Tour the fleet of ships, schooner and skipjacks assembled in Chestertown for Sultana Downrigging. Deck tours are free, however children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors are asked to wear soft soled shoes.
Vessels open for tours will include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Pay a visit to the Chesapeake Roving Ranger - the mobile visitor center for the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office - to get a National Park passport stamp, pick up a Junior Ranger hat, participate in an interpretive ranger program, and learn about new experiences in the Chesapeake Watershed.
Friday November 1, 2019 12:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
Sail the Chester River onboard one of the fleet of ships visiting for Sultana Downrigging. There is nothing quite like seeing the fleet unfurl their sails in unison in such a picturesque setting. This is the first of four sails that will take place over the weekend.
Vessels scheduled to participate in this sail include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
NEW FOR 2019! If you aren't on a Tall Ship, the Festival Village is the place to be during Sultana Downrigging. Relax next to a cozy fire pit as you sample the region's best food and drink, all while listening to performances by some of the best bluegrass bands in the country.
Friday Night Food Vendors at the Village Occasions Catering Chester River Wine & Cheese J.A. McCown Oysters Microbrew Truck
Friday Night Music at the Village (in order of appearance) Apache Trails Mtn Lion String Band Betty and the Bullet
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Friday November 1, 2019 4:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Come down to the waterfront and view the Tall Ships as they make their way back to Chestertown following their Friday afternoon sail. This isn’t a formal parade, but you will get a great look at all of the ships underway.
Vessels participating in this sail include:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Apache Trails is a rowdy, unbridled, and all together good time that'll leave the souls of your feet singing a tune of their own. Featuring a thunderous double-bass slapping alongside a soulful lead guitar, a freight-train rhythm and banjo carried along by a beautiful weave of voices, delivered in a style that defies pigeonholing but might be described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, and whiskey.
Festival Village Pass Required
Friday November 1, 2019 5:00pm - 6:15pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Join the Kent County Arts Council and Arts in Motion for an exhibit of student art focusing on African American maritime history during the revolutionary war. This eclectic, mixed-media display was created by the combined 8th grade classes of Kent County Middle School, The Kent School, and Radcliffe Creek School. The exhibit is curated by local artist Paul Santo and is located at the Chestertown Marina office down on the waterfront. This opening reception will feature a pouty reading, guest speaker and light fare.
Marc Castelli’s annual show at Massoni Art has become a Downrigging tradition. Expect to see incredible renderings of watermen, workboats, and log canoes from a painter recognized as one of the finest marine artists in the country.
Friday November 1, 2019 5:00pm - 7:30pm EDT
Massoni Art
Cruise the Chester River in style onboard Chestertown’s own River Packet. The River Packet is offering four cruises during Sultana Downrigging, including a Fireworks Cruise on Saturday evening. Great food and drink are available on board. Please purchase tickets directly from the Chester River Packet Company.
There is nothing quite like seeing the Downrigging Fleet illuminated along the Chestertown waterfront - for many visitors it is the highlight of the festival! Our Friday night Ship Illumination is often the busiest night of the Festival. While you are on the waterfront, stop in the Festival Village for some great food and bluegrass (ticket required). PLEASE NOTE: While there are plenty of great places to view the ships, the docks at the Chestertown Marina are closed at dusk.
A “Forgotten Journey” no more, Sweden’s long and special relationship with America began in 1638 when the KALMAR NYCKEL made its first epic transatlantic voyage to establish the colony of New Sweden in the Delaware Valley. This exciting film features stunning sailing sequences aboard today’s KALMAR NYCKEL and commentary from some of the world's leading experts who bring fresh insights and a maritime perspective to this overlooked chapter in America’s colonial history. The ships's talented volunteer crew and captains star in this beautiful documentary!
Friday November 1, 2019 7:00pm - 8:30pm EDT
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Tour the fleet of ships, schooner and skipjacks assembled in Chestertown for Sultana Downrigging. Deck tours are free, however children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors are asked to wear soft soled shoes.
Vessels open for tours will include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Join Shore Rivers for its revamped Run for Clean Rivers 5K and 10-miler! The race will start and end at Wilmer Park, overlooking the beautiful waterfront. The Run supports Shore Rivers restoration projects, advocacy efforts, and water quality monitoring programs.
Saturday November 2, 2019 9:00am - 11:00am EDT
Wilmer Park
Pay a visit to the Chesapeake Roving Ranger - the mobile visitor center for the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office - to get a National Park passport stamp, pick up a Junior Ranger hat, participate in an interpretive ranger program, and learn about new experiences in the Chesapeake Watershed.
