A Maritime Heritage Day Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday to celebrate Mathews County’s long, rich relationship with the sea.
The festival is sponsored by the Mathews Maritime Foundation and will be held at both of its facilities—the Mathews Maritime Museum, 482 Main Street, Mathews and the Gwynn’s Island Boat Shop, 616 Old Ferry Road, Gwynn.
On the grounds of the museum, there will be exhibits, entertainment, food by Backwoods BBQ, a variety of activities, and a bounty of information available about maritime history, said a press release. At the boat shop, there will be boats on display, exhibits, oyster shucking and grilling, and information about boat building and restoration.
At the museum
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will be on hand to share information about boat safety in boats large and small, and the “Green Heron,” the last boat built by Gilbert Klingel in the late 1970s, will be on display. Klingel’s daughter, Marcy Benouameur, will be nearby at the membership table to answer questions about the unusual boat and hand out maps of the Mathews Blueways Trail.
Wayne Hudgins will have a table set up for his business, Hudgins Horn Harbor Marina, and Don Good of the foundation will have an exhibit of his boat models. Benn Trask, author of “Lighthouses of Hampton Roads: A History,” will have a book signing. Most of the lighthouse keepers he writes about were from Mathews, and he’ll discuss his book several times during the day.
Entertainment
Music will be by country music singer/songwriter John Atkinson of Gwynn’s Island, who will also tell stories and read a poetic piece he wrote in honor of the buyboat “Peggy.” Also performing will be Hunter Owens, who sings popular old favorites regularly at Howard-Dooley Café.
Children’s corner
A children’s corner will have a variety of games and activities, along with tattoos and boat safety for children with Ann Buhl and oyster tonging with Bob Buhl. Ian Pearce will have gutter boat races and oversee the game “Races to Wolf Trap,” and Sam Parker will offer YMCA crafts.
Boats for sale
Many boats will be available for purchase onsite through the foundation’s Donor Boat Program. Dave Machen will be on hand to provide information about these boats, as well as some that may be available in other locations.
At the Gwynn’s Island Boat Shop
Visitors to the Gwynn’s Island Boat Shop will be able to learn about the foundation’s boatbuilding and restoration program with Pete Hall, see oars under construction by Mike Moore, and have a taste of Scott Gray’s freshly shucked and grilled oysters.
The foundation’s yellow submarine will be on display, there will be an exhibit of outboard motors, and John Bonner and Kerry Hall will be on the dock with Gilbert Klingel’s steel-hulled sloop “Freya” and the Mathews flagship, “Peggy.”
Finally, author Larry Chowning will have a book signing, and Mike Congrove of Oyster Seed Holdings will provide information about the Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association.
For more information about the festival and the Mathews Maritime Foundation, visit mathewsmaritime.com.