Sunny and 90 degrees might seem sweltering, but for Baltimoreans, it’s a welcome respite after experiencing more than 100-degree days—like during the June 2024 heat wave that broke multiple historic records. 

A 100-degree Saturday that summer was the hottest June 22 ever recorded, and it was the first time the temperature reached 100 degrees in June since 2012, according to the National Weather Service. The day before, the heat climbed to 98 degrees, beating the last record of 97 degrees set in 2010 and 1894. 

While high temperatures and humidity aren’t uncommon in these parts—especially in July and August—this was usual, says Benjamin Zaitchik, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies climate variability.   

“This is hot in general for Baltimore, but especially this early in the year,” says Zaitchik. 

June 2024 in Baltimore ranked third out of the last 50 Junes for the most days reaching 90 degrees or higher, according to data from the National Weather Service. The total of 14 days was only beat by 2010, which saw 16, and 1994, which had 15.

“The challenge for climate change is defining what is normal,” says Paul Ferraro, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies the applications of environmental programs. “The issue is that it seems like the frequency of these earlier and more intense heat waves is increasing.”  

How to stay safe 

Experts advise applying generous amounts of sunblock, wearing light and protective clothing, and minimizing sun exposure. Drink plenty of water and stay away from caffeine or alcohol—which add extra strain to your body—to stay hydrated and combat heat-related illnesses.  

It also might be best to reconsider that outdoor run or bike ride. Your body’s internal temperature can start rising just 15 minutes after starting a hot workout, and normal methods of dissipating heat during strenuous activity—such as sweating—are harder when there’s more humidity in the air and a lower evaporation rate.  

Cooling down in air conditioned areas lets your body recover from being outside in hot temperatures. Public libraries, some senior centers, and cooling centers operated by the city’s health department are open to the public during code red heat alerts. Museums and malls are also dependable, air-conditioned places to spend prolonged amounts of time to escape the heat.  

And while it’s not the fastest or most health-efficient way to cool off, grabbing ice cream or a snowball at one of the city’s many roadside shops can provide temporary relief.  

Pet safety 

The Humane Society of the United States warns against leaving pets in the car, even while the air conditioning is on. Temperatures inside a vehicle can rapidly rise to dangerous levels, especially on an 80 or 90-degree day.  

Limit walking your pets to the morning or evenings when temperatures are the coolest. A good rule of thumb: If you can’t hold your hand on the pavement for at least 10 seconds, the surface is too hot for your pets’ paws.   

It’s also important to pay special attention to short-nosed pets, such as pugs and French bulldogs, which typically have a harder time breathing, says Sunoh Che, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland and veterinarian.  

“Animals are like humans, so they get stressed when they experience a heat wave,” says Che. “We have to really care for those species of animals. Their shortened airways make it harder to move air efficiently.” 

Recognize signs of heat-related illness 

Extreme heat is the deadliest natural hazard in the country, according to the National Weather Service. Data from the CDC shows the rate of heat-related emergency department visits in the Mid-Atlantic region have spiked in recent summers, at a rate of 1,629 per 100,000 emergency department visits—the highest out of any region in the country. 

Heat-related illnesses—heat cramps, exhaustion, and stroke—are caused by prolonged exposure to the heat without adequate fluids or relief, according to Johns Hopkins University.  

Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and headache. Heat stroke is more severe, with symptoms such as high body temperature, confusion, and unconsciousness, while heat cramps involve muscle spasms.  

“People need to take the heat seriously,” says Zaitchik.  

Know how the heat affects different parts of Baltimore 

Parts of Baltimore experience more intense heat than others because of the urban heat island effect, which causes city temperatures to rise higher than surrounding rural or suburban areas. Lack of vegetation and heat-absorbing infrastructure such as buildings, roads, and concrete lead to greater retention of heat in the surrounding area, according to Zaitchik.  

