Art Space is a recurring element in the UpFront section of our print publication that spotlights a local art project making an impact in the city at large. Here’s what’s going on this month:

There’s no shortage of souvenirs in the Sideshow gift shop of the American Visionary Art Museum. Pins, puzzles postcards. Whoopie cushions, wind-up teeth, and saint candles, featuring a celestial likeness of museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger. And now, in fitting fashion for a venue celebrating outsider art, there is also a growing collection of zines.

Part of a long-held counterculture tradition, including a vibrant scene in Baltimore, these low-budget, limited-circulation, self-published printings are works of art in their own right, offering resources and reassurances for times of need. Submit your own or snag some free copies by the cash register, with topics ranging from gardening and libraries to anti-fascist activism and the LGBTQ+ community.

Sports and art generally operate in different arenas, rarely crossing paths on the ball field and court, museum and gallery. So, leave it to Federal Hill’s unconventional
American Visionary Art Museum to mount an exhibit featuring works by a diverse group of visionary artists focused on sports and play, and the struggles, values, and just plain fun they bring to the human experience.

Curated by Maryland Institute College of Art graduate Gage Branda, the wide-ranging Good Sports: The Wisdom & Fun of Fair Play covers sports and competitions from baseball, basketball, and boxing, to old-school pinball. The various mediums include painting, photography, sculpture, linocuts, mixed-media works, artifacts, oral histories, and a diorama of a historical soccer match, whirligigs of runners, and a visual homage to Mexico’s lucha libre professional wrestling.

It’s not all whimsy, however. Included are stories of social justice, childhood, camaraderie, and even religious transcendence.

The opening night party included sports-themed music—John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” to name one—and guests dressed in ball caps, jerseys, and warm-up suits. Definitely out of the ordinary for a major art opening. What was the spark for this show?
This exhibition came from a series of conversations we had within the museum. What began to resonate was a feeling of perceived division in the country, which stands in contrast to ideals around sportsmanship, which values treating each other with respect and dignity and winning and losing with grace. We’d like to believe that there are conflicts in our lives and in the world around us that could be resolved if we viewed our perceived rivals or adversaries in the same way that someone views a rival or adversary on the field. We saw it as a good opportunity to take some of that wisdom from athletes who push themselves to be their very best, but also display grace and civility.

One of the panels that stuck with me included an explanation of the English word “compete.”
It is derived from the Latin verb competere, which means to strive together, to meet, to come together, agree. It puts the focus on the camaraderie of competition. Yes, in Latin, it’s not antagonistic; it means to strive together. So, we reframed it, which was a brilliant idea from [AVAM founder] Rebecca Hoffberger. It’s her practice to look at words and examine their meaning as they were coming into the language, and what they mean today. I agree. It changes the context, the nature, of competition.

Did you play sports? Or, given your degree in sculpture, did making art always come first?
I played a little bit of sports growing up. I liked skateboarding a lot. There are competitions in skateboarding but, for me, it was always about, “How can I be better next time than I was this time?” When you look at the story of Roger Bannister, for example, the first person to run a sub 4-minute mile, he was only thinking about how he could get faster. In that way, athletes and artists do share something in common—the way they work at their craft, their “practice.”

I love the whimsy in the show, like Tom Wilborn’s carved piece of the baseball player in the on-deck circle scratching his rear end. We don’t necessarily associate whimsy with sports.
I tried to concentrate on artworks that weren’t about the spectacle of sport, but pieces that were more personal. It’s not a sculpture of Babe Ruth. But if you played or if you’ve watched baseball, if you watch your kids play baseball, you’ve seen this. I played some baseball and there are moments when you daydream and chew on gum or the grass you pulled up in the outfield because you’re bored. It’s one of those moments.

I also love William Wells’ memories of playing in Baltimore’s James Mosher League, the oldest continuously operating African-American youth baseball league in the country.
He tells a charming story about how he didn’t get a hit his first or second season but had a lot of fun. He learned about what it means to be on a team, what it means to cheer for your friends, what it means to care about each other, and just to have good mentors and leadership around you. I thought it could pertain to any social group, but it’s especially the kind of thing that youth sports, at their best, are all about.

I was seven years old, standing by the cash register at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., with three dollars wadded in my hand, free to choose anything I wanted from the gift shop. My sights were set on the space ice cream—the obvious choice of any red-blooded child of the 1980s. A Neapolitan wafer of Styrofoam-like sugar, it was the next best thing to bouncing weightlessly around the moon’s potholes.

This was no mere souvenir. Instead, my crinkly package of freeze-dried dessert was a tangible thread connecting my little-kid body to the superheroes who ascended into the stars. And from that instant, it was official: I was hooked. Not on the space ice cream—it’s pretty disappointing, actually—but on the magic of the museum gift shop.

Of course, these abound in Baltimore, a city of world-class museums that run the gamut from industrial history to postmodern art. And inside each one, the gift shop is another curated collection, tailored to reflect the people, objects, and stories that make that museum special.

Some are cool. Some are whimsical. Some are surprising. All of them distill the contents of their collections to human size, offering a little bit of the extraordinary to fit into our everyday lives. Their curios let you take some of that wonder home with you, as well as, often enough, the vibrancy, diversity, and unmistakable je ne sais quoi of Baltimore.

Every time I’m in town, I make sure to stop into at least one. A trip to the museum just isn’t complete without them.

American Visionary Art Museum

The G.O.A.T. of Baltimore museum shops is without a doubt Sideshow at the American Visionary Art Museum in Federal Hill. Owned by renegade retailer Ted Frankel, aka “Uncle Fun,” Sideshow is one-part outsider art gallery and one-part tchotchke dreamscape.

Local filmmaker John Waters describes it as “the best museum gift shop you’ve ever been to in your life,” and clearly the man knows what he is talking about. A funky riot of color, objects, books, clothing, antiques, and crafts, each surface and cupboard is bursting with everything you never knew you needed, be it for gag gifts, artsy gifts, kids’ stuff, grown-up stuff, and even stuff for your own home.

There’s a working Zoltar machine, hundreds of novelty sunglasses in the most improbable shapes and colors, whoopee cushions and miniature naked baby dolls, carved coconut monkeys and a stuffed tiger the size of a loveseat. You can spend hours opening tiny drawers full of glass eyeballs or perusing the world’s most robust supply of trick buzzers, squirt cameras, and fart powders.

But the true heart of Sideshow—and where it most closely reflects AVAM’s philosophy of joyful self-expression—is found in the rotating exhibits of artworks by contributing artists from across the country.

It was in this section that I found my favorite museum shop find of all time, a Christmas tree angel crafted from a National Bohemian beer can. To me, that little topper encompasses the spirit of AVAM’s Sideshow—a celebration of the wonder, whimsy, and imagination of those who are called to create. And how Baltimore is that?

Baltimore Museum of Art

Think of it as the Metropolitan Museum of Art—in miniature. The BMA’s collections include 97,000 works that span the art of ancient Egypt to some of the most significant works of modern-day.

The breadth is the point. By developing, maintaining, and now broadening a deep, global collection of the best 18th-, 19th-, and, increasingly, 20th- and 21st-century art and making it accessible to the public, the BMA continues to cultivate a vibrant and healthy city. After an hour or two of edification in the museum’s collections, with the help of free admission, I cultivate my civic duty with a stop in the BMA’s expansive gift shop.

Snag some Cone Collection-inspired journals, prints, and notecards, and don’t sleep on the shop’s jewelry section, which bypasses “statement” and goes right to “declaration.” Collars of acid-treated brass, necklaces of blown-glass globes, and geometrical wire bracelets mirror the Calders in the sculpture garden and Matisse paintings in the galleries.

The shop transforms with each changing exhibition (this past summer’s The Culture hip-hop show had an epic selection), so check out the latest and plan your shopping list accordingly.

I always come prepared to be enchanted and am never disappointed, with my best BMA purchases being a pair of ever-chic punched gold earrings with tiny metallic rays and a postcard of Vincent van Gogh’s painting of hobnailed boots. Pinned above my desk, the latter transports me in an instant to the cool, quiet beauty of the museum’s halls.

Baltimore Museum of Industry

“Industrial chic” is a recent trend, but at the BMI in Locust Point, it was always in style. Their exhibits feel like a Barry Levinson film set come to life—I love to wander through recreated historic shopfronts, printing presses, and workrooms under the glow of neon signs from bygone businesses, traveling back in time each time I turn a corner.

And the museum shop celebrates the city’s long tradition of manufacturing, too, with merch featuring the likeness of the neighboring Domino Sugars sign and books detailing the story of Baltimore’s packing houses, steel mills, and umbrella factories.

The mission of the museum especially shines through in their “Made in Baltimore” section, where you can buy one-of-a-kind treasures crafted on-site. Definitely check out the wonderful handmade iron keychains of beech leaves made by volunteer blacksmith Bob Webber on the BMI’s own working forge. A lifelike little leaf hangs from my key fob, a reminder that I need to plan my annual BMI pilgrimage for 2024.

The BMI also hosts entrepreneur pop-up events throughout the year, where you can support local small businesses and artisans selling prints, crafts, food, artwork, and other goods, including the seasonal farmers market that takes place in its parking lot come spring.

Maryland Center for History and Culture

Who needs reproductions when you can get the real thing? It makes perfect sense that a museum shop celebrating Maryland’s history and culture would sell antiques and vintage clothing on consignment, which has my name all over it.

Just a few steps from the displays of Orioles team cleats and the New Look sportswear of Frederick fashion designer Claire McCardell, you can find your own Maryland treasures at the MCHC. Snap up period finds like chased copper julep cups from the glitzy brownstones of Mount Vernon or fabulous hats from the Hutzler’s department store.

The museum’s changing exhibits, like the recent retrospective on one-time Marylander Jim Henson, also infuse the shop with all sorts of unique state-centric goodies impossible to find anywhere else.

A few years ago, I picked up a jaunty straw clutch from the 1950s, imagining it tucked under the arm of some well-to-do lady taking in a few races at Pimlico. I carry it around in the summertime to channel a little bit of Baltimore’s post-war glamour. And I often think that would make the MCHC proud.

Reginald F. Lewis Museum

Long before there was the Smithsonian’s world-renowned National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C., there was the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, located at a cultural crossroads on the edge of historic Jonestown in downtown Baltimore.

The Lewis Museum features more than 400 years of Black Maryland history in its halls and, over the years, has highlighted both the past and present, such as midcentury painter Ruth Starr Rose, who documented Black life on the Eastern Shore to modern-day photographer and West Baltimorean Devin Allen, whose images have graced the cover of Time magazine.

