The trees were little saplings then. Now, tall and strong, they make up the quiet grove where Baltimoreans will gather at 3 o’clock this afternoon, as they have gathered on every Mother’s Day since 1920, to pay tribute to the living and dead of the nation’s war.”

—Mrs. Henry F. Baker, Baltimore Sun, May 8, 1955

 

Nestled on a hilltop in Druid Hill Park, the Grove of Remembrance, whose century-old pin oak trees now stretch 70 feet, was planted by Gold Star Mothers who had lost sons in World War I.

Dedicated less than a year after the armistice, it was a poignant tribute: One sapling was put into the earth for each of the 48 states then in the Union, another for the city of Baltimore, another to represent our allies, and one to honor wartime president (and Johns Hopkins University graduate) Woodrow Wilson. More than 62,000 Marylanders, the bulk from Baltimore, joined in The War to End All Wars. Nearly 11,000 African Americans from the state served. More than 1,700 Marylanders lost their lives.

Twenty-three-year-old Highlandtown bank clerk Henry Gunther of the 313th Infantry Regiment—nicknamed “Baltimore’s Own”—was the last American soldier killed. Just outside a French village, the grandson of German immigrants made a tragic charge one minute before the armistice famously took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. (A VFW Post in his neighborhood was later named in his honor.)

The original ceremony, not far from the Maryland Zoo, was attended by Mayor William Broening, Cardinal James Gibbons, Rabbi Morris Lazaron, Governor Emerson Harrington, and the French ambassador. Some 1,000 schoolchildren, each carrying an American flag, led the parade into the park, followed by 20 war mothers, a detachment of Maryland veterans, a group of Red Cross workers—all Maryland women—and wounded men “whose serious faces bespoke remembrance of comrades” buried near overseas battle lines.

It was the country’s first memorial of its kind and is believed to be the oldest living memorial in the U.S. Subsequently, trees were planted to memorialize World War II, Korean, and Vietnam War veterans.

Two stone markers along Beechwood Drive point the way to the footpath entrance to the largely forgotten grove, which seems to be visited by more deer than people these days. A pair of bronze plaques highlight the location of each state’s tree, planted 25 feet apart from one another, providing ample room for growth and space for reflection.

For decades, as Mrs. Baker noted in her short essay, titled “I Remember,” the Grove of Remembrance hosted events on Mother’s Day, which already had an anti-war origin story when the modern holiday was first celebrated in 1907. Deeply affected by the agony of Civil War veterans, Unitarian suffragette Julia Ward Howe penned her “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870 as an appeal to mothers to spare their boys and the sons of others from the horrors of war. Howe and Ann Reeves Jarvis, a like-minded peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, subsequently campaigned for the creation of a “Mother’s Day for Peace,” and it was Jarvis’ daughter, Anna, who was credited with hosting the first commemoration after her mother’s death.

On Mother’s Day 1927, former first lady Edith Wilson participated in the groundbreaking of a memorial pavilion at the Grove of Remembrance, which also remains to this day. Designed by architect Edward L. Palmer, the rustic pavilion is dedicated to First Lieutenant Merrill Rosenfeld, a prominent Baltimore attorney of German-Jewish ancestry. Serving in the 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, Rosenfeld was leading his men during the Meuse- Argonne Offensive when he was killed on Oct. 16, 1918. (Argonne Drive in Baltimore is named for France’s Argonne region in recognition of some of the deadliest battles for local servicemen.)

The stone-and-slate pavilion, which opens to an amphitheater, has been long in need of repair. The trees, however, appear to be thriving wonderfully, a nod to the ceremonial dedication that some 100-plus years ago was described as “one of the most beautiful ever held in Baltimore.”

Flowers from Green Spring Valley, in memory of that community’s fallen young men, had been placed around the Maryland tree that spring afternoon. Cardinal Gibbons, during his benediction, was moved to pay tribute not only to the fallen soldiers and the budding new grove that would live on in their honor, but the assemblage of mothers from around the country gathered at the shrine as well. An appropriately titled poem, “Tree,” written by a sister of a war mother, was read just before the French ambassador tossed the first spade of dirt on a recently planted baby oak.

The next day, it was reported that the silence of the solemn occassion was “broken only by the sobs of the ‘Gold Star mothers.’”

Pickleball is having a moment right now. If you’ve recently passed by a public park, country-club tennis court, or suburban driveway, you might have spotted people swinging what look like oversized Ping-Pong paddles at yellow wiffleballs and wondered what the heck they’re playing. The answer is pickleball—considered one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

“Pickleball is booming,” says Lynne Coburn, pickleball director at Coppermine, which offers the sport at its Roland Park and Pikesville fitness centers. “It’s awesome to see the growth here in Baltimore, and also around the country and around the world.”

While participation exploded during the pandemic—growing more than 21 percent in 2020, according to the U.S.A. Pickleball Association—the sport is not new. Just ask Coburn. A retired physical education teacher, she was drawing chalk lines on tennis courts 30 years ago to teach her middle-school students how to play the game, which is said to have been invented in 1965 by Seattle dads to entertain their bored kids. (Legend also has it that one had a dog named Pickles who kept running off with the balls.)

Today, Coburn runs Coppermine’s pickleball programs, teaches clinics at multiple Baltimore country clubs, and lobbies the local recreation departments for more courts. There are some 70 lined pickleball courts in Baltimore County—four pickleball courts can fit on one tennis court—while in the city, examples exist from Riverside Park to Druid Hill Park. Buy a portable net on Amazon and you can play on any hard surface.

The rules are unique. Players serve underhand and points can only be scored by the serving team. Using a variety of shots, the first person (or team, as you can also play doubles) to 11 points wins. There are rules about when the ball must bounce and where you can step, generally outside of “the kitchen,” a non-volley zone on either side of the net. What’s the appeal of this fast-paced sport that some still dismiss as a leisure pursuit for retired people? Coburn chalks it up to word-of-mouth: “People hear about how fun and social pickleball is,” she says. “It’s a game for everyone.”

Indoors and outdoors year-round, skill level can vary widely from casual to professional, with Major League Pickleball launching last year. At Coppermine, open-play times are divided into competitive and non-competitive. But be forewarned: Pickleball is addictive, says Coburn.

“You don’t even know that you’re exercising because you’re having so much fun.”

As the overhaul of Druid Lake Reservoir passes its projected halfway point, city planners and officials are plotting their next move in order to turn ideas into concrete action.

The process—in which two storage water tanks are being buried under the lake in an effort to increase the efficiency of water reserve turnover and, in effect, improve the quality of drinking water—got underway in June 2017. The project also includes plans for improvements and added amenities throughout Druid Hill Park, and is expected to be completed by March 2022.

“This really is about protecting the water supply for Baltimoreans,” says Councilman Leon Pinkett of Baltimore’s 7th District, which includes Druid Hill Park. “Because of the advocacy of the community and the desires of Recreation and Parks, we are trying to take what would be a public works project and make it an effort to beautify and enhance Druid Hill Park.”

The Baltimore City Department of Public Works and the city’s Recreation and Parks Department are both working on aspects of the $135 million development. Adam Boarman, the chief of capital development at Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, hopes to begin gathering community feedback this summer to catalog improvements residents would like to see. Decreasing the size of the lake—part of the plan to build the tanks at the park and avoid excavating new holes—will create additional acres of green space to be used for community activation.

Among the proposals already floated are an amphitheater for small concerts, a wildlife conservatory, and a lakeside cafe. But Boarman hopes that these discussions will spark a bigger vision.

“In developing a vision plan, we want to gather feedback from the community, look at [the redevelopment] as a regional destination, and figure out what kind of amenities people are looking for,” Boarman says. “I feel that what is proposed now is somewhat vanilla in nature and has tremendous potential.”

Boarman is in favor of expanding upon the amphitheater, citing Frank Gehry’s work at Chicago’s Millennium Park as a precedent model to draw inspiration from. He also sees an opportunity to foster new habitats and introduce fish, native plants, and turtles into the reservoir.

Meanwhile, Pinkett envisions Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concerts and creating other ways to highlight city institutions. If all goes as planned, the renovations will also result in the park becoming more accessible for recreational activities like kayaking and fishing. Another hope is to introduce improved running and biking routes.

“Druid Hill Park is one of the greatest green spaces in our city,” Pinkett says. “It could benefit from having spaces that really allow for community gathering and activating some of that green space. This construction project presents a unique opportunity to really address some access issues that have long been neglected.”

Recently, the discourse about what the park can be has evolved into a broader conversation addressing how Baltimore should approach development in city spaces overall. In February, renovations to the Druid Hill Aquatic Center totaling $10 million were approved, but there has been controversy about the proposal to build an additional parking lot across East Drive along with it.

The proposal was approved by the Baltimore Board of Estimates, but will need conditional-use approval—a permit that allows for construction that is otherwise impermissible within a zoning district—from City Council in order to continue forward. At a time when many city leaders have been leading the charge to reduce the amount of cars on the road, additional parking being approved has caused frustration.

“There is a strongly misguided belief that if we are building more capacity for this aquatic center, then we must build more capacity for parking and driving automobiles,” says Councilman Ryan Dorsey of Baltimore’s 3rd District, who has been an outspoken critic of the proposal.

For his part, Pinkett is also opposed to the parking lot, adding that it’s important to consider all options before acting. “Especially with a park like Druid Hill Park, we need to make sure that we’ve explored every potential option available to us before we settle on paving for the purpose of parking,” Pinkett says. “We should be moving people toward using other modes of transportation besides automobiles.”

In many respects, what happens at Druid Hill Park throughout the next few years could be a launching point for the city and serve as a model for future public use projects. It’s this mindset that Boarman, Pinkett, and the Department of Public Works are adapting as they enter the next stage of the redevelopment.

