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.

Celebrate 375 Events Still Going Strong!

Even as colder winter weather sets in, the Celebrate 375 events are still going strong!  Coming up this winter, enjoy great events such as the Veterans Day Parade, Christmas on the Square, and the 23rd Annual Christmas Doll and Train Exhibit.

Veterans Day Parade

On November 11, head down to Leonardtown Square for the Veterans Day Parade!  Starting at 10 a.m., veterans, dignitaries, military units, drill teams, marching bands, floats, beauty queens, Native American dancers, bagpipers, and more will parade through Leonardtown in honor of America's veterans.  Following the parade, a Memorial Ceremony with the placing of wreaths to honor our veterans will be held in the Town Square accompanied by patriotic music.  After the parade, use your Discover St. Mary's County Card at participating businesses to receive great deals and special offers on dining, shopping, and more!

The annual parade is sponsored by the St. Mary's County Commissioners and the Commissioners of Leonardtown, in cooperation with VFW Post 2632.  For more information, call 301-863-5868 or 301-475-9791.

Christmas on the Square
Leonardtown will hold its Christmas on the Square and Annual Tree Lighting on November 27 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.  Enjoy holiday music and entertainment, a live Nativity, costumed characters, horse-drawn carriage rides, sleigh and hay rides, and more!  The Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and the tree will be lit by Santa Claus.  Then, bring the kids to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus on the Town Square.  While you're in town, be sure to use your Discover St. Mary's County Card to get great deals from participating businesses throughout Leonardtown. 

This is also a good opportunity to get raffle tickets to enter to win the Fuji Crosstown Bike!  Raffle tickets are free.  Just ask for one at participating businesses throughout Leonardtown.  The winner will be chosen during the Leonardtown First Friday on December 4.

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

23rd Annual Christmas Doll and Train Exhibit

The St. Clement's Island Museum will hold its 23rd Annual Christmas Doll & Train Exhibit from December 2, 2009 through January 3, 2010.  In honor of Maryland's 375th Birthday, the theme of the exhibit will be "Christmas in Maryland" and will showcase the official symbols of Maryland!  Get into the spirit of the holidays by visiting this exciting exhibit of antique and collectible dolls, toys, and miniature working trains.

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