Saturday November 2, 2019 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
On Saturday and Sunday the Chestertown waterfront will be brimming with speedboats from America’s golden age. Organized in partnership with the Antique and Classic Boat Society of the Chesapeake, this exhibit will feature some of the finest antique boats around.
Saturday November 2, 2019 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
Come see the Log Canoe Silver Heel - one of approximately 20-25 surviving traditional Chesapeake Bay log sailing canoes, which were the primary fishing craft of the Bay for hundreds of years. She is now operated by the Silver Heel Foundation, dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition of log canoe sailing through education and outreach.
Saturday November 2, 2019 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
Before you go sailing (or listen to bluegrass!) stop by and take in Chestertown’s Annual Halloween Parade, sponsored by the Chestertown Lions Club. It’s a classic small-town parade and not to be missed!
Saturday November 2, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
High Street
Join the Kent County Arts Council and Arts in Motion for an exhibit of student art focusing on African American maritime history during the revolutionary war. This eclectic, mixed-media display was created by the combined 8th grade classes of Kent County Middle School, The Kent School, and Radcliffe Creek School. The exhibit is curated by local artist Paul Santo and is located at the Chestertown Marina office down on the waterfront.
Stop by Sultana's Holt Education Center for a variety of Family-friendly activities that are sure to engage and entertain your entire group. More details coming soon!
Saturday November 2, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Visit the Project Shop at Sultana's Holt Education Center to see a variety of ship models and talk to their builders about the care and creation of the models.
Saturday November 2, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm EDT
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Marc Castelli’s annual show at Massoni Art has become a Downrigging tradition. Expect to see incredible renderings of watermen, workboats, and log canoes from a painter recognized as one of the finest marine artists in the country.
Saturday November 2, 2019 10:00am - 5:00pm EDT
Massoni Art
Sail the Chester River onboard one of the fleet of ships visiting for Sultana Downrigging. There is nothing quite like seeing the fleet unfurl their sails in unison in such a picturesque setting. This is the second of four sails that will take place over the weekend.
Vessels scheduled to participate in this sail include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
During this talk at The Book Plate, Tim Newby will explore his new book, “Bluegrass in Baltimore – The Hard Driving Sound and its Legacy.” With an influx of Appalachian migrants who came looking for work in the 1940s and 1950s, Baltimore found itself populated by some extraordinary mountain musicians and was for a brief time the center of the bluegrass world. Life in Baltimore for these musicians was not easy. There were missed opportunities, personal demons and always the up-hill battle with prejudice against their hillbilly origins. Based upon interviews with legendary players from the golden age of Baltimore bluegrass, this book provides the first in-depth coverage of this transplanted-roots music and its broader influence, detailing the struggles Appalachian musicians faced in a big city that viewed the music they made as the "poorest example of poor man's music."
Saturday November 2, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Book Plate112 South Cross Street
NEW FOR 2019! If you aren't on a Tall Ship, the Festival Village is the place to be during Sultana Downrigging. Relax next to a cozy fire pit as you sample the region's best food and drink, all while listening to performances by some of the best bluegrass bands in the country.
Saturday Food Vendors at the Village Occasions Catering Chester River Wine & Cheese J.A. McCown Oysters Microbrew Truck
Saturday Music at the Village (in order of appearance) Flatland Drive Country Current Caleb Stein Dirty Grass Players The High & Wides Man About a Horse
Village Pass Required
Saturday November 2, 2019 11:30am - 8:30pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Come down to the waterfront and view the Tall Ships as they make their way back to Chestertown following their Saturday Monring sail. This isn’t a formal parade, but you will get a great look at all of the ships underway.
Vessels participating in this sail include:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Flatland Drive mixes traditional bluegrass with contemporary stylings. Their sound is influenced by the earliest patriarchs of bluegrass, but they also pay homage to the likes of the Lonesome River Band, Bluegrass Album Band, and The Seldom Scene.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
During this talk at The Book Plate, Brian Hope – author, artist, retired bay pilot, and founder of Project Liberty Ship in Baltimore - will discuss his new book “Bay Pilots – A History of the Maryland Pilots Association.” Based in Baltimore, the men and women of the Maryland Pilots apply their hard-earned local knowledge to the safe and intricate movement of ships throughout Chesapeake Bay. Hope brings forty years of experience to the subject, and his stories are full of history, adventure, humor and excitement.
