CUMBERLAND — The 55th edition of Cumberland’s longest running festival offered an action-packed weekend chalked with history, community, family, crafts, food and warm weather.
Heritage Days, held Saturday and Sunday on historic Washington and neighboring streets, featured a variety of individuals, businesses, shops and nonprofits.
“Not only do you have all the people who display their wares here — it’s like market days in my day,” Michael Levick, a Benjamin Franklin reenactor, said. “So many people, not only from near and far, but many of the local people here get to enjoy themselves right in their own town and this beautiful weather.”
History lovers travel from all over to attend the festival and see the historic features that live within Cumberland.
“I love seeing what creative things come in and what they’re doing now,” Becky McClarran, a volunteer with the festival, said. “I’d say just watching the community come out here and enjoying themselves is probably the best part.”
Aside from the typical festival features, the event included historic tours through the Gordon-Roberts house, cemeteries, stained glass windows and church tunnels.
“I love seeing it in this setting, in the middle of a historic district,” Gayle Griffith, a volunteer who has been involved with Heritage Days for over 25 years, said. “It’s not like a festival that you would go to that’s out in the middle of a field, everywhere you look, even if it’s not part of the festival, we have historic homes everywhere.”
Sukh Gates, an owner of the Jane Gates House, had a booth at the festival and was collecting donations to continue Jane Gates’ legacy within Cumberland.
Jane Gates was Sukh’s husband John Gates’ third great-grandmother. Jane Gates was enslaved for most of her life, likely in or near Cumberland.
She obtained her freedom when slavery was abolished in Maryland in 1864, and purchased a house in 1871 in the current location of 515, 511 and 509 Greene St.
“It’s going to be a museum and a part of the house is going to be a teaching-learning center for students that fall behind, especially in elementary school,” Gates said. “We have raised beds in the back and we plan to grow fruits and vegetables and we want to give the students culinary experiences with the garden, and get the word out about Jane.”
Another group featured at the festival was the Allegany County Commission for Women.
“This is a major fundraiser for us. We have six baskets that we are selling tickets for, and the funds that we raise would go to fund scholarships at ACM,” Kimberly Foley, a volunteer with the group, said. “We’ve done this for many years, and we’ve raised thousands of dollars.”
In addition to history and fundraising, many vendors sold food and crafts.
Jessie Caudilo from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, sold honey products from her family-owned business, Sleepy Creek Honey.
“It was about eight years ago, whenever we started our own business,” Cuadilo said. “We’ve grown into 1,500 colonies and we produce around 15,000 pounds of honey a year.”
Another vendor sold baskets and various other products made of white oak trees. Stina Jenkins of The Bodging Bigfoot and her husband travel around weaving, teaching and selling their white oak baskets.
“My husband and I are the last traditional white oak basket makers on the East Coast,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins’ husband even taught a basket weaving class on the main stage of Heritage Days on Saturday. It is their second year attending the festival, as well.
“We look forward to certain shows every year, and Heritage Days of Cumberland is one of those that we most look forward to.”
Nearby, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad celebrated the return of RailFest, which highlighted the area’s heritage railroading, community and mountain adventure.
In addition to train excursions, over 25 vendors showcased regional crafts, food and local goods.