“In this line of work there’s a fine line between being creative and being unfeasible,” Boarman says. “If we can tow that line, then maybe we can come up with something special that serves the Greater Baltimore area. All options are on the table at this point.”

It was a 52-foot, 10-ton object of controversy, curiosity, and for the most part, derision, when it was installed in front of Penn Station in 2004. A Baltimore Sun editorial described the aluminum, five-story Male/Female work at the time of its placement in the city-owned plaza south of the station as “oversized, underdressed and woefully out of place.”

Sun columnist Dan Rodricks wrote that artist Jonathan Borofsky’s intersecting male and female silhouettes resembled the robot Gort from the sci-fi, horror movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. A local cabbie, who regularly picked up fares at the station, called it “an abomination” in one story. Several times, City Paper readers voted the massive sculpture—a $750,000 donation from the Municipal Arts Society— Baltimore’s “Best Eyesore.”

Almost immediately, it prompted chatter about moving it from its prominent position outside the 1911-built Beaux-Arts style station.

And now, oddly enough, just as the city seems to have finally grown accustomed to it, the fate of long-controversial Male/Female may be in doubt.

In order to handle the new generation of high-speed Acela trains, as well as the expectation of more passengers in coming years, Amtrak has pledged a $90 million overhaul of Penn Station. Those plans include a transformation of the historic station into a more pedestrian, bicycle, bus, and cab-friendly transit hub—and, if developers can raise more funds—a new mixed-use development in the surrounding area.

No official has said the giant sculpture needs to be moved to remake Penn Station. No one has indicated it will stay. There is simply is no sight of the 52-foot statue in current renderings and maps. Bill Struever, CEO of Cross Street Partners, one of the developers and planners on the Amtrak project, noted in an email that indeed the sculpture had engendered strong feelings over the years. He also stated he “is staying agnostic on the statue.” Ultimately, Struever says, he expects a resolution on the development of the south station plaza—and thus the statue—will grow out of a community planning process.

The current working proposal calls for moving the taxi/drop-off area to Charles and St. Paul streets, which will serve a new Lanvale Street rail concourse on the north side of the station. That plan, Struever says, creates an opportunity to rebuild the south station plaza into a more pedestrian friendly space with the potential for events and programming.

In the meantime, however, the statue has grown on at least some Baltimoreans over the last few years. As Baltimore magazine contributor Ed Gunts noted in a short piece in 2015, one early defender of the Male/Female statue was Bill Griffith, creator of the Zippy the Pinhead comic strip, in which the sculpture has appeared. John Waters has said he likes it, too. Rebecca Hoffberger, founder and director of the American Visionary Art Museum, noted several years ago that even “The Eiffel Tower was detested” when it went up.

Asked again last week about the statue, Hoffberger said she wished “there was something that was more in tune with the station’s history as a link that gave homage.”

“It’s there and I think there are people that love it,” she says. “I don’t know how thematically it was decided on. There’s a bigger issue—the front of Penn Station is really historic and iconic to Baltimore,” adding the structure may be obscuring that. “I’m very big on preserving older architecture particularly of iconic sites.”

Baltimore architect and artist Jerome Gray said he believes the size of the statue overwhelmed city viewers at first, but since its installation people have become accustomed to it. He added the sculpture’s provocative intersection of the male and female forms—and its colorful, single, pulsating heart, widely visible at night—personally appeals. “I love weird things,” he says. “And I like anything that challenges you. In that way, it’s great. It makes you think.” (Initially, the sculpture’s beating heart was to be red, but it was switched to blue-magenta at the city’s request out of concerns the color red would be seen as a reminder of the city’s tragic homicide rate.)

Gray adds that it’s not unprecedented for the city to move works of art. The Orpheus statute, for example, at Fort McHenry was shifted from its original location. Others around Druid Hill Park have been moved in the past.

In 2015, City Paper contributor Michael Farley called the statue an “accidental monument to a consideration (or lack thereof) of gender identity and sex that’s distinctly Baltimorean.” He nominated it “the kinkiest artwork” in the city.

 

Borofsky, for what it’s worth, never liked to comment too much about the themes in his own work, preferring to leave it for the viewer’s interpretation. His public projects, including other large scale human forms, can be found around the world.

Eli Pousson, formerly of Baltimore Heritage, moved to the city a few years after the installation of the statue, but quickly became aware of the criticism of work. “It was abstract, difficult to categorize in terms of explicit meaning,” Pousson says. “It wasn’t your normal, marble famous guy. It plays with the [traditional] masculine and feminine forms, which also probably invited some of that response.” It’s interesting, Pousson continues, that today more people seem to respond positively to the statue as gender, sex, and queer identities and norms evolve in the eyes of society.

“Personally, I’m a fan,” Pousson says. “I’d suggest rather than spending money to take down public art, the city and developers use the money to put up more public art.”

Founded in 1976 as part of the city’s annual Showcase of Nations, AFRAM—a free, two-day, family-oriented celebration of African American culture, community, and performance art—remains one of Baltimore’s most anticipated summer festivals.

“We invite not just Baltimoreans but everyone, young and old, to come experience a jam-packed weekend that honors the unique experience of African-Americans in Baltimore,” Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young shared in a press release about the event. “Our city’s culture of black excellence is no secret and we are happy to have this annual event to display and celebrate it.”

This weekend will mark the third year that Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP) hosts the event at Druid Hill Park. In an attempt to rebrand and reinvigorate the festival this time around, BCRP launched #AFRAMILY—a colorful social media campaign that spotlights short videos and interviews with local artists and entrepreneurs about their experiences living and working in Baltimore.

Featured Baltimoreans include Carleen Goodridge of Le Monade, The Voice star and recording artist Davon Fleming, MD State Senator of the 45th District Cory McCray, and nail artist Charlotte James of Power Decals.

“We are a majority black city, so AFRAM is such an incredible way to showcase our creatives and entrepreneurs,” James says. After years of fluctuating attendance, the 2017-2018 seasons saw a significant uptick in participation. “We expect an even larger crowd this year,” shares Whitney Brown, public relations officer for BCRP. “At Recreation and Parks, we are always looking for opportunities to reconnect the community with our spaces.”

With generous sponsorships from the likes of WBAL-TV, BGE, and Kaiser Permanente, AFRAM can once again bring some big names to Druid Hill Park. Celebrated musicians including Teddy Riley with Guy, Sevyn Streeter, The Combs, Wreckx-n-Effects, Kiana Lede, and our own Dru Hill will take the AFRAM Live Stage. And Rick Ross, one of the more anticipated performers, will headline the festival on Saturday, August 10. “Our lineup this year is phenomenal,” Brown continued. “I’m excited to see the crowd’s reaction to bringing Dru Hill back.”

Along with the stellar performances, attendees can browse a diverse selection of merchandise from local vendors, sample bites from food trucks, and enjoy a designated kids zone.

“Druid Hill Park is a place where a ton of family reunions are held,” Brown says. “AFRAM wants to remind folks of that feeling of reuniting with loved ones.”

Last summer it was announced that the Druid Lake Reservoir was going to be completely overhauled and revamped. Two storage water tanks will be buried under the lake in order for the city to comply with the 2006 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that require cities to create large, open reservoirs.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) had two options: cover them entirely or put extra chemicals into the water before pumping it out to the city. The director of DPW Rudy Chow chose the former.

“The tanks will preserve better water quality and lessen the required chemicals to keep the water fresh,” he said. “All this is good for the health of our citizens here in Baltimore.”

DPW recently released more details about the renovation and the scope of the project is unique. After talking with surrounding communities, the department opted to build tanks at the park, rather than in the nearby neighborhood, in order to minimize disruptions. By building a temporary dam across the reservoir, it would divide the lake into two sections, one that would remain filled with drinking water and the other that would be emptied to make space for the tanks. Draining part of the lake, instead of excavating new holes, significantly reduced the amount of time the project would take.

“When we faced the federal mandate, we were determined to get the neighbors, and those who advocate for our parks, involved in the process,” Chow said. “By doing this, we are making the park stronger and making the lake accessible to our citizens.”

The entire venture is projected to be completed by March 2022 and will cost about $140 million—paid for by the increasing bills of Baltimore’s water customers. But Mayor Catherine Pugh, who frequently jogs around the lake, says that this will all be worthwhile in the end.

“The lake will be a little bit smaller when the project is completed, but it will be well worth it,” she said in an email. “This is going to be a very, very beautiful sight.”

The decreased lake size will provide more green space with an additional 14 acres in Druid Hill Park. This will include upgraded lighting, a wider promenade, a new path for cyclists, and an amphitheater. The remainder of the 146-year-old reservoir will be available for recreational activities such as fishing and kayaking.

The current lake was completed in 1871 and included the largest earthen dam in the country at that time—119 feet high—designed to hold one billion gallons of water. The new tanks will only hold 54 million gallons of water with new pipes connecting the existing system in place.

This same model was also used for nearby projects in Towson, Lake Montebello, and Pikesville. Guilford Reservoir is currently under construction and Lake Ashburton, the final project, is underway.

The DPW doesn’t plan to turn over the project to the parks department until they reach the end of construction in the spring of 2022. In the meantime, visitors will see nothing more than bulldozers and a lot of dirt.

“We realize that this is a big project at a very important location,” Chow said. “Druid Hill Park is in many ways not just the heart of the communities that surround it, but also the heart of Baltimore.”