This same sort of expansive oeuvre is on display in the museum’s gift shop, which offers one-of-a-kind ways to celebrate the icons and imagery of Maryland’s Black history. Frederick Douglass merch and original prints, jewelry, and artwork made by local artists of color, as well as children’s books introducing little readers to Maryland’s iconic Black musicians, artists, athletes, and visionaries, are all great reasons to take advantage of the always-free shop admissions. Inventory rotates weekly, so it’s worth popping in on a semi-regular basis. And while you’re there, be sure to stop a while and watch the city go by through its grand floor-to-ceiling windows along President Street.

The Walters Art Museum

The Walters has roots in a core collection of art and artifacts bequeathed to the City of Baltimore in 1934 by its namesake scion, Henry Walters.

Spanning seven millennia of art from around the world, much of the collections are personal in nature, providing glimpses of what museums looked like in the 19th century, when private salon-style exhibits blended artistic techniques and periods to suit individual tastes. The vast Classical and Egyptian galleries in particular make me feel like Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, with covetable Roman torcs and impassive sphinx figurines.

Fortunately, the gift shop provides the perfect place to scratch that same itch. Replicas of ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Chinese, and Pre-Columbian earrings, cuff links, and pins in gold and silver are shockingly modern in their simplicity and design.

The paper and prints section echoes the global scope of the main collections, with illuminated Ethiopian holiday cards, Renaissance landscape prints, and notecards with delicate Japanese watercolors.

My personal favorites are the replica blueprints of the iconic Walters Museum building itself—the perfect insider gift for the Baltimorean who has everything.

Small But Mighty

Many of Baltimore’s smaller institutions boast their own wildly cool shops with mission-inspired inventories that are delightful to explore.

The B&O Railroad Museum, for instance, has gifts for locomotive lovers of all ages, from striped engineer caps and model train kits to 19th-century replica railway maps and vintage Rails Across America comic books.

At the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, snap up Poe “Death Week” vigil candles, “Nevermore” highschool iron-on patches, and International Poe Fest swag.

At The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, find books, clothing, and souvenirs highlighting notable African Americans, like Baltimore’s own Billie Holiday.

And the T-shirt game at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum is on point, featuring an homage to the baseball icon’s original period uniform and a “Call It” top commemorating the Babe’s epic prediction of his own home run hit to deep center field in 1932, both of which will leave baseball fans with plenty of ways to rep their native son.

Meanwhile, you can find chemistry kits and glow-in-the-dark skeletons at the Maryland Science Center, stuffed animals and shark-tooth necklaces at the National Aquarium, and all sorts of books, games, and puzzles at Port Discovery’s brand-new, minority-owned Snug Books.

The Baltimore arts community let out a collective sigh of dismay when it was announced that Rebecca Hoffberger, founder and director of the American Visionary Art Museum, would be retiring this year. Hoffberger is, of course, irreplaceable. But if anyone could fill her shoes, it’s Jenenne Whitfield, president of the Heidelberg Project, an acclaimed outdoor arts space in Detroit, and co-founder of the United Artists of Detroit, a grassroots network of artists, curators, and arts organizations. The former banker is also certified in divinity, trained in metaphysics, and has taught college students about art as a social practice. She takes over her new post in September.

When you were growing up, you had family in Baltimore. What stands out to you now returning as an adult?
What I’m seeing is not just the wonderful assets. Many cities across the country are going through a resurgence and that obviously means displacing people and drawing greater lines of demarcation. And then the other side is the richness, particularly within the arts scene. Baltimore is on fire. There’s a lot of underground art in addition to the institutions. There’s something to be said for the juxtaposition of raw grit with shine and polish. Can we find a good balance between the two? Both are going to be needed to teach us where we want to go.

How do you see artists in Detroit speaking to these dichotomies there?
It’s an uphill battle. You have to have champions, because what do artists do best? They create. What that calls for is stronger arts administrators, and not just directors of museums, where you’re working for the good of your institution. What my work in Detroit has been about is building bridges between the arts community and, say, the corporate community, and getting people to realize that we all benefit when we learn how to celebrate the great things that are happening in our cities.

Looking at your resumé, you seem destined for AVAM.
When I visited for the first time, I spent three hours in the museum alone. If you start talking about things like metaphysics, that night, after I visited, I was staying at the Royal Sonesta, and I awoke to a bright light over the harbor. I thought, is that a streetlight? But it was a star. And to me, it was like a witness or testament to me being here. And what Rebecca [basically] said in The Sun is that she could sleep at night knowing that I was coming, because we connected. People hope for that kind of magic and what Rebecca has put together is something that deserves care and thoughtfulness and that’s what I bring. How do we continue this great work, how do we expand it, and how do we help Baltimore see the treasures, AVAM being just one of them, that it has.

Any ideas for what you’d like to do first upon your arrival?
I want to do wrap my arms around the staff. I want to know what they want to do. I want their wings to begin to flap. I’m a newbie, I need them to teach me, and I want to grow with them.

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EAT

July 4: The Urban Oyster COVID Cook-In

The Urban Oyster. 1704 Whetstone Way. 12-5 p.m. $12-32

To celebrate the long weekend, chef/owner Jasmine Norton and her team are switching up the seafood menu at this Locust Point hotspot. In honor of Independence Day, the restaurant will serve up all-American classics like barbecue chicken, baby back ribs, and grilled lobster tails. Match your main course with a choice of two sides, including pasta salad, green beans, grilled corn, potato salad, and baked beans. Place your order online for curbside pickup to celebrate the holiday with traditional favorites.

DRINK

July 4: Annual Champagne and Fried Chicken Dinner at Chez Hugo

Chez Hugo Bistro. 206 E. Redwood St. 5-10 p.m. Prices vary.

This downtown dining destination is continuing its tradition of pairing fried chicken with Champagne—thought to be one of the world’s greatest food combos—for the holiday weekend. The French bistro, which recently resumed indoor dining with ample safety precautions, is celebrating the Fourth of July family style with half and whole fried chickens accompanied by buttery biscuits, mac and cheese, baked black-eyed peas, and slow-cooked broccoli greens. The special menu, also available for curbside carryout, includes a wide array of sparkling wines by the bottle for adults to sip while enjoying the feast.

SEE

July 4: Virtual July 4th Visionary Pets on Parade

YouTube. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Free.

Our furry friends have been providing us some extra comfort during these challenging times, so it’s time to celebrate them with one of Charm City’s favorite Fourth of July pastimes. Though neighbors won’t be gathering to watch the parade in person this year, the American Visionary Art Museum has been collecting photos of local pets in their most patriotic attire to present virtually. Tune in to the museum’s YouTube and social media channels to watch the city’s most cuddly models strut their stuff.

HEAR

July 4: Cherry Hill Arts and Music Waterfront Festival

Cherryhillfest.com. 12:30 p.m. Free.

COVID-19 can’t silence the sounds of the Cherry Hill Arts and Waterfront Music Festival. In partnership with the Youth Resiliency Institute, the Cherry Hill Community Coalition will celebrate the Black history, culture, and self-determination of its community online with this streaming benefit concert. Tune into the festival’s website to listen to a lineup of dynamic artists and consider making a donation to the relief fund, which provides Baltimore youth with culturally-relevant arts and crafts supplies and enrichment.

DO

July 5: Family Day at the Robert Long House

Robert Long House. 812 S Anne St. 2-6 p.m.

The Robert Long House is the oldest urban residence in Charm City, which makes it the perfect place for the family take in a bit of history on Independence Day weekend. Head to the Fells Point museum to take a trip back in time to the 1760s. Tour the grounds of the historical site and watch the trains travel along the model railroad. The whole family can also enjoy games, stroll through the beautiful blooming garden, and grab a free flag quiz to take with you on your journey home.

OTHERWORLDLY ART

This Earth Day, Wednesday April 22, American Visionary Art Museum founder Rebecca Hoffberger will lead viewers through a free virtual tour of AVAM’s brand-new exhibit, “The Secret Life of Earth.” Now extended through January 2021, the environmentally focused exhibit speaks to the importance and interconnectedness of nature. Filled with a range of whimsical artworks, expect the likes of paper flowers, driftwood sculptures, intricate beaded animal sculptures, recovered plastic litter installations, satellite images from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and a brief pollinator film by Fantasic Funghi director Louie Schwartzberg.

GREEN LIVESTREAMS

Blue Water Baltimore is evolving in the times of coronavirus with a schedule of virtual events. This week, the local environmental nonprofit is hosting an Earth Day Q&A happy hour, featuring conversation with Baltimore Harbor waterkeeper Alice Volpitta and the launch of their 2020 Baltimore Water Watch report on the health of the Gwynns Falls, Jones Falls, Baltimore Harbor, and Patapsco River. It takes place this Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. via Zoom with a $10 suggested donation. Check back each week for more Facebook Live Q&As on Wednesdays at noon, featuring topics like native gardens, tree plantings, and water health, as well as Fridays at noon, for all things flowers with Herring Run Nursery.

CRABS IN THE TIME OF COVID

On April 1, Maryland’s commercial crab season opened to an unusual start in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. With many restaurants closed under Governor Hogan’s social distancing restrictions, one of the industry’s main markets—crab houses touting the state’s iconic crab feast—virtually disappeared overnight. Meanwhile, three of the state’s nine crab-picking houses have received a portion of their seasonal guest workers, who arrive each spring on H-2B visas from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, with new safety measures in place such as six-foot workspace spacing, daily temperature checks, and personal protection equipment. Failing to receive workers in the federal lottery system, the other six processing houses remain closed. Meanwhile, seafood markets remain open, with some sighting similar business to years past, while watermen are looking for new ways to distribute their catch, with eateries like The Local Oyster now selling steamed crabs for carry-out. Some watermen fear decreased demand will lead to increased supply and effectively lower crab prices, though with crabs largely not inundating Maryland waters until late spring and early summer, it is unclear how the industry will be impacted long-term.

MPT’S CHESAPEAKE BAY WEEK RETURNS

In the midst of coronavirus quarantine, Maryland Public Television’s annual Chesapeake Bay Week, now in its 16th year, couldn’t have arrived at a better time, with a full evening lineup of local programming on the nation’s largest estuary, on air through April 25. Learn about the likes of the bay’s iconic lighthouses with the brand-new Chesapeake Beacons, rising sea levels with Tidewater, local river-keepers with A Voice for the Rivers, the state’s historic shad fishery in Shad Run, and all things oysters with Oysterfest, as well as some of MPT’s highest viewed specials, Eatin’ Crabs: Chesapeake Style and Eatin’ Oysters: Chesapeake Style. The programs are also available for livestream viewing via mpt.org.

