The Sultana Education Foundation’s annual Downrigging Weekend Festival returns to the historic port of Chestertown, Maryland the weekend of November 1-3, 2024. Presented in partnership with Mastercard, the festival features one of the largest annual gatherings of wooden ships in North America, a full-throated Bluegrass festival, lectures, fireworks, exhibits, and more. This unique combination has earned Downrigging the reputation as one of the most distinctive waterfront festivals in America, attracting more than 10,000 visitors annually. Proceeds from the festival support Sultana’s environmental literacy programs as well as educational programs operated by the nonprofit ships participating in the festival.
Long one of the festival’s claims-to-fame, the festival will see more than 1,100 people sail Chester River aboard the assembled fleet of Tall Ships – making Downrigging one of the largest public sailing events anywhere in the United States. The 2024 Downrigging fleet includes the festival’s namesake schooner SULTANA, as well as AJ MEERWALD, KALMAR NYCKEL, LADY MARYLAND, LYNX, MARYLAND DOVE, PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II, SIGSBEE, and VIRGINIA. Sailing tickets range from $40 to $65 and are available at www.downrigging.org. Free ship tours are available daily and the Downrigging fleet will be illuminated each evening. Joining the Tall Ships on the waterfront will be a fleet of privately owned wooden boats and special exhibits by the Traditional Small Craft Association, Antique and Classic Boat Society, the Cocktail Class Wooden Boat Racing Association, The Silver Heel Foundation, and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Also on exhibit will be the recently restored classic buyboat, COASTAL QUEEN, made famous in Anthony Bailey’s book The Inside Passage.
Downrigging visitors can enjoy amazing views, food, and drink at the festival’s waterfront “Music Village” while taking in performances by nationally known bluegrass artists. The music kicks off Friday with performances by Gravel Road, Swamp Donkey, and The High and Wides followed by a special performance by award-winning Nashville songwriters Wendell Mobley and Lee Thomas Miller. Writers of 17 number one records for the likes of Randy Houser, Rascal Flats, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, the Brothers Osborne, Brad Paisley, Chris Stapleton, Trace Adkins and Tim McGraw. Mobley and Miller will perform many of their best known songs while recounting their inspirations for each. Fireworks will follow Mobley and Miller’s performance at 9:00pm
The music continues Saturday with performances by Pictrola, Serene Greene, Unspoken Tradition and headlining bluegrass artists The Gibson Brothers. Widely recognized as vanguards of today’s Bluegrass scene, The Gibson Brothers have long charmed audiences with their brother-banter, ringing harmonies and a stunning sampling of other favorite American musical styles. Winners of 12 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, including two awards as “Entertainer of the Year,” the Gibsons are true legends of bluegrass.
The music wraps up Sunday with performances by Mid Shore Voices United, an inspiring gospel choir composed of singers from Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Delaware and Philadelphia; local favorites Flatland Drive; and a high-energy closing performance by the U.S. Navy Bluegrass band Country Current. Music Village tickets for Friday and Saturday range from $30-$60. All Sunday performances are free.
African American history will be an important theme of Downrigging with the Chesapeake Heartland Project and C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College hosting an exhibit entitled, “Blacks on the Water” as well as an African American Walking Tour of Chestertown. Chestertown’s Sumner Hall will also host a special story time for children focusing on the history of African American sailors.
In what has become a Downrigging tradition, local booksellers, The Book Plate, will host four “Book Talks” as part of the festival. These will include talks by Edward O. Murday, author of “A Field Guide to Fishes of the Chesapeake Bay;” Eric A. Cheezum, author of, “Chessie: A Cultural History of the Chesapeake Bay Sea Monster;” Tom Waldron, author of, “Pride of the Sea: Courage, Disaster, and a Fight for Survival;” and artist Marc Castellie who will speak on illustrations he created for a new edition of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s classic, “Treasure Island.”
Art lovers will have plenty to see at Downrigging, including Marc Castelli’s annual exhibit and “Artist Talk” at Massoni Art, as well as a special exhibit at the Sultana Education Foundation’s Shared Earth House by Colorado-based artist Rachel Jablonski who has long created the distinctive artwork for Downrigging Weekend.
Sultana’s Holt Education Center will host multiple family-friendly events over the weekend including live animal exhibits, various childrens crafts, a children’s concert, and a new children’s art station by RiverArts’ KidsSpot! program. The Holt Center will also host two multi-media history presentations with Chris Cerino, an exhibit of model ships with the Washington Ship Model Society, and tours of the center’s Indigenous Chesapeake exhibit.
For a full schedule of Downrigging Weekend events and to purchase tickets visit, www.downrigging.org.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.