A Christmas tree made from re-purposed crab baskets and buoys? Oh yes! Each holiday season, a busy corner in downtown Cambridge is home to a 20-foot high tree made from nearly 200 bushel baskets that have been used to harvest Maryland blue crabs — and will be put back to work when crab season starts again in April. The original crab basket tree tree — which celebrates Dorchester County’s waterman culture — draws folks from near and far who are eager to take a selfie at the spot. This has become a much loved holiday tradition for Cambridge and Dorchester County. It’s built each year by a handful of volunteers led by Brandon Hesson who first came up with the idea, with the J.M. Clayton Company donating the crab baskets and Bay Country Communications lending a bucket truck. The tree’s “ornaments” are used buoys that local artisans re-purposed into tree decor. Volunteers usually construct the tree in the days after Thanksgiving.
Check out the tree at the corner of Race and Gay Streets in downtown Cambridge, Maryland. We love our Crab Basket Tree!
(Photo by Jill Jasuta)
