(Jan. 19, 2017) This year, the Winter Waterman’s Festival is scheduled a little later than normal, moving from December to January to give both the participants and audience a little time to breathe.
“There [were] too many things already going on in December. People are jammed up with things to do,” Delmarva Discovery Center President and CEO Stacey Weisner said. “Moving the event worked out for the watermen too.”
This year’s offering will be similar to those of years past, but with the obvious addition of Mac and Tuck, the center’s river otters, and a few new activities for children.
“There will be lots of kids activities, like making a float for Mac and Tuck,” Weisner said.
Face painting and other hands-on activities should keep the children entertained, while the center is also offering in-depth looks at how watermen do what they do. Interactive exhibits, demonstrations and local seafood will also be available.
“A lot of people say they like crabs, but they don’t know how they are caught or who caught them — people tend to take stuff like that for granted,” Weisner said. “Some people have never seen an oyster shucked — we’ll have them being shucked right there.”
Food sampling is a certain bet, as well as regional decoy carvers. And, of course, where you have watermen you have stories.
“We’re going to have roundtable discussions and panels with a moderator,” Weisner said.
However, the event will be anything but scripted — once a waterman goes off on a tangent it’s best to just let them finish.
“There will be some question and answer sessions too, but sometimes the answers meander off into better stories,” Weisner said.
Environmental regulations, increased hardship and a disappearing way of life are certain to come up during the discussions.
“Celebrating the history and culture of the area is in our mission statement, and working watermen maintain the traditions of the area,” Weisner said.
The event is scheduled to run during the Delmarva Discovery Center’s normal business hours on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no admission cost for members of the center, and nonmember adult admission is $10, while nonmember child admission is $5.
For more information, call 410-957-9933 or visit www.DelmarvaDiscoveryCenter.org.