St. Clement's Island Museum's 24th Annual Christmas Doll & Train Exhibit Celebrates Maryland's 375th!

The St. Clement’s Island Museum in Colton’s Point, MD will present the 24th annual Christmas Doll & Train Exhibit beginning December 2nd for a month-long exhibit to feature antique and collectible dolls and toys, and working miniature trains to delight children from one to 101!


The theme of this year’s exhibit is “Christmas in Maryland” which continues the year-long celebration of Maryland’s 375th birthday. Visitors will see and learn the official symbols of Maryland and many other interesting facts about the Old Line State.

A favorite feature of this exhibit is found in the c. 1820 Charlotte Hall School, a one-room schoolhouse transformed into a holiday train station. Children can take the controls of a working miniature train that chugs and toots its way around an endless track offering a fun and interactive experience.


Visitors can also enjoy browsing through the Crab Claw Museum Store which features a myriad of unique gifts, children’s books and toys, clothing, jewelry, Maryland flags, lighthouses, souvenirs, and much more! All gift shop proceeds benefit museum programs, projects and exhibits.

The exhibit opens December 2nd and will be available through January 3, 2010 during the Museum’s winter hours of operation, 12 noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Museum hours for this exhibit will be extended to 7 days a week - the week after the Christmas holiday.

For more information, contact the St. Clement's Island Museum at 301-769-2222 for more information or log on to www.stmarysmd.com/recreate/museums.

Christmas on the Square

Get into the holiday spirit at Christmas on the Square in Leonardtown!  On Friday, November 27, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., Leonardtown will be decorated with holiday lights and filled with the sounds of Christmas carols as the town kicks off the holiday season. 

There will be fun activities for everyone including sleigh rides, a live nativity at the Church of the Nazarene, costumed characters, horse & carriage rides, hay rides, fire truck rides, and of course…Santa’s arrival at 7 p.m. to light the Christmas tree!  The Leonardtown businesses will be competing in a window decorating contest, so the store windows will be filled with charming holiday decorations, and Kevin Thompson's Corner Kafe on Park Avenue will be decorated like a gingerbread house.

Love Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol?  Fenwick Street Used Books & Music will be holding readings of this timeless tale starting at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., and 8 p.m.  The readings will be an abbreviated version of the story and will last approximately 30 minutes.  Dianna Diatz will also be performing in the store.

The raffle for the Fuji Crosstown Bike is still going on, so be sure to ask for a raffle ticket from each business that you visit in Leonardtown during Christmas on the Square.  Tickets are free.  The winner of the bike will be drawn during the December 4 First Friday.  

If you're planning to get started on your holiday shopping, then you don't want to leave home without your Discover St. Mary's County Card.  It's a great way to get special deals at participating businesses in Leonardtown.  To find out what Leonardtown businesses are offering, click here.

Division of Tourism Wins Awards for "Celebrate 375" Campaign

The St. Mary's County Division of Tourism's "Celebrate 375" campaign and special commemorative destination guide each took top industry honors at the 29th Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit on November 5, in Ocean City!  The first award, the Cooperative Promotion Award for an Integrated Campaign or Continuing Program, honors promotions which incorporate a variety of marketing activities over a sustained period of time. The second award was for the best visitor’s guide.  The awards are given by the Maryland Tourism Council (MTC). MTC's annual awards are the most prestigious and anticipated awards given within Maryland's Tourism and Hospitality industry.  The competition for the awards was stiff and the winners were selected from nominations throughout Maryland.  For more information about the awards, please see the press release.

The Celebrate 375 campaign continues until the end of the year, but the Division of Tourism is already working on the destination guide for 2010.  Advertising in the 2010 destination guide is available and is a great way to highlight your business.  If you are interested in advertising, you can view the advertising rate sheet by clicking here.  To purchase an advertisement, please call Jennifer Webster at 240-215-5486.  The advertising deadline is January 4, 2010.

For general questions, contact the Division of Tourism at 301-475-4200 ext. 1404 or visitus@stmarysmd.com.

Winner Selected in 2009 St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival & U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest® Poster Contest!

In celebration of Maryland’s 375th birthday, the Lexington Park Rotary Club, in conjunction with the St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism and the St. Mary’s County Arts Council, sponsored a poster contest for the 2009 St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival and U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest. Budding artists and experienced professionals were invited to create a poster design that incorporated the
name of the event, the Rotary Club and Celebrate 375 logos.

The judges chose the design created by Samantha Gallagher from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Her design will be featured on posters to be sold during the St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival. She will also receive $500 and recognition during the Festival.  Gallagher will be presented with her prize on Saturday, October 17 at 2 p.m. at the Shucking Stand, right before the National Oyster Cook-Off Award Ceremony. She will also be signing the posters throughout the day on Saturday.

