The 2024 Christmas in St. Michaels Collectors Ornament is the 21st in the series and depicts the Chesapeake deadrise workboat with its crew and a friendly canine companion. The boxed ornament can be purchased at select local retail shops and the weekend-long Christmas in St. Michaels Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe. Online purchases can be made at www.christmasinstmichaels.org/ornament.
Bakers and pastry chefs of all ages and talent levels are encouraged to get their gingerbread house games on with the return of the Christmas in St. Michaels Gingerbread House competition this December and a purse totaling $2,000 in prizes up for grabs.
The competition is an important component of the fundraising the all-volunteer organization achieves with the annual event, with the creations highlighted and on display at the Gingerbread “House” Preview Cocktail Party at the Woman’s Club of St. Michaels on Thursday, December 12 beginning at 5 p.m.
“We are encouraging participants to donate their creations for our silent auction, to be held the evening of the cocktail party,” says this year’s Gingerbread House Competition Co-Chair Michele Lowe. “All auction proceeds support the beneficiaries of Christmas in St. Michaels.”
Entrants can pick their category for participation, which includes master chefs and caterers, adults, young adults, children, children with adults, kit-made houses, and non-profit organizations. Participation is free, with pre-registration needed at www.christmasinstmichaels.org/
The 2024 Christmas in St. Michaels Collectors Ornament has also been announced and is the 21st in the series. This year’s ornament depicts the Chesapeake deadrise workboat with its crew and a friendly canine companion. The image was provided by St. Michaels artist Sherry Smith.
The boxed ornament is available for purchase at select local retail shops and the weekend-long Christmas in St. Michaels Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe. Online purchases can be made at www.christmasinstmichaels.org/
The deadrise workboat has been a staple among Chesapeake watermen for decades. “Deadrise” refers to the almost flat, V-shaped hull that provides a shallow draft to accommodate the waters in creeks and rivers of the Eastern Shore. Boats range from 25-45 feet in length and are powered by large, inboard 4 or 6-cylinder engines, usually diesel-fueled.
These wooden workboats typically have a forward housing or small cabin and a large open stern area that can accommodate various tools of the trade including nets, oyster tongs, wire mesh crab pots, bushel baskets to hold the catch, and myriad other bits and pieces of the watermen’s equipment.
The shallow sides of the craft provide easy access to the water, a necessity for trot-lining for crabs and maneuvering oyster tongs. A wooden or canvas roof protects watermen from the sun although in other seasons, a large metal clamming device is attached near the stern and the roof is removed.
Workboats typically sport women’s names on the transom or bow, paying tribute to wives and daughters. Others, such as the one in this ornament, refer to the town, river, or creek the boat calls home port.
“It is typical to see dozens of these deadrise workboats plying the waters of the Eastern Shore in the wee hours of the morning as they seek the day’s catch, returning to the pier in the early afternoon to get their catch to market,” says Christmas in St. Michaels Chair Pat Martin. “We’re honored to add this limited-edition ornament to our collection to pay tribute to watermen and their boats in the St. Michaels area and the Chesapeake Bay region at large.”
Since the all-volunteer organization’s beginnings, sponsors and patrons of Christmas in St. Michaels have helped raise more than $1.7M in support of local children and adults served by family-focused, education and child development, and community enhancement organizations.
Event details, online ticket and ornament purchases, and more about Christmas in St. Michaels are at christmasinstmichaels.org.
Christmas in St. Michaels began in 1987 when a group of energetic volunteers recognized the need for daycare services in the community. Funds were raised through community support, and a daycare center was established, now known as Critchlow Adkins Children Centers. Sponsors and patrons of Christmas in St. Michaels since that time have helped raise more than $1.4M in support of numerous local non-profit organizations.
This year’s ornament features the osprey, whose familiar nests are often seen perched above channel markers, platforms and telephone poles. The piece was adapted from an original drawing by local artist and graphic designer Scott Sullivan.
The helicopter tour and lunch package is generously provided by local residents Tracy and Scott Wagner, and is redeemable through Dec. 2021. Tickets can be purchased online at 
Christmas in St. Michaels is re-focusing its 34th year of fundraising festivities into a virtual celebration beginning this fall, with numerous online activities and holiday-themed packages and kits to help embrace the Christmas spirit while raising funds for Bay Hundred non-profit organizations. The reformatting is in response to the social distancing measures brought on by the COVID pandemic, which limit the large gatherings that traditionally come with Christmas in St. Michaels events.
Get a head start on holiday decorating and gift giving with the latest in a popular tradition, the 2019 Christmas in St. Michaels Collectors Ornament. This year’s version, featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus, is now available gift-boxed for $20 at a dozen area stores and online for $25, which includes shipping, from 