Updated July 29, 2010—Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of famed sharpshooter and former Cambridge resident Annie Oakley! The first-ever Annie Oakley Wild West Festival happens August 7 and 8 on the Choptank River waterfront in Cambridge, Maryland. Admission is FREE to this family-friendly event. Live music by the Oklahoma Twisters, Cowboy Country, Arty Hill & the Long Gone Daddy's, Liz Masterson, Red Jones, Cowboy Country, and more. Dancing with Cowboy Dancing Plain & Fancy. Plus, cowboys and cowgirls, beer and wine garden, re-enactments, arts and crafts, stagecoach rides, pony rides, Native American area, great food (including buffalo burgers, fry bread, deep-fried Twinkies, Buffalo Bill wings), and much more! Plus, don't miss the great Barn Dance on Friday night, August 6. Read all about it.

July 23, 2010—Enjoy a farm-to-table feast as Chef Ian Campbell cooks up a special dinner with bounty from the Main Street Farmers' Market at 6:30pm, Monday, Sept. 13 at the award-winning Bistro Poplar, 535 Poplar Street in Cambridge. Bistro Poplar has earned many accolades, including being named "Best Seasonally Inspired Menu" by What's Up Eastern Shore magazine. Tickets cost $45 per person. Only a limited number will be sold. Buy yours at the Farmers' Market on Thursdays, 3-6pm at the market near Academy and Muir Streets in Cambridge. Or reserve your spot by sending a note to office@cambridgemainstreet.com. [Photo by Jane Thomas]

July 14, 2010—Here are the winners of the 2010 Taste of Cambridge Crab Cook-Off! Remember, we have two categories of winners: Judge's Choice (determined by a panel of judges that included Elise Kolaja of  ChesapeakeFoodie.com, Suzanne Loudermilk of Baltimore magazine, and Ron “R.L.” Butler of Fat Tuesday’s N’awlins Saloon) and People's Choice (voted by Taste ticket holders).

JUDGE'S CHOICE WINNERS:

Cream of Crab Soup: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

Crab Soup: Clearview at Horn Point

Crab Dip: Kay's at the Airport

Crab Cake: Kay's at the Airport

Crab Specialty: Ocean Odyssey (for Oyster Crabafeller)

PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS:

Cream of Crab Soup
1st Place:  Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill
2nd Place: Paul's Subs

Crab Soup
1st Place: Blue Point Provision Company
2nd Place: Kay's at the Airport
3rd Place: Clearview at Horns Point

Crab Dip
1st Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill
2nd Place: Portside Seafood Restaurant
3rd Place: Kay's at the Airport

Crab Cake
1st Place: Bistro Poplar
2nd Place: Clearview at Horns Point
3rd Place: Kay's at the Airport


Crab Specialty
1st Place: Water's Edge (for spicy crab tacos)
2nd Place: Ocean Odyssey (for oyster crabafeller)

Congratulations to all the winners! The top winner of the professional crab-picking competition was Aouy Aone of Kool Ice Seafood. Second place went to Socorro Herrera of Lindy's Seafood. Thanks to the hundreds and hundreds of crab lovers, visitors, volunteers, restaurants, vendors, and others—who came out despite the soggy weather to make a terrific Taste of Cambridge! [Photo by Dave Harp.]

June 24, 2010—Stock up on fresh and local produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, flowers, and more — now on Tuesdays as well as Thursdays! That's right, the Main Street Farmers Market is growing! Starting Tuesday, June 29, stop by the market at Academy and Muir Streets, 8am-12pm. The market also continues on Thursdays, 3-6pm, in the same location.

June 14, 2010—Hundreds of people joined Cambridge native author John Barth on June 12 to unveil a historic marker in his honor. The marker, as well as a brochure with a walking tour of spots in Cambridge related to Barth's life, were developed by the Dorchester County Friends of Library. The marker is located on library grounds at 303 Gay Street in Cambridge. Winner of the National Book Award and F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Fiction, Barth was born and raised in Cambridge. The Barth sign is the first in Dorchester County to honor a literary figure. During the ceremony, Barth was also presented a key to the city of Cambridge by Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley. “Cambridge, the rivershore, and the great down county salt marshes were my life’s coordinates from birth through high school through college and my first efforts as a writer of fiction, and they remain as touchstones of my imagination," he told the crowd. Read more about Barth's life here on a page created by the Dorchester County Public Library.

June 14, 2010—More than 2,000 triathletes, along with their family and friends, descended on Cambridge this past weekend for the Eagleman Ironman 70.3 triathlon. The triathletes—and the 800 community volunteers who were on hand to make the event happen and keep the athletes safe—battled high heat and humidity throughout the day June 13. The athletes, who came from 41 states and eight countries, were a mix of professional athletes, everyday folks from teenagers to 70+, and those who have come back after cancer, car accidents, loss of limbs, and more. The winner in the men's division was Torenzo Bozzone from New Zealand; from women, it was Samantha Warriner, also from New Zealand. The race also saw several finishers from Cambridge, including Joe Brooks and David Brohawn of Cambridge Multi-Sport, shown here, posing for a photo right after crossing the finish line. Congratulations to all the finishers! For more on Eagleman, go to the Columbia Triathlon Association.