FERRY SERVICE

The Maryland Department of Transportation has struck down the proposal of a publicly operated car ferry as an alternative to a new third crossing of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. In a recently released 43-page report, MDOT argues that, as a stand-alone option, a ferry would not alleviate congestion at the current spans along Route 50 between Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s counties, and would also cost up to $3.4 billion to build and operate. (Past estimates project a third span could cost upwards of $7 billion.) Officials have recommended that such operations be considered in combination with other transportation alternatives. Several car-carrying ferries used to operate on the Chesapeake before ceasing operations in 1952 following the completion of the first existing span.

TOXIC TAKEDOWN

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this spring’s Maryland legislative session was adjourned early for the first time since the Civil War. But while some eco measures fell to the wayside, such as a push for sustainably designed state buildings, the General Assembly did pass a win for environmentalists during the final minutes on March 19 with a ban on chlorpyrifos, a harmful pesticide linked to brain damage in children, as well as disorientation and death in wildlife. The European Union, plus California, New York, and Hawaii, have also banned the chemical, making Maryland the fourth state in the U.S. to do so. Though final amendments included a sunset clause for June 2024, as well as waivers for particular green bean growers and orchardists, advocates feel the legislation is still a step in the right direction.

TRASH TALK

As coronavirus-related quarantine orders are creating positive environmental impacts across the globe, the Order of the Wheel, a secret society of Baltimore’s beloved Mr. Trash Wheel, has returned to recruit its third pledge class of green stewards who will work to protect local waterways. Run by Waterfront Partnership—which oversees the garbage-eating, water-cleaning receptacles around the region—applications are open through May 11, with participants required to complete five green tasks over five weeks times. Each is tailored for at-home or socially distanced outdoor activities, such as recycling used goods and creating your own water filter. As of Monday, some 470 residents have signed up, with approximately half being new pledges.

BAY UPDATES

The Chesapeake Bay Program has released its annual Bay Barometer health report with a new look. Focused on updates to the goals and outcomes of the multi-state Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the report now highlights only the latest indicators of progress, many of which have been previously reported. For the 2018-2019 year, seven key takeaways include that record rainfall led to the highest amount of freshwater entering the estuary since monitoring began in 1937, contributing to lower salinity levels in parts of the bay and the largest observed dead zone in the past five years. Meanwhile, the Department of Natural Resources’ 2019 winter dredge survey suggests the population of blue crabs increased nearly 60 percent last summer—news that incited a flurry of headlines at the time—while harvests were below the overfishing threshold. The 2020 survey is due out in late spring. In addition, underwater grasses are slightly down, but still make up an estimated 91,559 acres of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. The report also pointed to increased efforts in land conservation, pollution reduction, and public access.

Charm City Django Jazz Fest
Feb 21-22. When Michael Joesph Harris hopped off the Creative Alliance stage in 2014 after playing a successful concert of tunes inspired the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, he could tell by the energy in the theater that Baltimore audiences wanted more Gypsy jazz. Fast forward two years, and Harris, left, who is the founder of local groups Ultrafaux and The Hot Club of Baltimore, opened the doors to the first Charm City Django Jazz Fest, which hosts Gypsy jazz musicians from across the world for performances, jam sessions, and workshops. Harris says that the festival (this year from February 21-22) has helped revitalize the finger-plucking community within the city’s arts scene. “Keeping the legacy of Django Reinhardt and that sense of originality rooted in tradition alive is a big part of what we’re doing with the festival,” Harris says. 3134 Eastern Ave. 8 p.m.. $28-75. —KP

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The American Craft Show
Feb. 21-23. Calling all crafters! This annual weekend-long event is known for being a DIY haven, and this year’s lineup of more than 600 vendors from across North America will not disappoint. Browse through the Baltimore Convention Center’s vibrant marketplace to shop for everything from jewelry and clothing to furniture and home goods. Whether you leave with new baskets or necklaces or a dress, stop by to snag some thoughtfully made pieces. Baltimore Convention Center. $14-36. Time varies.

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Ornamenta
Feb. 1. Every winter, the Baltimore Jewelry Center—known around town for its hands-on workshops and classes—hosts Ornamenta, the nonprofit’s fundraiser to benefit its educational and studio rental programs. For one night only, take in breathtaking works by local artists, rub elbows with up-and-comers in the city’s arts scene, and celebrate the success of this Station North staple by donating to this worthy cause. Impact Hub, 10 E. North Ave.. $100-575. 7-11 p.m..

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Wicked
Feb. 12-March 8. The Hippodrome Theatre keeps the Broadway sensations coming with this four-week run of Wicked. Travel to the Land of Oz (before the days of Dorothy and friends) as two witches form an unlikely friendship: one bubbly and popular and the other smart, misunderstood, and green-skinned. Experience the iconic story of how they grew to become Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West during this bucket list production. Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St.. $70-246. Time varies.

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A Date with John Waters
Feb. 14. Can you imagine a better Valentine’s Day date than an evening with Baltimore’s own Sleaze Supreme, John Waters? Devoted fans will rub shoulders with Waters noobs at Baltimore Soundstage during this evening with the venerable filmmaker and cornerstone of Charm City pop culture. Who can say where Waters will take his ever-evolving one-man show? All we know for sure is that no holds will be barred. 124 Market Pl.. $44. 8 p.m..

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R. Eric Thomas
Feb. 20. Join Elle senior staff writer, nationally recognized playwright, and Baltimore native R. Eric Thomas as he reads from his newly released memoir, Here for It. With a daily humor-politics column, Thomas has had plenty of practice using words to reconcile his identity, religious faith, and the recent social shifts within our country. After reading through our profile of this laugh-out-loud author on page 70, make plans to join fellow fans for this reading at Enoch Pratt’s Central Library. Enoch Pratt Free Library. Free. 7 p.m..

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Small Foods Party
Feb. 8. Whoever coined the term “the bigger, the better” clearly never attended this teeny snacks party at the American Visionary Art Museum. At this 15th annual bash/competition, bring your appetite (and a tiny silverware set) to sample a smorgasbord of bite-sized eats made by local home chefs and makers. Don’t miss this weird and wonderful opportunity to taste itty-bitty bites of fan-favorite foods such as crab cake sandwiches and cinnamon rolls and help crown this year’s “Bad Idea” award. American Visionary Arts Museum. $5-20. 7 p.m..

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Celine Dion
Feb. 24. If you weren’t planning to catch legendary performer Celine Dion’s “Courage” world tour at the Royal Farms Arena, think again. After a more than 10-year hiatus, this world-renowned pop powerhouse is back on the road, and she’s sure to enchant Baltimore with classic hits such as “My Heart Will Go On” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” Snag tickets early to experience a night of belting out high notes and worshipping at the feet of the queen of adult contemporary, which is almost guaranteed to help your heart go on a little longer. Royal Farms Arena. $150-849. 7:30 p.m..

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Frozen Harbor Music Festival
Feb. 28-March 1. Not even the icy weather could stop this party. Now in its fourth year, this frozen music festival will take over nine rock venues across downtown, including Rams Head Live! and Mosaic Night Club and Lounge, for three days of nonstop sets by more than 100 rising acts. Make plans to hop from venue to venue to catch performances by hip hop, rock, and rap groups in the heart of the Inner Harbor and don’t forget to grab a picture with the party-animal polar bear Mascot, Koasty, before the end of the weekend. Power Plant Live! 34 Market Pl.. $20-225. Fri 7 p.m.-Sun 1:30 a.m..

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Fake Wedding
Feb. 29. Back by popular demand, this fake-wedding party, hosted by local nonprofit action network Volunteering Untapped, is one of the winter’s can’t-miss affairs. After “celebrating” the matrimony of two randomly selected guests, pop the champagne, throw away the vows, and then spend the rest of the night dancing like nobody’s watching. Head to downtown’s Columbus Center for this (fake) ceremony between a (fake) bride and groom, and enjoy (very real) food, drinks, and a night of fundraising for a do-good cause. Columbus Center, 701 E. Pratt St.. $75-800. 7-11 p.m..

Visual Art

Spring 2019 Design Soiree
For the past 15 years, the Design Soiree has given artists and creatives a change to interact, exchange ideas, and get feedback on their work. Reserve your spot early to experience the latest evening of artistic exchange at Y:ART Gallery. And don’t forget to bring some food and drink to share before you settle in to see presenters share their newest projects. Y:ART Gallery & Fine Gifts, 3402 Gough St. 7-10 p.m., March 20.

Logan Visionary Conference 2019: The Art of Parenting
Celebrate AVAM’s themed exhibition Parenting: An Art Without a Manual by soaking up some knowledge from a panel of luminaries including Dr. Daniel J Siegel of the UCLA School of Medicine and the Mindsight Institute, Alison D’Alessandro of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, and Joe Jones of The Center for Urban Families. This yearly conference is free, but reservations must be made in advance. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 1-4 p.m., March 24.

Literature

Blythe Roberson: How to Date Men When You Hate Men
Join Blythe Roberson at Bird in Hand for a discussion of just how weird it is to date men in the modern world. The New Yorker and Onion contributor’s new book features such helpful sections as “Real Interviews With Men About Whether Or Not It Was A Date” and “Definitive Proof That Tom Hanks Is The Villain Of You’ve Got Mail,” so you know it’s sure to be a good time full of great advice. Bird in Hand Charles Village, 11 E. 33rd St. 7-9 p.m. March 9.

Confessionals: Writing the Hard Stuff
Truth hurts, so they say, but this MoonLit event seeks to help writers put their true selves down on paper and learn the importance of doing so. Local poet Ashley Elizabeth will help guide the group through readings, writing, and a discussion on truth-telling, and editing/workshopping will be available if time allows. Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna St. 7-9 p.m., March 27.

Dance

Addict
Seven dancers will each portray a different experience with addiction in this performance in support of Helping Up Mission, a Baltimore nonprofit that provides for those dealing with homelessness, poverty, and addition. Featuring a live accompaniment from Two Rivers Chamber Music, Addict seeks to address the portrayal of addiction in media and how people are affected by society’s lack of understanding. Baltimore Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St. 8 p.m., March 12-13.

