Updated September 7, 2010—The September 11 Second Saturday festivities promise an evening of great shopping, dining, and gallery hopping starting at 5pm. Downtown’s shops will be open late, showcasing new fall merchandise and offering great closeout deals on summer fashions. Retail shops and galleries will also be offering a drawing for free pairs of tickets to screenings at the Chesapeake Film Festival on Sept. 25 and 26. Just fill in your e-mail address for your chance to win—no purchase necessary! Plus receptions in the galleries, and more. Click "more" to find out all the details.

August 23, 2010—Make the most of the end of the summer during the sixth annual Summer Send-Off in downtown Cambridge 5-10 p.m., Saturday, September 18. This year, it's all about Blues, Brews & BBQ! Enjoy barbeque (and other foods) cooked up by Dorchester County firehouses. Wash it down with a variety of brews. Listen to great live music and entertainment, and browse the sidewalk sales. Live music by Virginia bluesman Jimmy Cole and his band, the local Blackwater Refugees, 12-year-old guitar prodigy Evan Button, and other musicians. The event also features the wacky and fun Main Street Mile, where teams from local businesses and organizations do a relay race on tricycles, wearing snorkel flippers, etc. On the 400 block of Race Street in downtown Cambridge. Find out more.

August 21, 2010—The Chesapeake Film Festival is expanding to Cambridge! Now in its third year, the festival showcases the finest in narrative, documentary and short film. More than 30 films, everything from a Polish documentary to animation to an Eastern Shore tribute, will be shown in four towns on the Eastern Shore on Sept. 25-26 — Cambridge, as well as Easton, Oxford, and St. Michaels. In Cambridge, seven films will be shown at Gallery 447 at 447 Race Street. The festival is open to the public. On Saturday, Gallery 447 will show Secret of Kells (10:30am, a great animated film for kids and all ages), Mars (1pm), Freedom Riders (3:30pm), and Quick Gun Murugan (7:30pm). On Sunday, Sept. 26, Gallery 447 will show Bilal's Stand (10:30am), UrFRENZ (1pm), Basquiat (4pm). For descriptions of the movies, click "more." For details on the festival and trailers/descriptions of all 30+ films, go to the Chesapeake Film Festival website.

In all their glittering and sparkling and colorful glory,  mosaics are delighting people of all ages during the third annual "Pieces of the Path: Exploring the Art of Mosaic." One of the most popular art shows of the year, it includes not only unusual decorative pieces, but also a variety of functional art, from small vases to substantial tables. The exhibit is anchored at the Main Street Gallery, 413 Muir Street, with dozens of mosaics on display. The mosaic show extends to a mosaic “path” down Race Street, encompassing several galleries, shops, and a number of large-scale outdoor permanent installations. Mosaic sites include: Main Street Gallery (413 Muir Street), Cannery Way outdoor mural (400 block of Race Street), LunaChick (430 Race Street), 447 Gallery (447 Race Street), Joie de Vivre Gallery (410 Race Street), Avé Salon Spa (501 Poplar Street), Sunnyside (500 Poplar Street), Dorchester Center for the Arts (321 High Street), and GiGi’s Trattoria (305 High Street). The show at the Main Street Gallery runs August 6–September 25, 2010. Meet the artists during a free reception on Second Saturday, September 11, 5-8pm, at the Main Street Gallery.

Downtown is still alive and well while the Cambridge Creek drawbridge is closed for repairs and repainting for three months, from August through October. Plan to take Cedar St. to Race St. to get to downtown shops and restaurants. Boat traffic won’t be affected, since the 1938 drawbridge will remain in an upright, open position for most of the three months. Detour signs on Route 50 direct motorists to Cedar Street.

Updated August 30, 2010—SORRY, THE FARMERS' MARKET DINNER IS SOLD OUT! 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. [Photo by Jane Thomas]