A fall tradition now in its 42nd year, the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival will bring unique watercraft and their passionate owners and builders to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s waterfront campus on Friday-Sunday, Oct. 3-5.

One of the nation’s largest gatherings of its kind, Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XLII will celebrate the craftsmanship and innovation showcased through these vessels during a family-friendly weekend defined by camaraderie, tradition, and fun. Learn more about all the festivities planned at cbmm.org/MASCF.

Register as a participant at cbmm.org/MASCFparticipants to bring your vessel and gain access to the full slate of events throughout the weekend, including demos and workshops, guest speakers, races, children’s activities, boat judging and awards, and more. All other guests can enjoy the festival with general admission, which is valid for two consecutive days.

CBMM members save $25 on adult participant registration and receive free entrance to the festival as part of their free general admission throughout the year.

CBMM members become a part of the Chesapeake story and CBMM’s mission of preservation and exploration. To discover all the terrific benefits of membership and join today, visit cbmm.org/memberships or contact Membership Services Coordinator Debbie Ruzicka at 410-745-4991 or [email protected].

Each year, the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival features dozens of small craft, including sailing skiffs, rowing shells, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, prams, and one-of-a-kind boats. An enthusiastic group of small craft owners from around the region, including members of the Traditional Small Craft Association, spend the weekend messin’ about together on the Miles River, starting with a Thursday camp cruise to Wye Island.

CBMM’s celebration of all things small craft features a variety of activities spread around campus and on the Miles River.

On Saturday, participants can enjoy craft and art workshops, plus boat discussions examining unique Chesapeake creations. This year, the evening program and awards is headlined by Joe Youcha, founder and director of Building to Teach and co-founder of Teaching with Small Boats Alliance.

Representatives from the Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School will offer boatbuilding and maritime demonstrations Saturday, and Chesapeake Light Craft will be on site with a selection of vessels from its fleet for guests to demo.

The children’s activities include cardboard boat construction and racing and model building on Saturday and a Sunday campus scavenger hunt.

One of the annual highlights is Saturday afternoon racing, with separate sailing and rowing competitions. Starting at 1pm, guests are encouraged to watch the competitors vie for bragging rights from CBMM’s waterfront and docks.

Everyone on campus for MASCF 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, non-service dogs must be kept at home during CBMM festivals, including the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival.

CBMM has an exciting slate of fall festivals ahead, including OysterFest (Saturday, Oct. 25), the Holiday Edition of the Eastern Shore Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival (Saturday, Nov. 22), and Winter on the Chesapeake (Saturday, Dec. 13). Fall Festival Passes are on sale now, offering the chance to celebrate the best of the Bay at these three signature festivals for the price of two. Learn more and buy now at cbmm.org/Festivals.

Are you a choral singer or enthusiast who would like to enhance your musical knowledge? Consider joining Music Theory for Choral Singers this fall at Allegro Academy.  In four sessions participants will study basic music theory as it pertains to the choral world including rhythm, terminology, sight-reading, and various forms of choral music.  Teaching the course will be Amy Morgan, Director of the Allegro Women’s Chorus and Summer Sing Choir Festival, and Assistant Director and Accompanist of Easton Choral Arts Society.

Music Theory for Choral Singers will take place October 10, 17, 24, and 31.  Participants will meet 10:00-11:15am at Allegro Academy, 114 N. Washington St.  The cost for the four weeks is $100.  To register please email [email protected] or call 410-603-8361. 

Allegro Academy, a non-profit music conservatory located in downtown Easton, connects musicians through workshops, lessons, ensembles, and performances, and aspires to enrich the lives of music enthusiasts of all ages and incomes in our community. Academy Programs are supported in part by generous contributions from individuals, Talbot Arts, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and the Maryland State Arts Council.

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) opens its 2025-2026 Ensembles Series with an intimate chamber music program featuring two masterpieces: Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K. 478. The performance will feature MSO Concertmaster Kimberly McCollum, Principal Violist Yuri Tomenko, and Principal Cellist Katie McCarthy, joined by acclaimed Irish pianist Michael McHale.

Brahms’ C minor Quartet, sometimes referred to as the “Werther” Quartet after Goethe’s tragic hero, is a deeply emotional work that reflects the composer’s struggles with unrequited love and personal doubt. In contrast, Mozart’s G minor Quartet, the first major work ever written for piano and string trio, brims with dramatic intensity and elegance, showcasing Mozart at his most inventive and pioneering.

Guest artist Michael McHale has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading pianists, performing internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. He has appeared with ensembles including the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Orchestras, and the Minnesota Orchestra, and is a founding member of the Wigmore Soloists in London. McHale last appeared with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony in 2022 and returns for this much-anticipated collaboration.

