Weekend in Chestertown, MD - Historic Tea Party Festival, Kayaking & Biking
Details
COME FOR A DAY OR THE WEEKEND!
Kayaking Events have now been scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A Biking Event is scheduled for Monday. Check the Second Half Rally Meetup Schedule for full details and to sign-up for these events.
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ANNUAL CHESTERTOWN TEA PARTY FESTIVAL
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Boston was not the only colonial port city in America to have a "tea party" in its harbor as a protest against British taxation. In 1774, Chestertown, MD was a primary port on the Chesapeake Bay for trading with English merchants in the old country. To demonstrate their outrage and solidarity with Boston, the citizens of Chestertown conducted their own raid by boarding a British ship and throwing its cargo of tea into the Chester River.
Nowadays, you can share that heritage on Memorial Day weekend by joining the citizens of Chestertown for their historic Tea Party Festival, while also spending quality time in Kent County enjoying kayaking, biking, and other outdoor activities in a beautiful area on the Chesapeake Bay that's unspoiled and uncrowded.
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Each year, the Tea Party Festival in Chestertown recreates and celebrates the original event from 1774. The citizens board the Sultana (an authentic replica of early sailing vessels) to throw boxes of "tea" in the water, and one unfortunate volunteer is thrown into the river after a "Tory Toss" raffle to select the victim. On Saturday and Sunday, there is a full schedule of outdoor activities along High Street and the historic dock area, including parades, music, colonial life demonstrations, craft and food vendors, and walking tours that showcase the town's history.
It's free, it's fun, and it's relaxed and uncrowded, which makes this festival an ideal nearby getaway. Check out the history of Chestertown's first Tea Party in 1774, as well as the full schedule of 2012 weekend events and activities below:
http://www.chestertownteaparty.org/
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Located on the Eastern Shore just one hour away from Annapolis, Chestertown is a charming town set on the peaceful Chester River. It features a lively dock area, authentic colonial buildings, tree-lined streets with brick sidewalks, and lovely classic old homes facing the river. With good shopping, restaurants, and an active cultural community nurtured by Washington College, it's a cool place to visit anytime, particularly as a destination for kayaking and biking on scenic waters and country lanes. And it's even better when the Tea Party Festival brings added color and life to the town's streets.
Find out more about the Chestertown and what it has to offer:
SECOND HALF RALLY EVENTS DURING THE WEEKEND
As always, our primary goal for the weekend is to have FUN while being active doing things we enjoy. Several members of Second Half Rally have already reserved a private house on High Street in Chestertown from Friday through Monday, so there will definitely be a good group of folks in town the whole weekend. When you arrive, the best way to connect with us is to call Jake at 703-798-8435 to find out what we're doing.
There are separate kayaking and biking events scheduled for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Check the Second Half Rally calendar to see where a major event is happening and sign up. We'll also be doing general festival events all weekend long, as well as hanging out together to have fun and enjoy good eats and drinks.
As this is a weekend event where there's no practical way to keep track of people or set fixed meetup places and times in advance, we'll be adjusting our agenda on the fly to take advantage of the weather and take in the various festival events.
Attending the Festival
The main weekend attraction, of course, is the Tea Party Festival itself. Our general plan is to check out the array of festival events, especially the Colonial Parade down High Street at 10 am on Saturday and the Tea Party reenactment at 2 pm when they throw the tea into the Chester River.
On Sunday, there is a cool "raft race" of clever and colorful floating contraptions off Wilmer Park at 2:30 pm (get there by 1:30 pm). We may also take in one of the walking tours of Chestertown being offered. In addition, there's a Farmers Market in the town square on Saturday morning and wine tasting. You can even purchase a ticket to take a sail on the Sultana.
Kayaking and Advance Rentals
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Jake and other members plan to arrive in Chestertown mid-afternoon on Friday and paddle as much as possible during the weekend. It's a kayaker's paradise for safe and scenic flat-water paddling. We will be out on the water to observe both the Saturday Tea Party reenactment and the Sunday raft race close-up from our kayaks.
We also plan to explore other cool places near Chestertown in Kent County as time and weather permit. There are a number of free public kayak launches on the Chester River and its outlets that would be fun to try over the weekend. On Friday afternoon, we plan to paddle up Morgan Creek for a nature adventure that last year featured an abundance of marsh birds and an eagle sighting. We'll just see what's workable and what people want to do...
Some of us are bringing our own kayaks, so plan accordingly if you need a rental to join the other paddlers on our outings. You can reserve a kayak in advance at Chester River Outfitters which rents good quality kayaks and all necessary gear at $45 for four hours.
Chester River Outfitters rents both bikes and kayaks:
http://www.chesterriverbikeandpaddle.com/
I know the Chester River near Chestertown fairly well because I went kayaking there three weekends last year. It's the best, most varied, and beautiful area I've found near the Chesapeake Bay for paddling smooth waters to experience interesting environments, both natural and manmade. That's why I'm so excited about going back with our group.
Here are some photos I took last August while paddling on the Chester River and Morgan Creek:
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Biking in Kent County Near Chestertown
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Chestertown and Kent County are excellent for recreational biking because the terrain is mostly flat, the country roads are largely shaded, the scenery is beautiful, and traffic is light on peninsula roads that dead end in charming little places on the river. There's a fantastic bike ride from Chestertown down the river peninsula to Cliff City (about 25-30 miles roundtrip). We'll plan to make that a nice picnic ride on Monday during the weekend. You can also enjoy riding around Chestertown to see more and get some fresh air.
LODGING AND DINING:
Chestertown is the home of Washington College, and has many B&B's and small hotels listed on the Kent County website above. However, the only chain hotels are the newer Choice Suites and Holiday Inn Express which are located next to each other near the edge of Chestertown at the intersection of Rt 213 and Rt 291. The Choice Suites is fine for a weekend and is cheaper than the Holiday Inn Express. Check out Chestertown lodging options here:
http://www.chestertown.com/lodging_open.php
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There are a number of good restaurant/bars that are local favorites in Chestertown and Rock Hall. In Chestertown, Brooks Tavern, O'Connor's Pub, and the Imperial Hotel on High Street with its Bloody Mary brunch bar are good choices. The Fish Whistle is a typical modern restaurant/bar that's conveniently located in the dock area where most Tea Party Festival activities take place. You can avoid long waits for a table at the Fish Whistle by going to the bar area and ordering something there.
You can see what's available and their ratings on Yelp below:
http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=restaurant&find_loc=Chestertown%2C+MD&action_search=Search
Rock Hall is a pretty little harbor town only 10 miles away with several restaurants by the water. A good choice there is the Harbor Shack that's lively and very popular with a good vibe, and located right on the harbor. Check it out:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/harbor-shack-rock-h... (http://www.yelp.com/biz/harbor-shack-rock-hall)
SEE YOU IN CHESTERTOWN!
Come join us to have fun at the annual Tea Party Festival, along with some excellent kayaking, biking, eating, drinking, and generally hanging out in a great place with cool folks. Please call Jake at 703-798-8435 with any questions or to find out where we are when you arrive.
LET'S HOPE FOR GREAT WEATHER AND PLAN ON FUN...
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