Samantha Gallagher’s winning design features a colorful style that captures the festive nature of the Oyster Festival. The poster shows the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge in the background with oysters and crackers surrounding the festival information.  Gallagher got her inspiration for the design from her travels from Pennsylvania back to St. Mary’s County. Gallagher lived in St. Mary’s County for most of her life, but moved to Pennsylvania last October. When asked about her inspiration for the poster design, she said, “For the past year I've made many trips back and forth from Harrisburg to St. Mary's to see family or participate in art shows. After a few hours of driving, as I cross over the Solomon's Bridge, I feel like I'm back home. The bridge is sentimental to me.  For [the oysters], the simpler the better.”

The St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival and U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest will be held on October 17 and 18 at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds in Leonardtown. For more information, log on to www.usoysterfest.com.

Culinary Arts Students Will Face-Off at Celebrate 375 Cake Decorating Contest

In honor of Maryland’s 375th birthday, the Culinary Arts program at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center will hold a cake decorating contest at the St. Mary’s County Fair in the new auditorium building on Friday, September 25 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. The Culinary Arts students will work in teams of two, with a total of 12 teams competing. Cakes will be decorated using the theme of Maryland’s 375th Birthday and St. Mary’s County.

The cakes will be judged by Doris Jenkins of Carroll County, a judge of the Pillsbury Bake-off Contest at the Maryland State Fair; Anita Kriner, wedding cake designer and owner of Anita's Cakes in Great Mills; and Peter Schmitter, owner and pastry chef of Wildewood Pastry shop in California.

The cakes will be on display in the new auditorium building at the fair through Saturday. The newly crowned Queen of Tolerance and her court will be cutting and serving samples of the cake to the public on Sunday at 1:00 PM, also in the new auditorium building, during Maryland’s 375th Birthday Party.

The idea for the contest was that of Fair Director John Richards who approached school personnel with the idea. Culinary Arts instructor Amanda Garnados is coordinating the contest and working with the student teams. The St. Mary's County Division of Tourism is helping to sponsor the contest.

For more information about the St. Mary's County Fair, visit www.smcfair.somd.com.

St. Mary's County Fair Will Celebrate Maryland's 375th!

The 2009 St. Mary’s County Fair is hosting a variety of events to celebrate Maryland’s 375th birthday, including a cake decorating contest, an essay reading, and Maryland’s 375th Birthday Party!

On Friday, September 25, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., students from the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center will face-off in a birthday cake decorating contest. The winning birthday cake will be chosen by a panel of judges including Doris Jenkins, of Carroll County, a judge of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest at the Maryland State Fair; Anita Kriner, wedding cake designer and owner of Anita’s Cakes in Great Mills; and Peter Schmitter, owner and pastry chef of Wildewood Pastry Shop in California.

Then, the winner of the Turning Points in St. Mary’s County Historical Paper Contest will be announced and will read his/her essay on Friday at 2 p.m. The essay contest encouraged middle and high school students to think about local history by asking students to write an essay on a turning point that caused change within St. Mary’s County. The contest was sponsored by the St. Mary’s County Department of Economic & Community Development and St. Mary’s County Public Schools. The winner will receive a savings bond from the St. Mary’s County Historical Society.

The festivities will continue on Saturday, September 26, with nearly a dozen songwriters, including Robin Guyther, Ben Connelly, Gary Rue, Krys Baker, Patty Dorsch, Scott Harshna, Catfish Joe, David Flood, Lissie Deere, David Norris, Carol Schachter, and Joe Norris performing original songs about Southern Maryland. The musical performances will start at the parade reviewing stand in front of the auditorium at 11:30 a.m.

On Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m., the 2009 Queen of Tolerance and her court will be hosting Maryland’s 375th Birthday Party in the new auditorium. The Queen and her court will cut and serve samples of the birthday cakes from the cake decorating contest.

The cover of the 2009 St. Mary’s County Fair Guide also highlights Maryland’s 375th birthday with a composite of some of the student drawings entered into the cover contest that portray symbols of Maryland. The students who contributed were Becca Frazier and Robert Raley, from Margaret Brent Middle School; Chris Sydnor, Jenifer Schmidt, Stephanie Machina, and Kate Hardman, from Little Flower School; and Chris Forte, from Father Andrew White School. To see an online version of the Fair Guide, click here or on the image.

So come out to the St. Mary's County Fair this weekend and enjoy the special Maryland's 375th Birthday festivities! The St. Mary's County Fair is open from Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27. For more information, please visit http://www.smcfair.somd.com/.

Get ready to celebrate!

This weekend is Maryland's 375th Birthday Celebration Weekend!

Starting tonight at 7 PM, come out to St. Mary's College of Maryland and enjoy the season opener of the River Concert Series. In honor of Maryland's 375th, Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis has written a special symphonic work entitled "In Terrae Mariae: A Creation Song," which makes its debut tonight and features spoken texts culled from early writings on Maryland's founding prepared by Jennifer Cognard-Black, Associate Professor of English at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Visit http://www.riverconcertseries.com/ or call 240-895-4107 for more information.

