Crisfield | Places to visit in Maryland

Annual Events in and Around Crisfield

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Are you thinking of moving to Crisfield and wondering what the town has to offer? Are you a new resident of the town looking for things to do? Are you thinking of planning a trip to Crisfield and are looking for the perfect weekend to visit? You’re in luck! Crisfield offers a ton of great local events that celebrate Crisfield’s heritage, community, and seafood culture. So what are you waiting for? Plan a trip to Crisfield and visit one of these great events!

Somerset Strawberry Festival. If Crisfield is the “Seafood Capital of the World,” nearby Marion Station is the “Strawberry Capital of the World.” While Marion Station is no longer producing strawberries like it did back in the early part of the century, the town hasn’t forgotten the produce that built their town. What better way to kick off summer than with a festival dedicated to one of summer’s most iconic fruits? The Somerset Strawberry Festival takes place in May every year. Events include a Little Miss & Mr. Strawberry Festival Pageant, the Strawberry Strut 5K, Strawberry Jam & Jelly contests, and the Strawberry Festival Parade.
Freedom Fest. The Freedom Fest is an Independence Day celebration that features food, fireworks, and fun that costs only $5 for regular admission. Veterans get in free.
National Hard Crab Derby. Arguably one of Crisfield’s most famous events, the National Hard Crab Derby is a four-day crab extravaganza in early September. Visitors come from all over the world to celebrate one of the sea animals that made Crisfield famous: the Maryland blue crab. Events include a carnival, a Crab Cooking Contest, live entertainment, a 10K race, a parade, skiff races, and arm wrestling contests. Major events include the Crab Picking Contest, the Governor’s Cup Race, the Boat Docking Contest, and the National Hard Crab Derby Race. The Hard Crab Derby Race is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a race where live crabs race. The crabs are all numbered on the back of their shells so participants and race officials can tell which crab has won. It’s a national event!

Brush up on Your History With the Crisfield Heritage Foundation

The Crisfield Heritage Foundation provides a number of services to the historic city of Crisfield. The Heritage Foundation is dedicated to preserving Crisfield’s heritage and educating the public about Crisfield’s heritage. It also provides tourists with local information and services. The Crisfield Heritage Foundation invites tourists to come explore “the best kept secret of the Chesapeake.”

One of the forefront attractions in the city of Crisfield is the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum. The foundation runs this museum and invites people to use the museum as a “starting point” in order to learn about Crisfield. The museum showcases the Maryland Lower Shore’s history. The J. Millard Tawes Museum features exhibits on topics like the origins of the Chesapeake Bay and the Native Americans of the region and how they interacted and impacted the area’s colonists. Exhibits on seafood harvesting and processing can be found within the museum’s walls, along with Crisfield’s long and impressive history as the “Seafood Capital of the World.” Museum visitors can explore exhibits about decoy carving and painting. One of the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum’s newest exhibits is a “Shanty” exhibit. Museum visitors can experience the crab shanty of a working waterman. The museum has a low admission price of only three dollars, with children between the ages of 6 to 12 paying one dollar. Children under 6 are free. Find the J. Millard Tawes museum on the Somers Cove Marina waterfront.

In addition to being a link to Crisfield’s past, the museum is also the starting point for Crisfield’s walking tour, The Port of Crisfield Walking Tour. A favorite stop on the port-side tour is always the visit to the modern seafood processing facility.

The Crisfield Heritage Foundation also manages three other properties, including the J. Millard Tawes Library and the Ward Brothers Workshop, which are available by appointment only. The Foundation’s newest acquisition is the Cedar Island Marsh Sanctuary, which totals 330 acres and is the home of a plethora of local wildlife. The sanctuary is right by Jenkins Creek, where local watermen work to harvest the seafood that made Crisfield famous.

Filed Under: Crisfield Tagged With: J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum, Maryland, Museum

Local Restaurants in Crisfield: The Watermen’s Inn

Ask any Crisfield local and they’ll tell you that one of the of the best places to go in Crisfield is the locally owned The Watermen’s Inn. The restaraunt is owned by Brian Julian and Kathy Berezoski. These two owners and operators have owned The Watermen’s Inn for over 20 years. Julian and Berezoski have owned the restaurant since summer 1988. The two both received Culinary Arts Associate degrees from the Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Berezoski also has an Associate degree in Pastry Arts and a Bachelor’s in Food Service Management.

