Heading into the holiday season, CBMM is offering guests several opportunities to create unique gifts via festive hands-on projects.

CBMM’s Rising Tide after-school program will hold three holiday gift-making workshops for students in grades 6-9 in the coming weeks with the sessions titled Knottical Ornaments (Nov. 29-Dec. 1), Mystery Box (Dec. 5-7), and Sensational Scraps (Dec. 12-14).

All necessary tools and materials are provided at the free workshops held in Rising Tide’s Workshop Annex, and no prior woodworking experience is necessary. Projects will be revealed at the first session of each workshop, and participants must attend all days in a given session to complete it.

CBMM’s Shipyard will host a holiday workshop in which participants join shipwrights to construct bandsaw reindeer and decorative light boxes.

In each workshop, participants will construct a different gift, so signing up for multiple sessions is encouraged. Transportation will be provided from the Easton YMCA and St. Michaels Middle/High School and back to the Easton YMCA. Register at bit.ly/RisingTideHolidayWorkshop or email risingtide@cbmm.org for more information.

Rising Tide will also serve as host for December’s CBMM Member Night. On Dec. 8, members are invited to grab a cup of hot cocoa and join Workshop Education Manager Kendall Wallace and Youth Programs Coordinator Sophie Stuart to create a maritime-inspired craft for the holiday season. Registration is required and available at bit.ly/RisingTideMemberNight for this free event that promises fun for the whole family.

In addition, the Shipyard will be bustling with festive cheer in December, hosting its own holiday workshop. Over four meetings (Dec. 6, 8, 13, 15), participants will join CBMM shipwrights to construct bandsaw reindeer and decorative light boxes. Attendance is required at all four sessions to complete the projects.

The cost is $120, with a 20 percent discount for members. Materials are included in the cost of registration. Register at bit.ly/CBMMHolidayWorkshop.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will present Gunning the Chesapeake: The Artwork and Guidance of Roy E. Walsh at Easton’s annual Waterfowl Festival next month.

The exhibition curated from CBMM’s extensive waterfowling collection showcases a selection of Walsh’s original artworks and decoys by the carvers whose work he touted in his 1960 book, Gunning the Chesapeake: Duck and Goose Shooting on the Eastern Shore. It will be on display as part of the Artifacts Exhibit at Easton High School throughout the festival, which runs Nov. 11-13.

A waterfowl ornithologist and hunter, Walsh published Gunning the Chesapeake as a guide for the amateur or seasoned hunter, describing how, when, and where waterfowl may be taken on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

In addition to photographs, he illustrated the book with pen-and-ink drawings explaining arrangements of decoy rigs relative to a duck blind location and the direction of the wind. Further etchings and pen-and-ink illustrations open each chapter.

Photo: Roy Walsh’s pen-and-ink with watercolor work of a baldpate duck in flight will appear in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s exhibit at the Waterfowl Festival on Nov. 11-13. Roy E. Walsh, collection of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, gift of Robert Hockaday Jr., 2018.31.11.

“What’s exciting is this is the first time these artworks will be exhibited since they were given to CBMM a few years ago,” said Chief Curator Pete Lesher.

Alongside Walsh’s original artworks in this exhibition will be decoys by the carvers featured in the book, including the Ward Brothers of Crisfield, Charlie Joiner of Chestertown, Jessie Urie of Rock Hall, and the Elliott Brothers of Easton.

To learn more about the Waterfowl Festival, visit waterfowlfestival.org. For more on CBMM and its waterfowling collection, visit cbmm.org or explore its online collections portal at collections.cbmm.org.

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

Running 10 am-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.

It’s a great time to learn and explore at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum with a variety of youth programming on tap this fall designed to engage children of all ages.

CBMM’s after-school programs – Rising Tide and Free Fishing – are back this month, a four-lesson STEAM Team series kicks off Oct. 8 and Lighthouse Overnight Adventures remain available for groups through October. That’s in addition to fall field trips for student groups, including school, Scout, and other youth programs.

Targeted at sixth-through-ninth graders, Rising Tide teaches the basics of tool use, following a build plan, and woodworking techniques. This fall, the program continues work on building two stand-up paddleboards as well as a few other smaller projects.