HonFest 

June 9-10. The Avenue, Hampden. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. Five years after winning the Baltimore’s Best Hon contest at the annual HonFest in Hampden, Stacy Hurley can still recite her interview question by heart: “Do you like the smell of Jean Nate or does it just keep the bees away?” With her hair stacked into a beehive and a dead-on Bawlmer accent, Hurley, right, stole the show by evoking her grandmother, who doused herself in Jean Nate powder after swimming in the ocean. “It made me realize how much of a Hon I’ve always been,” says Hurley. She now helps with the contest herself by encouraging others to don feather boas, cat-eye glasses, and sky-high hair and embrace the Hons’ blue-collar spirit. Bonnie Hockstein, who will manage the 25th anniversary contest with a wash-and-set hairdo as she has for the past decade, says Baltimore’s Best Hon is about honoring the legacy of the city’s working-class women. “It’s not a costume—you’re not acting,” says Hockstein. “It’s just you and your Hon self.”

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Maryland Half Marathon & 5k 
June 9. The Maple Lawn Community, 8161 Maple Lawn Blvd., Fulton. 8 a.m. $20-75. 410-328-8530. This race is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a brand-new course that takes racers through the rolling hills and tree-lined roads of Howard County. Whatever your fitness level, join hundreds of athletes participating in the 13.1-mile half marathon, 5K, or kids’ fun run to benefit the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. At the finish line, celebrate with post-race festivities such as live music and awards for category winners.

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Tour Dem Parks, Hon 
June 10. Druid Hill Park, 900 Druid Park Lake Dr. 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. $20-55. From laid-back cruises to a challenging 56K ride, take a two-wheeled tour of Baltimore’s 6,000-acre park system full of trails, historical sites, and waterways. Experience the city’s diverse neighborhoods from the seat of your bike during this 16th annual event, and stick around for a post-ride barbecue and live jazz performance in Druid Hill Park.

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Luke Bryan 
June 14. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 7 p.m. $56-299. In the past year, he sang the National Anthem at Super Bowl LI, began judging
on American Idol, and now, for one night only, Luke Bryan will perform his boot-stomping hits on the
Merriweather stage. Hear this Southern superstar play songs from his latest album, What Makes You Country, along with classic country anthems such as “Play It Again” and “Kick the Dust Up.”

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Boundary Block Party 
June 16. Pennsylvania Triangle Park, Pennsylvania Ave. & Presstman St. 1-4 p.m. Free. 410-728-1199. For the past 11 years, Jubilee Arts and local advocacy group No Boundaries Coalition have thrown this annual block party to bring together Central West Baltimore residents across boundaries of race, class, and neighborhood. Celebrate the strength of the West Baltimore community with family-friendly art activities, a resource fair, fresh produce, and live performances by youth dance program Dynamic Force and the Twilighters Marching Band.

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Baltimore Wine Fest 
June 16. Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St. 12-7 p.m. $11-95. 410-409-7123. baltimorewinefest.com. Nothing says summer in the city quite like strolling through Canton Waterfront Park with a glass of red, white, or bubbly in hand. During this fourth annual wine festival, sip on more than 160 vinos from around the world, take in a wine seminar or a cooking demonstration, and sample eats from local favorites including Ekiben and Wicked Sisters.

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Def Leppard and Journey 
June 16. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 7 p.m. $49.50-179.50. 410-347-2020. royalfarmsarena.com. It’s been 12 years since legendary rock bands Def Leppard and Journey, pictured, shared a bill, but this month, die-hard fans can relive the ’80s during their one-night stop in Charm City. With 40-plus years of music catalogs and touring under their belts, these heralded heroes of rock have set the bar for generations of musicians across the world. Hear them perform smash-hit classics including “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Rock of Ages,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Faithfully.”

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Baltimore Pride 
June 16-17. Old Goucher, Charles North, & Station North. Locations & times vary. Free. This year’s Baltimore Pride theme—United We Shine—highlights how the city will come together for the 43rd annual celebration of its LGBTQ community. During this rainbow-colored weekend, head to Station North for streetwide dance parties, an 11-block parade, and a high-heel race up Charles Street, followed
by an all-day, family-friendly festival in Druid Hill Park.

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Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival 
June 23. Rash Field, 201 Key Hwy. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. & 5-9 p.m. Free-$95. 410-878-9900. mdcrabfest.com. As Marylanders, we all know that on a hot summer day there’s nothing better than breaking into a bushel of Old Bay-encrusted crabs accompanied by an ice-cold beer. Now in its fifth year, the largest crab feast in the city returns with more than 30,000 crabs and 50 beers, plus wine, spirits, and plenty of crab-cracking mallets to go around. Stake out a shady spot, spread out the brown picnic-table paper, and get crackin’ at this annual all-you-can-taste extravaganza.

The Baltimore AFRAM festival, formally known as the African-American Heritage Festival, is now in its 41st year and will kick off at Druid Hill Park on August 12. Since 1976, the free festival has been a weekend filled with family fun, food, and performances from nationally acclaimed artists, but this year’s event will be much different.

Mayor Catherine Pugh made an announcement in May that provided minimal details regarding the event, but disclosed that the traditionally two-day event at Camden Yards had been reduced to a 10-hour celebration at Druid Hill Park.

“AFRAM started in Druid Hill Park,” said the mayor’s director of communications Anthony McCarthy in an email. “It seemed a more appropriate venue given this year’s focus.”

Unlike other local events like Pride and Artscape, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts (BoPA) has no role in AFRAM—the mayor’s office handles all planning and promotion.

Under former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the annual event was organized by greiBO Entertainment and boasted a large budget of more than $500,000 that supplied days of entertainment from nationally acclaimed acts. However, greiBO’s contract ended in December placing full responsibility on Mayor Pugh, who plans to reduce the costs while focusing on making this year’s event “a local celebration” featuring all regional entertainment, vendors, and city agencies.

“In a city that’s mostly African American, the African-American festival is the only one to be dwindled down to save money,” a Facebook user commented. “What sense does that make? What does it say to our children about who and what this city values?”

Although Pugh’s Facebook page has been overflowing with opposition for her decisions, some understand her vision and are pleased with the changes.

“I love that AFRAM is back in the community! Druid Hill Park is perfect for family, it offers a lush green environment and easy access to the people who live in Baltimore,” one resident commented. “Bringing AFRAM back into the city reminds our young people of the rich heritage they have, placing the celebration right in their neighborhood. Great choice Mayor Pugh.”

Another person echoed similar thoughts: “Maybe she wants to redirect the trillions of dollars that were spent at Camden Yards and bring it back to the community. I believe that there is a method to this madness.”

Amidst the backlash and concerns with the new location—current reconstruction, lack of parking, and minimal access to public transportation—the mayor’s office released the less than star-studded artist lineup for the event on August 8. In a shift from recent years with acts like Common and Fantasia, this year’s main stage will feature local artists like singer London Savoy and Baltimore rappers YBS Skola and Tate Kobang.

The celebration, albeit different, will remain the same in many ways—there will still be a health pavilion with free health screenings, an innovation village, a kids’ village with games and face painting, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library book mobile and employment center.

“AFRAM is more than a festival,” Pugh said in a promo video. “It is celebration of African-American life, music, and culture.”

Gifted

June 11, 2017
Auburn Drive

“You can’t run without passing the baton and we’re very good at passing the baton,” says Donnell Banks, 23, moments after he and his three teammates win gold in the 4×400 at the Special Olympics Maryland Summer Games at Towson University. “We practice together every Saturday and we’re very close,” Banks adds with a smile, standing alongside his running mates. “We work well together.”

So well, in fact, this is the third year in a row that the foursome—Banks; Calvin Anderson, 17; Niki Kohli, 17; and Vu Tran, 30—has won gold in the 4×400.

Events at this weekend’s 47th summer games include track and field, swimming, cheerleading, softball, and bocce—and more than 1,500 mostly under-40 competitors.

With temperatures reaching 93 degrees, Lori “Action” Plaxen, 28, who won five medals overall, cools off after her last event beneath the light spray of local fire trucks. “Special Olympics is a family,” says her mother, Joyce, the Montgomery County track and field team manager for the past 10 years. “What can you say? It makes them feel accepted. It makes them feel like they can do anything.

“Look around, too,” she adds. “There is every nationality, race, and religion competing here and getting along and loving each other.”

Along those lines, Jason Schriml, of Special Olympics of Maryland, recalls a favorite moment while coaching the Maryland team at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise and other locations in Idaho. “We were on a long bus ride leaving the opening ceremonies and I dozed off,” Schriml says. “There were teams from Iran, Iraq, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, South America on this bus and when I woke up, they’re all exchanging gear and taking selfies. One guy from India was showing his turban around to everyone. It was surreal. 

“We also had four Maryland athletes competing in the snowshoe events in Boise,” Schriml continues. “What amazed me was the team from Egypt. Apparently, they practice with cardboard boxes, tied around their feet with rubber tubes, and train in the sand. I mean, they were good.”

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True Colors                       

June 14, 2017

E. Pratt Street

Historian K. A. Wisniewski clicks his laptop and puts a PowerPoint image of 16 varying red, white, and blue flags on the screen at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. Most of the flags include the traditional stars of the American flag in differing configurations—concentric circles and abstract designs, for example—but not all. Wisniewski asks the small crowd how many of those flags were considered the official American flag at one time or another?

 “All of the above,” he says, answering his own question.

 Wisniewski explains that the U.S. has employed 27 flags since its inception. Early on, different flags were even acknowledged as official American flags at the same time. In fact, to this day, while there’s still debate over the identity of the original seamstress of the flag that became the known as “The Stars and Stripes”—the question over who designed the flag has largely been settled, according to Wisniewski. That would be Declaration of Independence signee Francis Hopkinson. At least, he’s the only known person to have billed Congress for the job.