Music

That’s What She Said
Grab your best girlfriends, because this women-powered night featuring some of the best voices in town is not to be missed. Electro-opera duo Outcalls, gloom-pop group $100 Girlfriend, and New Jersey rocking sister act Nalani & Sarina will join forces for one night only at Motor House for a no-boys-allowed evening of comedy and music. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. 7-10:30 p.m., March 16.

Inaugural Baltimore Old Time Music Festival
A Friday night concert, a day of workshops and intimate performances from headliners, and a Saturday evening square dance will celebrate the Old Time music that made its way from Appalachia and cemented its legacy in Baltimore during the 20th century. This foot-stomping new fest at Creative Alliance will feature acts such as Ken and Brad Kolodner, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Corn Potato String Band, and The Local Honeys, who are sure to bring out the best of Old Time with fiddles, banjos, dulcimers, and plenty of dancing. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Times vary, March 22-23.

Chaunter Dream Dynamics LP Release Party
Get acquainted with Baltimore’s latest cool kids at this release party for Chaunter’s new LP, Dream Dynamics, featuring the dreamy sounds of songwriting duo Brooks Kossover and Jenghis Manning-Pettit. Nerftoss, Infinity Knives + Randi, Frogohmine, and Matmos will get the evening started before Kossover, Pettit, and the rest of Chaunter take the stage to share their creative sound and impeccable style. Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St. 8 p.m., March 29.

Film

The Case Against Adnan Syed
Part one of this four-part documentary series revisiting the murder of Baltimore County teen Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed for the crime premieres March 10 at 9 p.m. on HBO. The series, directed by Academy Award nominee Amy Berg, has been in production since 2015 and includes new evidence discovered by private investigators and interviews with friends, family, and people involved in the case over the past 20 years of uncertainty. Part 1 premieres on HBO 9 p.m. March 10.

When Esther Nisenthal Krinitz left behind war-torn Poland in the summer of 1949, she had nothing left of the family she’d lost. Her parents, brother, and young sisters, along with the other Jewish families in her rural village, were told to report to a train station and never heard from again.

But Krinitz, 15 at the time, and her 13-year-old sister Maria managed to survive by posing at Polish farm girls and finding work in a nearby village where no one asked to see their papers. They had many memories—of Jewish holidays spent with family, quiet life among their crops and livestock, and playing together as a family —but nothing solid to pass along to tie future generations to their lost past.

According to Krinitz’s daughter, Bernice Steinhardt, her mother was always telling her story. But in 1977, when Krinitz was 50, she started showing it instead. The result is 36 embroidered pieces that are now the highlight of the American Visionary Art Museum’s latest exhibition, Esther and The Dream of One Loving Human Family. Krinitiz’s work depicts her childhood, escape from the Nazis, life in hiding, and journey to America, culminating in her final piece: a portrait of her first granddaughter. It’s also accompanied by a documentary about her life and a recreation of her home in Poland.

“What my mother was doing here was for the family,” says Steinhardt. “It was about the family she lost and for the family that she created. The fact that she was a grandmother, that was what my mother was all about. It was not about expressing herself artistically, although of course she did, it was about remembering her family for her family.”

The pieces are placed in conversation with works from international artists that demonstrate the danger of demonizing the “other,” with the goal of educating visitors on just how devastating the escalation of hatred can be. A “preamble” to Krinitz’s embroideries includes sewn works documenting the genocide of the Tutsi people in Rwanda and life under apartheid in South Africa, as well as painted, carved, and assembled works from Native American activist and artist Judy Tallwing.

“When you take away names or identifiers like Jewish, or Holocaust, or any ethnic group, religion, or color and you look at what the mechanisms of the campaign to permit a genocide or mass slaughter that is orchestrated with a purpose in mind were, it’s all one playbook,” says AVAM founder and director Rebecca Hoffberger.

Together, these art pieces from across the world share the perspective of the innocents whose lives are altered by hatred and warn of its dangers. Words, in the form of essays and quotes around the gallery, play just as big a role in the message, sharing wisdom and forgotten history relating to the need for peace and “one loving human family.”

Just days into its run, people have already traveled from as far as Ohio and New York for a chance to see this expanded collection of Krinitz’s intricate, emotional works, which originally premiered at AVAM in 2001. But there’s plenty of time to catch them in this new installation, which will stay on display through March 2024.

Looking to add a bit of culture to your afternoon? There is no shortage of great museums around Baltimore. Whether it’s art, science, history, or a particular famous figure you’re interested in, there’s a place nearby to spend your day wandering and learning.

American Visionary Art Museum

This unique museum celebrating outsider art was named by Congress as the country’s official museum for self-taught art. Come for the elaborate sculptures, gorgeous drawings, and interesting assemblage pieces, then stick around to browse Sideshow, the treasure trove of a museum store downstairs. As a bonus, AVAM is free for federal employees (and up to three others) during the 2019 government shutdown with a valid ID.

For more visionary and local art, try: MICA Galleries, Eubie Blake Cultural Center

Baltimore Museum of Art

This free museum houses a collection of 95,000 works, so you’re sure to find something to interest everyone among its vast collection. Lovers of modern art will want to linger in the galleries housing the famed Cone Collection, while those looking for the more non-traditional can usually find something interesting and extraordinary in the Contemporary Wing or special exhibition galleries. Recent shows have included a John Waters retrospective, surreal visions of some of Europe’s great conflicts, and a look back at the BMA’s first exhibit to feature black artists.

For more art and antiques, try: Maryland Art Place, School 33 Art Center

Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture

The Smithsonian-affiliated Reginald F. Lewis Museum is home to art, photographs, sculptures, military antiques, and ephemera chronicling Maryland’s African-American history from 1784 to the present. Although it’s connected to the Smithsonian, the Lewis Museum remains open throughout the shutdown and is offering free admission to furloughed workers and up to three guests with a valid government I.D.

For more African-American history and culture, try: Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park, National Great Blacks in Wax Museum

The Walters Art Museum

Housed across three buildings (including a historic residence) in Mount Vernon, the Walters features an extensive collection of Asian antiquities and decorative arts. Wander the Chamber of Wonders to experience what a 1600s nobleman might have shown off in his lavish home, or head to the 1 West Mount Vernon Place to see contemporary art placed alongside the preserved architecture of a 19th-century townhouse.

For more historic homes and exhibits, try: The Johns Hopkins Museums, The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House

The Baltimore Museum of Industry

Explore Baltimore’s history as a hub of business and industry at this South Baltimore museum housed in a former cannery. Exhibits include a 1900s garment loft, a recreated soda fountain, a print shop, and a gallery dedicated to how Baltimore fueled the rise of the automobile. Don’t forget to stop by the Baltimore docked outside—she’s the oldest steam-powered tugboat in the United States.

For more transportation and industrial history, try: The B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore Streetcar Museum

Maryland Historical Society

The MdHS is the state’s oldest, continuously operating cultural institution, having been responsible for documenting Maryland history since 1844. With exhibits featuring figures such as The Catonsville Nine, Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, and the Peale Family of painters, this collection is comprised of more than seven million items from pre-Colonial times to the present.

For more great figures from Baltimore’s past, try: The Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum, Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum

Maryland Science Center

With a history going back to 1797 with the Maryland Academy of Sciences, this Inner Harbor spot has evolved into a family-friendly exploration of the natural world, from the smallest cells to history’s largest creatures. Visitors can also take advantage of Davis Planetarium or catch a movie on the IMAX screen, which will reopen in March after theater renovations are complete.

For more hands-on learning, try: Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Historic Ships in Baltimore

National Aquarium

Plan to spend some serious time at this colorful spot. Beyond the normal fish, rays, and other aquatic critters, you’ll find sloths, puffins, crocodiles, and more scattered across the many habitats housed in this multi-level aquarium. An indoor rainforest, a stories-high shark tank, and a living reef featuring Calypso, a rescued sea turtle, are just a few of the highlights in this gem overlooking the Inner Harbor. Book your timed entry ticket online to avoid long lines, and go first thing in the morning or late in the day to avoid the field trip crowd.

For more nature encounters, try: The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Rawlings Conservatory

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. left behind a towering legacy of hope and change. Whether you spend Monday, January 21, taking in a performance, introducing your kids to his work, or engaging with Baltimore’s cultural leaders, you can make a difference in honor of his birthday. Here are the best ways to celebrate Dr. King.

Annual MLK Memorial Breakfast
For 38 years now, the aptly named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast Committee has continued its namesake’s work with a local breakfast meant to activate and inspire its guests. This year’s theme is “Realizing the Dream: The Time is Now,” and keynote speaker Michelle Asha Cooper, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, will deliver an address advocating access to higher education for all students during the two-hour breakfast. La Fontaine Bleue, 7514 Ritchie Hwy., Glen Burnie. 8-10 a.m. $35.

Baltimore MLK Parade
Throw on a coat and scarf to enjoy Baltimore’s 19th annual spectacle in honor of the late civil rights leader. Kicking off at noon, the procession follows Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and features more than 70 participants with feel-good entertainment for all ages, including floats, marching bands, and dance squads. Even Mayor Catherine Pugh—despite last year’s controversy—will be joining the celebration of Dr. King’s birthday. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. between Eutaw St. and Baltimore St. 12 p.m. Free.

Dare to Dream Day
The American Visionary Art Museum never misses an opportunity to put its own spin on beloved holidays, and next Monday’s extravaganza is no exception. Admission is completely free all day, including the museum’s many exhibitions and a special screening of a film about MLK in the second floor theater. Guests of all ages can create buttons that represent their own dreams starting at 10 a.m. followed by free birthday cake and drinks at noon. Stick around a bit longer to catch slam poetry and dance performances by Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women and Keur Khaleyi African Dance Company. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free.

I Have a Dream Weekend
Introduce your little ones to milestones in civil rights history at Port Discovery this Monday, when the museum opens its doors for a day of educational fun. Learn about Dr. King’s monumental legacy while creating birthday cards for him and joining in interactive stories about his legacy. Elsewhere, make a quilt square with the African-American Quilters of Baltimore and discover the history of Negro League baseball. Better yet, children from Northwood Elementary School will be dressed up as African-American historical figures, waiting to share their life stories. Port Discovery, 35 Market Pl. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$5.

MLK Day Celebration and Day of Service
Join the Reginald F. Lewis Museum for their annual day of service in honor of MLK. This day-long celebration offers a little something for everyone, including crafts for kids, a performance by Singing Sensations Youth Choir, a discussion with Dr. King’s barber, and a reading of the play The Mountaintop by Baltimore Center Stage. Between events and exhibits, take advantage of free onsite health screenings by Kaiser Permanente. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $5.

