Happy December! The holiday season is in full swing, and there is so much to see and do. This calendar is filled with holiday happenings to keep you busy now and into the new year. To discover more local events, visit our online calendar at Whatsupmag.com
Annapolis
55th Holly Ball – Westin Annapolis Hotel
Friday, November 30th, 6–11 p.m.
Join Severn Town Club of Annapolis for the 55th Holly Ball, an annual gala which raises funds for a non-profit in the community. This year, The Summit School has been chosen as the recipient of 75 percent of the 2018 Holly Ball proceeds. This event features a cocktail hour, open bar, dinner, a raffle and silent auction, live music, and dancing.
State House by Candlelight – Maryland State House
Saturday, December 1st, 5–9 p.m.
Enjoy this annual open house featuring performances by young musicians and vocalists from throughout Maryland. The oldest State House in continuous legislative use in the nation will be adorned with 24 Christmas trees representing every Maryland county and Baltimore City.
U.S. Naval Academy’s Handel’s Messiah Concert – U.S. Naval Academy Chapel
Saturday, December 1st and Sunday, December 2nd, 7 p.m.
A long-standing Naval Academy tradition, the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs join the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and soloists from the Metropolitan Opera Company to present selections from Handel’s beloved Messiah.
The Nutcracker Tea – The Hotel Annapolis
Sunday, December 2nd, 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
Fill your tea cup with holiday cheer as you experience the beauty and magic of Christmas. Enjoy a delicious high tea as you watch a mini performance of The Nutcracker come to life before your eyes, followed by story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Annapolis Chocolate Binge Festival – Calvert and West Street
Sunday, December 2nd, 12–5 p.m.
Are you a chocoholic in need of a fix? You won’t want to miss the 4th annual Chocolate Binge Festival. Two dozen local chocolate vendors will be selling chocolate specialties, including chocolate caramels, cakes, bars, truffles, fudge, cookies, candies, hot chocolate, and more. Enjoy live music, roasting s'mores with the fire department, a gingerbread house moon bounce, cocoa with the PoPo, a holiday market, the lighting of the Holiday Light Canopy, along with a visit from Santa.
Amazing Grace: A Journey from Opera to Gospel – Asbury United Methodist Church
Sunday, December 2nd, 3 p.m.
Annapolis Opera artists and a choir join voices to explore the ties between opera, classical, spiritual, and gospel music.
Eastern Shore
Easton's Moonlight Madness – Downtown Easton
Friday, November 30th, 4–10 p.m.
Come out to shop in downtown Easton for the chance to win raffle prizes, enjoy in-store experiences, and hear live entertainment and caroling throughout the night. Celebrate the holiday season with refreshments, snacks, shopping, and much more.
Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol – Garfield Center for the Arts, Chestertown
Friday, November 30th, 8 p.m.; Saturday, December 1st, 8 p.m.; Sunday, December 2nd, 3 p.m.
Tiny Tim is determined to have his father home for Christmas day, even if it means teaching Ebenezer Scrooge a lesson in Christmas cheer! Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens novel, Tony award winner Ken Ludwig writes a heartwarming Christmas tale full of family fun! Directed by Bonnie Hill.
St. Michaels Midnight Madness – Town of St. Michaels
Saturday, December 1st, 10 a.m.
Join the Town of St. Michaels for its 17th Annual Midnight Madness. Great shops will be open ’til midnight with refreshments and snacks, and special sales for that day and evening. The town will be festively decorated for the season, and carolers will stroll the streets. The holiday spirit is felt throughout town, which makes coming to St. Michaels during the holiday season a special experience, year after year, and provides a wonderful backdrop to shop for the holidays.
Christmas Parade & Crab Tree Lighting – Downtown Cambridge
Saturday, December 1st, 4 p.m.
Get caught up in the swirl of light and sound during the Cambridge-Dorchester Christmas Parade—one of Maryland’s largest nighttime parades. Marching bands, floats, classic cars, horses, and more fill the streets with energy and excitement, as they have been doing for more than 65 years. Come early and you’ll enjoy live music at Cambridge’s Crab Basket Tree, plus the official lighting of the tree.
Christmas in Caroline – Town of Denton
Saturday, December 1st, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Get a head start on your holiday shopping at Christmas in Caroline. Featuring artisan crafts, collectables, gifts, wreaths, a silent auction, food, costumed characters, children’s activities, and more. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a 5K Reindeer Run.
Santa Arrives in Rock Hall – Town of Rock Hall
Saturday, December 1st, 6 p.m.
Join the Town of Rock Hall in greeting Santa as he arrives by boat at the bulkhead on Bayside Avenue. Enjoy family fun, the lighted boat parade, and then get a chance to visit Santa on Main Street in Rock Hall.
Queen Anne’s Chorale: Peace on Earth – Todd Performing Arts Center, Wye Mills
Saturday, December 1st, 7 p.m.
Queen Anne's Chorale soloist and chamber orchestra explore the theme "Peace on Earth" with Vivaldi's “Gloria,” seasonal selections, and audience participation. Queen Anne's County Chorale is supported in part through grants from the United Way of Queen Anne's County, the Queen Anne's County Centre for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.
Western Shore
Chesapeake Chorale Holiday Concert – Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Crofton
Saturday, December 1st, 7:30 p.m.
From the quiet solitude of Away in a Manger, arranged by Ola Gjeilo, to Craig Courtney’s How Great Our Joy, with its festive four-hands piano accompaniment, the Chesapeake Chorale celebrates the season in carols! The main feature of this year’s annual holiday tradition will be a performance of Benjamin Britten’s celebrated suite A Ceremony of Carols for chorus and harp.
Sunday, December 2nd, 6 p.m.
As The Beach Boys mark more than a half century of making music, the group continues to ride the crest of a wave unequalled in America’s musical history. The Beach Boys have become synonymous with the California lifestyle and have become an American icon to fans around the world. Baltimore, don’t miss The Beach Boys playing all your favorite hits along with a very special Christmas show.