Wisniewski’s presentation is part of the 90th Flag Dag celebration at the Flag House, which includes a museum and the attached former home of seamstress Mary Pickersgill, who stitched the famous Star-Spangled Banner that flew over Fort McHenry. Events today include free tours, a replica flag-raising, and a performance by Fort McHenry Junior Fife and Drum Corps.

 As many Baltimoreans know, Philadelphian Betsy Ross, thanks to aggressive marketing by her ancestors, typically gets credit for designing and sewing the “first” official American flag. However, Wisniewski says, evidence suggests Hopkinson, who lived in Philadelphia and knew both Mary Pickersgill’s family and Betsy Ross, would not have handed his design to Ross. “In one correspondence, Hopkinson pays Betsy Ross a kind of backhanded compliment,” Wisniewski says. “He suggests she was good at something, but it wasn’t sewing.

“In other words, he thought she was a second-rate seamstress.”

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Pulp Stores

June 17, 2017

Swann Drive

As the packed bus pulls away from the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botantical Gardens at Druid Hill Park, arborist Gary Letteron points out a state champion bur oak, a city champion white ash, and the Grove of Remembrance—pin oak trees, one for each state, planted 25 feet apart—representing the first living memorial to the veterans of World War I.

Letteron, along with Ted Martello, is leading the morning bus portion of TreeBaltimore’s “Notable Tree Bus Tour,” which is headed next to Cylburn Arboretum, but not before passing several massive English oaks near the park’s disc golf course. “We don’t know how old those trees are,” Letteron says, “but there are pictures of Civil War soldiers sitting underneath them. That’s how big they already were then.”

 Entering Cylburn, the tour bus passes a showy magnolia in full bloom. Walking the 200-acre arboretum, and now led by Glenda Weber, a naturalist with Baltimore City, attendees get up-close looks at a silver maple, a Himalayan pine, a Chinese chestnut, and a 1970 progeny of the iconic, now-deceased Wye Oak tree, an Eastern Shore specimen once recognized as the nation’s largest white oak.

  Later, the three-hour tour heads to Chinquapin Run Park, passes by a weeping cherry donated by Al Capone to Union Memorial Hospital (Johns Hopkins refused to treat the Chicago gangster’s syphilis), and visits Evesham Park and its nearby city champion male ginkgo biloba—a species that dates back 2.5 million years.

 Beneath a giant bald cypress at Evesham Park, Weber explains that many trees have a single gender—male trees with flowers that produce pollen, or female trees with “ovaries” that produce fruit. Other trees have both characteristics; still others can switch genders during their lifetimes.

 “They are all different and they are all my friends,” she says with a smile while discussing the nuanced gender and reproductive systems of trees. “Look closely and take notice of each one.”

One of the regulars at a bar where I used to work once told me, “In Baltimore, you can’t leave the house without a jacket until after Preakness.” It’s a message that bubbles up in my thoughts every May as I compulsively check the weather and stick my head out our window, daring myself to walk to work sans outerwear. (I know good advice when I hear it: I have yet to leave the house without a coat this year.)

As the distance to that magical, jacketless Preakness day quickly nears, I’ve been getting really excited about Lou’s first real nice weather adventures. Last spring and summer, he wasn’t yet able to walk, and while his immobility allowed us to have fun, low key days, we’ve been anticipating the beginning of doing fun toddler-friendly stuff. Baltimore has been a pretty great city to raise our kid in so far, and the older he gets, the more opportunities for fun emerge. Here are a few places and events we can’t wait to take advantage of once our coats are finally packed away. 

Center Plaza Play Dates

Center Plaza is an awesome green space in the heart of the city that not enough people know about. It’s protected on three sides by tall buildings, and set back enough from the street to feel quiet and cozy. Lots of events are held here (like free yoga and concerts), but this is the first year with dedicated children’s programming. The season kicked off last month with an egg hunt, and continues with a screening of Moana, workshops with Baby Beats with Max and Root, a tot lot with sprinklers, a family happy hour, and monthly Stroller Strides classes—all for free.

(Full disclosure: I am an employee of the Downtown Partnership, who produces these events. Even fuller disclosure: I am also a downtown parent who would take my kid to these events even if the presenting entity didn’t sign my paychecks.)

West Shore Park splash pad

On a recent warm day, I received a video from our nanny of Lou crouched down low, inspecting a mini-geyser erupting from the sidewalk. He vacillated between being totally elated and totally engrossed in figuring out how the hell water was shooting out of the ground and no one was stopping him from playing in it. 

The West Shore Park splash pad is located just north of the Maryland Science Center and it’s perfect for swinging by to cool off children on a hot day, and having their minds be repeatedly blown for a couple of hours.

Druid Hill Park

Obviously the main attraction in Druid Hill Park is the Maryland Zoo, but may I suggest an alternative use for the park? Bubble party. The park itself is massive, and even on a crowded day it’s not hard to carve out a little space for your group. Fill a tote bag with every kind of bubble/dispenser you can get your hands on, post up on a blanket with an iced tea and a book, and let your kids get lost in the dreamy world of floating, soapy orbs. Though he sometimes ends up French kissing the wand, Lou learned the art of blowing bubbles a few weeks ago. I found catnip bubbles and now our cats—once angered by his mere existence—follow Lou around like he’s a Beatle.

Breweries

Baltimore is getting super spoiled as our food and booze worlds keep improving. Take advantage of these riches by meeting friends at one of the many outdoor events hosted by our city’s breweries. Union, Waverly, and Monument City all have outdoor space and their events toe the glorious line between feeling like you’re still cool and part of the scene, but also a good parent who has brought their kid to an event they’ll actually enjoy. My advice is to show up on time and leave when you think you’ve caught your first whiff of unhappiness from your child. 

Throw some snacks and an activity they can share with the other kids (and there will be lots of other kids) like a large beach ball or those fabulous bubbles.  And be mindful that, even if your progeny is having a blast and on their best behavior, at a certain point in the evening the other adults in attendance have the right to continue the evening sans children. 

When the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, America’s natural landscape seemed under siege. There was not yet an EPA, and key environmental regulations like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act were in their infancies. The previous year, in Ohio, an oil spill—and decades of unchecked pollution—caused the Cuyahoga River to catch fire, and not even for the first time. Here in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was just two years old. We’ve come a long way since then—or maybe we haven’t—but one thing is for sure, it’s always a good idea to spend some time in nature. So whether that means a hike in the woods, attending a street festival, or rolling up your sleeves for a stream cleanup, we’ve got an local Earth Day event to help you connect with Mother Earth. 

Cleanup Events 

Patterson Park hosts a park cleanup beginning at 9 a.m. Participants should meet at the white house prepared to mulch trees, pick up trash and leaves, garden, and edge walkways.

Oregon Ridge Nature Center marks Earth Day with a “Love Your Mother Earth” celebration with trail cleanup and a tree-hugging contest complete with prizes. Event is free and runs Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. 

Carrie Murray Nature Center in Leakin Park will host an all-ages “Clean up the Gwynns Falls Trail” event on Saturday from 12-2 p.m. 

Civic Works, a local job-training and sustainability nonprofit, invites volunteers to its campus in Clifton Park for several Earth Day activities from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Volunteers can help mulch pathways, plant new trees, remove invasive plants, build a pollinator garden, or assemble decorative mosaic stepping stones.    

Druid Hill Park will host its monthly 4th Saturday workday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Come prepared to clear debris/leaves/trash off the paths and mulch a garden (in preparation for next weekend’s Charm City Bluegrass Festival). 

Pigtown will host its 5th annual Bloom the Boulevard on Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Attendees are invited to help collect litter, plant flowers and trees, and spread mulch along the 700-1300 blocks of Washington Boulevard. Participation will earn you a $10 credit toward your city stormwater fee, and there will be an after party at Cheat Day Bar & Grill.

Blue Water Baltimore, Baltimore City’s watershed watchdog group, will host several events, including a cleanup at Herring Run Park on Saturday, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and a make-your-own rain barrel workshop at Herring Run Nursery from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  

Many of these cleanup events are part of Project Clean Stream, a bay-wide effort to collect 100,000 pounds of trash from local waterways by June 9. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay has an interactive map that lists all area cleanup sites and events. 

And next weekend, on April 29 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., is the Mayor’s annual Spring Cleanup. Participating residents can earn credits toward their stormwater fee. Communities and individuals are encouraged to register by calling 311.   

Plant Sales

Concurrent with Pigtown’s Bloom the Boulevard, the neighborhood will host its annual Flower Sale offering annuals and perennials for gardens or planters. Everything is under $7. 

Herring Run Nursery is Blue Water Baltimore’s native plant nursery, and a great local resource for eco-conscious gardeners. In honor of Earth Day, the nursery will be giving away native species of trees to its customers on Saturday morning (while supplies last). There will also be 250 native species of trees, shrubs, vines, flowers, and plants for sale. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Festivals

University of Maryland Baltimore is throwing its 2nd annual Neighborhood Spring Festival, Saturday, April 22, 2017, on the 800 Block of W. Baltimore Street, from 11a.m.-2 p.m. Festivities will include live music and dance performances, taekwondo and outdoor zumba, local food and craft vendors, and Earth Day activities, as well as free health and dental screenings, HIV and Hepatitis C testing, mental health resources, and legal advice. 

Hikes 

Scenic Rivers Land Trust and the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks are partnering for the 12th Annual Walk for the Woods on Saturday. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., the public is invited to the Bacon Ridge Natural Area in Crownsville for feature guided hikes, educational programming, and a chance to explore the county owned property that is not always open to the public. The event is free and dogs are welcome after 10 a.m. Rain date is Sunday, April 23. 

