Chestertown, Maryland

Chestertown is a town located in Kent County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 4,746. It is the county seat of Kent County{{GR|6}}. The zipcode is 21620 and the area code is 410. The local telephone exchanges are 778 and 810.

Chestertown Tea Party Festival

In May of 1774, five months after the British closing the port of Boston after the Boston Tea Party, the citizens of Chestertown wrote a set of resolves that prohibited the buying, selling, or drinking of tea. In an act of colonial defiance they held their own "tea party" on the Chester River in Chestertown. The festival today commemorates the historic event with a re-enactment of the "tea party." Colonial re-enactors are thrown overboard with the tea by the crew of the Brig Geddes. A parade up high street from the Chester River follows with colonial music and dance, fife and drum performances, puppet shows, colonial crafts demonstrations and sales, military drills, and a walking tour of the historic district. It is the town's biggest weekend of the year as tourists cram the streets strolling among booths filled with crafts and food.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~