On Saturday, May 6, the Calvert Marine Museum will hold its 17th annual Solomons Maritime Festival to celebrate Southern Maryland’s rich heritage. The event, which is free to the public, will take place at the museum’s waterfront and offer something for every member of the family.
The festival will feature antique boats and marine engines, cooking demonstrations, traditional music, toy boat building, and boat rides. Visitors can enjoy free 30-minute cruises on the Wm. B. Tennison from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the museum will remain open until 5 p.m.
Guests can experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Southern Maryland as they watch traditional food demonstrations that will teach them how to make crab cakes, fry softshell crabs, learn how to shuck oysters, and stuff a ham like the pros! The festival will also feature music all day long at the Motto Mortgage Preferred and Re/Max One Waterside Pavilion.
Children of all ages can enjoy toy boat building, while the Patuxent Small Craft Guild will offer rides to the public on multiple small crafts, including sailboats, power boats, and row and pedal boats. The museum’s skipjack, Dee of St. Mary’s, will also offer dockside tours throughout the festival.
In addition to the fun activities, traditional crafts will also be celebrated. Visitors can examine how crab and eel pots are constructed, while inside the museum, demonstrations of quilting and other textile crafts will be ongoing throughout the day. Local food vendors will also be onsite throughout the festival.
The festival’s Antique Boat and Marine Engine Show, now in its 22nd year, is a popular component of the festival. Enthusiasts from across the country will set up camp to show off their vintage boats and engines. The Patuxent Small Craft Guild will also host a Nautical Flea Market, with all proceeds supporting the Guild.
The Solomons Maritime Festival is sponsored by Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, Calvert County Watermen’s Association, Calvert Marina, LLC, Patuxent Small Craft Guild, and Washburn’s Boat Yard. For more information, visitors can call Sherry Reid, Volunteer & Events Coordinator, at 410-326-2042 ext. 8085, or visit the Calvert Marine Museum Facebook page or website at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com.
The museum encourages interested visitors to check out its website for a detailed event schedule and campus map. With so much to see and do, the Calvert Marine Museum’s Solomons Maritime Festival is sure to be a fun-filled day for the entire family.