The MSO Ensemble Series offers audiences the opportunity to hear chamber music performed in an intimate setting by members of the MSO highlighting both the artistry of our individual musicians and the interplay that defines this repertoire. The pairing of Mozart and Brahms promises an evening of elegance, drama, and emotional depth.

The concerts will be performed three times across the Delmarva Peninsula. The first concert takes place on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 PM at the Community Church in Ocean Pines, Maryland. The series continues on Saturday, October 11 at 3:00 PM at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and concludes on Sunday, October 12 at 4:00 PM at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland.

Tickets are available now at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

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ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is the only professional symphony orchestra serving southern Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a full season of programs. The MSO is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Worcester County Arts Council, the Sussex County (Delaware) Council, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

A complete schedule of the 2025-2026 season’s Masterworks and Ensembles programs, including venues, times, and other details, is available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

On Saturday, September 27th, Chesapeake Music presents its Concert Season Opener, boasting a star-studded NYC-based cast that includes the young phenom violinist Randall Goosby with the acclaimed Renaissance String Quartet, the multi-award-winning & Rising-Star pianist Zhu Wang, and veteran All-Star Catherine Cho. This concert has been in the works for nearly two years and strives to achieve more than deliver a sensational evening of chamber music performance.

The foundation of the evening is the Renaissance Quartet, comprising violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass. Taken from the group’s own website, the quartet “feels a responsibility to command a diverse repertoire of classic, underrepresented, and new works, so they can contribute to the reclamation, redefinition, and continuation of a musical tradition that belongs to all of us. They represent and articulate an inclusive vision of the future of classical music, which sees a culture of music wherein all lives and histories are welcomed and celebrated.”

True to form, the Renaissance Quartet kicks off their visit to Easton with a pair of outreach engagements in the community through Chesapeake Music’s YouthReach Program, supported through an “NEA Replacement Grant” awarded by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation. On Thursday, September 25th, the group will deliver a dynamic session at an after school program at Building African American Minds, led by Goosby and Martin. The duo have collaborated beyond the scope of chamber music in the past, most famously for a cross-disciplinary recital program of poetry and music, entitled “Intersections: Black Music and Words.” On Friday, September 26th, the quartet will visit Mace’s Lane Middle School in Cambridge.

“It is so inspiring to see a young group of musicians wholly dedicated to serving the greater community through music, especially in such a meaningful, mission-driven fashion as the Renaissance Quartet,” says David Faleris, Chesapeake Music’s Executive Director.

The Renaissance Quartet aims to create experiences that are meaningful and welcoming to all audiences, and achieves this in large part through its diverse programming. The September 27th concert program offers a fascinating journey through three distinct eras and emotional landscapes of chamber music. It begins with pioneer Florence Price’s String Quartet in G Major, a work that blends the late-Romantic tradition with the rich tapestry of African American folk melodies. The program shifts to the profound and deeply introspective world of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quartet in G Minor, a masterpiece of sustained melancholy and emotional tension that is famously resolved through a sudden shift to joy. The evening culminates in the immense power and dramatic scope of Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F Minor, a work of heroic struggle and unyielding intensity that pushes the boundaries of chamber music to a symphonic scale.

The 7:30 p.m. concert at The Ebenezer Theater promises to be a thoughtful and engaging offering, sure to please an audience that will range from students to seniors and first-time concert goers to long–time supporters.

Chesapeake Music offers a limited number of free tickets for students, educators, and Talbot County First Responders, as well as a “buy-one-get-one” option for first-time patrons of Chesapeake Music. General admission tickets are $50. Visit ChesapeakeMusic.org for tickets and more information.

Based in Easton, Maryland, and celebrating its 40th Anniversary Year, Chesapeake Music is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings renowned musicians to delight, engage, and surprise today’s audiences, and educate, inspire, and develop tomorrow’s. Learn more at ChesapeakeMusic.org.

 

Moving day has never been this funny. Come audition and join the chaos!

Tred Avon Players (TAP) invites actors of all experience levels to audition for Things My Mother Taught Me, a hilarious and heartfelt comedy written by Katherine DiSavino and directed by Ed Langrell. Performances will take place February 12–22, 2026 at the Oxford Community Center.

AUDITION DATES & LOCATIONS:

• Tue, Oct. 7, 6:30 p.m. – TAP Office, 114 N Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Easton

• Thu, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m. – TAP Office, 114 N Washington Street, 2nd Floor, Easton

• Sun, Oct. 12, 6:00 p.m. – Oxford Community Center, 200 Oxford Rd, Oxford

CASTING

TAP will be casting seven roles. All ethnicities, body types, abilities, and skill levels are welcome to audition and will be considered for roles. Readings will be selected scenes (sides) from the script provided during the audition. You can reach the director, Ed Langrell, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 410-226-0061 and pressing 0 at the prompt to leave a message. Please contact Ed if you need any special accommodations.

