Annual Festivals in Baltimore
Fells Point Fun Festival
Website: http://www.preservationsociety.com/
Date: First weekend in October
Parking: Parking can be very difficult, since much of Fells Point is closed to traffic. Park in the lot on Fleet Street and Caroline Street and walk to the festival.
Fells Point Fun Festival is one of the largest and most anticipated in Baltimore. People come from all over to experience Fells Point, the unique community of bars, restaurants, shops and cultural resources. Expect plenty of vendors with food (including great crab cakes!) and exhibitions by local artists (most of which are housed in Broadway Pier, the building made famous by the television show “Homicide: Life on the Streets.”
One of the biggest draws to the festival is the party atmosphere. For adults, there are two beer gardens set up – one on Thames Street near Wolfe Street and one at the end of Thames Street near Bond Street, where local breweries serve cold beer. Both locations have live music, though the Wolfe Street park location tends to draw smaller, eclectic bands (I observed many more families and older people who wanted to hang out in the park, listen to music, and even dance a bit), while the large parking lot at the other end of Thames Street houses the “main stage” and tends to draw bigger acts and more of the college crowd.
Further north on Broadway, carnival rides provide entertainment for the kids, and the festival takes on a more Latin flavor, representative of the burgeoning community there. The music, food, and items for sale all exude the new energy of this part of the neighborhood. While I love the more traditional festival on Thames Street, I found the portion of the festival on Broadway, north of Fleet Street much more lively and interesting.
Hon Fest
Website: http://www.HonFest.net
Date: Early June
Parking: Parking can be difficult, as it’s in a residential neighborhood. Grab a spot as close as possible and walk. Luckily, it should be free.
Hampden is known for the Baltimore Hons – the women with cats’ eye classes and beehive hairdo’s – popularized by John Waters’ movies such as Hairspray. Hon Fest is a celebration of all things Hon. Residents close down “The Avenue” (36th Street) for two days in early June for one of the friendliest festivals around. Expect vendors with home-cooked food, 50s style hairdo’s, great retro antique stalls, funky art for sale, and lots of great live music. This is a great festival to bring children to, because there are many fun things for kids to do including a do-wop show, and arts and crafts. If you are looking for a festival that is uniquely Baltimore (or “Bawlmer” as the Hons would say), then I recommend checking out Hon Fest – I had a blast!
Artscape
Website: http://www.artscape.org
Date: End of July
Parking: Can be difficult. Try taking the light rail.
Artscape is focused on showcasing the artistic talents of Baltimore’s creative community. Everyone from writers to poets to photographers to painters descend on Mount Royal, a Baltimore neighborhood with a rich architectural history. It is the largest arts festival on the east coast, and in addition to vendors, you can expect to see live dance, theater and film. There is also plenty to do with the kids. The festival attracts people from all over the country, and is also one of the more established festivals in Baltimore, having just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Because it is so established, they frequently bring in some pretty well known entertainment, so check the website for the schedule. I have friends who picked up unique, reasonably priced pieces of artwork to furnish their apartment at this festival.
Fells Point Oyster Festival
Website: http://slurpfest.com
Date: September
Parking: Easier than during Fells Point Fun Fest. Metered spots are available, as are parking lots. Do not park in Area 9 parking or you will be ticketed.
Though smaller than the Fells Point Fun Fest (it takes place on the square near the water on Broadway) and less established (only in its 7th year), the Fells Point Oyster Festival is a great time. This festival tends to attract a large number of locals who come out to the square to listen to the live music, eat some great food (the key here is oysters, though you can get many different kinds of food), and do what Fells Pointer’s like to do – enjoy a cold beer! In past years, it has been sponsored by 98rock, who broadcasts live from the festival. This year they brought in some awesome bands that played some of their own songs, but also did some cover songs that got the crowd going. The nice part of this Festival is that it is smaller and has a very laid-back atmosphere, so you can break away and enjoy the rest of Fell’s Point if you want to.