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 20, the celebration continues at Historic St. Mary's City from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a birthday extravaganza. Tour tall ships such as the Kalmar Nyckel, the Maryland Dove, the dory boat Potomac, and the Sultana, a reproduction 1768 schooner. Tap your feet to the music of Calico Jack, David Norris, David Hildebrand, and Ship's Company Chanteyman in the Town Center. Explore the Woodland Indian Hamlet, the Brick Chapel, and the Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation and experience what life was like back when St. Mary's City was Maryland's capital. The event is free and there will also be plenty of vendors, children's acitvities, and 17th-century style entertainment to help you celebrate Maryland's 375th birthday. Don't miss another River Concert Series at St. Mary's College of Maryland at 7 PM. There will be fireworks after the concert! Visit http://www.stmaryscity.org/ or call 800-762-1634 for more information.

On Saturday, June 20, the Juneteenth Celebration African American Heritage Festival is being held at Freedom Park in Lexington Park from noon until 8 p.m. The festival is held annually as a celebration of cultural diversity and freedom! There will be an early evening jazz concert featuring Saxophonist Phillip Martin, Jazz and R&B Vocalist Shang, Gospel Singing with Rev. James Flowers, Jr., and African dance and drumming. You'll also enjoy exhibits, a Minority Outreach Coalition Mini Health Fair, games, vendors, and food. It's a great way to continue the celebration! Visit http://www.ucaconline.org/ or call 301-862-4868 for more information.

For all of you race fans, don't miss Pinks All Out on Saturday, June 20 at Maryland International Raceway! Speed TV will be filming an episode of Pinks All Out, where hundreds of the best drag racers in the country will bring their game to MIR in search of glory and their share of $18,000 in cold hard cash. Host Rich Christensen hosts the all-day shootout that pits egos and cars against one another on the quarter mile! This is a ticketed event. Please visit http://www.mirdrag.com/ or call 301-884-9833 for more information.

Then, on Sunday, celebrate Maryland's 375th (and Father's Day too!) with the College of Southern Maryland in Leonardtown at the Celebrate Family, Fun and Fitness event! From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., enjoy fitness demos, fun lawn games, a 3.75-mile walk through historic downtown Leonardtown and more. Visit www.csmd.edu/familyfun or call 301-934-7703 or 240-725-5312 for more information.

So this weekend, come down to St. Mary's County and celebrate Maryland's 375th!

Coming Up This Week: June 1 - June 7

We have a lot of wonderful events coming up this week in St. Mary's County. Here are a few that you won't want to miss!


Week of One Act Plays

From June 4 through 7, The Newtowne Players will be performing a series of one act plays featuring original scripts. The play "A History of St. Mary's County, Maryland in 23 Minutes," is among the plays to be performed and was chosen in honor of Maryland's 375th Birthday! Written by R. Da Silva, the play is a humorous representation of our local history filled with flagrant misrepresentations and gross stereotypes.

The Week of One Act Plays will be held at the Three Notch Theater in Lexington Park. For more information, contact The Newtowne Players at 301-737-5447 or visit http://www.newtowneplayers.org/.


Leonardtown First Friday

This Friday, June 5, from 5 PM until 8 PM, enjoy all the charms of Leonardtown! Join Historic Leonardtown's art galleries, restaurants, cafes, gift shops, antique shops, bookstores, and more as the town hosts a free evening of art, entertainment, and specials.

For more information, contact the Town of Leonardtown Office at 301-475-9791 or visit Leonardtown.somd.com.


Culinary Adventure at Summerseat Farm

Come out and enjoy an old-fashioned community picnic on the beautiful grounds of Summerseat Farm in Mechanicsville! Bring your blanket and picnic basket for a relaxing afternoon in the natural beauty of Summerseat on June 6, from 10 AM to 2 PM. There will also be educational programs and manor house tours plus 120 acres to explore with vineyards, gardens, farm animals and more!

For more information, contact Summerseat Farm at 301-373-6607 or visit http://www.summerseat.org/.


Southern Maryland Soap Box Derby

On your mark...get set...go! Get into the excitement as fast and furious youngsters vie to continue the tradition of sending one local champion to race in the grand finale of the Soap Box Derby! The Southern Maryland Soap Box Derby will be held on June 6, from 9 AM - 4 PM on Patuxent Boulevard, off of Route 4.

For more information, call 301-481-5494.

Wish Maryland a Happy Birthday

Have you wished Maryland a Happy Birthday yet?  Here's your chance!  

On Saturday, May 23, the St. Mary's County Division of Tourism invites everyone to come out to the Air Show at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to have their birthday wishes for Maryland video taped.   The Happy Birthday, Maryland video greetings will be taped by Dave Taylor of Phocus Video and select videos will be available on www.Maryland375.com.  The video taping will be from 9 AM - 11:30 AM on Saturday in Hangar 101.

We hope to see you there!  And be sure to check out the Happy Birthday, Maryland video greetings now available on www.Maryland375.com.