Mark your calendar and grab your sunglasses—there are a lot of festivals lined up for the 
end of May, and the sun has to come out eventually! On May 22, visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for their Community Block Party. The museum will transform into festival grounds with several performances, free boat rides, live music, regional foods, and Chesapeake-related family activities. The Chestertown Tea Party Festival runs May 27-29 with lots of food, games, family-friendly entertainment, reenactments, vendors, and even a homemade raft race! Finish off the weekend at the Ridgely Strawberry Festival on May 29 with fun for the whole family—with games, live entertainment, crafts, exhibits, and the Strawberry Chase 5k!
Join the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center for their third guided kayak trip of the month! On May 22, grab a paddle and your camera, as you are likely to encounter wading birds, waterfowl, otters, muskrats, turtles, and other marshy critters. Registration is only $10-15 per person. Tuckahoe State Park will also host an evening guided canoe trip on May 29. Join the park staff for an educational and entertaining paddle up the Tuckahoe Creek.
Now is a great time to get involved in your community garden! Lots of seedlings to plant and weeds to pull! Interested in learning more? On May 20, the Denton Community Garden will host their 2nd Annual Garden Gala featuring seasonal cuisine, a sampling of local wines and brews, live entertainment, and children’s activities.
For the little ones who show a penchant for gardening or just like being outside, the Queen Anne’s County Master Gardeners and Kent Island Garden Club are hosting Summer Gardening for Young Gardeners. On May 25 at the Kent Island Branch Library, enjoy stories and activities to get your garden green!
And for the adults, Mt. Cuba Center is offering a class on Native Shrubs for Home Gardens starting May 26. Join instructor Duncan Himmelman and learn about more than 20 species of garden shrubs and how to incorporate them into your landscape. If you are a Master Gardener or Master Naturalist, don’t miss the 18th Annual Training Conference on May 26! Registration includes a keynote presentation with Sara Via, a plenary presentation with Claudia West, and many other presentations and exhibits.
by Kathy Thornton
Arboretum volunteer and Master Naturalist in Training
