EAT

April 10-12: Easter and Passover Carryout Meals

Locations, times, and prices vary.

It’s safe to say that this Easter and Passover weekend will look and feel different than any other.
Although more family celebrations will take place via Zoom and Facetime than around the dinner table this year, that’s no reason to forego tradition, which always starts and ends with food. Plan your weekend menu using our guide to local eateries that are offering carryout and delivery specials on everything from “Seder Containers” and matzo ball soup to deviled eggs and “Easter Egg” ice cream in honor of these springtime holidays.

DRINK

April 10-12: Booze To Go

Locations, times, and prices vary.

When Gov. Larry Hogan passed the March executive order to allow alcohol delivery and takeout sales from restaurants, bars, and other hospitality establishments amid the coronavirus pandemic, Marylanders breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Since then, tons of local spots have gotten creative with their to-go booze options, including Mr. Nice Guy Cocktail’s Tiger King-themed menu, Wet City’s signature slushies by Blinky, and Nepenthe Brewing Co.’s at-home brewing supplies. Order “essential supplies” for this weekend using our easy-access guide to Baltimore-based breweries, liquor stores, and eateries, and support your favorite small businesses when they need it the most.

SEE

April 12: Virtual Drag Brunch

12:30 p.m. facebook.com/bookmakerscocktailclub.

If there’s anyone who can transition a popular weekly drag brunch into a Facebook Live performance filled with top-notch performers, raffles, and more than a few breakfast cocktails, it’s Brooklyn Heights. This Sunday, instead of snagging a seat at Bookmaker’s Cocktail Club, pull up the Federal Hill bar’s Facebook page to watch some of Baltimore’s best drag performers sashay for the camera. Make a donation and enter to win raffle prizes to support local queens like Iyana Deschanel, Jasmine Blue, and Bambi Necole Ferrah, and count down the days until we can throw dollar bills at our favorite performers in person.

HEAR

April 10: Mary Prankster

8 p.m. wtmd.org.

Live music doesn’t come to a halt just because we can’t hear our favorite acts play in concert halls or venues right now. Instead, we can listen to up-and-coming musicians play from the comfort of their own living rooms, thanks to WTMD’s new Cabin Fever Concerts video series. This Friday, visit the Towson radio station’s Facebook page to watch a livestream performance by local singer-songwriter Mary Prankster, featuring an hour of intimate solo acoustics. Tune in to hear the reigning WTMD Artist of the Year play fan-favorite songs like “Local Honey” and “Rock n Roll Degenerate,” and mark your calendars for upcoming livestream spots by the likes of Letitia VanSant and Emily Wolfe.

DO

April 10: Fells Point Community Blood Drive

Su Casa Furniture, 901 S. Bond Street. 12:30-6 p.m. Free.

As local and regional hospitals face an emergency blood shortage in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Fells Point businesses and neighbors are coming together to host a community-sponsored blood drive. If you’re able to donate blood, register with the Red Cross and then visit the temporary station at Su Casa Furniture, which is volunteering its closed store to the cause. After making your donation, enter for the chance to win gift certificates to neighborhood staple Kooper’s Tavern.

Editor’s Note: The Points South drag brunch has found a new home. Starting this Sunday, November 10, the event will be held at Bookmakers Cocktail Club in Federal Hill. Check out the event’s Facebook page for more info.

Last Friday, Points South Latin Kitchen in Fells Point was abruptly shut down by its landlords. Though official details behind the closure are still unknown, it left one of Baltimore’s most popular and celebrated drag brunches without a home.

Drag queen Brooklyn Heights, the host and impresario of the brunch, now finds herself in the unfortunate position of having to find a new venue for the recurring Sunday event, which is sold out through November.

Guests who purchased tickets for last Sunday’s brunch received direct notification from Brooklyn that the event was cancelled, as well as a refund. But Brooklyn is determined that this weekend’s show will go on.

“We have the reservations,” she says. “We have the people. We just need to find the venue.”

A few places have reached out and offered up their space, including The Hard Rock Cafe and Power Plant Live. Right now, Brooklyn is weighing her options.

“I don’t want to jump from here to here,” she says. “It’s not a good look. It’ll just confuse patrons.”

For now, she says that those with brunch reservations should stand by until further notice.

“We’ve been doing this every Sunday for four years,” sighs Brooklyn, who admits it’s been a “rough” few days. “I just want people to know that we’re doing everything we can to find a new home.”

Points South opened in the former home of Anastasia on Thames Street in March 2016. It quickly became known for its Latin American fare and accompanying margaritas and sangria, and debuted its weekly drag brunches soon after.