Kids

After the grownups finish tidying up Patterson Park, kids can convene at the playground at 10 a.m. for fun and games. 

Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School in Locust Point will host a free Earth Day Mommy and Me class on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The event is geared toward children ages 2-5 who are not already enrolled in the school. There will be a craft, snack, and playground activities. 

Baltimore Farmers’ Market & Bazaar
April 23-Dec. 17. E Saratoga and Holliday sts., 7 a.m.-noon. Free.
With 48 farms, 45 vendors, and an average of more than 120,000 attendees each year, Maryland’s largest producers-only market has become a Sunday staple in Charm City for the past 40 years. Nestled under the Jones Falls Expressway, the beloved weekend ritual is a vibrant, fragrant microcosm of Baltimore—teeming with crisp fruits and seasonal vegetables, craft beer and local wine, ice-cold crabs and farm-fresh meat, and, of course, the buttery smell of breakfast biscuits wafting from the grill of Blacksauce Kitchen. The market draws Baltimoreans and tourists of all ages and walks of life to popular businesses like Hex Ferments, Zeke’s Coffee, The Mushroom Stand, and “the potato man,” who hawks killer sweet potatoes from Knopp’s Farm. When the market returns this season, the lineup will include some newcomers such as the sustainable Old Line Fish Company and the upstart city farm Urban Pastoral, as well as local favorites like Ekiben and The Baltimore Whiskey Company.—EB

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The Emporiyum
April 1-2. Inner Harbor, 600 E. Pratt St. Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $15-40. Mark your calendars, foodies, and make your way to the Inner Harbor for this one-of-a-kind, edible experience, now in its fourth year. With more than 90 vendors, The Emporiyum lets you dig into dozens of eats from far and near (Ekiben, La Cuchara, The Local Oyster), imbibe in a Baltimore brew from Union Craft or Diamondback, and take home tasty treats.

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Orioles Opening Day
April 3. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 333 W. Camden St. 3:05 p.m. Prices vary. 410-685-9800. baltimore.orioles.mlb.com. After just barely missing the playoffs last season, thanks to a heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Orioles fans are fired up and ready to go. Grab your friends, family, and foam fingers and head down to Camden Yards for the first game of the year—against, no less, those very same Jays.

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Bill Nye
April 20. Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. 7:30 p.m. $50-65. 301-600-2828. Bill Nye the Science Guy is more relevant than ever as he continues to make science both exciting and relatable. Since his show first aired on PBS in the early ’90s, the Emmy Award-winning scientist, comedian, author, and inventor has inspired generations and become a household name. For one night, listen, learn, and laugh alongside America’s favorite science teacher.

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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
April 20-30. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times vary. $15-98. 410-347-2020. Cue the lights. The Greatest Show on Earth is coming to town for one last visit as the world-famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus performs its final tour. For more than 50 years, the celebrated troupe has perfected the big-top experience, entertaining millions of families and creating a right of passage in kids’ lives. Don’t miss your last chance to see their awe-inspiring stunts.

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Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen
Apr. 28. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. 8 p.m. $92-399. 410-837-7400. From the real deal on global issues to Real Housewives, these TV hosts always deliver the latest in politics and pop culture. Newscaster Anderson Cooper and reality-TV pot-stirrer Andy Cohen will bring a night of unforgettable banter and behind-the-scenes stories at this live event.—EB

Charm City Bluegrass Festival
April 29. Druid Hill Park, 3100 Swann Dr. 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Free-$55. Now in its fifth year, this once small parking lot jam session has grown into Baltimore’s biggest bluegrass festival, known for its stellar lineups, quality food, and local craft beer. Rain or shine, prepare to move and groove to local talents like Cris Jacobs and Seldom Scene, plus national acts such as The Lone Bellow and Dustbowl Revival.

Kudos to Blue Hills State Reservation in Massachusetts, which hosted the first, First Day Hike in 1992—the start of an outdoors tradition that has swept across America’s state parks over the past quarter-century.

In Maryland, First Day Hikes this Sunday literally stretch the breadth of the state, from Assateague State Park and Wye Island on the Eastern Shore to Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County. Not in shape? Not to worry. These hikes are short—generally 1- 2 miles—meant as an introduction to Maryland’s state parks as much as an opportunity to get the New Year off to a healthy start.

In Baltimore County, Patapsco Valley State Park hosts two First Day Hikes, including the Orange Grove History and Cascade Falls Trail Hike, which will be lead by the Maryland Conservation Corps and include a local nature lesson—plus coffee and cider afterward. The park’s other hike leaves from the McKeldin area in Marriottsville and traces the Plantation Trail.

The Friends of Jerusalem Mill will host a hike through nearby Gunpowder Falls State Park, leaving from the blacksmith shop there. At North Point State Park, Maryland Conservation Corps members will lead a hike down the scenic Black Marsh Trail, offering opportunities for bird watching (binoculars suggested) and some history about the old Bay Shore Amusement Park and trolley car powerhouse.

Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area in Owings Mills will also host two First Day Hikes, including a 7:15 a.m. sunrise jaunt, which begins at the overlook just north of its visitor center, and then an afternoon history trek that includes discussions about the nearby Red Dog Lodge and former Choate Mine.

“Volunteer Jimmy Johnson is a former mining engineer and gives an amazing talk about the Choate Mine, which dates back to the 1800s, and the area’s geology,” says Soldiers Delight ranger Jamie Petrucci, adding that more than 1,110 Marylanders participated in First Day Hikes last year.

“The Patapsco hikes, in particular, are mobbed when the weather cooperates,” Pertrucci said. “I’m expecting a good turnout this year.”

To his point, the forecast for New Year’s Day is fantastic—sunny, with a high of 50 degrees.

A complete listing of the Maryland state park First Day Hikes, including directions and time, can be found at the Department of Natural Resources website.

State parks are not the only venue offering First Day events, however.

The Friends of Druid Hill Park are hosting their fifth annual First Day Hike—this one is longer—a 6-mile loop on the park’s paved surfaces that starts with coffee, hot chocolate, and bagels at the Rawlings Conservatory. The $10 fee benefits the free programming offered at the Druid Hill Farmers Market.

“We get some people who are shaking out the cobwebs [from New Year’s Eve parties],” Tom Orth, with the Friends of Druid Hill Park said with a laugh. “And we have some people who’ve made a resolution to get the year off to a healthy, outdoors start. We also get people who have family visiting and bring their relatives who are in town—people who don’t want to sit in the house all day—and also people who just want to understand the park better.”

The Friends of Gwynn Falls/Leakin Park are hosting two events—a First Day Walk and a First Day Bike Ride, which includes rides of four, seven, and 23 miles.

And, for the jogging inclined, there is the annual Patterson Park 5K Run Resolution Run/Walk, which benefits Earl’s Place, a transitional home for men experiencing homelessness.

Signups are available on race day for the Resolution Run, which doesn’t kick off until 2 p.m.—so plenty of New Year’s Eve recovery time if need be to get the year off to a good, if late, start.

Cylburn Arboretum, Coldspring
The city’s living plant museum is home to all manner of domestic and exotic species in 20 themed gardens on 207 acres. We suggest throwing down a blanket near the Heritage Rose Garden behind the park’s stone mansion.

Lillian Holt Park and Center for the Arts, Overlea-Fullerton
This out-of-the-way oasis offers 13 acres of trails and gardens, including an arboretum, a lily pond, and a labyrinth with a Zen meditation garden. Chain restaurants proliferate nearby, or bring your own edibles.

Druid Hill Park, Reservoir Hill
Druid Hill Park stuns with its outdoor botanic gardens, which can be seen for a suggested $5 donation.

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Jonas Green Park, Annapolis
This little sliver of greenery on the banks of the Severn River opposite the Naval Academy is beloved for its free fishing pier, petite beach, and tidy picnic area.

Flying Point Park, Edgewood
Jutting out into the Bush River, this serene slice of upper bay waterfront boasts ample recreational facilities, including picnic areas with grills and tables, plus a horseshoe pit, playground, and boat launch.

Downs Park, Pasadena
Another unheralded bayside gem, this 236-acre expanse of open space features walking trails, picnic amenities, a large playground, and, best of all, a dog-friendly beach. $6/car.

Middle Branch Park, Cherry Hill
Just over the Hanover Street Bridge from Federal Hill/Riverside, Middle Branch Park offers lovely views of the Patapsco. You may even see a crew team or two stroking down the river thanks to the nearby boathouse.

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Wyman Park Dell, Johns Hopkins/Homewood
The 16-acre, bowl-like dell shields visitors from traffic on Charles and 29th streets. The shady lawns and slopes are especially helpful when seeking protection from the full heat of a Baltimore summer.

Patterson Park, Upper Fells Point/Butchers Hill/Canton
Pick your picturesque position: by the boat lake, perched near the pagoda, in front of the marble fountain, or down by the dog parks. Grab grub from any of the nearby eateries. We recommend a crab pie from Matthew’s Pizza.

Lake Kittamaqundi, Columbia
Shake off suburban office park stupor with a jaunt around this 27-acre man-made lake. Pop over to the nearby Whole Foods for a grab-and-go meal and you’ll be back at your desk with time to spare.

Federal Hill Park, Federal Hill
Gaze upon the hustle and bustle of downtown at this grassy rise overlooking the Inner Harbor. Benches, monuments, and a large playground make it fun for the whole family.

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Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum, Catonsville
This 142-acre site honors the life of Benjamin Banneker, often called the first African-American man of science. The park offers good walking trails and picnic areas, but do make time for the exhibits, too. Snacks from either Atwater’s or The Breadery will complete the experience.