The Watermen’s Inn prides itself on using fresh and local seafood as well as a variety of other fresh local ingredients. The restaurant offers nightly dinner specials to keep the menu fresh and interesting. The restaurant also offers fresh-made desserts. The restaurant boasts a tap room with a full drink menu.

The restaurant is conveniently located two blocks from the City Dock and Somers Cove Marina. The Watermen’s Inn is located on the corner of 9th and Main and is also close to the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum. The seafood restaurant is open only from Thursday to Sunday for lunch and dinner except for July and August, when the restaurant is open from Wednesdays to Sundays. The restaurant also serves breakfast on the weekends. The Watermen’s Inn staff recommends that diners make reservations for dinner. The Watermen’s Inn starts lunch at 11:00 on weekdays and it opens for breakfast at 8 AM on weekends.

The Watermen’s Inn also runs an extensive catering service. The staff promises to work with clients in order to create a customized menu. The catering service also delivers. Kathy Berezoski also runs a “Cakes by Kathy” service which provides wedding cakes along with other specialty cake. At the Pocomoke Elks, the Watermen’s Inn is listed on the preferred catering list and the company has catered at many local businesses, hotels, and museums.

Menu favorites include backfin lump crab cakes, crab soup, and the restaurant’s homemade desserts. Locals always recommend to get the daily special for a true treat.

Filed Under: Crisfield Tagged With: Crisfield Maryland, J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum, Restaurant

Demographics: Who Lives in Crisfield?

Crisfield had 2,723 people at the 2000 census. Of these 2,723 people, there were 1,172 households. 723 of these households were families. Crisfield has a population density of 1,675 people per each square mile. The 1,357 housing units had a density average of 835/square mile. As for ethnicity demographics, the town is 59 percent white, 37 percent African American, .5 percent Asian, .4 percent Native American, and .4 percent Pacific Islander. .4 percent are from other races. 2.68 percent are from two or more than two races. The population is also 1.7 Latino/Hispanic.

Of those 1,172 households in Crisfield, 30.3 percent had children under age 18 living within the household. 33 percent were married couples who lived together. 25 percent were women with no husband in the household. Non-families made up 38 percent. 34 percent of the Crisfield households were comprised of individuals. 19 percent were a single individual over age 65. The average household size in Crisfield is 2.3. The Crisfield average family size falls at 2.9.

As for age demographics, 28 percent of the city is under the age of 18. 8 percent is between the ages of 18 to 24. People aged 25 to 44 make up 24.5 percent of the city. 21 percent of the population is between the ages of 45 to 64. People who were 65 or older make up 18 percent of the city. The average age in Crisfield is 37. There are statistically more women than men in Crisfield, with 75 males for every hundred females. There are 71 males for every hundred females over the age of 18.

The average income for a household in Crisfield is just under $18,000. The average income for a family is just under $24,000. Men in Crisfield make about $10,000 more than their female counterparts, with men making an average income of over $30,000. Women in Crisfield make over $20,500 in average income. Crisfield has a per capita income of $12,387. 35 percent of population is below the poverty line while 30.5 percent of families fall below the poverty line.

Filed Under: Crisfield Tagged With: Crisfield, Crisfield Maryland, Household

The History of Crisfield

Crisfield can trace its inhabitants all the way back to when the Annemessex, part of the Algonquin Nation’s Pocomoke tribe, lived in the area (the Annemessex River takes its name from these native inhabitants). In 1663, a settler from England, Benjamin Summers, came to the area to claim his headright (a common practice in England at the time). Summers claimed a 300-acre stake of land which he called “Emmessex.” Summers would go on to claim another 200 acres, which he named “Musketa Hummock.” These original tracts of land remain within Crisfield. Later, a 100-acre piece of land was patented and named “Little Worth.” The combination of these three initial land claims would eventually be called “Somers Cove.” Somers Cove grew into a large seafood distribution center on the East Coast. The fast-growing Somers Cove had more than 100 buildings by 1804, whereas two similar towns on the peninsula only had 40 and 4.