CHARACTERS

• Olivia Keegan (Female, late 20s-early 30s) Energetic, neat, slightly OCD.
• Karen Keegan (Female, 50s-60s) Olivia’s mother; caring but opinionated.
• Carter Keegan (Male, 60s) Olivia’s father; supportive and well-meaning.
• Gabe Lawson (Male, late 20s-early 30s) Good-natured; a bit overwhelmed by moving.
• Lydia Lawson (Female, 50s-60s) Gabe’s mother; practical, witty, and a little bossy.
• Wyatt Lawson (Male, 60s) Gabe’s father; friendly, easygoing, and sometimes awkward.
• Max Mirowski (Male or Female, 40s plus) Polish building superintendent.

PLAY SUMMARY

Olivia and Gabe’s big move to Chicago doesn’t go as planned, especially when both sets of parents arrive to help. This comedy explores relationships across generations and the lessons parents pass on, sometimes without even realizing it.

PRODUCTION CREW

TAP also needs a production crew – sets, lights, sound, costumes, and stage crew. If you are interested, come to any audition to find out more information or send an email to Ed Langrell at [email protected].

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ABOUT TRED AVON PLAYERS

Founded in 1982, the Tred Avon Players is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to enrich, educate and entertain its community by providing a high-quality theater experience. Hundreds of local performers, stagehands, audience members and donors have been the backbone of its success throughout the decades. To learn more, visit www.tredavonplayers.org and follow Facebook and Instagram.

The Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA), in partnership with Kent Island’s Cult Classic Brewery, is proud to announce the first ever ESWA HOLIDAY BOOK FESTIVAL, taking place on Saturday, December 13, 2025.

Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the ESWA Holiday Book Festival at Cult Classic will offer book lovers an opportunity to connect with their favorite authors from all over Delmarva and discover new voices across a variety of genres. There will be books for sale, signings, readings, giveaways, and for the convenience of holiday shoppers, gift-wrapping services. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy the host location’s food, beverages, and hospitable cheer throughout the day.

Now celebrating its 40th year, the Eastern Shore Writer’s Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving writers and their supporters throughout Delmarva. In addition to this year’s Holiday Book Festival, ESWA’s annual efforts include the long-running Bay to Ocean Writers Conference and the publication of the Bay to Ocean literary journal. https://easternshorewriters.org/

Cult Classic is a brewery, bar, restaurant, and live entertainment venue hosting everything from concerts and comedy to creative revels and community fundraisers. Dedicated to supporting the arts, this locally owned business regularly hosts author presentations, a popular book club, and writers get-togethers. Teaming up with ESWA seems like the perfect plot twist.  https://cultclassicbrewing.com/

For media inquiries or to schedule interviews with ESWA representatives please contact Brent Lewis at 410-310-8216 or [email protected]. Organizers are excited to share more about this event and would appreciate your help in spreading the word.

Remember: It’s time for the Holidays – and books make great gifts.

The Garfield Center for the Arts has added a fun, Halloween-themed event to their 2025 schedule that will present an evening of music and feature a Costume Contest. “The Kitchen Sink of Horrors” will be presented on the GCA stage on Saturday, October 25th, starting at 8:00 PM. The concert is a fundraiser to support the GCA in advance of their capital improvements campaign.

The audience will be treated to a spirited concert that features song performances by an incredible lineup of great performers who have appeared on our stage. There will also be a costume contest where attendees may come dressed in their best Halloween costume. The GCA judges will choose a third, second and first place winner that evening! Signup for the contest will occur on site as attendees arrive. You do not need to come to the event in costume, and costumed attendees are not required to enter the contest.

Performers include Erin Bradley, Heather Joyce-Byers, Nic Carter, Shannon Carter, Brad Chaires, Olivia Coppage, Russell Laing, Dylan Lyles, Stevie Lyles, Maya McGrory, Matthew Newman, Heather Robuck, JW Ruth, Annie Sparks, and Brian Whitaker.

The event’s Master of Ceremonies is everyone’s favorite comedic performer, Jen Friedman!

Tickets are $25.00 each and are available online anytime through Eventbrite or at www.garfieldcenter.org. Tickets may also be purchased during Box Office hours in the GCA lobby, at 210 High Street in Chestertown, or over the phone, at 410-810-2060. Box Office Hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

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Marcy Dunn Ramsey 
Summer In The Aerie
September 20 – October 12, 2025

Reception / Artist Talk: Saturday, September 20, 11am – 1 pm
First Friday  – October 3, 5-7pm

MassoniArt is proud to present Summer in the Aerie, a small collection of new work produced this summer in Marcy Dunn Ramsey’s studio overlooking the Chester River. The exhibit will be featured in our gallery along with sculptor, Claire McCardle, from September 20 – October 12.  

