Christmas - Chestertown Spy

Chestertown’s Annual Dickens Festival Promises Holiday Fun with a British Accent

November 5, 2022 by Spy Desk

Main Street Chestertown’s fifth annual Dickens of a Christmas weekend, December 2 & 3 in the historic downtown district, promises non-stop entertainment, authentic British foods, hand-crafted gifts, and a Victorian streetscape to transport visitors back to 1840’s London. The weekend kicks off December 2 at 5:00 p.m. with a fabulous First Friday celebration. Chestertown’s shops and businesses will stay open late to welcome visitors. Horse-drawn carriages will carry guests past 18th and 19th century homes, and fire pits will help keep everyone warm for a night of entertainment that includes North America’s Celtic Band the American Rogues, beer and mulled wine, and food from local vendors.

The festivities continue on Saturday morning with the “Run/Walk Like the Dickens” 5K race. Costumes are encouraged! Catch our new event “Bedlam” as competitors race through the streets on vintage beds, and do all of your holiday shopping at “London Row” with a wide variety of hand-crafted seasonal and Victorian themed gifts and treats. Food vendors will offer traditional and seasonal fare, from Figgy Pudding to oysters. In addition to festival headline act The American Rogues, the Music Stage will feature regional acts. Street performers include the Wheelmen Antique Bicycle Club, Phydeaux’s Flying Fleas, Big Whimsy Stilt Walkers, and Dickens inspired actors. Ticketed events return with the Holiday Tea and Historic House Tour. Kids will delight at the pony rides and petting zoo, and be able to talk to Santa.

Learn more and buy tickets at mainstreetchestertown.org/dickens. Dickens of a Christmas is a production of Main Street Chestertown, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, whose mission is to foster an inviting, diverse and prosperous downtown. Main Street’s vision for Chestertown is a welcoming and vibrant waterfront community where people of all ages and backgrounds are drawn to live, work, shop and enjoy recreational and cultural activities in a beautiful setting.

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Santa Arrives in Chestertown Nov. 26; Christmas Parade Nov. 27

November 17, 2021 by Spy Desk

2019 Christmas Parade. Photo by Peter Heck

Chestertown’s holiday season officially kicks off on Friday evening, Nov. 26 as the Mayor turns on the holiday lights in Fountain Park and members of the Kent County Community Marching Band herald Santa’s arrival by fire truck. The lighting ceremony is set for 6:30 p.m. Santa is scheduled to arrive at 7:00 p.m. and will visit with children in his house until 8:00 p.m. Hot chocolate will be available for purchase from the local Boy Scout troop.

The next day, Saturday, Nov. 27, Santa presides over the Annual Kent County Christmas Parade, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and filling High Street with marching bands, classic automobiles, various floats, and familiar characters such as Rudolph, Olaf, and the Grinch. Parade judges will award cash prizes to entrants in each category. Participation in the parade is open to everyone. If you are interested in entering a float or marching as a group, please call Kristen at 410-778-1600 or email [email protected].

The parade assembles in the Chestertown Business Park, on Dixon Drive, and proceeds down High Street to Spring Street. Because the Farmers and Artisans Market will take place as usual in the 200 & 300 blocks of High Street, the public is encouraged to view the parade from upper High Street. The reviewing stand will be on the corner of Spring Avenue and High Street.

Santa will be in his Fountain Park house seeing children after the parade until 1:00 p.m. He will keep the same hours on the following Saturday, Dec. 4 during the Dickens of a Christmas weekend, then will be receiving children from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Dec. 11, and Dec. 18. Children will receive gift bags from Santa courtesy of Twigs and Teacups.

Also on Saturday, Nov. 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the community celebrates Small Business Saturday by shopping in Downtown Chestertown. This nationwide event spotlighting independently owned shops and businesses provides an opportunity to reinvest holiday shopping dollars in the local economy and find some unique gifts, too.

Santa’s Arrival and the Christmas Parade are hosted by Main Street Chestertown and Downtown Chestertown Association, and generously sponsored by local businesses and community members, including: Twigs & Teacups, Ye Olde Town Bocce League, Kent Cultural Alliance, The Imperial Hotel, Occasions Catering & Chester River Packet Co., Bad Alfred’s Distilling, Chesapeake Bank & Trust, Owen Excavation, Casa Carmen, Dukes-Moore Insurance, Shore to Be Fun, Figg’s Ordinary, and Barbara Jorgenson & David Bowering.