Fort McHenry, Locust Point
The star-shaped fort played a “key” role in American history when Francis Scott Key watched its bombardment during the War of 1812 and wrote what would become the lyrics to our national anthem. There’s a $10 entrance fee to the historic area, but walking the perimeter along the water is free.

Hampton National Historic Site, Towson
There’s plenty to absorb at this former estate that once belonged to the prominent Ridgely family, from the beauty of the stately, cream-colored Georgian mansion to the sobering exhibits on slavery and indentured servitude.

In New York, for example, Citi Bank serves as title sponsor of their Citi Bike program, which launched in 2013 and accounted for more than 10 million trips last year. In Philadelphia, which launched its bike-share program last year, Independence Blue Cross serves as title sponsor.

“Bike share is an affordable and healthy addition to the city’s existing transportation options,” said Mayor wStephanie Rawlings-Blake, who struggled several times during Wednesday’s press conference to correctly recall the name of the city’s new bike-share program vendor. “We are excited to invest in our communities by providing a safe and sustainable way to travel in Baltimore.”

Bewegen, whose name means “to move” in Dutch, was founded in 2013 and is a relative newcomer to the bike-share business. They currently run a bike-sharing program in Birmingham, AL, with 400 bikes and 40 stations—where pedal-assist rides have proven popular, according to Decker—and a smaller program in Wolfsburg, Germany. Bewegen was also recently selected to serve as vendor for Richmond’s bike-share program, scheduled to launch this summer.

Corps Logistics, a veteran-owned business currently based in New Jersey, will oversee bike-share’s daily operations for Bewegen in Baltimore and Richmond. Company founder Jim Duffney said Wednesday it plans to moves it headquarters to Baltimore.

When LA Finfinger and her husband, Paul Wetzel, both certified yoga teachers, moved to Baltimore in January 2015, they decided they wanted to figure out a way to offer studio-level yoga classes for free—and in a nontraditional environment.

Last July, Free Baltimore Yoga (FBY) was born. To date, it offers three classes per week, each in a different setting. Tuesdays are at Patterson Park Youth Sports and Education Center, Wednesdays are at Pixilated Photo Booth’s headquarters in Southwest Baltimore, and Thursdays are at the Parks & People Foundation’s building in Druid Hill Park.

The idea is to bring the practice to those who typically don’t do yoga. And Finfinger encourages novice and skilled yogis alike to attend her classes. “Just show up. You don’t even have to have a yoga mat,” she says. “We have yoga mats. So just take the first step. Don’t be afraid, because we all are.”

FBY is hoping to grow and offer even more classes in the coming months. Finfinger’s goal is to inspire class attendees to become teachers themselves. “The endgame would be training people and then putting them back into the community to teach,” she says.

She would love to add more nights to FBY’s schedule, as well as new locations and different types of yoga, while still keeping it free and fun. “For it to grow, I want it to be something that supports the community, and for that, it has to be people in the community helping and teaching.”

Swimmingly

Swann Drive
October 11, 2015

Near Liberty Heights Avenue’s Shaarei Tfiloh synagogue, built 94 years ago by Jewish immigrants, Eli Pousson leads off Baltimore Heritage’s Black and Jewish Civil Rights bike tour of the city’s once Jewish—now largely African-American—west-side neighborhoods. While American Jews overwhelmingly supported the Civil Rights movement, Pousson notes that, in Baltimore, it was a complicated relationship at times.

Pousson highlights the migration of the city’s Jewish population from its East Baltimore tenement roots to the Druid Hill Park area and finally, to Park Heights, Mt. Washington, and Pikesville. Jews, Pousson points out, were also victims of Baltimore’s notorious segregated housing laws—one reason they moved to the then-empty western city suburbs.

The ride passes the home of Abram Hutzler, who launched the family’s iconic downtown department store—segregated like others—as well as that of Walter Sondheim, who oversaw the desegregation of the public schools in 1954, and the former residence of Clarence and Juanita Jackson Mitchell, the first couple of Baltimore’s Civil Rights movement.

There’s also a stop at “public pool No. 2,” once designated for Druid Hill Park’s “colored” patrons—the only outdoor pool then available to them. Young white and Jewish progressives protested the park’s segregated tennis policies in 1948, organizing an interracial tennis match, but the park’s two pools remained separate until 1956. Later, in disrepair for decades, the pool—lifeguard chairs intact—was filled with dirt and grass and turned into a memorial landscape by artist Joyce Scott.

“Black kids are still three times as likely to be drowning victims—a direct result of discrimination. There was no place for their great-grandparents to swim and that legacy has been passed down through generations,” chimes in pediatrician/bicyclist Dr. Ralph Brown. “I harp on that with everyone—have you gotten them swimming lessons yet?”

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See A Little Light

Key Highway
September 30, 2015

Of the three Christian virtues—faith, hope, and charity—“hope is the most elusive quality,” says Rebecca Hoffberger, founder of American Visionary Art Museum, as she addresses the preview audience for the museum’s 20th anniversary installation, The Big Hope Show.

Many of the exhibition’s 25-plus self-taught artists are survivors of deep wounds and terrible personal ordeals, including childhood sexual abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, and blindness. Their works include everything from a small totem pole to scrapbooks to an anti-war painting about a Hiroshima survivor.

During a tour, artist Dan Patrell talks about losing his wife to ovarian cancer and the stained-glass mosaic he created while grieving. Their teenage daughter chose the “healing” stones used in the panel’s windows and Patrell embedded a Morse code message—“love is forever”—in the work’s sunrays. He also mixed his wife’s ashes into the mosaic’s grout. “I broke down when I finished,” he says, choking up. “But they were happy tears.”

Nearby, Romaine Samworth sits in a wheelchair beneath her colorful papier mâché sculptures, which include a young couple dancing, farm animals at play, and a regatta on Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River. Samworth, 94, lost her sight from a reaction to a smallpox vaccine at age 8, but the sculptures are remarkable in their detail, shape, and whimsy. “I loved my crayons and picture books as a child, and I cried when I lost my sight. I was devastated,” says Samworth, who grew up on a Pennsylvania farm. “When I started to sculpt in the 1970s and 1980s, it was as if I were bringing those images to life. I could ‘see’ again in my mind.”

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Bowl for Dollars

Pulaski Highway
October 11, 2015

“These kids crowbar it, don’t they?” says Dundalk-native Danny Wiseman as a teenager from Great Barrington, MA, rips another big hook for a strike at Wiseman’s fourth annual Youth Scholarship Tournament. A PBA Hall of Famer, Wiseman won his first title in 1990 at 22. (Incidentally, it was at Woodlawn’s Fair Lanes Open, with ABC’s Chris Schenkel making the call and Frank Robinson—yes, that Frank Robinson—in the house cheering.)

But today, he’s hustling all over Middle River’s AMF Country Club Lanes, trying to keep his tournament—which started at 8 a.m. and won’t end for almost 12 hours—rolling. More than 150 bowlers are competing, including many top Mid-Atlantic youth, vying for $24,259 in scholarship money. The sport has changed since he was growing up, Wiseman acknowledges, but remains popular and competitive—especially among today’s college-bound students.

In fact, one of Wiseman’s protégés here, Perry Hall’s Bryanna Leyen, has already been offered scholarships from Vanderbilt and Fairleigh Dickinson universities.

Wiseman, who began bowling duckpins with his sister and father when he was five—later walking to the old Dundalk Fair Lanes Bowling Center every day after school—never attended college. Before reaching the pro ranks, he hustled games in Northeast D.C. “When I was 18, 19, making maybe $1,000 a night on Fridays and Saturdays,” he recalls with a laugh. “You’d bowl all night. I remember a few mornings driving home at 6 a.m. That’s actually how one of my first [professional] sponsors learned about me.”

On the heels of the 5-4 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage across the nation, the local LGBT community is gearing up for the 40th anniversary of Baltimore Pride.

This year’s festivities—July 25-26—will feature thousands of attendees at the Pride parade, live performances at Saturday’s Block Party in Mt. Vernon, and spectators perusing local vendors at Sunday’s festival in Druid Hill Park.

But long before organizers were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and bringing in the likes of Grammy-nominated R&B artist Martha Wash (“It’s Raining Men”) to perform at the two-day event, Pride started out as a small rally at Charles Plaza in 1975.

“It was more of a political thing back then, because it was during those times that you could have gotten fired for being gay,” says Gilbert Morrisette, longtime director of operations for Mt. Vernon’s stalwart gay bar, Club Hippo. “It was really nothing, just a little gathering with a few people handing out pamphlets and hot dogs.”

With Morrisette and his close friend Dennis Arnold at the helm during the early ’90s, Pride expanded into a weekend-long bash with a block party boasting a beer garden, a Bingo tent, drinking games, and two main stages. The festival saw a major increase in revenue the first year the duo took charge—raking in approximately $12,000.

“In previous years, they probably made like 100 bucks, so, of course, they came back to us and said, ‘Do you want to do it again?’” Morrisette says.

Over the years, Baltimore Pride had found a permanent home in Mt. Vernon and Druid Hill Park, until last summer when a new wave of committee members moved the festivities to Station North as a result of residential complaints.

“[Pride] doesn’t serve the purpose that it once did because we’ve won these battles,” Morrisette says. “In a way, we’re a victim of our own success, and over the years as it’s gotten bigger and bigger, people who had nothing to do with the event would just park their cars in the neighborhood and drink, and the block party began to get too big.”

Nevertheless, Pride has moved back to its emblematic venue this year after complaints that spaces in Station North were too crowded and that Mt. Vernon, the city’s “Gayborhood,” felt more like a natural fit.

Upwards of 25,000 people are estimated to participate in the festivities at the end of July, generating close to $1 million for the community. Events will include everything from rainbow-colored parade floats to high heel races, and feature live performances by rapper Cazwell, YouTube sensation T.S. Madison, and the legendary soul singer Wash.