“We’ve all walked down these streets in Baltimore where it’s just concrete,” says Zaitchik. “That might make the temperature a little bit higher, but more importantly, it makes the heat you feel higher.”  

A Climate Central analysis finds that about 45 percent of Baltimoreans live in an areas with an urban heat island index (UHI) of eight degrees or higher, a measure reflecting the increase in temperature from the effect. The Canton area has the highest UHI at more than 12 degrees.  

Each year at the end of October, dozens of lanterns bob up and down across Patterson Park, filling the dark sky with swirls of color.  

A glowing bat, smiling jack-o-lanterns, and a long green dragon float above swaths of people. Stilt walkers dressed in glowing outfits walk along dancers and musicians. Children clutch homemade lanterns made from recycled plastic jugs and tissue paper. And witches, ghosts, and zombies vie for the top prize in a costume contest.  

It’s all in celebration of the Creative Alliance’s Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival, a Baltimore staple incorporating multiple different community groups that is returning with a special 25th anniversary celebration on Saturday, October 26. 

The first parade 

Twenty-five years ago, a group of about 50—including organizers—traveled across the park, dotting the night with lanterns.

“Everyone who was there knew who was who,” remembers Kini Collins, who helped run the first parade with the Creative Alliance—the city’s pioneering arts and education organization which was then in its infancy, having formed only four years earlier in 1995. 

The group moved from the Pulaski Monument to the Marble Fountain, which at the time hadn’t been functional in decades, and hung their lanterns on the wrought-iron fence surrounding it. The first event didn’t have long, theatrical floats or large-scale performances, but it had lanterns that glowed from real flames instead of fake candles. (Collins adds that it took several visits from fire marshals to convince them the event wouldn’t be a fire hazard.)

“A couple people got inside the fence and created these paper trees that we essentially just set on fire,” Collins says. “There was this big woosh, and all these lanterns were around it.” 

Initially, the parade was created to strengthen the sense of community among Patterson Park residents and make them feel safer in the area at night, according to Tim Almaguer, who helped organize the first parade. It was also one of the early efforts to encourage the idea that preserving green space is just as important as maintaining streets and neighborhoods, he says.

“Parks and open spaces are defined by what happens in them,” says Almaguer, who currently works with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks. “To develop the community around the park, the park had to be good.”    

The parade started gaining traction at the same time as other local events that embraced creativity and imagination, including Fluid Movement’s production of Frankenstein on Wheels, which had its actors rollerblading to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” By the second parade in 2000, the number of attendees spiked to nearly 500.

In the early years, the procession ended with a shadow puppet show near the Observatory, where volunteers put up scaffolding with a big screen so attendees could see the performance.

“It was fantastic,” Almaguer says. “There’s a spirit and a joy in this culture, and in many ways, these kinds of events were to reclaim the park for the community.”

Cinder Hypki agrees. She is one of the founding board members of the nonprofit Friends of Patterson Park, which was established in 1998, in part, due to negative perceptions of the park. Hypki says that investing time and resources into the first parade required faith that it would pay off for the community.

“It seemed quite risky then,” she says. “Now it’s a Baltimore-wide community event—one that has transcended neighborhood borders and all the other boxes that can separate us.”  

Highlighting the Baltimore community 

Friends of Patterson Park’s executive director Jennifer Robinson says her most memorable Lantern Parade was when her daughter, who was in elementary school at the time, helped to create a 30-foot-long dragon with her Fells Point school. As a parent, it was special to see her daughter participating in the event she’d attended for decades—and helped to organize professionally.  

“More schools have gotten involved and more types of groups have found it to be a catalyst to come together and create something fun,” Robinson says. 

Since its founding, the festival has made it a priority to include multiple diverse community organizations to ensure it remains representative of the city’s makeup. 

Almaguer, who is Latino, says one of his favorite years was the Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)-themed procession in 2016 because of its visual luminance. Lanterns honored traditional elements of the Mexican celebration, incorporating candles, decorated skulls, and flowers.  