John W. Crisfield helped bring the Pennsylvania Railroad System’s Eastern Shore Railroad to Somers Cove in 1866. Somers Cove became a city shortly thereafter, in 1872. The town was renamed to honor Crisfield’s efforts in having the railroad connect to the former Somers Cove and boosting its economy through rail traffic. Crisfield was soon called the “Seafood Capital of the World” due to the amount of seafood Crisfield shipped to different parts of the country. The nickname is still used today to describe the city.

Thanks to the flourishing seafood industry, Crisfield was the second largest city in Maryland by 1904, following Baltimore. The town had a population of 25,000, with people coming to Crisfield from all over the country to work in the seafood industry. The town had so many leftover oyster shells from the seafood industry that the shells, along with soot from the rail system, was deposited in salt marshes. The shells and soot formed a peninsula upon which downtown Crisfield was built, leading people to honestly say that the town was built on seafood, or “on top of oyster shells.”

Crisfield is still best known for its seafood to this very day.

Filed Under: Crisfield Tagged With: Crisfield Maryland, Maryland, Seafood

Seafood Restaurants in the Crisfield Area

The Crisfield, Maryland area is a popular tourist destination. Much of the commerce in the area is based around tourism. Tourists, as well as locals, have to eat and Maryland is popular for its seafood so Crisfield is a great place to visit for anyone looking to try some of the best in Mid Atlantic seafood.

One of the most popular seafood items in the Crisfield area is crab. Maryland Blue Crab is the most popular of the crab varieties around. Blue Crab is a $100 million dollar industry in the Chesapeake Bay region, of which Crisfield helps support.

There are several popular seafood restaurants in and around the town which offer something for everyone.

There are small crab shacks that are very laid back are and don’t have a lot of frills. These places tend to be very popular among the locals and offer quality food at a good price. If you have the opportunity to visit Crisfield and spend time with any locals, make sure they show you some of the popular low key places like this.

For those looking for something with a bit of a classier atmosphere, Crisfield can oblige that too. In addition to the low key places mentioned, there are some fine dining seafood places too. These restaurants tend to have larger menus, a collection of fine wines and an atmosphere that is great to take a date or hold a business meeting.

Besides these two extremes, there are more typical dining experiences to be found as well. Seafood restaurants like this are perfect for taking the family for a nice meal out.

As you can see, there is a variety of seafood eateries in Crisfield to meet the needs of anyone who visits. If you have the opportunity to visit make sure you check out the different options and available and try something new and exciting.

Filed Under: Crisfield Tagged With: Maryland, Restaurants, Seafood

Why You Should Consider Joining the Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce

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Chances are if you are business owner you have heard the term Chamber of Commerce. However, very few businesses actually take the step to joining a chamber of commerce. This could be due to the unfamiliarity that people have with what a chamber of commerce is or what exactly one can do for your business. Here is a look at what joining the Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce can do for your business.

Higher Public Rating. A recent study has been conduct amongst shoppers and consumers. They were asking to rate businesses that they had never heard of based off of a description of that business. Many consumers rated businesses that promoted that they were a member of the Chamber of Commerce higher than those that did not. By joining one you raise your company’s image in the consumer’s eyes and give yourself a higher public image.

Attract Referrals. A Chamber of Commerce allows you to network with all the area’s local businesses. This means that those businesses will refer customers to your service if they need it just based off of the fact that you are a local Chamber of Commerce member.

Discounts. What business owner does not like to save money? Being a part of the Chamber of Commerce allows you to take advantage of some great member only discounts through the other members of the Chamber of Commerce. Some of these offers are great money saving opportunities for business owners and can really help with your business’ budget.

Free Advertising. The Chamber of Commerce will list all the local businesses that are a part of the local chapter on a website, inside a local informational packet and other places. This almost serves as a way to gain free advertising and can actually help your business reach a new level of customers that you might not have reached before.

Filed Under: Crisfield, General, Society Tagged With: Area, Business, Chamber of commerce

Crisfield Maryland Schools

All Crisfield, Maryland Schools are located Somerset County. There are eleven public schools in the area that cover pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. These eleven schools break down as follows – 4 pre-school and daycare centers, 3 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 2 high schools. There is also one private school covering all grades from pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.