Voices of Carmen
Station North stalwart Motor House will honor MLK with a special afternoon performance of Voices of Carmen, a modern take on the classic French opera Carmen. Performed by a cast of 40 singers, actors, dancers, and musicians comprised entirely of teens from Baltimore, the musical updates its source material by moving the action to the inner city and breaching issues that affect young people today. Make sure to stay for a discussion about escalating conflicts among the city’s youth and Dr. King’s legacy of nonviolence. Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free.

Baltimore’s Strange Fruit
Eric Jackson and Maddie Hardy’s documentary Baltimore’s Strange Fruit chronicles the city’s history of food inequality through race, class, and land politics. As part of a special MLK program, Creative Alliance will be showing the film for free, including a dinner before the screening. Immediately following the film, take in a panel discussion with Black Yield Institute’s Eric Jackson and finish the evening with a service project to benefit Cherry Hill Urban Garden. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Free.

Sometime in between Thanksgiving and the first week of December is when that first wave of gift-giving panic typically hits. What do you do when you’re determined to find the most thoughtful, personalized presents for your loved ones, but want to do it without breaking the bank?

Luckily, the Charm City craft scene has your back with a plethora of pop-up markets happening throughout the holiday season. Mark your calendar for these local bazaars, which feature tons of regionally made gifts that will make you the talk of this year’s celebration.

11/17: Baltimore Vintage Expo
Swing by this Best of Baltimore-winning market for rare and retro finds. Equipped with its original art deco architecture and design, the renovated Ideal Arts Space in Hampden is a fitting venue for the showcase. This time around, organizers are offering early-bird tickets for shoppers hoping to get a first look at all of the vintage clothing, accessories, furniture, and decor. 905 W. 36th St. Free-$12. 443-529-5937. 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

11/22-12/24: Christmas Village in Baltimore
Modeled after traditional German Christmas markets that date back to the Middle Ages, this Inner Harbor fête is not one to be missed. Enjoy the vast display of handmade ornaments and nutcrackers while sipping hot chocolate and sampling fresh-baked apple strudel. The Christmas Village is hosting a special preview weekend November 17-18 this year for locals looking to get a jumpstart on their shopping. West Shore Park. 501 Light St. Free.

11/23: Shop Black @ Open Works, a Black Friday Pop-Up Shop
Forget waiting in line at Best Buy. If you’re hoping to score killer gifts while strengthening our local economy, look no further. This Black Friday, support local makers of color and check out the second annual Shop Black Pop-Up, hosted by Open Works. 1400 Greenmount Ave. Free. 410-862-0424. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

11/23-24: BAZAART Holiday Art Market
Make the most of Black Friday and #SmallBusinessSaturday by checking out the American Visionary Art Museum’s annual holiday art market. Regional artists, makers, and craftspeople will come together to transform the museum’s Jim Rouse Visionary Center into a mecca of creative gift giving. 800 Key Highway. Free. 410-244-1900. Times vary

11/24: Small Business Saturday Pop-Up Party at Get Shredded Vintage
Celebrate Small Business Saturday in style at this all day pop-up party hosted by Get Shredded Vintage in Charles Village. There will be snacks and drinks galore, tarot card readings, unique clothing and accessories from local designers, and even a DJ spinning from 4-7 p.m. There’s no better way to work off a lingering, Thanksgiving-dinner food baby than by dancing from rack to rack and shopping along the way. 3101 St. Paul St. 443-717-1826. 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

11/29: Holiday Artisan Market
Now in its 14th year, this holiday tradition hosted by The Park School features locally produced paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics, furniture, and sculpture work, as well as homemade pantry products like honey and granola. There will even be a caricature artist on-site to keep the kiddos busy while you browse all of the handmade wares. Park School of Baltimore, Davidson Lobby, 2425 Old Court Rd. 410-339-7070. 3:30-6:30 p.m.

12/1-2 & 12/8-9: Star Bright Farm’s Barn Market
Infuse your gift giving with authentic Chesapeake charm by shopping Star Bright Farm’s two-weekend holiday market. Natural home, kitchen, and body products available for purchase are made from the very crops grown on the farm. Other local artisans join in for the fun, and cookbook author Nancy Baggett will be leading three sessions on cooking with lavender for those looking to impress their families with something new this holiday season. Star Bright Farm, 2950 Garrett Rd, White Hall. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day

12/6–12/9: MICA Art Market
More than 250 MICA students are preparing their pieces for this yearly sale, which invites shoppers to discover work by emerging and established artists alike. Wander around the showcase to browse jewelry, illustrations, prints, posters, mosaics, stationary, clothing, toys, wrapping paper, and more while chatting with each of the artists about their designs. 1300 W. Mt Royal Ave. 410-669-9200

12/8: Holiday Makers Market 2018
Green Spring Station is a shopping destination in its own right, but for one Saturday only, the retail haven will take things up a notch and give us even more to love. More than 20 local vendors will be showcasing their goods at the marketplace, including our faves Wight Tea Company and Knits, Soy & Metal. Don’t miss DIY workshops from the likes of organic skincare pros Deep Leaf Organics. 10751 Falls Road, Lutherville. 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

12/8: Makers Alley
Coffee from Park and Perk will be on hand to banish the sleep from your eyes as you check out the unique gifts available at this Saturday-morning market, which is returning to Local Color Flowers for its sixth year. Look out for one-of-a-kind gifts like floral salt-and-pepper blends by Juniper Culinary Apothecary, original designs from Pangea Printing Co., and more. 3100 Brentwood Ave. 410-262-1494. 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

12/8: Towson Town Center Local Makers Event
The Towson Town Center becomes a one-stop-shop on December 8, when local artists and makers flock to the Level 3 Center Rotunda to set up shop. The pop-up event makes it easy to find the perfect gifts under one roof for everyone on your list, from techy teens to funky aunts. 825 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson. 410-494-8800. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

12/11: Women’s Unity Artisan Market
As the holidays draw closer, “spare time” on the weekends to search for gifts can be hard to come by. The answer for anyone looking for unique gifts and running short on time? This second-annual market held in Mary Gardella’s Clipper Mill photography studio on a Tuesday evening. Gather together to browse creations from local female artisans, and sample signature beverages from Lyon Distilling Company and Le Monade. 3500 Parkdale Ave., Ste. 5. Free. 5-9 p.m.

12/14:Under $500 Sixth Annual Affordable Art Sale
Collectors of all kinds will unite at Maryland Art Place for this aptly named holiday exhibit that offers affordable artworks priced at $500 or less. Mingle with other enthusiasts over beer, wine, and light bites while perusing all of the pieces for sale on a first-come, first-served basis. 218 W. Saratoga St. 410-962-8565. $25. 7-10 p.m.

12/15: Holiday Heap
Charm City Craft Mafia is back at it with a stellar lineup for its recurring holiday hangout. Beneath the strung lights at St. John’s Church, browse goods from the likes of veteran vendors like Annie Howe Papercuts and The Broken Plate, as well as newbies Genevieve Williamson Jewelry, Dorpare Tea, La Loupe Design, Vesta’s Natural Apothecary, and Yinibini Baby. Coffee and treats from Bird in Hand will be available with early-bird admission, which also includes a swag bag full of goodies from participating makers. 2640 St. Paul St. Free-$25. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

12/16: For the Greater Goods Market
Grab some lunch at R. House to fuel up for what’s sure to be an epic day of holiday shopping. Every month, this market takes over the garage of the Remington food hall to showcase local vendors and raise money for a charitable cause. December’s market boasts more than 70 local vendors, selling everything from handmade ceramics and home goods to unique clothing and jewelry. 301 W. 29th St. Free. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

For those who are parents and those who have been parented, the American Visionary Art Museum’s newest exhibition, Parenting: An Art Without a Manual offers a meditation on the role of role models, parental figures, and family—in all their shapes and sizes. From the warm and fuzzy to the nightmarish and traumatizing, the show is a contemplative, visual collection of stories on a theme, and it will most likely expand your definition of parenting.

It opens on Saturday and remains on view through September 1, 2019, in the nationally recognized museum in Federal Hill, with special events planned throughout its duration, including a free summit on March 24 that will bring together world-renowned speakers.

“Each year, we pick one grand theme that has always bedeviled or inspired humanity,” says Rebecca Hoffberger, the founding director of AVAM and co-curator of the show with Anna Gulyavskaya. “We’re all parenting, whether we choose to have children or not.”

As is usual with AVAM shows, Parenting is both visually and intellectually satisfying, with some of the most well-researched and thoughtful text you’re likely to see at an art exhibit. Statistics and the latest findings—on childhood trauma, parent-child attachment, grandparents becoming full-time parents because of the effects of the opioid epidemic, images of the developing brain, and more—as well as quotes witty and wise are posted throughout the gallery spaces to complement the visual art.

Bobby Adams’ powerful installation Models and Critics, for example, depicts his family—mother, father, and two children, one of whom is a young Bobby—on a couch. Their mannequin bodies are topped off with flat pieces of cardboard that display black-and-white photographs of their faces. Adams explains during a preview of the exhibition that his mother is in her nightgown, reading a book to his brother, while his father is dressed in nice clothes, having probably just gotten home from an evening of “womanizing,” and is yelling at Bobby, leather belt in hand. “My father always said I was stupid and called me a bastard,” he says in an emotional retelling of his childhood story to a crowd of journalists and exhibiting artists.

In another room, a long wall is dotted with several life-sized cutouts of a small child—each one with the same face but a different outfit. The work—Fifty Girls in Food Sack Dresses, by Linda St. John—explores the future of parenting and “designer babies,” while posing questions about what parenting will look like as people’s lifespans increase and families grow to include several generations.

And what would an AVAM show be without postcard images from Frank Warren, of Post Secret fame, or a piece by Baltimore’s beloved mosaic artist Loring Cornish, or the large spiritual work of Alex Grey? All of the above find their place in this show, alongside artists who have never been exhibited at AVAM until now.

Baltimore’s Chris Wilson makes his AVAM debut with a large abstract painting titled Momma’s Boy. Through it, he tells the story of his mother, who took her own life after struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, used as a coping mechanism to survive a horrific trauma. “In this painting, my brother and I attend Mom’s funeral,” he writes in the description of the piece. “I remain in the back because I am afraid to see my mother deceased. It was the hardest I’ve ever cried, so white tears are all over the canvas.”

Additional pieces explore surrogate parents, the father-daughter bond, children living in refugee and diaspora situations, and what it feels like to be an orphan.