Saturday November 2, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
The Book Plate112 South Cross Street
Country Current, the premier country-bluegrass group of the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., showcases a five-member acoustic ensemble performing traditional, contemporary, and original bluegrass compositions. The ensemble is in constant demand by the nation's most prominent bluegrass festivals, and has performed at the Wintergrass Bluegrass Festival, Witherhawk Bluegrass Festival, Withlacoochee River Bluegrass Jamboree, Grey Fox, and many, many more. Over the years they have performed with legendary bluegrass artists such as Alison Kraus, Nickel Creek, Rhonda Vincent, and the "Father of Bluegrass" the late Bill Monroe.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 1:15pm - 2:00pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Flatland Drive mixes traditional bluegrass with contemporary stylings. Their sound is influenced by the earliest patriarchs of bluegrass, but they also pay homage to the likes of the Lonesome River Band, Bluegrass Album Band, and The Seldom Scene.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 2:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Sail the Chester River onboard one of the fleet of ships visiting for Sultana Downrigging. There is nothing quite like seeing the fleet unfurl their sails in unison in such a picturesque setting. This is the third of four sails that will take place over the weekend.
Vessels scheduled to participate in this sail include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Country Current, the premier country-bluegrass group of the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., showcases a five-member acoustic ensemble performing traditional, contemporary, and original bluegrass compositions. The ensemble is in constant demand by the nation's most prominent bluegrass festivals, and has performed at the Wintergrass Bluegrass Festival, Witherhawk Bluegrass Festival, Withlacoochee River Bluegrass Jamboree, Grey Fox, and many, many more. Over the years they have performed with legendary bluegrass artists such as Alison Kraus, Nickel Creek, Rhonda Vincent, and the "Father of Bluegrass" the late Bill Monroe.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 2:45pm - 3:30pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Former Director of the Scottish Maritime Museum, Jim Tildesley, will discuss his recently published biography of John Inglis, “I am Determined to Live or Die on Board My Ship.” The life of John Inglis was so epic, it could have been a work of fiction. Starting as a midshipman in battles against the French and Dutch, Inglis went on to assume command of the Royal Navy schooner SULTANA (yes - that SULTANA!) at the age of 25, before ultimately ascending to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy. Along the way Inglis hunted smugglers on the American coast, dined with George Washington, and was held prisoner aboard his own ship during a mutiny. Inglis’ story is a captivating one and Tildesley is the perfect historian to tell it.
Saturday November 2, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
The BALTIMORE SUN has called Caleb Stein the “lynchpin of the Baltimore folk scene.” Flying just below mainstream radar, Stein keeps the music honest– hardworking, genuine, and unafraid to tell it like it is. To date, Stein has released over ten albums, scored music for films, acted Off-Broadway, gargled Sangria on the streets of Madrid, and played guitar with Vieux Farka Toure. Catch his performance and you’ll leave happier.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
The High & Wides, like the large-haul trains for which the band is named, project a big, driving sound—mountain musical traditions re-imagined for a new century. Formed on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 2015, they write music about arson and hourly motels, dystopian love songs, and ballads of violent history. The High & Wides draw from their members' extensive backgrounds in bluegrass and take the music to a place all their own, recalling an era when old-time, rockabilly, and proto-rock'n'roll coexisted in a murky soup of hillbilly string band music.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Come down to the waterfront and view the Tall Ships as they make their way back to Chestertown following their Saturday afternoon sail. This isn’t a formal parade, but you will get a great look at all of the ships underway.
Vessels participating in this sail include:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
The BALTIMORE SUN has called Caleb Stein the “lynchpin of the Baltimore folk scene.” Flying just below mainstream radar, Stein keeps the music honest– hardworking, genuine, and unafraid to tell it like it is. To date, Stein has released over ten albums, scored music for films, acted Off-Broadway, gargled Sangria on the streets of Madrid, and played guitar with Vieux Farka Toure. Catch his performance and you’ll leave happier.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
When Captain John Smith arrived in Virginia in 1607, he discovered a paradise in the Chesapeake Bay. In the centuries that followed, the Bay changed vastly―and not for the better. European landowners and enslaved Africans slashed, burned, and cleared the surrounding forests to grow tobacco. Watermen overfished oysters, shad, and sturgeon, decimating these crucial species. Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond used its rivers as urban sewers. By the 1960s, the Chesapeake was dying.