Marcy’s work will be on exhibit in our 113 South Cross Street gallery.  Hours during the show are Thursday – Friday, 11am – 4pm, Saturday, 10am – 5 pm, and Sunday 11am – 2pm. Private appointments may be scheduled at any time by contacting Carla Massoni. 410-708-4512 

Coming Exhibitions:
Marc Castelli / Annual Downrigging Exhibit
Mules Feet and Dead Man’s Pennies
October 25 – November 30, 2025
Holiday Exhibition
Featuring favorites from our gallery artists!
December 1 – January 30, 2026
In addition to featured exhibitions, MassoniArt continues its tradition of showcasing a diverse selection of works by represented gallery artists throughout the year. Visitors are encouraged to explore the full breadth of the gallery’s offerings during their visit. 
For more information please visit www.massoniart.com.

The Kent Cultural Alliance announces the start of the fall session of its SFW Resident Artist Program.  Three exciting artists will join KCA this fall for “HOME” – a community based artist residency in partnership with Kent Attainable Housing, Rebuilding Together Eastern Shore, and the Talbot Interfaith Shelter. 

Artists Claudio Beorchia (Refrontolo, Italy), Peter Bruun (Damariscotta, Maine) and Rachel Seburn (Brooklyn, New York) will join KCA for this six-week residency session, creating engaging works that shed light on housing security and equity, as well as healthy and safe homes, here on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  

Claudio Beorchia is an interdisciplinary and site-responsive artist who often works through participatory and relational practices. He studied Design and Visual Arts at Iuav University in Venice and at the Fine Arts Academy Brera in Milan. He holds a PhD in Design Sciences at Iuav University Doctorate School. His doctoral research focused on the design of learning situations and educational environments. He often works through art residencies and has participated in more than 30 programs. He has been artist in residence in many European countries, in China, Japan and the United States. https://www.claudiobeorchia.it

Peter Bruun is an artist and community-builder living in Maine. His work grows out of a belief that art can be a bridge between people, creating openings for compassion, reflection, and connection. Trained as a painter, he has developed a practice that moves fluidly between the studio and public spaces, drawing on both traditions of figurative art-making and social practice. At the center of his work is a conviction that art can accompany us through our hardest passages, offering grace and recognition. Whether through his drawings, collaborative installations, or his work convening communities, Bruun’s practice continues to ask how creativity can help us live more openly with one another. https://bruunstudios.com/

Rachel Lea Seburn is a Canadian transdisciplinary artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She received an MFA from the University of Georgia in 2023. Mediums include sculpture, painting, public art, installation, super 8 film, sound and curatorial. Her work is mainly concentrated outside the gallery as public art and architectural interventions. She is a sculpture educator, with a focus on collaborative student-led public projects, and co-runs the Temporary School with art educator Lisa Novak. She is half of the twin art practice Temporary Investments, and co-founder of the transient gallery Parking Lot Platform. She is an initiator, collaborator, and will forever question our built environment and sculptures’ role in it. https://rachelseburn.com

KCA looks forward to going “back to school” this fall. Two of these visiting artists will lead  workshops at Kent County High School and Kent County Middle School, and one will work with seniors in our community through a workshop at Upper Shore Aging.

 

Public events for HOME are as follows:

Monday, September 29, 2025 – MEET THE ARTISTS at KCA at 5 pm.  This is a formal presentation by each of the artists about their work and lives as artists.  There will be an opportunity for Q&A  followed by a light reception.  

Saturday, October 18, 2025 – OPEN STUDIO at KCA from 11 am to 2 pm. This event provides the public an opportunity to engage with the artists while they are at work in their studio preparing for the HOME Exhibition.

Friday, October 31 – OPENING NIGHT at KCA from 5-8 pm.  Join us for the opening of HOME: An SFW Residency Exhibit.

Saturday, November 1, 2025 – ARTISTS’ TALK at KCA at 1:00pm. Join us for this more formal presentation of new work created by these resident artists. The presentation will be followed by a light reception.

Exhibit Hours:

Wednesdays – Fridays from 10 am to 4 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm through Dec. 13..

This residency is made possible by a generous grant from the SFW Foundation, with additional support from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, the Maryland State Arts Council, and The Hedgelawn Foundation.

For more information, please contact the Kent Cultural Alliance at 410-778-3700 or visit www.kentculture.org