Targeted at sixth-through-ninth graders, Rising Tide teaches the basics of tool use, following a build plan, and woodworking techniques. This fall, the program continues work on building two stand-up paddleboards as well as a few other smaller projects.

Rising Tide resumed Sept. 19 and is offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30-5:30pm. Transportation is offered from the Easton YMCA and from St. Michaels Middle/High School (SMMHS). Register at bit.ly/RisingTide2022 or email risingtide@cbmm.org for more information.

Running Sept. 28 through Nov. 2, CBMM’s Free Fishing program invites community members of all ages for catch-and-release fishing on Wednesdays this fall from 3:30-5:30pm.

No fishing license or equipment is required to participate. Fishing rods and bait are provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own fishing pole. Children under 10 must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult. For middle and high school students, transportation from SMMHS to CBMM is provided.

This is a weather-permitting, drop-in program, but if you are interested in attending, please contact Youth Programs Coordinator Sophie Stuart at 410-745-4974.

In October and November, little mariners are invited to join CBMM’s STEAM Team! Led by an experienced educator in each Saturday session, children will explore Chesapeake-related topics that incorporate a variety of activities related to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math).

Sessions are available for ages 4-6 and 6-9, beginning with an Oct. 8 program on Lighthouse Life. Other program themes include Shipwreck Scientists (Oct. 22), Simple Machines Move the Maritime World (Nov. 5), and Boats of the Bay (Nov. 12).

CBMM has a variety of program offerings on tap this fall geared toward kids of all ages, including Rising Tide, Free Fishing, STEAM Team, and Lighthouse Overnight Adventures.

Class sizes are limited, with advanced registration needed. The cost per class is $15, with a 20% discount for CBMM members. Register online for all four sessions for an additional discount. Need-based scholarships for individual classes are available by emailing registration@cbmm.org. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/FallSTEAMTeam22.

Last but not least, groups can plan a Lighthouse Overnight Adventure this fall! Step back in time to experience the life of a lighthouse keeper and spend the night in the Hooper Strait Lighthouse at CBMM. Participants can try their hand at the keeper’s traditional duties, listen to stories and discover facts and clues about lighthouse living, navigation, and Bay history through hands-on activities.

Lighthouse Overnights are available on select Fridays and Saturdays throughout September and October. Request a date or check availability by completing the inquiry form at bit.ly/LighthouseOvernight2022 or contact CBMM’s education staff at registration@cbmm.org for more information.

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.

Photo by George Sass

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.

After three years of construction and a festive summer send-off, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is officially bidding a fond farewell to a now-complete Maryland Dove.

“I could not be prouder of the work that CBMM has achieved on the project,” said Kristen Greenaway, President & CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. “We were absolutely honored to be awarded the build contract, and it has been an organization-wide effort, and an absolute delight, to fulfill it.”

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 (HSMCC). 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.

The new Maryland Dove is pictured during a sail on the Miles River. Now, post-construction in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s working Shipyard, the ship is finally heading to its homeport in Historic St. Mary’s City. Photo by George Sass.

Since that first announcement, construction of the iconic state ship has been the central focus of CBMM’s working Shipyard. 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 finally sail to its homeport in Historic St. Mary’s City at the end of August. Staff from both organizations joined the public for a celebration of the ship in St. Michaels, Md., at a CBMM-hosted Dock Party in May.

Upon returning to HSMCC, Maryland Dove will serve as the organization’s floating ambassador, flagship exhibition, and a key tool in its educational programming. And thanks to key design elements and a summer of testing and certification, the new ship is authorized to carry passengers by the U.S. Coast Guard, allowing HSMCC to take passengers for an on-the-water experience.

“We are so looking forward to having this exhibit,” said Regina Faden, Executive Director of Historic St. Mary’s City at the Dock Party celebration. We have educated about 500,000 students about early Maryland history and are looking forward to the ship helping us educate the next 500,000. We are very grateful.”

To keep up with the ship as it moves into the next stage of its life, visit marylanddove.org