As Points South co-owner and managing partner Bryson Keens—whom Brooklyn said is like a “father” to the drag queens—sadly told Brooklyn: “It’s not the end [of the brunch]. It’s just the end of an era.”

Between the parades, restaurant specials, and pub crawls in our St. Patrick’s Day Roundup, it might be hard to come out the other end of this weekend without feeling a bit green. If you want to avoid the shamrock-clad crowds, check out these alternative events happening around town.

EAT

March 16: Drag Me To Brunch

El Bufalo Tequila Bar & Kitchen, 2921 O’Donnell St. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $20

We can’t think of a better way to start the St. Patrick’s Day weekend shenanigans than with a good ol’ fashioned drag brunch. After noshing on Tex-Mex brunch dishes like spicy chorizo omelets and breakfast tacos, dance along with local queens like Sarah ‘Nade, Virya Shavasana, and Victoria Bohmore as they sashay around El Bufalo Tequila Bar & Kitchen. With bottomless mimosas, tequila sunrises, and Bloody Marys flowing throughout the show, you’re guaranteed to be dragging your feet once it’s time to go back out to the Canton Square.

DRINK

March 16: Unicorn Farts Release Party

DuClaw Brewing Company, 8901 Yellow Bright Rd. 2-3 p.m. Free.

This weekend marks the release of DuClaw Brewing’s unicorn-themed beer in support of the city’s LGBTQ community, and their team of brewers is kicking off the celebration (literally) with an ode to Baltimore Pride’s annual high-heel race. Venture out to Rosedale to participate in a one-of-a-kind 20-meter dash to honor the brand-new glittery ale, Sour Me Unicorn Farts, and then spend the rest afternoon enjoying live music and eats from local food trucks. Show the crowd of onlookers what stilettos are made for and trade in your sweat for 16 ounces of shimmer at the finish line.

SEE

March 16-April 13: Louie’s Cafe Bookstore Exhibition

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 6-8 p.m. Free.

Before Station North’s worker-owned Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, there was Louie’s, a beloved bookstore cafe which was the first of its kind when it opened in 1981. This Charles Street staple served as a hub for Baltimore’s artist community, and now, 20 years after its closing, 25 of Louie’s previously featured artists are hanging their masterpieces on the walls of the Creative Alliance to revive the glory of this cultural epicenter. Whether you’re a former patron or just want to revel in this piece of local history, experience its opening on Saturday night and stick around for eats by James Beard Award-winning chef Spike Gjerde and tunes by Ava Oelke with Swing Theory.

HEAR

March 15: Haint Blue

Metro Gallery, 1700 N. Charles St. 8 p.m. $10.

Heavy thunderstorms are in Friday’s forecast, but don’t let that stop you from jamming out with this righteous Baltimore-based septet during the release party for their first full-length album, Overgrown. Pack the Metro Gallery to hear bold anthems and vulnerable ballads from this rising Americana-folk group as well as sets by local artists Caleb Stine and Cora Sone that will have you rockin’ no matter how loudly the thunder rolls.

DO

March 8: Baltimore Oyster Gardening

Downtown Sailing Center, 1425 Key Hwy. 9-11 a.m. Free.

Who knew mollusks needed gardening? This Saturday, head down to Lighthouse Point to help ensure that the 250,000 oysters planted around the Inner Harbor are living their best lives. Show your appreciation for these Chesapeake Bay VIPs by cleaning out their cages and learning about how important they are to the ecosystem. And though you’re bound to get dirty (RIP to your T-shirt), the day’s work will leave you feeling happy as a clam.

Wake up and smell the hairspray—local drag queens have taken over Baltimore’s brunch scene, and they’re leaving a trail of glitter in their wake. With high-energy performers drawing masses of mimosa-sipping patrons to restaurants such as Minnow, El Bufalo Tequila Bar & Kitchen, and Trinacria Cafe, it’s time for a refresher course on how to act when a queen sashays around your table or challenges you to a twerk-off.

We asked Brooklyn Heights, host and lead performer of Points South Latin Kitchen’s Sunday brunch, to give us the lowdown on drag brunch etiquette.

• Always tip your entertainers! It takes a lot of money to look this fabulous, darling.
• Do not touch, unless given permission.
• Unless you work for Picture People, get off your damn phone!
• The more you drink, the prettier we’ll look.
• If anything we do offends you, you probably don’t belong here, anyway.
• Respect the staff as much as the entertainers. We ALL work hard to please you!
• Make a reservation, confirm your reservation, and show up to your damn reservation.
• Have fun!