A compelling sculpture by Allen David Christian called Piano Family: Adagio, Amarosa, and Bucky depicts three figures made of piano parts and is enhanced by a quote installed above it, from Michael Levine: “Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist.”

Kinetic Sculpture Race 
May 5. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Sat. 10 a.m. Free. 410-244-1900. Just weeks after learning how to ride a bike at age 4, Eli Hess found himself wearing rubber gloves and goggles, peddling alongside his dad, David, as an official participant in the first Kinetic Sculpture Race. Since then, the Hesses, including David’s now 81-year-old father, George, and the rest of Team PLATYPUS have created and raced 13 human-powered sculptures, including a 25-foot-tall rocket and a cold-cut sub, in AVAM’s annual 14-mile trek around the city. This year, their team, which stands for Personal Longrange All-Terrain Yacht Proven Unsafe, will ride “the mothership,” through water, mud, and the uphill Linwood Avenue stretch on May 5 in the museum’s 20th anniversary race. “The water separates the adults from the boys,” George says with a laugh. “It’s the rough and tumble world of kinetic sculpture racing.”

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Maryland Film Festival 
May 2-6. Parkway Theatre, 5 W. North Ave. Times vary. $11-425. 410-752-8083. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Baltimore’s cinematic celebration, which has hosted thousands of novice moviegoers, flick aficionados, and renowned filmmakers such as John Waters, David Lowery, and Greta Gerwig. This cinephile’s paradise returns with a five-day jubilee of movies—from shorts to full-length narrative features and documentaries—shown throughout the Station North Arts District. In between screenings, attend Q&A sessions with filmmakers, as well as workshops and panel discussions at Red Emma’s.

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M3 Rock Festival 
May 4-5. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 5 p.m. $60-850. 410-715-5550. Bust out your leather pants, studded jackets, and big hair—it’s time to party like it’s 1989. Now in its 10th year, this head-banging music festival is a celebration of all things metal, with iconic bands turning back the clock for all generations of devoted fans to rock out together. Spanning two days and two stages, catch headliners including Baltimore’s own Kix and crowd favorites Tom Keifer, Ace Frehley, and Night Ranger.

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FlowerMart 
May 4-5. Mount Vernon Square, 699 Washington Pl. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. 410-274-5353. Nothing says springtime in Baltimore quite like seeing the square around the Washington Monument filled with flowers, colorful hats, and classic lemon peppermint sticks. For the 107th year, Mount Vernon’s beloved celebration kicks off the spring season with arts and crafts vendors, live music and entertainment, and plenty
of festival eats. Stroll through the neighborhood to pick out the perfect plant or join in the maypole dance.

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Wham City Comedy 
May 9. Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St. 8 p.m. $10. 410-244-0899. Baltimore’s favorite band of merry misfits is bringing its offbeat brand of comedy back to the Station North neighborhood that started it all.
On the final stop of their spring tour, catch Wham City Comedy’s viral, volatile performance art, as seen on Adult Swim and Comedy Central. Fingers crossed that they perform their hilarious eight-part live series, The Cry of Mann.

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The Catonsville Nine, 50 Years Later 
May 12-31. Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St. Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m. Free. 410-685-3750. The Maryland Historical Society is commemorating the Catonsville Nine, a group of Catholic men and women who, 50 years ago this month, burned nearly 400 A-1 draft records to protest the Vietnam War. Featuring artwork by Tom Lewis, who was a member, and additional photographs and materials from the period, the exhibit examines the group’s motivations amid the political chaos and conflict of the late 1960s.

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Preakness 
May 19. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. 8 a.m. $40-720. 410-542-9400. Every year, horse-racing (and day-drinking) fans from near and far come to cheer on the country’s finest thoroughbred horses as they compete for the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Before heading to your seat for this 143rd event, partake in pre-race festivities throughout the city, or hear chart-topping rappers
Post Malone and 21 Savage take over the raucous Infield Fest. 

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Brew At The Zoo 
May 26-27. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1 Safari Pl. 1-7 p.m. $25-75. 410-396-7102. Tap into your wild side at The Maryland Zoo’s 17th annual fundraiser with beers from more than 80 breweries, including local suds from DuClaw Brewing and The Brewer’s Art. In between refilling your glass and gushing over the zoo’s newborn African penguins, listen to live music by local rockers Nelly’s Echo and The Kelly Bell Band and sample snacks from dozens of food vendors. 

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Maggie Rogers 
May 30. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl. 7 p.m. $30-35. 410-244-0057. Since skyrocketing to internet stardom after a video with Pharrell Williams (gushing over her now-hit song “Alaska”) went viral, this Maryland native has signed a record deal, toured the globe, and released her first EP, Now That the Light Is Fading. For one night only, the singer-songwriter brings her earthy rhythms and soulful sound to her home state for a must-see performance.

After this past year, Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of freedom and peace proves to be more important than ever, even more than 50 years after his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Honor the civil rights icon’s life and legacy this month, and remember his powerful message through a medley of events.

PAINTING DR. KING’S DREAM
1/8-12. Enoch Pratt Free
Library, Southeast Anchor Branch, 3601 Eastern Ave. Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Let the kids unleash their inner artists as they add quotes
or drawings to
the library’s
MLK mural.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION
1/11. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.. 5-8 p.m. Free. This multi-faceted event will combine an oratory performance by the Baltimore Urban Debate League, a choral concert by Joyful Noise Gospel Singers, and civic engagement with nonprofit Synergy Baltimore. Guests can also share their dream for a better future and commemorate the night with a free photo booth memento from Pixilated.

I HAVE A DREAM WEEKEND
1/13-15. Port Discovery, 35 Market Pl. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m., Mon. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$15.95. Spend the weekend learning about African-American history and MLK’s influential work through educational and interactive performances.

MLK DAY PARADE
1/15. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Eutaw St., 12-2 p.m. Though no parade was originally schedule for this year, Mayor Catherine Pugh decided to bring it back after complaints from the community. The 18th annual parade will bring together more than 70 marching bands, color guards, dance squads, and more.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTIN LUTHER KING!
1/15. Cromwell Valley Park, 2002 Cromwell Bridge Rd., Parkville. Sunrise to sunset. Free. Breathe in the crisp winter air while enjoying special admission to the park grounds in honor of
the holiday.

AVAM MLK DAY CELEBRATION
1/15. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Enjoy free admission to the art museum to commemorate one of America’s greatest visionaries, with music, workshops, shows, and slices of birthday cake.

I HAVE A DREAM
1/16. Enoch Pratt Free Library, Pennsylvania Avenue Branch, 1531 W. North Ave. 3:30 p.m. Free. Memorialize the civil rights leader through an afternoon crafting session at the Penn-North library.

BLACK HISTORY LIVE
1/21. Baltimore County Public Library, 1301 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville. 2 p.m. Free. Award-winning teaching artist Culture Queen will lead an afternoon of music, movement, and activities inspired by black history.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

June 30: Sac and Pizza

Paulie Gee’s, 3535 Chestnut Ave. 9 p.m. Free.

When you think of New Orleans, you don’t necessarily think of pizza, but this Friday, head to the back bar of Paulie Gee’s in Hampden for slices of pie alongside the Big Easy sound of Sac Au Lait. The quirky six-piece is known around Charm City for their energy and humor, and has performed everywhere from bars and restaurants to parades and Mardi Gras festivals for more than 10 years. Just don’t miss the “Stinger Bell,” named after Idris Elba’s infamous character from The Wire, and covered with mozzarella, lemon slices, and fresh basil. 

 DRINK

July 1-2: Hysteria Brewing Company Grand Opening

Hysteria Brewing Company, 9570 Berger Road, Columbia. Sat. 12-11 p.m., Sun. 8-11 p.m. Free. 

Just as Maryland’s beer scene seems like its about to burst, along comes Hysteria Brewing Company, ready to join the ranks in Columbia. During their grand opening weekend, test their new brews in a pop-up beer garden, with local food trucks, lawn games, and live music. Check out the new digs with group tours and come back a week later when they open for full service. The weekend’s festivities are family friendly—just leave your four-legged friends at home.

 SEE

July 1 through 2018: Reverend Albert Lee Wagner’s Miracle at Midnight

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Tue.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free-$15.95.

One small moment in time was all it took for Albert Lee Wagner to have an epiphany that would completely alter the course of his life. On the eve of his 50th birthday, the Cleveland moving-company owner was struck by the inspiration to start marking art. His hobby progressed into a movement, and Wagner (who went onto become a reverend) became one of America’s most prominent visionary artists with his plethora of bold and colorful paintings and sculptures. Commemorating that pivotal eureka moment and the man himself, this new exhibit will include more than 50 of his recently donated masterpieces, including the featured Red Sea.

 HEAR

June 30: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia.7:30 p.m. $40-55. 

Okay, so we’re suggesting you go to Columbia a lot this weekend, but with summer concert season officially upon us, it’s time to shake out that old camping blanket and head over to Merriweather for some quality lawn time. This Friday, hear the acclaimed musical sounds of former Drive-By Truckers frontman Jason Isbell and his four-piece band. Since his departure from the group in 2007, the singer-songwriter has pursued a successful solo career, and his blues-riddled Southern sound is perfect for a warm summer night beneath the stars. 

 DO

June 30: Baltimore Bike Party: 2000s

Ride starts at St. Mary’s Park, 600 N. Paca St. Party starts at Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St.  6:30 p.m. Free.

Throw it back to the days of Avril Lavigne, MySpace, and trucker hats with this month’s Baltimore Bike Party. In a celebration of the early aughts, the monthly bike ride will end with an outdoor party at Lexington market, complete with DJs, food vendors, and Heavy Seas beers. After avoiding potholes and obeying traffic signals, flaunt your best “Hey Ya” dance moves in your low-rise, boot-cut jeans. 

Fluid Movement
July 29-Aug. 6.  July 29-30: Druid Hill Park, 800 Wyman Park Dr. Aug. 4-6: Patterson Park, 148 S. Linwood Ave. Fri.-Sun. Times & prices vary. One of the city’s most weirdly wonderful summer events is the Fluid Movement water ballet. This summer, the avant-garde group delves into the 16th-century Renaissance as aquatic ballerinas re-imagine Shakespearean classics such as Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Expect loads of glitter and good times as the local troupe fuses Old English prose with Baltimore swimming pools.