For more information about holiday activities, visit the Main Street Chestertown Facebook page, email [email protected], or call 410-778-2991.

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Chestertown’s Annual Dickens Festival Promises Holiday Fun with a British Accent

November 12, 2021 by Spy Desk

Main Street Chestertown’s fourth annual Dickens of a Christmas weekend, December 3 through 5 in the historic downtown district, promises non-stop entertainment, authentic British foods, hand-crafted gifts, and a Victorian streetscape to transport visitors back to 1840’s London. The weekend kicks off December 3 at 5:00 p.m. with a fabulous First Friday celebration. Chestertown’s shops and businesses will stay open late to welcome visitors. Horse-drawn carriages will carry guests past 18th and 19th century homes, and fire pits will help keep everyone warm for a night of entertainment that includes North America’s Celtic Band the American Rogues, beer and mulled wine, and food from local vendors.

The festivities continue on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with the “London Row” artisans tent with a wide variety of hand-crafted seasonal and Victorian themed gifts and treats. Food vendors will offer traditional and seasonal fare, from Fish & Chips and Scotch Eggs to oysters. In addition to festival headline act The American Rogues, the Music Stage will feature regional acts. Street performers include the Wheelmen Antique Bicycle Club, Phydeaux’s Flying Fleas, Big Whimsy Stilt Walkers, and Dickens inspired actors. Rumor has it that Queen Victoria herself will make an appearance. Kids will delight at the pony rides and petting zoo, and be able to talk to Santa.

Sunday kicks off bright and early with the “Run/Walk Like the Dickens” 5K race. Costumes are encouraged! Register at mainstreetchestertown.org. Dickens of a Christmas is a production of Main Street Chestertown, whose mission is to foster an inviting, diverse and prosperous downtown. Main Street’s vision for Chestertown is a welcoming and vibrant waterfront community where people of all ages and backgrounds are drawn to live, work, shop and enjoy recreational and cultural activities in a beautiful setting.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Christmas Feast of Love Held at First United Methodist Church

January 2, 2020 by Peter Heck

The annual Feast of Love drew nearly 200 guests and volunteers to the First United Methodist Church in Chestertown on Christmas day.

The holiday dinner – with roast turkey and a rich assortment of side dishes and desserts – has become a tradition in Chestertown. Originally it was meant as a way to provide a holiday meal in a festive setting for those without nearby family members – such as “empty nest” seniors or Washington College students far from home. But it has grown to become a community-wide celebration with whole families as well as groups of friends and neighbors attending. It now regularly brings in residents from all over Kent County, and even a few “Western Shore” friends and relatives. The feast is open to all—not just members of the Methodist church–and it draws a very diverse crowd—mixed ages, classes, races, and ethnic groups. The Christmas dinner is free to all though donations are welcomed.

Yvonne Arrowood, who began the Christmas feast in 1984, has been the central figure for its entire run. The feast has been held every year except for a few years hiatus before being revived about a dozen years ago by former pastor Rick Vance. This year was a special dinner for Yvonne as she has announced that it will be her last as the chair though she intends to stay involved while handing over the leadership. Yvonne’s son, Bill Arrowood, spoke about the history of the feast and presented his mother with a bouquet of flowers in appreciation of her efforts over the years. He remembered that his job as a youngster at the first dinner in 1984 was to help run the elevator. Now he notes there is another young family member running the elevator. Life moves on.

Local restaurants and businesses as well as many individuals helped make the dinner possible by providing both food and dollars. Many of the menu items were donated by local establishments including The Fish Whistle at the Granary and Lapp Family Bakery. A host of volunteers put up the decorations, set the tables, finished the cooking, and served the dinner from the church’s large professional kitchen facilities. This year, according to Bill Arrowood, there were over 40 volunteers involved both on Christmas day and for several weeks and days before, making sure all would be ready when the Feast of Love began at 1 p.m. on December 25.

Music is always a part of the celebration, including singing carols and “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. This year, the Simmons Family trio and the Men of Janes Church provided music during and after the meal. Santa’s elves were on hand to serve dessert and to hand out presents. Gifts went to the youngest and oldest persons present as well as to those with holiday or Christmas-related names such as Faith, Hope, Luke, Gabriel, etc.

