Dorchester-Cambridge, Maryland, Festival Blooms on Saturday

Cambridge, Maryland --The sounds of family fun and entertainment will fill the 600 block of Pine Street Saturday, April 25, when the annual Dorchester-Cambridge Multi-cultural Festival kicks-off at noon. The free event with the goal to bridge the various ethnic cultures in Dorchester County will include a silent auction, plenty of music, vendors, games and activities for children.

"We are going to have the whole parking lot of the Empowerment Center for kids only where they can do fun things. It will be called the Kids' Zone," said festival committee member Octavene Saunders.

"We want to recognize Wendy Hughes, Portia Johnson-Ennels and Julia Davis for taking care of the Kids' Zone," she said.

"This is going to be our third event. It has been very successful. Every year we gain a little more people, and it's evident that there has been a very strong family participation," said committee member Jennifer Curran.

She added, "Folks really should come over and bring the kids, especially for the activities. There's entertainment for the adults, there's entertainment and activity for the children."

Committee members emphasized that there will be no alcohol at the event.

The tentative schedule for the festival, emceed by the Reverend Dr. William T. Wallace Sr., is as follows:

Noon - The Ragin' Unstopables Band
12:15 p.m. - Color Guard
12:25 p.m. - An address by Brother Garrick Cook of the Cambridge Church of Christ
12:45 p.m. - The Gospel Deliverers
1:15 p.m. - The Pleasant Day Funsters
1:30 p.m. - Vernetter Pinder portraying Harriet Tubman
2:30 p.m. - Heavenly Sons of Joy
3:00 p.m - Ragin' Unstoppables Band
3:30 p.m. - The Anointed Five
4:00 p.m. - The Young Sluggaz, clean Hip Hop music
4:45 p.m. - Closing remarks and announcement of the silent auction winners.

The event DJ will be TNT Allen Butler Productions.

Silent auction items include a one night stay for two adults and up to two children at the Hyatt, electric weedeater, and a casual outdoor table and chair collection. You do not have to be present to win.

Food vendors include the American Legion Post 87, Dorchester Elks Lodge #221, Sacred Revolution Ministries, Sampson Enterprises and the West End Citizens Association.

Individuals and organizations that have partnered together for the festival include the Pine Street Committee, Dorchester Elks Lodge #223, the Cambridge Police Department, the Dorchester Center for the Arts, Corporal Herman Hughes of the American Legion Post #87, the Maryland State Arts Council, Eugene Camper Sr., the Dorchester County Council, the Dorchester County Tourism Department, WCEM-FM, and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Tyogie Gordy.

Those traveling to Cambridge, Maryland for this event should take US 50 to Cambridge, turning right (left if westbound on US 50) at Cedar Street. Follow Cedar Street until it terminates at the 600 block of Pine Street.

Please check back at Associated Content sometime after April 28, 2009, for festival pictures.