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Flicks From The Hill
July 6-Aug. 24. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Thu. 5-9 p.m. Free. 410-244-1900. Baltimore is home to a hoard of outdoor movie options throughout the summer, but for our money, you can’t top AVAM’s Flicks From the Hill. Perched atop Federal Hill with a sweeping view of the city skyline, it’s the place to be on warm Thursday nights, as the art museum projects big-name blockbusters, cult classics, and family favorites onto a 30-foot screen. Spread out a blanket, unpack your picnic, and best of all, enjoy free museum admission during each and every show.

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Little Italy Open Air Film Festival
July 7-Aug 25. High and Stiles streets. Fri. 7 p.m. Free. 410-558-0022. Every Friday night through August, set up some lawn chairs, grab some free popcorn, and bring friends to watch open-air flicks projected onto the outside wall of Ciao Bella. This year, catch classics like Moonstruck, Grease, Rocky, The Godfather I and II, and, of course, Cinema Paradiso.

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
July 7-23. Evergreen Museum & Library, 4545 N. Charles St. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 4 p.m. Free-$20. 410-662-9455. One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays will certainly feel like a summer dream in the grassy meadow at the historic Evergreen Museum. In this magical setting, join the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory for a mischievous, laugh-filled love story.

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David Blaine
July 8. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. 8 p.m. $74.50-127. 410-837-7400. Known more for death-defying illusion than rabbits and top hats, magician, illusionist, and stunt artist David Blaine promises to mesmerize a packed house during his first-ever North American tour. For one night only, let down your guard and prepare to be wowed.

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Merriweather 50th Anniversary Concert
July 15. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 6 p.m. $55-125. 410-715-5550. It’s been 50 years since Merriweather, arguably Maryland’s best music venue, opened in the Columbia woods. To celebrate its half-century, the iconic stage is in the midst of a major summer lineup—from Jack Johnson and John Legend to Paul Simon and Santana—and now it’s about to kick off a four-act anniversary concert of epic proportions. In one night, hear fiery singer Grace Potter, eccentric songwriter Father John Misty, and two legendary headliners, the ever-gentle Jackson Browne and the pot-smoking country poet Willie Nelson, with his family band. 

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Baltimore Caribbean Carnival
July 15-16. Clifton Park, 2701 St. Lo Dr. Sat. 12-10 p.m., Sun. 12-9 p.m. Free. Take a trip to a Caribbean island this summer without even leaving Baltimore. During this weekend-long celebration of paradise in Clifton Park, soak up the sounds of steel drums, dig into endless authentic eats, and see the colorful costumes at the lively parade. 

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Artscape 2017
July 21-23. Mount Royal Avenue & Cathedral Street. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Free. 410-752-8632. The long stretch of iconic art cars, outdoor concerts, and local food vendors will once again take over the heart of Baltimore. Embrace all the youthful excitement that comes with the tradition of summer camp with this year’s theme.

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Zoo Bop Kids Music Festival
July 29. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1876 Mansion House Dr. 12-4 p.m. Free-$25. 410-396-7102. Finally, kids have a music festival to call their own. The Zoo Bop outdoor concert will feature two kid-approved artists—Baltimore’s own Baby Beats and Latin Grammy winner 123 Andrés, pictured. When the kiddos aren’t grooving to the tunes, they can visit activity tables and food trucks, and partake in all-day admission to view the zoo’s own young ones, like Willow, the baby giraffe.

FAMILY FRIGHTS

WITCHES & WIZARDS WEEKEND
10/22-10/23: Take the kids to this Halloween celebration featuring potion-making, wand-decorating, and a Wizard Show in the roundhouse. B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St., 410-752-2490

ZOO BOO
10/28-30: Costumes are encouraged for treat-or-treating, carnival fun, and contests at the zoo. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1876 Mansion House Drive, 410-396-7102

GREAT LANTERN PARADE NIGHT
10/29: Follow the bright lights of the 17th lantern parade through the rolling hills of Patterson Park. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave., 410-276-1651

SPOOKY SCIENCE
10/29: Make your own slime, carve your own pumpkin, and decorate trick-or-treat bags with activities, crafts, and demonstrations. Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., 410-685-5225

HEATHER L. HURD 5K & TRICK OR TREAT WALK
10/29: Adults and kids alike can take part in this benefit run/walk with face painting and activities for the kids. Harford Community College, 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, 443-412-2000

KIDSPEACE TRICK OR TROT
10/29: Don your orange and black for this seventh annual 5K run or 1K walk through the Inner Harbor to the baseball field. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 333 W. Camden St.

FALL-O-WEEN FAMILY FESTIVAL
10/29: Bring your mini mummies and witches for face-painting, activities, and treats at the museum. Port Discovery, 35 Market Place, 410-727-8120

LANTERN NIGHT
10/29: Show up in costume to receive half-priced admission to this family-friendly celebration featuring glowing antique lamps and lanterns, and stories from actors in period attire.The Fire Museum of Maryland, 1301 York Road, Lutherville, 410-321-7500

TRICK OR TREAT AT THE MARKET
10/29: Bring the family to sit-in on cooking tutorials led by Charm City’s own Chef Egg, dance to the steel drum sounds of Orlando Phillips, and gather treats from the merchants of Lexington Market at this second annual soiree. Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St., 410-685-6169

TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THE SQUARE
10/30: With pillow cases and plastic jack-o-lanterns in tow, round up the kids and head to Belvedere Square to receive treats from all of the merchants, partake in a “Thriller” dance tutorial, and see which outfit reigns supreme in the annual costume contest. 540 E. Belvedere Ave., 410-464-9773

SPIRITED SOIREES

PUMPKINFEST AT VICTORIA GASTRO PUB
10/10-10/11: Sip flights of local pumpkin beers paired with fall-inspired game dishes from executive chef Chad Wells at this Halloween-themed tasting event. 8201 Snowden River Parkway, 410-750-1880

FRIGHT NIGHT
10/20: Join the Stoop Storytellers for tales of nightmares, phobias, and old-fashion ghosts, alongside cocktails and karaoke. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave., 410-276-1651

FEDERAL HILL-O-WEEN
10/29: Embark on this creepy crawl around Federal Hill to take advantage of devilish drink deals including $3 Miller Lites, $4 Blue Moons, and $4 Leinenkugel’s Harvest Patch Shandy’s at more than 10 participating spots. Registration at Mother’s, 1113 S. Charles St., 410-244-8686

SAINTS & SINNERS BLOCK PARTY
10/29: Show off your costume and stroll around O’Donnell Square at this annual moonlit meet up, where bars like Looney’s, El Bufalo, and Claddagh Pub will feature festive drink specials. Registration at Portside Tavern 2821 O’Donnell St., 410-522-7678

HALLOWEEN 2016: DEAD OR ALIVE
10/29: Cue the fog machine—the mainstage dance floor at Power Plant Live is transforming into a full-on tombstone graveyard in honor of the haunted holiday.Get down to the live sounds of DJ Janko and DJ Sal Flip all night long, while entering to win cash prizes in the costume contest. Power Plant Live, 34 Market Place, 410-727-5483

HALLOWEEN PARTY AT THE BREWER’S ART
10/29: Show up in costume to enter to win prizes and sip drink specials, like $3.75 craft drafts, at The Brewer’s Art’s annual basement bash. 1106 N. Charles St., 410-547-6925

SPOOKY SIGHTS

BALTIMORE BIKE PARTY: HALLOWEEN RIDE
10/28: Suit up in your Halloween best to join hundreds of other local cyclists on this annual glow-in-the-dark ride, complete with candy, costumes, and a post-ride party with plenty of Heavy Seas beer to go around. Ride departs from St. Mary’s Park, 600 N. Paca St.

MICA HAUNTED HOUSE: TIMESTREAM
10/20-10/22: MICA’s annual student-run haunted house is back with another eerie experience that is guaranteed to give you goosebumps. Take a walk around this year’s time travel-themed production to catch a glimpse of strobe lights, fog machines, and other mind-altering mischief. 1601 W. Mount Royal Ave.

AVAM FREE FALL HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION
10/27: Create a DIY lantern, embark on a glow-in-the-dark bicycle ride around Federal Hill, and kick back under the stars to enjoy a special screening of Young Frankenstein at the AVAM’s annual free event. 800 Key Highway, 410-244-1900

FELLS POINT GHOST TOURS
TO 11/22: Apparitions abound on this walking tour of historic Fells Point. Stop by a number of supernatural sites while learning about the neighborhood’s history as a rowdy seaport town along the way. Tours depart from Max’s Taphouse, 735 S. Broadway.

MIDNIGHT MUSIC

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
10/27-31: Head to the Motor House for eight performances of this cult classic musical. 120 W. North Ave., 410-637-8300

SINATRA 101
10/28: Dress in your favorite Sinatra-era getup and snap along to Ol’ Blue Eyes classics at this special pre-Halloween show featuring Baltimore native Angelo Divino. Cabaret at Germano’s Piattini, 300 S. High St., 410-752-4515

WITCHES, WIZARDS, GHOSTS AND GOBLINS
10/29: Celebrate Halloween with the spooky sounds of Fantasia-famous Night on Bald Mountain and the score of Harry Potter. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., 410-783-8000

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
10/29-30: The BSO performs a live score alongside a screening of Tim Burton’s cult classic, holiday-clashing film. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., 410-783-8000

PUMPKIN PARTIES

MARYLAND PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
10/8-9: Don’t miss this giant fall fiesta in Frederick with a corn maze, farm animals, hayrides, and all things pumpkin. Summers Farm, 5620 Butterfly Lane, 301-620-9316

PUMPKINFEST
10/15: Bring the family for pumpkin painting, sack races, hayrides, and more in Owings Mills. Irvine Nature Center, 11201 Garrison Forest Road, Owings Mills, 443-738-9200

FAMILY & FRIENDS PUMPKIN CARVING NIGHT
10/19-10/20: Watch
your little witches and warlocks learn how to carve pumpkins like a pro
at this event featuring candy-cornhole and a caramel apple fondue bar.
Adult activities will include boozy apple-bobbing and bottomless hot
toddies.
Das Bier Haus, 1542 Light St., 443-708-8854

HARBOR HARVEST
10/22: Celebrate fall with a family fun day of pumpkin patches, pumpkin decorating, face painting, and a petting zoo. West Shore Park, 401 Light St., 410-779-4700

WESTMINSTER HALLOWEEN PARADE
10/22: Head to Carroll County for this annual Halloween parade and town-wide celebration. East Main St., Downtown Westminster, 410-751-5501

141st Preakness Stakes
May 21. Pimlico Race Course, 5201 Park Heights Ave. Doors open at 8 a.m. Race begins at 6:18 p.m. As the second jewel in thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes is where champions either emerge or collapse. Over the race’s 141 years, many favorites have come to Pimlico Race Course, only to find their dreams dashed a mile and three-sixteenths later. But then there are moments like last year, when American Pharoah—on his way to becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years—went wire-to-wire on a sloppy, rain-soaked track to remind us why horse racing is The Sport of Kings. This year’s race will see another promising field compete for a place in racing history. But even if the Preakness doesn’t offer the drama of American Pharoah’s run, there will be plenty to enjoy, including 10 other races and the annual InfieldFest, headlined this year by DJ duo The Chainsmokers, hip-hop chart-topper Fetty Wap, and Towson’s own pop-punkers All Time Low.—Amy Mulvihill

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Santigold
May 4. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl. 8 p.m. $28-30. 410-244-0057. Santigold made her mark on the music scene in 2008 with a debut album of instant, indie-hip-hop hits like “L.E.S. Artistes” and “You’ll Find A Way.” Four years later, her much-anticipated second record was another success, with tracks like “Disparate Youth” and “GO!,” and now her third release is just as addictive. On 99 Cents, she still maintains her trademark balance between being contemplative and playful. You’ll be hooked to songs like “Can’t Get Enough Of Myself” and “Banshee” in no time.