At the end, leftovers were distributed to the guests in “to-go” boxes to enjoy at home. Everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

By Peter Heck & Jane Jewell

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Festival of Trees Winners

December 28, 2019 by Spy Desk

1st Place Rockhall Garden Club

The Soroptimist International of Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties hosted the “Festival of Trees” at the First United Methodist Church in Chestertown from December 6 to 8. Vickie Quinn was the chairperson for this wonderful annual holiday event. The first place winner was the Rock Hall Garden Club. The second place winner was the Chesapeake Home School Network, and the third place winner was A Plus Sanitation LLC. Thank you to everyone who entered a tree, purchased poinsettias, was a sponsor, or purchased raffle tickets to help fund our women and girl programs.

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‘Twas by Jamie Kirkpatrick

December 24, 2019 by Jamie Kirkpatrick

Sometimes, less really is more. Contractions are useful little shortcuts that expedite speech and generally make a writer’s life a little bit easier. Not all contractions, mind you. Take ‘ain’t,’ for example; that one is still a no-no to most grammarians but otherwise I’ve never met a contraction I didn’t like. See what I did there?

C’mon; admit it: you like ‘em as much as I do. We don’t talk in full measure so why should we write any differently? Contractions emulate speech. If I were to write a sentence without a single contraction, you might think I were a stuffy, pompous scribbler who is trying to earn a better living by charging my readers (or my publisher) by the word. But that’s not me. See what I did there?

So, let’s just assume that contractions are indeed useful, acceptable, even delightful elements of good writing. Doesn’t it therefore make sense that there should be a Hall of Fame for contractions? You’d agree, wouldn’t you? And if there were such a Hall of Fame, wouldn’t “’twas” be a shoo-in for inclusion? The Irish among us may fancy “’tis” but that’s so…present tense. I’ll take ’twas any day. Especially, today, or—depending on when you’re reading this—on Christmas Eve.

Just imagine there were no contractions back in 1823 when our esteemed local ancestor Clement Clark Moore sat down to write his immortal poem in praise of Christmas Eve with the soporific words “It was.” No! Just wouldn’t do. Wouldn’t have the same rhythm, the same wonderful anapestic tetrameter, the same (dare I say) magic that little “’twas”—one of only two contractions in the entire poem (the other is ‘kerchief)—brings to the table. “’Twas” gets right to the heart of the matter: the stockings hung by the chimney with care, the children nestled all snug in their beds, St. Nicholas himself (that right jolly old elf) and his smoky pipe, and those eight tiny reindeer—coursers more rapid than eagles—with their wonderfully onomatopoetic names.

But alas; nothing comes easily these days. There’s an apostate school of belief out there that claims Mr. Moore was not the author of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (aka “The Night Before Christmas”) and that the poem was actually the work of Major Henry Livingston, Jr., a view naturally espoused by the descendants of Major Livingston. But I’m not here to debate the provenance of what many folk believe to be the best-known verse in American history although I’m sure that opinion is open to debate, too; I’m here only to praise its opening contraction: that marvelous little “’Twas.”

Perhaps inspired by Moore’s poem, in 1871, Lewis Carroll used “’Twas” to open his nonsense poem, “Jabberwocky.” (“’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/Did gyre and gimble in the wabe…”) But wondrous as that poem may be, it’s a far cry from Moore’s holiday opus, if only because everyone can imagine St. Nicholas laughing like a bowl full of jelly while merrily going about his Christmas business. But there’s not a soul alive that has. any idea what a Jubjub bird is or what a frumious Bandersnatch looks like. Nevertheless, I give Carroll high marks for trying and especially for employing good old “’twas” right out of the gate.

But let’s return to where we started and one of my favorite all-time Christmas gifts, the lowly-but-useful contraction. ‘Twere it not for contractions, my writing might be regarded as stilted and boring, with nary a sugarplum to enliven it or entertain the reader. But as you can see, I’m all in favor of words that contain that wondrous little apostrophe, the mark that makes every writer’s life just a bit easier, mine included. And so I say…

I’ll be right back. (See what I did there?)

PS: Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Jamie Kirkpatrick is a writer and photographer with homes in Chestertown and Bethesda. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington College Alumni Magazine, and American Cowboy magazine. “A Place to Stand,” a book of photographs and essays about Landon School, was published by the Chester River Press in 2015. A collection of his essays titled “Musing Right Along” was published in May 2017; a second volume of Musings entitled “I’ll Be Right Back” was released in June 2018. Jamie’s website is www.musingjamie.com

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Mid-Shore Chapter of ABATE of MD, Inc. Toy Run

December 18, 2019 by Spy Desk

On Sunday, December 15 the members of the Mid-Shore Chapter of ABATE of MD, Inc. braved the cold and decorated their motorcycles for their Annual Toy Run. Some even donned costumes! Mid-Shore ABATE delivered over 700 presents to the Northern QAC Backpack Fridays program which provides food for the weekend to over 150 children in our community who may only get to eat while at school.

