’Twas the month of December, and all through the Shore…
By Marie Thomas
Bah, humbug? Not here on the Eastern Shore, where residents from all over are ushering in the holiday season with parades, light displays, festivals, and shopping extravaganzas. The Old Tyme Holiday Parade (December 6) in historic downtown Easton is an event not to be missed. People of all ages dressed in Victorian-era garb overflow the streets, lining up in the crisp, cold air to watch a parade of floats, fire trucks, horses, and antique cars weave its way through the town center. Christmas lights sparkle and shimmer, peeking out from underneath the wreaths and mistletoe that adorn storefront windows.
A few miles away, Christmas in St. Michaels (December 12–14) commences on Friday night with an elegant, black-tie benefit gala, followed on Saturday and Sunday with events that include a parade, Breakfast with Santa, a traditional holiday dinner, Santa’s Wonderland for children, Christmas Boutique and Bazaar, Gingerbread House Competition, and tours of local historic homes. Proceeds from the weekend’s special ticketed events support local organizations.
The Heck With the Malls in Centreville (December 6) is an opportunity to finish your holiday shopping early and support local businesses. Local artisans sell handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gifts that you won’t find at the mall, including jewelry, mosaics, photography, fashion and home accessories, holiday ornaments, watercolors, and wildlife carvings, to name a few.
“In addition to the unique gifts that are offered by our artists and artisans, the fact that the downtown business community participates absolutely transforms Centreville,” explains Darcey Schoeninger, the executive director of Queen Anne’s County Arts Council (QACAC) and the Centre for the Arts. “It feels very much like a step back in time seeing the historical buildings, strolling the town, and meeting artists, visitors, and neighbors. Over the years we’ve developed a very loyal group of returning artists and shoppers which is terrific, but we also like introducing newcomers to the Heck With the Malls event,” says Schoeninger.
This year’s 61st Annual Cambridge-Dorchester Christmas Parade (December 6) is one of Maryland’s largest and most unique Christmas parades. Awards are presented in various categories, including best classic auto, adult and youth floats, marching bands, and marching unit. Thousands of people brave the chilly weather to watch the procession of floats make its way through historic downtown Cambridge, while others enjoy the Christmas lights from the warmth of their cars while driving along the Dorchester County Holiday Candlelight Tour (December 14). It features beautifully decorated, historic homes throughout communities such as Church Creek, Woolford, Cambridge, and Taylor’s Island.
The town of Rock Hall crowds the jetty in anticipation of the arrival of Santa in the company of bands and lighted boats during the Lighted Boat Parade (December 6). The twinkling vessels compete for prizes as Santa visits with children.
Christmas in Caroline, at Denton’s 4-H Park (December 6), offers holiday shoppers collectibles, gift merchandise, fresh arrangements, and wreaths to choose from, as well as a silent auction, a make-it-and-take-it workshop, children’s activities, photos with Santa, and roaming Christmas-costumed characters. After you’ve squared away everyone on your Christmas list, hop onto a horse-drawn carriage and tour downtown Denton’s Christmas Around the World holiday window displays (December 4–31).
These are just a few of the holiday festivities planned for December. Check out our calendar for more events.
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dec 08
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