EAT

April 13-15: Baltimore Food Truck Week

Times & locations vary. Free.

When temperatures finally crack 70 this weekend, stay outside to snack on eats from 25 food trucks that will be stationed throughout Baltimore and its surrounding counties. During this celebration of four-wheel restaurants, track down some of the city’s best mobile kitchens, which will be rotating between various hotspots throughout the weekend. Try on-the-curb specials like waffle cones filled with crab cakes and French fries from Gypsy Queen, made-to-order ice cream sandwiches from Quinn’s Ice, and veggie burgers from GoGanics.

 DRINK

April 14: Dumpster Dive II

Baltimore Community ToolBank, 1224 Wicomico St. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. 410-224-5565.

Four years ago, the brilliant minds behind the local nonprofit program Volunteering Untapped discovered that 20 and 30-somethings are more motivated to spend their Saturday mornings volunteering if the do-gooding is accompanied by a solid day-drink. This Saturday, the monthly initiative returns to the Baltimore Community ToolBank to sort out the recyclables found in Professor Trash Wheel’s dumpster, followed by a trek to MaGerk’s Pub in Federal Hill for a well-earned after-party. Make new friends and celebrate your hard morning’s work with deals on mimosas, beer, and the pub’s signature Philly cheesesteaks.

 SEE

April 13: Out of Order

Maryland Art Place, 218 W. Saratoga St. 7-10 p.m. $25-45. 410-962-8565.

Maryland Art Place’s annual benefit checks off all of the boxes for a can’t-miss art event: an wall-to-wall exhibit with works from more than 250 local and regional contemporary artists, a silent auction for your chance to purchase your own masterpiece, and, of course, an open wine-and-beer bar all to support the local gallery’s programs and future exhibitions in the Bromo Arts District. This Friday, come for the local art and stay for the epic after-party featuring the soulful sounds of local singer-songwriter Joy Postell.

 HEAR

April 14: CityLit Festival

University of Baltimore, William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center, 11 W. Mount Royal Avenue. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 410-271-8793.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the CityLit Festival, the signature event from CityLit Project that celebrates reading, writing, and creativity in and around Baltimore. To tie into this year’s focus on poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, The New Yorker writer Philip Gourevitch will headline the event with conversations about his National Book Critics Circle Award-winning work of nonfiction, We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. Make time between editorial and speaker sessions to participate in guided discussions about motherhood, the #MeToo movement, and local funding for the literary arts. 

 DO

April 14: Under Armour Sole of the City 10K

Charm City Run, 1713 Whetstone Way. 9 a.m. $50-75. 410-645-8266.

With sunny skies and warm temperatures predicted for Saturday morning, this annual 6.2-mile race through the streets of downtown Baltimore could not have fallen on a more picture-perfect day. Hit the ground running in this 10K trek that starts and ends in Locust Point and features scenic views of the city skyline along the way. If you need extra motivation, think of the complimentary snack box and Natty Bohs that will be waiting at the finish line.

Now, more recently than ever, burgeoning restaurant concepts have been trading out brick and mortar for headlights and windshield wipers, adding even more diversity to Baltimore’s dining DNA.

So, it’s only natural that these mobile meals get their very own event. From April 6-15, the second ever Food Truck Week will feature more than 50 different food trucks serving specials all around the city.

“What’s amazing with food trucks is that they’re small businesses that are opening their windows right there on the street, talking and connecting with other people,” said Willy Dely, founder of Baltimore Food Truck Week. “That’s the atmosphere Baltimore is about, and that’s what makes it so great for food trucks.”

The event will launch on Friday at 5 p.m. during Light City’s Neighborhood Lights Festival, where various “chefs on wheels” will be serving fitting food truck specials in Pigtown, Brooklyn, Hollins Market, Remington, and Darley Park throughout the weekend.

Throughout the following week, several food trucks—including Wild Thyme Baltimore, Greek on the Street, GoGanics, and Pasta La Vista, Baby!—will rotate at various locations throughout the region, from Timonium in Baltimore County down to Severn in Anne Arundel County.

“You see restaurant week across the country as a promotion to help restaurants sustain revenue during slow periods of time,” Dely said. “So the idea was to do something similar to really give the opportunity for food trucks to be in the spotlight and for people to be more aware about the industry.”

He is most excited about the weather this time around considering last year’s Food Truck Week took place in November at below freezing temperatures, but despite the early winter chill, he remembers seeing over 900 people show up to just a single event the first time around.

“The weather is definitely something that we are looking forward to for people to enjoy,” Dely said. “With the spring coming up, people are going out, and I’m sure all the trucks will be busy.”

As an employee in the restaurant industry for two decades, Dely says running a food truck demands additional effort that’s not found in a standard brick and mortar shop, and that owners are operating out of a place of true passion. His ultimate goal is to see these small businesses thrive and grow in the years to come.

“It’s been amazing because if you look back in 2010, we probably had around 10 to 12 food trucks in Baltimore,” Dely said. “Now, there are over 100 food trucks licensed in the city. They are very passionate and talented in everything they do.”