A crossroads of life and culture, the Chesapeake straddles the North and the South, mixes salt water with fresh, and is home to about 18 million people and 3,600 species of animals and plants. Although recent cleanup efforts have improved its overall health, they have not been enough to save this national treasure. In The Chesapeake in Focus, award-winning writer Tom Pelton examines which environmental policies have worked and which have failed.
Based on Pelton’s extensive experience as a journalist and as the host of the public radio program The Environment in Focus, this sweeping talk will take you t on a tour of the histories of the Chesapeake, as well as the ecological challenges faced by its major tributaries. Pelton will touch on the management of blue crabs, striped bass, and other delicious wildlife, profile leaders and little-known characters involved in the restoration campaign, and warn of the dangers of anti-regulatory politics that threaten to reverse what has been accomplished. Looking to the future, Pelton offers a provocative vision of the hard steps that must be taken if we truly want to save the Bay.
Saturday November 2, 2019 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Man About a Horse plays traditional bluegrass instruments, but not always traditional bluegrass. The Philadelphia-based group infuses their sound with rock and pop references, funk grooves, and blues roots. They won the 2018 FreshGrass Band Award and were also nominated for an IBMA Band Momentum Award in 2018. Man About a Horse’s first full-length album debuted at #11 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart in 2017, earning praise from Bluegrass Unlimited, British Bluegrass News, and others. The band notched its first position on the Bluegrass Today radio chart in 2018. They’ve performed at festivals and in venues around the U.S., sharing the stage with Old Crow Medicine Show, Cabinet, Danny Barnes, Hot Buttered Rum, Wood & Wire, Donna the Buffalo, and many more.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 5:45pm - 6:30pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
There is nothing quite like seeing the Downrigging Fleet illuminated along the Chestertown waterfront - for many visitors it is the highlight of the festival! Our Saturday night Ship Illumination is also highlighted by fireworks over Chestertown's harbor beginning at 8:15pm. While you are on the waterfront, stop in the Festival Village for some great food and bluegrass (ticket required). PLEASE NOTE: While there are plenty of great places to view the ships, the docks at the Chestertown Marina are closed at dusk.
Hailing from Baltimore, The Dirty Grass Players have established themselves with one toe-tappin’ foot in traditional bluegrass and blazing musicianship that pushes boundaries. Comprised of Josh Ballard on bass, Alex Berman on banjo, Ben Kolakowski with the guitar, and Ryan Rogers on mandolin, this four piece is successfully bringing their growing fan base a down, dirty, and heated performance. Their ability to seamlessly transition from down home bluegrass to spirited improvisation makes each performance unique. Throw in some Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd or a dash of southern rock and you’ll quickly understand what they mean by Dirty Grass. Their self-titled debut CD, The Dirty Grass Players, captures this energy and as 2017 winner of the Charm City Bluegrass & Folk Festival Band Competition clearly indicates, this is just the beginning.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 6:30pm - 7:15pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
The Pam Ortiz Band returns, by popular demand, for their 7th Downrigging Concert at the Garfield Center for the Arts at 7 PM on Saturday November 2nd. The show will feature original songs Pam has written for “Downrigging” and old and new tunes celebrating water, sailing and the maritime tradition. And of course, you won’t want to miss the return of the Dawson’s Blue Whale which brought the house down when it last appeared in 2017. The concert is sure to be a night of friends old and new and a celebration of the “Good Ship Sultana."
Cruise the Chester River in style onboard Chestertown’s own River Packet. The River Packet is offering four cruises during Sultana Downrigging, including a Fireworks Cruise on Saturday evening. Great food and drink are available on board. Please purchase tickets directly from the Chester River Packet Company.
Man About a Horse plays traditional bluegrass instruments, but not always traditional bluegrass. The Philadelphia-based group infuses their sound with rock and pop references, funk grooves, and blues roots. They won the 2018 FreshGrass Band Award and were also nominated for an IBMA Band Momentum Award in 2018. Man About a Horse’s first full-length album debuted at #11 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart in 2017, earning praise from Bluegrass Unlimited, British Bluegrass News, and others. The band notched its first position on the Bluegrass Today radio chart in 2018. They’ve performed at festivals and in venues around the U.S., sharing the stage with Old Crow Medicine Show, Cabinet, Danny Barnes, Hot Buttered Rum, Wood & Wire, Donna the Buffalo, and many more.