Last year’s “Night Creatures” parade featured works by local Asian American cultural groups, including an illuminated sculpture representing the Chinese Year of the Dragon, traditional Cambodian dancing, Indian and Bollywood dancing, and a Korean drumming group. This year will include the same lineup with one addition—lion dancers from the University of Maryland performing a traditional Chinese dance that mimics a lion’s movement.   

Joanna Pecore, director of Towson University’s Asian American Arts and Culture Center, underscores the ripple effect that can come from incorporating such a wide array of diverse traditions. 

“Understanding and enjoying those kinds of art forms is something that, unless you’re already connected to those communities, you might not have access to,” she says. “I’m hoping that attendees will be interested in finding the communities themselves and going to their cultural events to learn more.”  

Celebrating 25 years 

Organizers started planning this year’s special 25th anniversary parade the day after last year’s event, says Friends of Patterson Park program director Katie Long.

They invited schools and community groups to participate; organized who will walk in what order; and planned crafts, kids activities, and local food vendors for the daytime festival, which takes before the parade steps off at sundown. Leading up to the big day, parade director Rachel Rush estimates they’ll make about 1,500 community lanterns.

This year’s event doesn’t have a particular theme. Instead, it will amplify the event’s milestone anniversary. Fan-favorite parade highlights, including a snail, moth, and owl, will be featured this year as “geriatric lanterns” because of how long they’ve been in the parade. And a new lantern called “Maggie the Megasaurus” is being created in honor of Creative Alliance co-founder Margaret Footner.  

“It’s definitely become a Baltimore holiday,” Rush says. “It’s really authentic to what our mission is, which is bringing people together to celebrate each other.”  

Robinson, who has also been a parade marshal and the costume contest’s emcee, says much of parade planning involves creating a story through different sections of floats and performers. It’s all about spacing out the groups, aligning with the year’s theme, and balancing the diverse aspects of the parade, she says.  

“People come together for one night and create a different kind of community, a larger community that is really beautiful to see,” says Collins, one of the early organizers. “I just hope it goes for 25 more years.” 

For the past three weekends, the Maryland State Fair—known as the largest celebration of agriculture in the state—attracted hundreds of thousands to the 106-acre Timonium Fairgrounds to dig in to steaming plates of funnel cake and sticky s’mores caramel apples; attempt to win stuffed animals twice their size; ride the Riptide rollercoaster and the giant Ferris Wheel; visit furry farm friends; and enjoy special attractions like horseback riding, puppy yoga, a traveling wolf pack demonstration, a mullet contest, live performances (including a Taylor Swift tribute show), and more.

For some attendees, it was their 30th year at the fair, while others enjoyed the festivities for the first time, bringing along friends and family. Here’s what a few had to say about this year’s experience:

Kevin and Bethany Burke

“This is kind of nostalgic. My dad used to bring me here every year when I was a kid,” Kevin said. “[Our daughter] is two. She loves getting to experience the fair culture and some of the rides.”

“She likes to see the animals,” added Bethany. “We’re going to take her on the carousel and get some good food.”

Derek Newell

Shawndel Williams

“I came out here for family and friends,” Williams said. “It’s the last day here, and I have a family member that works for the company. I’m from Virginia, but I’ve lived in Maryland for 20 years. My favorite part is the food and the atmosphere and everyone’s friendly.”

Terrie Jurd

“I’ve been coming for probably 30 years,” Jurd said. “I like to get on the Ferris Wheel and just look down at everything.”

Julia Jeremiah

“I sell wine made from fruits and vegetables,” says Jeremiah, a vendor with Pale Moonlight Wines. “This is our third week this season but our first year [at the fair]. My favorite thing has been the food.”

Brittany and AJ Daniels

“I get tickets through my work [at Autumn Lake Healthcare at Riverview],” Brittany says. “It’s a really fun family event to take the kids.” Adds her son, AJ: “My favorite part is probably doing the fun games and rides.”