ABATE Committee Chair, Marianne Jackson, coordinated this effort with Annette DiMaggio of Backpack Fridays and together provided a “Shopping Experience” for the parents of approximately 120 kids in Queen Anne’s County recognized as being “food insecure”. Jackson explains, “By allowing the parents to choose the presents they want their children to receive, it gives them a chance to feel the joy of giving, not just receiving. We want them to see this as a “Hand Up, not a Handout”.

Ken Eaton (Director, Mid-Shore Chapter of ABATE of MD, Inc.) and Marianne Jackson (Toy Run Committee Chair).

The Mid-Shore Chapter represents four counties, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester and each year chooses a charity in one of those counties. This is the second time that this program has been named as beneficiary of the Toy Run and DiMaggio continues to be amazed. In addition to the toys, DiMaggio received several monetary donations from the US Military Vets MC and from members of the Mid-Shore Chapter of ABATE, Inc. to help continue providing food through her program.“This year was made possible by the generous donations from our members, family and friends,” says Jackson. “The time, effort and money that Annette and others put back into this community is humbling. We are thankful to be able to help.”

We wish to thank our all who contributed to this amazing event including the Gold Wing Road Riders and US Military Vets MC who joined us on our ride and the Office of the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff for escorting us.

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The Christmas Porch by Jamie Kirkpatrick

December 17, 2019 by Jamie Kirkpatrick

First of all, it’s getting colder by the day and darkness comes early this time of year. That leaves me—an inveterate porch sitter—with something akin to a Christmas dilemma on my hands. I’m not ready to hibernate yet. I still need a place to sit and watch the town wake up and go to work in the morning or get ready for bed at night, not to mention the in-between time when dogs get walked and cars get parked and the mail lady comes and friends pass by, busy with their Christmas errands.

Then there’s this: we don’t have a fireplace in the house so we’ve learned to make do with a fire pit out front. The flames don’t throw off much heat—the liquid in my glass does a far better job of that—but the fire does give an awfully good glow and sends sweet woodsmoke wafting down the street that lets the neighbors know we’re braving the elements and happy to share a cup of Christmas wassail.

And finally, there’s this: our home is called “Standing Room Only” for a good reason and that reason doesn’t leave any room for an indoor Christmas tree. “So,” my wife and I said to each other a few years ago, “let’s put a tree out on the porch!” And that’s how it all came together—porch, fire pit, and tree—our own little Christmas miracle.

OK; I admit it doesn’t work all the time. Rain can cause a problem with the fire pit and there are dawns or dusks when it’s just too damn cold to sit on the porch; I’m not that crazy old coot. Yet. But flood or icy blasts notwithstanding, I don’t mind bundling up, building a fire, and sitting in the glow of our brave little porch tree, doing my part to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to our little corner of the world. After all, if my glass gets empty (which it does from time-to-time) or the thermometer dips too low (which has been known to happen), I’ve only to come inside where it’s cozy and I can comfortably admire the tree through the living room window, glass fully recharged.

This may be a small town but you’d be surprised how many people pass by our house and if I’m not there to say hello to strangers or chat with friends, I feel that I’m just not doing my civic duty. My wife is even more dedicated to the cause than I am, although her temperature threshold is a bit higher than mine. She’s been known to stick her nose out the front door and immediately retreat back inside, leaving me to wonder if maybe I should join her. But bundled up on her swing, she’s a veritable font of information for the out-of-town crowd that passes by inquiring about where to eat or shop. Plus, her chat game is sharp: she mines friends and neighbors like a forty-niner and occasionally she comes up with a nugget of gold that’s more than worth the wait or another log on the fire, God bless her.

Just about anyone can sit on a porch on a warm summer evening with a cool drink, watching fireflies wink, but it takes a more dedicated soul to sit on the porch at this time of year. The fire pit helps; so does a hot cup of morning coffee or a nightcap wee dram out of the whiskey decanter. But it’s the tree with its twinkling lights, pine cone garlands, and burlap bows that makes our porch picture perfect… and warm.

I’ll be right back.

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