Festival Village Pass Required for Entry
Saturday November 2, 2019 7:15pm - 8:00pm EDT
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Watching fireworks over a historic harbor filled with Tall Ships - what could be better? Stop by the Festival Village area at the Chestertown Marina before the fireworks for some food, drink and great bluegrass!
PLEASE NOTE: Chestertown Marina docks close at dusk. We recommended viewing the fireworks from the Festival Area at the Chestertown Marina.
This performance by The Dirty Grass Players is part of a late-night show at the Garfield Center with The High & Wides
Hailing from Baltimore, The Dirty Grass Players have established themselves with one toe-tappin’ foot in traditional bluegrass and blazing musicianship that pushes boundaries. Comprised of Josh Ballard on bass, Alex Berman on banjo, Ben Kolakowski with the guitar, and Ryan Rogers on mandolin, this four piece is successfully bringing their growing fan base a down, dirty, and heated performance. Their ability to seamlessly transition from down home bluegrass to spirited improvisation makes each performance unique. Throw in some Allman Brothers, Pink Floyd or a dash of southern rock and you’ll quickly understand what they mean by Dirty Grass. Their self-titled debut CD, The Dirty Grass Players, captures this energy and as 2017 winner of the Charm City Bluegrass & Folk Festival Band Competition clearly indicates, this is just the beginning.
Admittance to this special late night show with The High & Wides and The Dirty Grass Players is not part of the Festival Village Pass. A separate ticket is required for this show.
This High & Wides performance is part of a late-night show at the Garfield Center with The Dirty Grass Players
The High & Wides, like the large-haul trains for which the band is named, project a big, driving sound—mountain musical traditions re-imagined for a new century. Formed on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 2015, they write music about arson and hourly motels, dystopian love songs, and ballads of violent history. The High & Wides draw from their members' extensive backgrounds in bluegrass and take the music to a place all their own, recalling an era when old-time, rockabilly, and proto-rock'n'roll coexisted in a murky soup of hillbilly string band music.
Admittance to this special late night show with The High & Wides and The Dirty Grass Players is not part of the Festival Village Pass. A separate ticket is required for this show.
Pay a visit to the Chesapeake Roving Ranger - the mobile visitor center for the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office - to get a National Park passport stamp, pick up a Junior Ranger hat, participate in an interpretive ranger program, and learn about new experiences in the Chesapeake Watershed.
Sunday November 3, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm EST
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
On Saturday and Sunday the Chestertown waterfront will be brimming with speedboats from America’s golden age. Organized in partnership with the Antique and Classic Boat Society of the Chesapeake, this exhibit will feature some of the finest antique boats around.
Sunday November 3, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm EST
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
Join the Kent County Arts Council and Arts in Motion for an exhibit of student art focusing on African American maritime history during the revolutionary war. This eclectic, mixed-media display was created by the combined 8th grade classes of Kent County Middle School, The Kent School, and Radcliffe Creek School. The exhibit is curated by local artist Paul Santo and is located at the Chestertown Marina office down on the waterfront.
Sunday November 3, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm EST
Chestertown Marina Office207 S. Water St, Suite A, Chestertown, MD
Visit the Sultana Education Foundation's LEED Platinum Holt Center in Chestertown. One of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in the Mid-Atlantic, the Holt Center features the largest high-resolution map of the Chesapeake Bay in the world, an "estuarium" filled with creatures from the Chesapeake, and loads more.
Sunday November 3, 2019 10:30am - 3:00pm EST
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Using the Sultana Education Foundation's state-of-the art GIS presentation theater, Native Americans of the Chesapeake Bay explores the history and culture of people native to the Chesapeake Bay region, spanning from 1400 years ago to present day. Make sure to stick around after the presentation to check out all of Sultana's new Native American artifacts! Narrated by Chris Cerino.
Sunday November 3, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Tour the fleet of ships, schooner and skipjacks assembled in Chestertown for Sultana Downrigging. Deck tours are free, however children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors are asked to wear soft soled shoes.
Vessels open for tours will include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Cruise the Chester River in style onboard Chestertown’s own River Packet. The River Packet is offering four cruises during Sultana Downrigging, including a Fireworks Cruise on Saturday evening. Great food and drink are available on board. Please purchase tickets directly from the Chester River Packet Company.
Marc Castelli’s annual show at Massoni Art has become a Downrigging tradition. Expect to see incredible renderings of watermen, workboats, and log canoes from a painter recognized as one of the finest marine artists in the country.
