Celebrate Christmas in St. Michaels this December 11-14

Experience holiday joy in the heart of historic waterfront St. Michaels, Maryland, with Christmas in St. Michaels hosting a full weekend of events and celebrations from December 11-14.
This 39th year of the event is highlighted by the return of the Gingerbread Contest, with a Gingerbread House Preview Cocktail Party kicking off the weekend of events on Thursday, December 11, beginning at 5 p.m. The preview party takes place at the St. Michaels Community Center. Limited $75 tickets are available for advanced purchase online.
These gingerbread houses will be on display at the St. Michaels Community Center beginning at 2pm on Friday and continuing during select hours through Sunday. Viewers will be invited to vote for their favorite designs to help determine this year’s winners.
The weekend of festivities is highlighted by crowd favorites like the Tour of Homes, Saturday’s Breakfast with Santa, and the Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe, along with two parades on Saturday – the Talbot Street Parade at 10:30am and the Lighted Boat Parade along St. Michaels Harbor at 6pm, with plenty of places to watch the boats passing by.
The Tour of Homes runs on Saturday and Sunday, with $35 advanced tickets available online or for purchase at The Marketplace and Sweet Shoppes throughout the weekend.
You can also start your Saturday with a holiday continental breakfast at St. Luke’s Methodist Church, enjoy a delicious Old-Fashioned Eastern Shore Christmas Dinner later at Union United Parish Hall, and take in music out and about in this waterfront, vacation-friendly town. The events are ticketed, with limited seating and more online.
The Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe are located at St. Mary’s Square’s Granite Lodge and open at noon on Friday, Dec. 12, with select hours through Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3pm. Shoppers will find one-of-a-kind, artisan-crafted items, and culinary delights available only during this weekend event.
Music will mix with the brackish air of this historic harbor-front town on Sunday, Dec. 14, including gospel and traditional Christmas music from the Mid-Shore Voices of the Covenant Gospel Choir at Union United Methodist Church on Sunday, beginning at 5pm.
Family-favorite events include Saturday’s Breakfast with Santa for children ages 4 to 9 years old, which takes place from 8-10:00am at the waterfront Foxy’s Harbor Grille, with limited $10 tickets available for online purchasing.
The 10:30am Talbot Street Parade and the beginning of the Tour of Homes are wonderful mid-day events, with the Lighted Boat Parade along St. Michaels Harbor from 6 to 7:00pm. Parade routes, event details, online tickets, and more are at christmasinstmichaels.org.
“Our town is beautifully decorated, and the spirit and warmth of the holidays are abundant during Christmas in St. Michaels,” says Christmas in St. Michaels Board President Pat Martin. “Be sure to join us this December for one of Maryland’s longest-running home tours, showcasing a curated collection of beautifully decorated homes in our historic district.”
The Tour of Homes runs on Saturday and Sunday, with $35 advanced tickets available online, or for $40 purchased at The Marketplace and Sweet Shoppes throughout the weekend.
A Tour of Homes ticket includes one-time admission to all tour homes; a detailed tour guide booklet with local information and other major St. Michaels landmark descriptions; and free admission to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the Classic Motor Museum, and the St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary’s Square for Saturday and Sunday.
Christmas in St. Michaels’ Old Fashioned Eastern Shore Christmas Dinner takes place on Saturday, Dec. 13, starting at 11:00 a.m. and lasting until 3:00 p.m., or when the meals are sold out.
Dinners include sliced roast turkey, Maryland fried oysters, and a large assortment of sides and desserts. The event will be held at the Union United Parish Hall on Fremont Street in St. Michaels, with dine-in and carry-out dinners available at $25 per person, with tickets sold at the door on the day of the event.
Since the all-volunteer organization’s beginnings, sponsors and patrons of Christmas in St. Michaels have helped raise more than $1.7M in support of local children and adults served by family-focused, education, child development, and community enhancement organizations. Event updates, online ticket and ornament purchases, and more about Christmas in St. Michaels are at christmasinstmichaels.org.