It’s finally here! Experience the warmth and joy of the holiday season during Savage Mill Yuletide!

Savage Yuletide Festival

November 30 – December 22
Savage Mill and Historic Savage, MD
Experience all that our local small businesses and historic town have to offer during this magical season.

SHOP SMALL WITH SAVAGE MILL

Saturday, November 30, 10 am
Savage Mill
Savage Mill Yuletide kicks off on #SmallBusinessSaturday with the grand opening of our new Mill Merchant & Co. Holiday Makers Market, performances from local musicians, special offers from our unique locally-owned shops, and pictures with Santa! You can also look forward to a surprise visit from special guests throughout the holiday season!

Opening remarks at 11 am with Howard County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball, Howard County Councilwoman Christiana Rigby, and other local dignitaries.

 

Savage Mill Ghost Tours
Savage Mill Ghost Tours

MEET SANTA

Saturdays and Sundays, November 30 – December 22,
11 am – 3 pm
New Weave Commons, Savage Mill
Santa and Mrs. Claus are taking time out of their busy schedule to visit our “New Weave Commons” each weekend throughout Yuletide. They’ll be available for photos with visitors…including your well-mannered four-legged companions.

BRIDGE LIGHTING

Saturday, December 7, 6 pm
Bollman Bridge, Foundry St.
Come in person and watch the magic happen! New this year: special guest internationally-renowned singer and actor Montel Butler from Red Bridge Studios will sing a holiday favorite! Following remarks from local dignitaries including Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, a “cheermeister” (student from Bollman Bridge Elementary) will light the bridge!

Savage Mill Ghost Tours

TREE LIGHTING

Savage Community Association’s Holiday Celebration
Saturday, December 7, 6:25 pm
Baldwin Common
The Savage Community Association’s Holiday Celebration includes the annual Tree Lighting on Baldwin Common by Santa; a Food Drive to support our local food pantry; and vocal and musical entertainment provided by local school, church, and scout groups.

MUSIC

Saturday, November 30, 11 am – 3 pm
Not 2 Cool Jazz Trio

New Weave Building Bridge
The Not 2 Cool Jazz Trio, led by trumpet player Michael Grasso, is a professional jazz band that focuses on music from a bygone era.

 

Saturday, December 7, 12-2 pm
DIY Jazz Trio

New Weave Building Bridge
Local musicians Kevin Rose on keyboards, Eric Arbach on drums and Matt Arbach on guitar and bass guitar will perform jazz-oriented holiday music.

and

Saturday, December 7, 2-4 pm
Charm City Flutes

New Weave Building Bridge
Featuring Laurel Ewell, Mari Hill, Andrew Tomlinson, and Erin Villamizar, Charm City Flutes delights with holiday tunes on the piccolo, concert flute, and alto flute.

and

Saturday, December 7, 4-5 pm
Casual Christmas Cabaret

More Than Java Cafe
Enjoy a delightful mix of music, laughter, warm drinks, snacks, and seasonal cheer as talented musicians from Red Bridge Studios take the stage to share their favorite holiday tunes. This cabaret promises a warm and inviting atmosphere perfect for celebrating the season. Bring a shelf-stable food item to support nearby Bollman Bridge Elementary School as admission. Followed by caroling through Savage Mill to Bollman Bridge from 5:15 to 5:45 pm!

 

Saturday, December 14, 12–4 pm
Calvin Thomas
New Weave Building Bridge
Calvin Thomas is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and mixing engineer from Frederick, MD. Come hear holiday favorites performed by this talented local musician.

Savage Mill Ghost Tours

MUSIC

Sunday, December 15, 1:30-3:30 pm
Schoolhouse Theatre Arts

Inside Savage Mill
This youth theater troupe based in Howard County consists of elementary, middle, and high schoolers from around Maryland. They will be singing some holiday classics and favorites. Please feel free to join in their caroling!

 

Saturday, December 21, 12–4 pm
Alex Barnett Classical Guitar

New Weave Building Bridge
Alex Barnett is an Annapolis-based Classical Guitarist who plays a wide range of style from Classical to Latin to Pop Arrangements of Coldplay and Queen. He will be doing arrangements of holiday tunes like Christmastime is Here, Silver Bells and The Nutcracker Suite. Alex has played around the world at The Copacabana Palace (Brazil), The Lake of Meneith Hotel (Scotland) and National Museum (Colombia)!

SANTA HEIM HISTORY DISPLAY

Santa Heim, Merryland: A Savage Christmas Story
November 30, 2024 – January 10, 2025
New Weave Building
An exhibition of historic photographs, Christmas ornaments, and other souvenirs from the years 1948-1951, when the Mill and the neighboring town of Savage were transformed into Santa Heim, a year-round Christmas village, and the Mill produced a third of all hand-blown Christmas ornaments sold in the U.S.

Organized in cooperation with the Savage Historical Society.

LUNCH CHAT

The Evolution of Glass Christmas Ornaments in America: the late 1800’s to the 1950’s 
Friday, December 13, 12–1 pm
More Than Java Cafe

Introduced to Americans in the 1880’s, German Christmas balls quickly became sought-after items. World War II and the resulting ban on imports from Germany in the 1940s precipitated the start of ball production in the United States. Lois Landvoigt (Savage Historical Society) will unveil details about the evolution of American-made Christmas ornaments and show examples from across the years. You will learn to identify ornaments in your collection, as well as how the Savage Mill-based Santa Novelties factory played a unique role in the American Christmas ornament industry.

Organized by the Savage Historical Society

HISTORIC WALKING TOUR

Santa Heim, Merryland: Savage’s Year-Round Christmas Village
Sunday, December 15, 1–2:30 pm
Meet at the Paymaster’s Office, adjacent to the Little Lot
Join us for this walking tour highlighting the Santa Heim years of Savage Mill and the surrounding community. From 1948-1951, the former cotton mill and the town were transformed by Harry Heim, a Baltimore businessman, into a year-round Christmas village. The walk is approx. 1 mile in length and involves descending and ascending a hill. No charge.
Savage Mill Ghost Tours

SAVAGE MILL YULETIDE MAKERS MARKET

Saturdays and Sundays, November 30 – December 22
New this year, Mill Merchant & Company is Savage Mill’s very own pop-up holiday makers market! Step inside the store for a curated selection of holiday gift items including unique jewelry, pottery, body products, reclaimed urban hardwoods and driftwood, crocheted and knitted pieces, hand-printed textiles, hand-dyed yarn, sustainable home goods, jams and jellies, seasonal greenery and plants, and works of art. Don’t miss the local wines, spirits, and handcrafted mixers!

Savage Mill Ghost Tours