Holly DeKarske is the Director of Downtown Development for EEDC and the Easton Main Street and Arts and Entertainment District Programs manager. In this interview she talks about what’s coming up for the busy Easton holiday season.

 

EEDC: So, what’s happening in Easton for the holidays?

 

HD: Let me begin by saying that what I’m about to tell you can be found on our website under Holiday Season Events.  OK, starting with November, we have Shop Small Saturday on the 27^th. American Express sponsors it, and this is a national challenge to remember to shop small and support local businesses. We need to do that even more so this year, mainly because of the last 20 months and the pandemic. Small business owners have been exceptional in their ability to pivot so quickly and adapt to everything that happened over that time.  Then, of course, there is a supply chain shortage, with the big box stores sitting with empty shelves. So we can support local makers, local boutiques.

 

I don’t want to forget to mention the Downtown Gift Card, which has been such a successful program and is the perfect opportunity to use when considering a gift.

 

EEDC: Can you talk about the Gift Card for those who may not be aware of it?

 

HD: If there are picky people in your life that you don’t know what to buy for, or you have staff members, or teachers, or anyone that you want to whom you want to show a little bit of appreciation at Christmas time, consider the Downtown Gift Card. You can buy them on the Eastonedc.com website, select any amount you want to gift, and they can be used at over 50 locations, both retail and restaurants, in downtown Easton.

 

EEDC: Great reminder and an excellent way to support Easton. Back to events. What else is there to do in town?

 

HD: Saturday, the 27th is also the kickoff of the Festival of Trees, which is at the Tidewater Inn and raises funds for Talbot Hospice. This has been going on since 1986 and is put on by Friends of Hospice. Helping them kick it off will be Carols by Candlelight outside of the Tidewater from 5 pm- 7 pm.

 

On Thursday, December 2, we have Moonlight Madness; expect businesses to be open late into the evening. Allegro Academy will be caroling in Thompson Park and around town as you shop.

 

On Friday, December 3, For All Seasons will be on the lawn of the courthouse sponsoring an Evening with Frosty the Snowman from 5 pm to 9 pm. You’ll be able to stroll through a holiday village, have photos taken with Frosty, enjoy complimentary cocoa, cider, donuts. It’s all free and family-oriented.

 

After a year off, the Holiday Parade is back on!  It will take place on December 4, starting with the Tree Lighting at 6 pm and then the parade at 6:30 pm. EEDC had a wonderful response, and registration is now closed. We’re so grateful for everyone who signed up and decided to join in the fun.

 

Also, on December 3-5^th, 10-12^th, and 17-19^th, Talbot Interfaith Shelter (TIS) is hosting Home for the Holidays at the Hummingbird Inn, which will be decorated both outside and in the backyard with lights and inflatables, and decorations. It will be a winter wonderland walkthrough. There will also be crafts for kids, and adult beverages, pastries, and cookies will be available for purchase. So it’s a relatively inexpensive way to spend the evening with family-friendly. Admission is free, and a donation is recommended in support of the mission of TIS.

 

On Sunday the 12^th and the 19^th, Tangelo will be doing 15-20 minutes carriage rides, picking up at Hummingbird and around town to see the shops lit up for the holidays, and then returning to the Inn. This is sponsored by EEDC, and the price is $5.00 per person, and children under five are free.

 

TIS is also encouraging all downtown residents and businesses to decorate their homes or storefront windows for the holidays and sign up to be a stop on a Holiday Light Tour. After the tour, folks can donate $1 to TIS and vote for their favorite and have a chance to win a downtown Easton gift card from the EEDC or dinner from Hunter’s cabin at the Tidewater Inn.

 

EEDC: Wow, is that it?

 

HD: Not quite.  On December 3^rd and 4^th, Talbot County Women’s Club is hosting a holiday fundraiser. It will feature a life-sized version of the classic board game Candy Land Adventure. There will be crafts for kids, raffles, all sorts of fun activities for the family.

 

Of course, Avalon is doing their annual Christmas musical, and this year it will be White Christmas. There will be eight performances between December 9 through the 12th, 16th to the 19th. Tickets will go on sale this Friday.

 

Lastly is First Night, which will be virtual this year, and yes, that does include the Crab Drop. But, just like last year, there will be several hours of entertainment that you can stream live for free and watch with your family. 

 

EEDC: And then the planning for Chesapeake Fire & Ice?

 

HD: EEDC has been planning this even for a while, but we’re now going into full preparation mode for the Chesapeake Fire and Ice Festival, which takes place February 18 – 20^th. We’ve already had several businesses and individuals sponsoring the event and purchasing ice.

 

EEDC:  Obviously there is a lot going on, is this all part of the Main Street Program?

 

Holly DeKarske (HD): The Main Street Program has been around for decades, and most states take advantage of it. The program is about revitalizing and maintaining our historic downtown core, which is the center of the community. It’s the place where we have all gone shopping for shoes for back to school and where we go out for special dinners. It’s where we walk down the street, where we run into our neighbors, where we go to see our kids in the parade. It’s the center of everything that happens.

 

Main Street was created to help to support independent downtown businesses and help keep a fully vibrant downtown. We’ve all visited historic downtowns where the storefronts are empty, or the retail space has been turned into something that it wasn’t intended to be used for, such as residential space. And you see people push out to the suburbs and strip malls. So the Main Street concept has been about using the real estate we have, and the setup that it was meant to be, for people to walk easily around and get the things they need to buy or the place where they can eat. It’s to help continue to maintain and keep an economically vibrant downtown.

 

By the way, Maryland also adds the Arts and Entertainment District to the Main Street program.

 

EEDC: What does a Main Street Program manager do?

 

HD: So the job of a Main Street manager is to help promote downtown as a whole. Many Main Street Programs do a lot of events and different functions, which we call programming. But, other amazing anchors in town also do programming, so it is our job to help promote those. When there are events over at Academy Art Museum, when the Avalon has shows, or when Talbot Interfaith is doing some type of fundraiser, those all have economic impacts on our downtown and are beneficial to our community and our residents. So it is our job to help to promote all of those events, not just our own.

 

EEDC:  Before we end, just wanted to catch up.  You’ve been here since the end of June. Are you enjoying your job, and how do you like living in Easton?

 

HD: I do enjoy my job. I love working in economic development, and I love working in downtown, and I moved here because I also loved being here. And I magically found the right opportunity.  It’s been a busy 4 ½ months trying to meet and understand the needs of all the people in town that help make Easton what it is. One thing I do know from experience, we have special access to so much for a small town. We have the Avalon live performances. There is the Academy Art Museum, and the quality of artists they show is really impressive. Both of those institutions offer classes for children and adults. We have so many great partners, and I know that we can make extraordinary things happen if we work together.

 

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