Come spend the holidays at the Garfield Center for the Arts with two family friendly programs! On December 16th at 3:30pm bring a comfy pillow and blanket to snuggle and listen as Kent County Public Librarian Annie Woodall reads holiday stories for the annual Gather ‘Round! Cookies, cocoa and candy canes provided! Admission is FREE, with donations supporting the Kent County Public Library.

This is also the final weekend of the Garfield’s holiday show, Miracle on 34th Street. Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 410-810- 2060. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.

Veteran Director Jim Landskroener has assembled a cast of new and familiar local faces for the production of Miracle on 34 th Street, which opens during the Dickens of a Christmas weekend, Friday, December 1st at the Garfield Center for the Arts. This play version is adapted from the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture, and based on the novel by Valentine Davies. &quot.

“This is a tale that we want to believe in, that creates a world we seem to desperately desire, free of the blatant commercialism that surrounds us, where love and decency and generosity of spirit are their own rewards. What we want Christmas to be all about.” So writes the Santa Cruz Sentinel of this most heartwarming holiday
story.

By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, gets a job working as Santa for Macy’s. Kris unleashes waves of good will with Macy's customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous by Macy’s vocational counselor, who plots to have Kris shanghaied to Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. Especially at stake is one little girl's belief in Santa. In a dramatic decision, the court confirms Kris as the true Santa, allowing Susan and countless other children to experience the joy of childhood fantasy.

The cast in order of appearance on stage:
James Diggs – Dr. Pierce
David Ryan – Kris Kringle
June Hall – Bag Lady
Rich Person – Laura Crabtree
Shellhammer (Shelly) – Lori Wysong
Doris Walker – Natalie Lane
Susan Walker – Izzie Southworth
Fred Gayley – Zac Ryan
Drunk Santa – Tom Dorman
Macy – Allan Price
Sawyer – Diane Landskroener
Gimble – Special Cameo
Judge Harper – Gil Rambach
Finley – Tom Dorman
Mara – Mike Heffron
Halloran – June Hall
Duncan – Laura Crabtree
Mara, Jr. – Aaron Sensenig
Assorted Elves: Ben Anthony, Thomas Martinez, Ellie Morton, Shane Saunders
Children & Parents: Lia & Sarah Schut, Quentin & Phyllis Bergenholtz, Joe Diggs, Aaron Sensenig and Josie
Merton.

Take advantage of the Garfield’s recurring opening night discount; get $5 off when you wear your Garfield t-shirt! The show runs three weekends, from December 1 to 17. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m, and Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for military and.seniors 65+, and $10 for students.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.GarfieldCenter.org or by calling the box office at 410-810- 2060. The Garfield Center for the Arts is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown. This production is sponsored by Sutton Building & Remodeling, who recently installed the Garfield’s new movie screen.

Photo credits — Jeff Weber

Cassie & Maggie, the Nova Scotian sister duo, bring their unique style of Celtic music to the Garfield on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The Garfield has once again joined forces with Rock Hall’s home for live music, The Mainstay, to bring this incredible group to Chestertown for a one-night only concert performance.

Born to a family with a rich musical heritage and raised in Nova Scotia, a province steeped in musical culture and traditions, the girls have used their unique up bringing as a springboard for their own brand of Celtic Roots music. Equally at home playing tunes passed down through generations of musicians, as seamlessly weaving themes from the Moonlight Sonata into sets of sure fire reels, Cassie and Maggie are turning heads wherever they go.

Their accolades and awards speak of a young duo that will surely continue to do great things; 2016 Live Ireland “Female Singer of the Year”, 2015 Live Ireland Radio “New Group of the Year”, Canadian Folk Music Award nominees for “Young Performers of the Year”, two time East Coast Music Award nominees for Traditional Album and Traditional/Roots group album and double Music Nova Scotia Award nominees for New Artist and Roots Album of the year.

“Of the numerous East Coast artists the club has featured, these two young ladies inhabit the rare air of the greats. At an age (each in their early twenties) where they only have more to achieve and develop as performers and writers, Cassie & Maggie MacDonald gave the sort of performance you’d expect from seasoned veterans of their craft.” -The Calgary Herald

“Cassie & Maggie both play and sing with a wonderful combination of verve and skill on a program of original and traditional songs and tunes. This is traditional music played with a modern edge” –New Classics, UK

“The dynamic duo, two sisters whose deep family musical heritage is the launching pad for the finest Nova Scotia fiddle tunes, vocals and step dancing. They are the ‘real deal’ whose talent is only exceeded by their charm and passion.” – Warren Robinson (Artistic Director Goderich Celtic Roots festival/ past VP of Folk Alliance)

Co-sponsored by The Mainstay and The Garfield Center for the Arts, the concert on November 12th is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online, over the phone by calling 410-810-2060, or in person at the Garfield Center box office. The Garfield Center is located at 210 High Street in Chestertown.