Sunday November 3, 2019 11:00am - 3:00pm EST
Massoni Art
Come see the Log Canoe Silver Heel - one of approximately 20-25 surviving traditional Chesapeake Bay log sailing canoes, which were the primary fishing craft of the Bay for hundreds of years. She is now operated by the Silver Heel Foundation, dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition of log canoe sailing through education and outreach.
Sunday November 3, 2019 11:30am - 3:30pm EST
Chestertown Marina207 South Water Street | Chestertown, MD
NEW FOR 2019! If you aren't on a Tall Ship, the Festival Village is the place to be during Sultana Downrigging. Relax next to a cozy fire pit as you sample the region's best food and drink, all while listening to performances by some of the best bluegrass bands in the country.
Sunday Food Vendors at the Village Occasions Catering Chester River Wine & Cheese J.A. McCown Oysters Microbrew Truck
Saturday Music at the Village (in order of appearance) Grey & Bluegrass The Simmons Family More To Be Announced!
Entrance to the Festival Village is Free on Sunday!
Sunday November 3, 2019 11:30am - 3:30pm EST
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
The Simmons Family band consists of three siblings, Dave, Jon and Mary Simmons. They have been singing together for over thirty years here on the Eastern Shore, growing up on a farm between Chestertown and Rock Hall. Jon and Mary sang duets together in church as teenagers, and later joined up with their older brother for three part harmonies when he returned from his time in the military. Joining the Simmons Family for this performance are Nate Grower on fiddle, Marc MacGlashan on mandolin/fiddle/guitar, and Bryan Irwin on bass fiddle.
No Festival Village Pass is Required for Sunday - This Show is Free!
Sunday November 3, 2019 1:00pm - 1:50pm EST
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Sail the Chester River onboard one of the fleet of ships visiting for Sultana Downrigging. There is nothing quite like seeing the fleet unfurl their sails in unison in such a picturesque setting. This is the fourth and final sail that will take place over the weekend.
Vessels scheduled to participate in this sail include*:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
No Part of Nothin’ was formed when several members met at a monthly bluegrass jam. They sang together on a couple of songs, and the next thing you know they decided to enter the DC Bluegrass Union Festival's band content. The rest is history! The band features Michelle Murray on vocals and guitar, Jeff Karn on mandolin and vocals, Keith Arneson on banjo, Vince Forcier on bass and Alan Oresky on fiddle. The band performs regularly in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including at the monthly bluegrass music series at Outta the Way Cafe. They have also played at several prestigious venues and festivals, including the Circa Blue Festival where the opened up for the Seldom Scene, and the Brookeville Farm Festival.
No Festival Village Pass is Required for Sunday - This Show is Free!
Sunday November 3, 2019 2:00pm - 2:50pm EST
Festival Village207 S. Water St., Chestertown, MD
Chesapeake Through the Ages visualizes 35 million years of Bay history using Sultana's GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Theatre. This cutting-edge system transforms the Swain Geography Classroom in Sultana's Holt Education Center into a 1,000 square-foot living map of the Chesapeake. Not to be missed! Narrated by Chris Cerino
Sunday November 3, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Sultana's Holt Center200 South Cross Street
Come down to the waterfront and view the Tall Ships as they make their way back to Chestertown following their Sunday morning sail. This isn’t a formal parade, but you will get a great look at all of the ships underway.
Vessels participating in this sail include:
KALMAR NYCKEL PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II VIRGINIA LYNX LADY MARYLAND SULTANA SIGSBEE
Join the Eastern Shore Wind Ensemble, the all-ages community concert band, for their annual free fall concert at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Charles Thai will be the conductor. The theme of the program will be "Red, White, and Blue," especially suitable for the month that includes Veterans Day. Pieces to be played will include "America, the Beautiful," "Shenandoah," "O'er the Land of the Free," "Allied Honor," and others that celebrate the American spirit or national service and sacrifice. The program will last about one hour, and children are invited to attend.
Cruise the Chester River in style onboard Chestertown’s own River Packet. The River Packet is offering four cruises during Sultana Downrigging, including a Fireworks Cruise on Saturday evening. Great food and drink are available on board. Please purchase tickets directly from the Chester River Packet Company.
There is nothing quite like seeing the Downrigging Fleet illuminated along the Chestertown waterfront - for many visitors it is the highlight of the festival! This is the last night the ships will be illuminated during the festival. PLEASE NOTE: While there are plenty of great places to view the ships, the docks at the Chestertown Marina are closed at dusk.