This time around, organizers decided to hold the events the last weekend of July (instead of in June) to decrease sponsorship competition with celebrations in neighboring cities, like New York and Washington D.C.

“Sponsorships are where you really make your money, you don’t make it selling beer,” Morrisette says. “That’s your handout, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Speaking of saying goodbye, Mt. Vernon is bidding a fond farewell to Club Hippo, the iconic mainstay that has been around since Pride began. In May, owner Chuck Bowers made the announcement that the Hippo would be closing its doors in the fall to become a CVS Pharmacy.

“It’s not like the business isn’t there, it’s not like we can’t afford to stay open. It’s just that Chuck is 70 years old and he’s had to work for 37 years. I don’t blame him,” says Morrisette. “The outpouring of support has been overwhelming.”

Looking back, Morrisette says some of his fondest memories of managing the space include hosting iconic performers like Debbie Jacobs and Gloria Gaynor, and, of course, being a part of the annual Pride festival.

“It’s always surprised me, with Baltimore being so blue collar, how advanced our LGBT community has been,” he says. “And Pride is such a neat touch for the city.”

For more information on Club Hippo’s closure, pick up a copy of our July issue on newsstands now.

City dwellers often counter the argument for county life and its more plentiful open spaces with some variant of the line, “But the
entire city is my backyard!” While this rebuttal conveniently overlooks certain realities of city life—traffic; crime; noise, light, and waste pollution; having to occasionally, you know, share—there is also a lot of truth to it. Does a suburban backyard have free outdoor concerts, two zoos (yes, two), five golf courses, miles of hiking and biking trails, an ice-skating rink, Chesapeake Bay access, an arboretum, and literally dozens of pools?

Indeed there is much to celebrate in Baltimore’s park system, probably more than you know, and it’s all right outside your door. With summer bearing down on us, here’s our guide to exploring the best of your own backyard—all 4,905 acres of it.

Druid Hill Park

2600 E. Madison Ave.,
druidhillpark.org

Acreage: 745.

Special Features: The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, a disc golf course, and one of the city’s 29 public pools. Druid Hill Lake, aka the Reservoir, and Boat Lake also draw walkers, bikers, and birders to their scenic shores. The 125-year-old Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens is a jewel box of flora with five distinct greenhouses (including orchid and tropical rooms), plus a half-acre garden.

Summer Events: Every Wednesday from June through September, the park hosts an evening farmers’ market. The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and offers its much-loved Breakfast with the Animals program on select weekend mornings. The park lives up to its pagan namesake on June 21 with a Summer Solstice Celebration with hayrides, live music, tarot card readings, and storytelling.

Patterson Park

E. Baltimore St. and S. Patterson Park Ave.,
pattersonpark.com

Acreage: 55.

Special Features: The 1891 octagonal pagoda, open for climbing on Sunday afternoons through mid-October, is one of the city’s most photographed landmarks. The Boat Lake is stocked with catchable fish. Though an ice rink in the winter months, the Dominic “Mimi” DiPietro Family Skating Center hosts floor hockey rec leagues all summer. Two adjacent dog parks—one for small pooches, one for large dogs—get lots of use. For a measly $2 admission fee, gain access to the park’s recently renovated swimming pool.

Summer Events: Spy up to 200 species during Patterson Park Audubon Center’s twice-monthly free bird walks. Cast your rod in the Boat Lake June 7 at the kid-friendly Fishing Festival. The ever-popular Friends of Patterson Park Concert Series returns with two to three concerts a month in June, July, and August. And LatinoFest celebrates its 34th year June 21-22.

Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park

1901 Ridgetop Rd.,
friendsofgwynnsfallsleakinpark.org

Acreage: 1,216.

Special Features: The 15-mile Gwynns Falls hiking and biking trail runs through the park. The Victorian Italianate manor house of railroad baron Thomas DeKay Winans still stands, as does his carriage house, and an American Gothic-style chapel built for his workers. For kids, a miniature steam-powered railroad with 3,400 feet of track provides free rides every second Sunday through November.Though smaller, the Carrie Murray Nature Center gives Druid Hill’s zoo a run for its money with fauna ranging from raptors to an albino Burmese python named Fluffy. (All animals are rescues or orphans.) A new “Rainforest Room” exhibit housing Madagascar hissing cockroaches, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot named Cupid, and other exotic critters, opens June 7.

Summer Events: Carrie Murray offers nine weeks of summer camp for kids, plus regular kids’ programs focusing on owls (June 6), bees (June 21 and Aug. 30), and nocturnal insects (July 11 and Aug. 1).

Clifton Park

2801 Harford Rd.,
bmgcgolf.com/-clifton-park

Acreage: 267.

Special Features: The oldest of the city’s five municipal golf courses offers 18 holes for rates starting as low as $10. Elsewhere in the park, Civic Works’ Real Food Farm is making a go of urban agriculture with several hoophouses, an orchard, beehives, an herb garden, and field crops.

Summer Events: The golf course is open every day, weather permitting. Real Food Farm welcomes volunteers from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Wednesday and Friday, plus the first and third Saturday of the month from March through November.

Cylburn Arboretum

4915 Green Spring Ave.,
cylburn.org

Acreage: 207.

Special Features: Trees! From Kentucky coffeetrees to redwoods, Cylburn’s got you covered. Over three miles of trails will also take you through several gardens including daylily and rose plots. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for a Livable Future is conducting research in a cutting-edge agriculture practice called aquaponics on the premises. The farming method combines aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soilless plant farming) in a waste-free sustainable growing cycle. Regular tours of the project’s greenhouse are starting soon.

Summer Events: Enjoy outdoor yoga (June 7, 14, 21, 28); the Celebration of Art event (June 14-15) with exhibitions, lectures, and children’s activities; and a firefly walk (June 26).

Middle Branch Park

3301 Waterview Ave.,410-396-3838.

Acreage: Six miles of shoreline, marshes, and meadows.

Special Features: One of the city’s best-kept secrets, the park is the launch site for many area collegiate and high school crew teams. The two concrete boat ramps can accommodate anything from kayaks to large boats.The Gwynns Falls Trail runs through the park, and The Maryland Vietnam Veterans Memorial sits on a rise above the main parking lot.

Summer Events: The recs and parks department hosts periodic “open paddle” sessions, providing all equipment, a tutorial, and a guided tour for a nominal fee.

Mount Pleasant Golf Course

6001 Hillen Rd.,
classic5golf.com/-mount-pleasant; 6101 Hillen Rd., mtpleasanticearena.com

Acreage: approximately 110.

Special Features: In addition to the links, which have been played by the likes of Arnold Palmer, the park is home to the Mount Pleasant Ice Arena, the city’s only year-round skating pavilion.

Summer Events: Public skate times are held every day. Hockey and figure skating classes and clinics are held regularly, as well. Summer skating camps for ages 5 to 18 run from June 23 to July 25.

Canton Waterfront Park

3001 Boston St.,
bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/ParksTrails/CantonWaterfrontPark.aspx

Acreage: 2.5.

Special Features: A boat ramp and fishing pier provide stellar access to the water.The park is also home to Maryland’s Korean War Memorial.

Summer Events: WTMD’s popular First Thursdays concert series has relocated here from Mt. Vernon due to restoration of the Washington Monument. Upcoming shows will feature national acts such as Los Lonely Boys (June 5), Strand of Oaks (July 3), JD McPherson (Aug. 7), and The Hold Steady (Sept. 4)—all for free!

Roosevelt Park

1221 W. 36th St.,
bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/ParksTrails/RooseveltPark.aspx

Acreage: 18.72.

Special Features: One of the nicest public aquatic centers in the city can be found here, boasting a large outdoor pool, adjoining splash pad with towering water features, and a renovated pool house. Last month was the official grand opening of the first phase of the Skatepark of Baltimore. The gaping concrete bowl is ready for skateboard use and development of a street plaza landscape is in the offing.

Summer Events: Roosevelt Park and Recreation Center keeps a robust calendar of events, including coed volleyball on Wednesday and Thursday nights, community movie night (July 18), family game night (Aug. 8), and an environmental camp for ages 5 to 12 from June 23 to Aug. 15.

Fort McHenry

2400 E. Fort Ave.,
nps.gov/fomc

Acreage: 42.

Special Features: The city’s only national park is steeped in history. View the fort, barracks, the 1814 Guard House, and those immortalized ramparts.

Summer Events: Twice-monthly bird walks take advantage of the fort’s waterfront setting. As part of the ongoing bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812, the park is hosting Fort! Flag! Fire! Baltimore’s Star-Spangled Summer! with living history performances, cannon firings, fife and drum concerts, and lectures.

Carroll Park

1500 Washington Blvd., friendsofcarrollpark.blogspot.com/

Acreage: 117.

Special Features: Originally part of Declaration of Independence signer Charles Carroll’s Mount Clare estate and Georgia Plantation, Carroll Park’s history traces back to its pre-revolutionary site for industrial factories.The park is home to one of the two oldest Federal-style mansions still standing in Baltimore, which is open for tours guided by the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in traditional period dress.

Summer Events: Carroll is the closest golf course to downtown (about three miles), making it even easier to enjoy a quick round on a summer’s afternoon. (It’s an “executive,” aka nine-hole, course.) Don’t miss September’s The Shindig Festival (tickets on sale now) featuring Jane’s Addiction, Rise Against, Gogol Bordello, and Baltimore’s own J Roddy Walston & The Business, among others.

Cimaglia Park at Fort Holabird

Pine and Oak avenues

Acreage: 40.