All eleven schools are located in the Somerset County Public Schools School District, which is located in Westover, Maryland. These eleven schools served 2,910 students in all grades in 2007. The School District spent $12,421 per pupil in 2007. These expenditures can be broken down into three areas – 58% on instruction, 37% for support services, and 5% for other elementary and secondary expenses.

The student to teacher ratio in the Crisfield, Maryland Schools is very good as there are just 12 students for every full time teacher. This compares extremely well when compared to the Maryland state average of 14 students per teacher. The dropout rate in the Somerset County Public Schools School District was 7% in 2007 for grades nine through twelve. This is relatively high when compared to the national average of just 4.4% in 2007 for grades nine through twelve.

In the Somerset County Public Schools School Division, as of 2007, there is an Individualized Education Program for 13 percent of the student population. Individualized Education Plans are specific plans for students that meet the criteria for special needs services.

The schools of Crisfield, Maryland are well maintained and serve as a perfect environment for area children to achieve their academic goals. With an outstanding teacher to student ratio each child is virtually guaranteed more than enough attention to succeed. The Individualized Education Program also makes certain that all children with special needs are included in the academic program.

Filed Under: Crisfield, General Tagged With: Crisfield Maryland, Maryland, School district

Crisfield, Maryland Economy

The city of Crisfield, in the state of Maryland, has a population of about 2,723 (2000 census) and its main industries are healthcare, retail, automotive, and seafood. At its peak there were about 150 seafood packaging and processing plants, however, the numbers dropped drastically in 1990. It was about this time that the health of the Cheasapeake Bay dropped significantly, which reduced the amount of blue crabs being caught by fishermen. A 70% decrease in the fishing industry since the 1990’s has resulted in the closure of many of these seafood processing and packaging plants.

Currently, the largest employer within the city limits of Crisfield, Maryland is the McCready Memorial Hospital. The second largest employer is the Rubberset plant. This subdivision of Sherwin-Williams produces paint brushes. A good portion of the workforce is employed outside the city limits in nearby cities.

In 2000, the unemployment rate for Caucasian males was 0% and for Caucasian females was 7.1%. For those who are African-American, or of mixed races, the unemployment rate ranged between 19.4% and 35.8%. Of those who were employed, males were most often employed in the construction industry (14%). The second most popular industry for males to be employed in was the public administration industry (12%) and then the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (9%). For women the most popular employment industry in 2000 was the healthcare industry (24%). Public administration was also the second most popular industry for women (15%) and accommodation and food services came in third for women (9%).

In Crisfield, Maryland the median household income in 2008 was $23,860 in comparison to the median income in the state of Maryland, which was $70,545. As much as 34.2% of households in Crisfield were below the poverty level and 12.9% were 50% or more below the poverty level.

Filed Under: Crisfield Tagged With: Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, Sherwin-Williams

Waterfront Activities in Crisfield, Maryland

Crisfield, Maryland is a small city but if you love the water, there are lots of options for travelers to enjoy the outdoors. Situated right at the mouth of the Annemessex River at Tangier Sound, the town of Crisfield has many opportunities for boating and other waterfront activities. You will not want to miss out on them!

The Somers Cove Marina is one of the most popular of the many marinas in Crisfield. From there you can participate in boating, sailing, and fishing. They have many charter boats that you can rent for the day, or even for a week, and the marina offers access to many other attractions as well. You can attend events like the Soft Shell Spring Fair in May, the J. M. Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in July, or the Annual Hard Crab Derby in September. The events at the Somers Cove Marina are attended my many!

Jane’s Island offers many opportunities for going on paddle trails where you can see wildlife and enjoy the outdoors. There is a campground, cabins, and a picnic area so you can make it a whole day that the family will love.

There are many other opportunities to enjoy the water in Crisfield, Maryland. Take a boat tour on the Steven Thomas where you can enjoy beautiful scenery and take a tour to the Tangier Island – a quaint little area that is like stepping into the past.

And don’t forget that since Crisfield is “the crab capital of the world” there are many opportunities to enjoy some great food on the waterfront. Whether you are looking for somewhere to sit down and enjoy a class meal or just a place to find a picnic bench in the sun you will be able to enjoy the great seafood of Crisfield while having fun by the water.

Filed Under: Crisfield, Events Tagged With: Boat, Crisfield Maryland, Tangier Sound