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Maryland Film Festival
May 4-8. Locations & times vary. $12-375. 410-752-8083. Now in its 18th year, the Maryland Film Festival returns with more than 100 films—from full-length features to documentaries and shorts—all shown in and around Station North. While the festival prides itself on bringing together filmmakers from across the globe, it still stays connected to its Maryland roots, highlighting local talent alongside internationally known directors. And, of course, there’s always the special feature selected by our own accomplished auteur John Waters.

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FlowerMart
May 6-7. Mt. Vernon Place, 699 Washington Pl. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. 410-274-5353. Over the past 105 years, FlowerMart has blossomed from a one-day flower festival into a weekend event full of flora, food, art, and entertainment. Walk through the Mt. Vernon squares to buy spring flowers, suck on lemon-peppermint sticks, and admire the recent renovation of the Washington Monument. For the first time ever, FlowerMart also will donate a portion of its proceeds to two local nonprofits: House of Ruth Maryland and the Mt. Vernon Place Conservancy.—JKC

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Kinetic Sculpture Race
May 7. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m. Free. 410-244-1900. If you’ve been on the lookout for Chessie—a.k.a. the Loch Ness monster of the Chesapeake Bay—this just might be your month. As the 18th annual human-powered sculpture race takes its 14-mile route through the city, the streets will overflow with hordes of handmade creatures inspired by this year’s “myths and monsters” theme. Find a spot at AVAM, Patterson Park, or the Canton waterfront to watch participants compete in this eight-hour event for irreverent prizes, like the “Grand Mediocre Champion” and “Worst Honorable Mention.”

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Sweetlife Festival
May 14. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 12 p.m. $100-150. The sustainability-focused festival is back with a full day of food and music in the Merriweather woods. This year’s lineup features an eclectic mix, including Canadian dream-pop artist Grimes, Drake-signed R&B singer PartyNextDoor, English rockers The 1975, and New Wave icon Blondie, as well as grub from regional eateries like Toki Underground and Woodberry Kitchen.

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Kenny Chesney
May 19. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 7:30 p.m. $50-692. 410-715-5550. Some dismiss Kenny Chesney’s music with the term “bro-country,” but in the middle of a Baltimore spring, who doesn’t want a night of music inspired by island beaches and football tailgates? For more than two decades, Chesney has kept our attention with love songs, party anthems, and beer-tinged staples, like “Keg in the Closet” and “Summertime.” For one Thursday night, embrace his summertime sound in Columbia.

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Courtney Barnett
May 25. Rams Head Live, 20 Market Pl. 8 p.m. $23-28. 410-244-1131. It was two years ago that this introspective Australian indie-rocker made waves with the release of her double EP, catching our attention halfway across the globe. (We’ll love “Avant Gardener” forever.) By the time she dropped her first full-length debut last spring, we were all ears, and happy to find that the Grammy-nominated singer and solid guitarist continues to stay true to her witty, observational style. See her perform downtown at the end of the month.

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Matt Sesow: Shock and Awe
May 27-June 4, 2017. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free-$15.95. 410-244-1900. Opening Memorial Day weekend, this eclectic art exhibit presents works by Matt Sesow—a D.C.-based, self-taught artist—all painted with one hand, due to his left arm being severed by a plane as an 8-year-old in Nebraska. With vibrant color, raw detail, and a unique perspective, the exhibit features more than 150 original artworks, including paintings honoring the first 100 U.S. soldiers killed in the Iraq War, alongside others inspired by fantastical birds and Sesow’s own life.

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Brew at the Zoo
May 28-29. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, 1876 Mansion House Dr. 1-7 p.m. $25-69. 443-552-5276. Conventional wisdom says alcohol and wild animals don’t mix, but at Baltimore’s annual Brew at the Zoo, you can combine them with confidence. For one spring weekend, sample more than 80 local and national beers—including brews from Bmore favorites like The Brewer’s Art and Monument City—and listen to local music by the bluesy Kelly Bell Band and the funky, soulful Bosley. All proceeds benefit the zoo, ensuring that you can continue to visit your animal friends year-round, even after the buzz wears off.

The Book of Mormon
Nov. 3-15. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Times vary. $58.50-147. 410-837-7400. Simply put, The Book of Mormon is not for the faint of heart, but we heartily recommend you see it. Hailed “the best musical of this century” by The New York Times, the nine-time Tony winner and Broadway smash hit follows two young missionaries on their quest to convert African citizens to the Mormon faith. Throwing politically correct niceties to the wind, it tackles religion, race, and sexuality through satire, song-and-dance, and a dash of explicit language. From South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it’s a bold, witty show unlike anything on the stage before it.

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Zadie Smith
Nov. 3. The Johns Hopkins University, Hodson Hall, 3400 N. Charles St. 6:30 p.m. Free. 410-516-6286. When we look back, Zadie Smith—alongside the likes of Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, and Junot Díaz—will be one of the authors who helped define the beginning of the 21st century. Born in London, the young writer graduated from Cambridge before penning her remarkable, award-winning debut, White Teeth, in 2000. Tackling topics of race, identity, history, and culture through elegant prose, acute wit, flirting plotlines, and magic realism, her social dissection of modern London inspired critical comparisons to Charles Dickens, Martin Amis, and Salman Rushdie. This month, hear Smith discuss her writings as part of the President Speaker Series at JHU.

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Baltimore Blast
Nov. 7-Feb. 2, 2016. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times & prices vary. 410-347-2020. Indoor soccer season is back, and its time to kick things off with our oft-overlooked hometown team, the Baltimore Blast, as they return to Royal Farms Arena at the beginning of the month. Starting with Saturday evening matches against Chicago, IL, Syracuse, NY, and Harrisburg, PA, see this year’s stellar lineup, with the top three point producers Tony Donatelli, Lucas Roque, pictured, and Pat Healey all back for another shot at the Major Indoor Soccer League championship.

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Jerry Seinfeld
Nov. 6. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. 1212 Cathedral St. 7 and 9:30 p.m. $65-155. 410-783-8000. What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? In an era when it seems like every entertainer is trying to “expand their brand” and diversify into some kind of performer/diet guru/fashion designer/tech visionary/chakra healer, Seinfeld has, thankfully, kept it simple. Sure, he has made forays into film (the 2002 documentary Comedian; 2007’s animated Bee Movie), and yes, he can be found tooling around town with his funny friends in the delightfully idiosyncratic web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, but he has never strayed far from his core talent: He tells jokes and he does it well.

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Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, & Poets at the Great Islamic Courts
Nov. 8-Jan. 31, 2016. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. thewalters.org. In this new exhibit at The Walters, explore the exotic treasures of the great Islamic empires with over 100 artworks dating back to the 16th century. Through three vignettes of paintings, ceramics, textiles, and luxuries, delve into their rich cultural history and discover the relationship between imagination, collaboration, and creativity.

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Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 8-15. Locations, times, & prices vary. Now in its fourth year, the Charm City Fringe Festival
returns to Station North to celebrate Baltimore’s diverse performing arts
community. Starting on Thursday with an opening party at Joe Squared, this
weeklong event features a medley of 20-plus performances by local and regional
talent, including Baltimore Improv Group, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, and
Gilded Lily Burlesque. See theater, comedy, improv, and dance at venues like
Terrault Contemporary, Mercury Theatre, Gallery 788, and Church & Company,
followed by after-parties with shows, music, and drinks at Liam Flynn’s Ale
House and Joe Squared each night.

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Waterfowl Festival

Nov. 12-15. 40 S.
Harrison St., Easton. Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$15.
410-822-4567
. Head across the bridge
and celebrate the Eastern Shore for one fall weekend full of wildlife arts,
tidewater culture, and local activities in the historic town of Easton. Now in
its 44th year, the Waterfowl Festival attracts thousands for its esteemed
artwork, with paintings, photography, sculptures, and carvings on view and for
sale. Also, don’t miss its bucolic, bay-oriented activities, like goose- and
duck-calling contests, dock-jumping dog competitions, and retriever, live bird,
and fly-fishing demos, all of which you can observe or participate in.

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BSO Pulse: Wye Oak
Nov. 12. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 5 p.m. $35. 410-783-8000. We have to hand it to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD for their cool new music series, Pulse. The pairing of BSO musicians with rising indie-rock bands creates one-of-a-kind concerts that connect the present to the past and takes another step in the symphony’s ongoing quest to evolve with modern times. In this second installment, see local duo Wye Oak perform a night of genre transcendence or listen live via 89.7 FM.

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Bazaart Holiday Art Market
Nov. 27-28. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 5:30-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$20. 410-244-1900. This holiday season, it’s time to boycott the big boxes and instead buy your loved ones some unique local gifts. At AVAM’s annual holiday market, browse original works by more than 40 regional artists and craftspeople, including paintings, sculpture, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, and apparel, with early-bird shopping at the First Dibs preview party on Friday.

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Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 28-Jan. 1, 2016. 700 block of 34th St. Free. 5-11 p.m. Christmas comes early in Hampden again this month, just as it has for the past 67 years. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the festive neighborhood tradition of Miracle on 34th Street returns with the entire block decking their digs in bright holiday lights, sporting everything from illuminated Bohs and Miss Utz to crabs, flamingos, and the famous hubcap tree. Through New Year’s Day, join the throngs of locals and tourists alike to get in the holiday spirit with this Baltimore classic.