Chesapeake Celebrations: Play on the Bay

Chesapeake Celebrations: Play on the Bay

Saturday, June 27 | 10am-5pm

New for 2026, CBMM’s Chesapeake Celebrations bring the Bay to life, inviting guests of all ages to discover our region’s vibrant history, environment, and culture through hands-on activities, engaging presentations, and on-the-water experiences with staff, volunteers, and community partners. Included with general admission, these campus-wide celebrations include Savor the Shore (Saturday, May 16), Play on the Bay (Saturday, June 27), Stories from the Shoreline (Saturday, July 18), and Love the Bay (Saturday, Aug. 15). Join us to experience our mission in action!

We are excited to invite educators from across the Eastern Shore and beyond to join us for a free day of fun at our Chesapeake Celebrations. All PK-12 teachers, administrators, and support staff—along with their immediate families—are invited to join us as a thank you for the incredible impact they make in the lives of students in our community every day. Use the educator link below to reserve your free tickets! Click here to learn more.

During CBMM’s Play on the Bay celebration on Saturday, June 27, you’ll create lasting family memories along our waterfront with fishing, free morning boat rides, face painting, ice cream from the Scottish Highland Creamery, and a variety of hands-on activities for all ages with CBMM’s staff, volunteers, and community partners. Don’t miss your chance to relax on our waterfront as you explore, play, and experience the simple joys of a day by the Miles River.

Use the links below to purchase your tickets now for this Chesapeake Celebration. General admission is always free for CBMM members. Non-members save $2 by buying in advance online.

The first Chesapeake Bay log canoe race of the season on the Miles River is that afternoon to begin the MRYC Centennial Cup. You can glimpse these historic vessels in action from afar from our campus, and we are also excited to offer the opportunity to get out on the water to experience this quintessential Chesapeake pastime up close.

During this Chesapeake Celebration, we are presenting the special opportunity to buy individual tickets to watch afternoon racing on a two-hour cruise aboard Old Point and Dory Boat from 1:30-3:30pm with our experienced crew explaining the action. The cost is $48 for CBMM members and $60 for non-members. These cruises are great for log canoe racing newcomers and longtime fans alike! (June 24 update: Saturday’s Dory Boat cruise is now sold out, but there are still limited tickets available to watch racing aboard Old Point on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning and Dory Boat on Sunday.)

Throughout the morning, we’ll be offering harbor cruises aboard a selection of our historic vessels. These first-come, first-served cruises are included with general admission.

Our friends from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will be on hand from 10am-2pm to highlight recreation on the Chesapeake, while Capt. Greg Stansky will share a series of gyotaku demonstrations to highlight the traditional Japanese art of fish printing.

CBMM’s Education Team and Maritime Model Guild will present a build-it, float-it activity in which guests can build a cardboard boat and test its seaworthiness from 10am-2pm. At 1pm, we’ll be holding a rain gutter regatta to find out who has the fastest boat. Join the racing fun!

Our educators will also introduce guests to some of the fascinating creatures that call the oyster reef along the Living Shoreline home through a touch tank experience from 1-3:30 p.m.

Additional festivities include catch-and-release fishing from our docks, a collections showcase from the Talbot Historical Society, a book talk (11:30am) and signing (noon) with “Black Heel Strings: A Choptank Memoir” author Robin Caudell, storytime with the Talbot County Free Library (11am), and face painting (10:30am-1:30pm), plus a bubbles station and yard games.

Food and treats will be available for purchase, with Gather and Grill BBQ serving up barbecue and more delicious fare throughout the day, and Scottish Highland Creamery offering their locally loved ice cream from noon-2pm.

You’re invited to add a Miles River cruise aboard PATRIOT during the Play on the Bay celebration. At 12:30pm, our 70-minute Chesapeake Celebration Cruise will spotlight the log canoes getting ready to race, and at 2:30pm, our 70-minute Narrated Historical Cruise will be on the water during racing. Combo tickets for a PATRIOT cruise and CBMM general admission for both offerings are available here. Later, we’re thrilled to welcome Joe Bryan for Live Music Cruises at 5pm and 7pm.

We’re also proud to present the Maryland Public Television film “Search for the USS Scorpion” during featured screenings at 11am and 2pm in the Craig Fuller & Diane Terpeluk Theater. The 2017 documentary follows underwater archaeologists as they investigate a shipwreck in the Patuxent River believed to be the USS Scorpion, a Navy schooner that was deliberately scuttled during the War of 1812 to prevent its capture by advancing British forces.

Join us for our Navigating the Chesapeake guided tour at 11am. This one-hour tour shares the incredible history and distinctive culture of the Chesapeake Bay, exploring the connections between the environment and people over time. Click here to buy combo tickets for the tour and CBMM general admission. They are free for CBMM members.

Chesapeake Celebrations are supported from the Upper Shore Regional Folklife Center under the Maryland Traditions program of the Maryland State Arts Council.

Chesapeake Celebrations: Play on the Bay
Date/Time: Saturday, June 27, 10am-5pm
Location: CBMM’s Campus
Cost: Included with CBMM General Admission Save $2 by purchasing your tickets in advance online!

CBMM MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO RESERVE FREE TICKETS

NON-MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

EDUCATORS CLICK HERE TO RESERVE FREE TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE LOG CANOE SPECTATOR CRUISE OPPORTUNITIES