Special Features: While the park’s recreational history dates to the seventies, Fort Holabird was constructed by the U.S. Army and used for various purposes from the 1920s to the 1950s. Upgrades to the park completed last November improved the park’s aesthetic appeal with enhancements like pedestrian pathways. Further renovations include two new half-courts for basketball and lighting for the ball fields.

Summer Events: Grow your own fruits and vegetables—from park to table. The Baltimore City Farms program offers rental garden plots for city residents looking to plant their own produce, herbs, and flowers in personal, fenced spaces.

Federal Hill Park

300 Warren Ave., bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/ParksTrails/FederalHillPark.aspx

Acreage: 10.

Special Features: Named for The Federalist­—a ship built by 4,000 local Maryland citizens to celebrate the state’s ratification of the constitution, Federal Hill Park boasts cannons and monuments in memory of the Battle of Baltimore, in addition to unrivaled views of the harbor. Also, be on the lookout for new, Under Armour-renovated basketball courts. Little known fact: There is an extensive network of tunnels within the hill, which are rumored to have once functioned as an “underground railroad” of sorts, with escape routes, storage for munitions, and a place to store cold beer from local breweries.

Summer Events: The American Visionary Art Museum will begin its annual “Flicks From the Hill” free outdoor movie series on July 10, and continue screenings every Thursday through August 28. Once named one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best Free Things”, the park’s steep slopes create a natural amphitheater for audiences to enjoy alfresco films.

Forest Park

2900 Hillsdale Rd, bmgcgolf.com/-forest-park

Acreage:140.

Special Features: A classic, 18-hole golf course situated amidst the hilly green landscape with a clubhouse perfect for special event receptions.

Summer Events: June 22 and 23 mark the qualifying rounds of the 2014 STX Baltimore Putting Championship, which features two competitive divisions—adult and junior. The top three qualifiers in each division will play the finals on June 25at Mount Pleasant Golf Course.

Herring Run Park

3800 Bel Air Rd., arcadia-baltimore.org/arcadia_herringrun_c.html

Acreage: 300.

Special Features: Open, flowery fields, a running stream, winding paths, and playing fields. Considered the dog-friendliest park in the city, there is plenty of foliage to explore here with pets, family, and friends. The park is home to the Christopher Columbus monument erected in 1792, as well as bike paths, and softball and soccer fields along the length of the stream.

Summer Events: The park welcomes the first annual Herring Run Around­­­—a 5K race on paved and dirt trails on June 28. Watershed alliance Blue Water Baltimore will host a picnic for volunteers and members following the race.

Latrobe Park

1518 Latrobe Park Terrace, sobosports.com/locs/latrobe.htm

Acreage: 6.

Special Features: Highlights include illuminated tennis courts, two basketball courts, a playground, and the gated Locust Point Dog Park, which features AstroTurf (no muddy paws!) and a waterslide for more adventurous canines.

Summer Events: Construction began on the Under Armour-funded $1.5 million Banner Field project this April, which will enhance the park with a turf field lined for football, soccer, and lacrosse. The field, named for the national anthem, will feature a sound system, scoreboard, running track, lights, and seating for 150 spectators. The Locust Point-based athletic company will also be making improvements to the playground. In summer, the park is frequented by the ASA Softball Leagues for co-ed evening games against local teams split according to skill-level.

Pine Ridge Golf Course

2101 Dulaney Valley Rd., bmgcgolf.com/-pine-ridge

Acreage: 224.

Special Features: Because nothing is ever simple, this county-situated course is actually owned and operated by the city due to its adjacency to Loch Raven Reservoir, which supplies much of Baltimore City’s drinking water. Home to many past PGA and LPGA tournaments, the 18-hole course also boasts a 45-station lighted driving range, which is open during the warmer months.

Summer Events: The Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation and House of Ruth Maryland will host the 4th annual High Heels for Hope Longest Drive Contest on June 7. Proceeds will benefit House of Ruth’s mission to provide victims of partner violence with services to rebuild their lives. The twist? All contest participants must hit their drives while wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes—minimum two inches and no wedges or platforms—which will be donated to House of Ruth at the contest’s conclusion.

Reed Bird Island/Cherry Hill Park

101 Reedbird Ave., issuu.com/baltimorerecnparks/docs/cherry_hill_splash_park_pool_schedu

Special Features: Twin green spaces bifurcated by the Patapsco River as it empties into the Middle Branch, the park was Baltimore’s first waterfront park.Its rolling topography serves as a recreation area with picnic groves, fishing piers, a stage, and a shelter. Winding walking and bike paths along the shoreline lead to nearby Middle Branch Park.

Summer Events: The active public pool is perfect for cooling off post bike ride and offers swimming lessons on Saturday mornings.

Robert E. Lee Park

1000 Lakeside Dr., relpnc.org/

Acreage: 415.

Special Features: Another county-located but city-owned park, this popular bucolic spot just over the city-county line offerswaterfront activities including kayaking and canoeing, hiking trails, and the Paw Point Dog Park, which allows dogs water access, as well. Two pavilions, one overlooking the Lake Roland Dam and one perched hilltop, are ideal for family picnics.

Summer Events: The park, which, although owned by the city, is operated by Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, offers a variety of activities for families including kayaking and fishing lessons, night hikes, and day camps. A full schedule of events can be found here.

Wyman Park

3100 N Charles St., wymanparkdell.org

Acreage: 88.

Special Features: Designed by the Olmstead Brothers, Wyman’s sweeping lawn is home to two monuments erected in honor of the Civil War. The Union Monument Plateau, engulfed by cherry trees, features a vigilant Union soldier flanked by goddesses. At the park’s other end, the Lee-Jackson Monument honors Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

Summer Events: Enjoy Music in the Park on June 18 and 25 with a free concert and outdoor movie. On July 27 there will be a special performance by jazz, funk, and world-rhythms band, the Swingin’ Swamis.

Clifton Park

The park itself was once land owned by philanthropist Johns Hopkins, and its 18-hole public golf course, built in 1915, was the first of its kind in Baltimore.

Clifton Golf Course, 2013 -Courtesy of Tom Pierce, Clifton Golf Course

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Pagoda at Patterson Park

Originally intended to be an observation tower for viewing the city, the octagonal, 60-foot pagoda was designed by Charles H. Latrobe and built on Hampstead Hill in 1891.

(Photo courtesy of Deb Felmey)

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Druid Hill Park Pool

The 745-acre park is one of the country’s oldest city’s parks. A group of black tennis players famously protested the park’s segregation and finally, in 1956, all facilities were integrated.

In 1827, William Patterson donated six acres for public recreational use, and Druid Hill Park, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was established as an official city park in 1860.

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Park Legend

The Shepherd

From roughly 1869 until the 1940s, Druid Hill Park employed a shepherd, whose 100-plus sheep were used to keep the grass neatly trimmed.

George Standish McCleary, known as “Mr. Mac,” served as the park’s shepherd from 1906 to 1926.

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That was then, this is now

Home of Duckpin Bowling

The origins of duckpin bowling remain in doubt—some trace it to New England and others here. Either way, a couple of Orioles, John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson, popularized the sport locally. Legendary Baltimore duckpin bowler Elizabeth “Toots” Barger, who started her career at Seidel’s on Belair Road and is considered the greatest female duckpin bowler ever, was the second woman inducted into the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 1961.

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Memories

Corinne Boyd, 96

Druid Hill Park lifeguard

“I was a lifeguard at what was called ‘the colored pool,’ and a champion AAU swimmer. We didn’t have anything to do in the summer, there was segregation then, but we did have the pool. My mother would send lunch over and my father picked us up in the evening. We’d try to convince him to stay and when he did, we’d be there until 8 or 9 p.m. at night”

The idea all stemmed from neighbors Phil Chorney and Jordan August pickin’ their instruments (mandolin and guitar) on their porches in Hampden. 

“We realized we wanted to put on bluegrass for everyone to see,” Chorney says, “whether it was on the porch, at a show, or a bigger party.” 

Now, the two are certainly embarking on that “bigger party,” aka the second annual Charm City Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Druid Hill Park on April 26. 

This year’s event will be a far cry from last year’s sold-out festival in Union Craft Brewery’s parking lot. “We really wanted to keep this an urban event,” Chorney says. “But how can we have a bluegrass festival without grass? So Druid Hill Park seemed like a natural choice.” 

The festival features Jerry Douglas, pictured—who tours with Allison Krauss and Willie Nelson later this year—as well as banjoist Noam Pilkeny, mandolin player/singer Sierra Hull, hometown favorite Cris Jacobs, and more. 

Also on hand will be local vendors like Union, Millstone Cellars, and Mother’s Federal Hill Grille. Both founders attribute the festival’s success to the recent popularity of Americana music. 

“Listeners have grown a new appreciation for storytelling in music,” August says. “We’re lucky to have come up with the right idea at the right time.”

Julia Pellegrini, library technician, University of Maryland: Cromwell Valley Park! The trails are endless and it’s rarely crowded.

Shannon Delanoy, designer and seamstress, Sweet Pepita: Druid Hill Park—my kids love the playgrounds, the zoo, and all the friends they make.

Sarah Bregel, personal trainer: We love Robert E. Lee because of all the great trails. They also have events like maple sugaring and natural egg dyeing!

Jessica Muffoletto, marketing specialist, Kettler Management: The Lenore apartments [Downtown] has its own personal dog park and outside grilling area on the third floor. It’s pretty awesome!

Mary-Margaret Stepanian, PR executive: Canton Waterfront Park is my weekday go-to on a beautiful day. Bag my lunch and chillax—always great for people and dog watching!

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›› Do you have a question you want answered? E-mail us at mjess@baltimore magazine.net and your question may be published in an upcoming issue!