Maryland Traditions, the Folklife Program of the Maryland State Arts Council, honored its Achievement in Living Traditions and Arts (ALTA) Award recipients with its annual gala concert, held at the Montgomery County Cultural Arts Center. The event, which opened with a performance of traditional Greek music by Wolfpack, was sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year the award is given in three categories, place, tradition and person to recipients that best exemplify the stewardship of Maryland’s living traditions.

This year, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore was given the ALTA for place. The church in the Greektown neighborhood has served as a hub for Baltimore’s Greek residents since the 1950s. Marbles Game of the Greater Cumberland Region was the ALTA recipient in the tradition category. Marbles tournaments are a big part of school rivalries across Cumberland and the area has produced nine National Marbles Champions since 1971. And the third ALTA was given to Captain Kermit “Robert Lee” Travers of Dorchester County in the person category. Seventy-eight year-old Captain Travers is a 55-year veteran oysterman and captained his first skipjack in 1969. As the only surviving African-American Skipjack captain, or, “Black Jack,” on the Chesapeake, Captain Travers still works the Bay as a living symbol of both Maryland’s proud, African-American heritage and cherished waterman culture. Congratulations to all of this year’s ALTA winners.

Pictured: 2015 ALTA recipient, Captain Kermit Travers, and his skipjack the Lady Katie

As thousands of revelers join film crews and journalists from around the world on their annual pilgrimage to Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood and its famous “Miracle on 34th St.”, they will be greeted by this tribute to Maryland’s film industry. When Jessica Baroody moved to “the Christmas Street” three years ago, it was clear she had no choice but to decorate, but she and her roommates quickly tired of their inherited inflatable reindeer. “I thought, why don’t we do something that celebrates film in Maryland?” Baroody wondered, so last year, she and her roommates, all of whom are Maryland film industry professionals, built tributes to the local Veep and House of Cards productions. This year, they followed up with tributes to local productions including Hair Spray and The Wire, as well as a call to “Film in Maryland.”

“It’s a great conversation starter, people don’t realize how many people work in the industry, “ says Baroody. Nearly 2,000 Marylanders have worked on House of Cards each season, generating an annual economic impact of $112 million. “Everyone calls film ‘a traveling circus,’ but we all want to live here, work here and stay here. That’s why we put up the signs, ‘Film in Maryland!’”

Pictured” “The Miracle on 34th St.” Photo by Kevin Moore.

On the hunt for that one-of-a-kind gift or just searching for the season’s unique cheer, there’s no place like Maryland’s Main Streets. And now is your chance to experience holiday charm in style with our Elkton Main Street Sweepstakes. Explore Elkton's historic Main Street, while supporting local, Maryland owned businesses. Enter now to win a weekend stay at Elk Forge Bed & Breakfast Inn and Spa, restaurant packages and more. With nearly $1,000 in great gifts, this is your chance to win a local holiday shopping getaway that you'll never forget. For a complete list of prizes and to enter, go to visitmaryland.org. All entries must be received by December 18.

Just in time for the holidays, the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) has opened its online Maryland Artist Marketplace. The new addition to the MSAC’s home site creates a one-stop-shopping destination for unique works by Maryland jewelers, photographers, glass blowers, painters, sculptors, musicians, weavers, writers, and more. The Maryland Artist Marketplace features a comprehensive search engine allowing shoppers to search by category, price range, county of origin and artist. The marketplace is designed to maximize accessibility for those who wish to buy local and support Maryland businesses while providing a powerful tool for consumers seeking to discover new artists.  Artists who wish to sell through the site can opt-in through their existing Maryland Artist Registry account or, for first time creators, by creating an account through the registry.

Each week, the Maryland Minute provides highlights and insights on this weekend’s events around the state. Maryland Minute is featured on CBS radio stations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and on Baltimore’s WBAL-AM 1090.