekend wouldn’t be a success without volunteers and the Chestertown Tea Party Committee, all volunteers themselves, wishes to thank them as well as all of the craft vendors, performers, sponsors and attendees.

For the schedule of events, go to: chestertownteaparty.org.

Photos courtesy of ShoreToBeFun Photographs by SG Atkinson