7/9-30. FLICKS FROM THE HILL
Film. Every Thursday, enjoy a movie night under the stars with outdoor screenings of family favorites like “The Wiz,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” “Men in Black,” and “Labyrinth.” Arrive early to snag the best spot on the hill, plus after-hours museum admission, movie-inspired activities, and food trucks. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Thurs. 5-9 p.m. Free.

7/4. INNER HARBOR FIREWORKS
Festivals. On America’s 250th birthday, there will be no shortage of celebrations throughout Mid-Atlantic, from nearby Washington, D.C. to our temporary U.S. capitol in Annapolis, to the historic streets of Baltimore. And if you find yourself near the Inner Harbor, you can bet on double the dazzle as colorful fireworks fill the sky over the waterfront. 

For free family fun, festivities kick off at the amphitheater on Pratt Street, followed by live music along the promenade and a silent disco at Point Park. Also consider the Baltimore Museum of Industry as your vantage point for its epic views and evening activities. After the rockets’ red glare, catch a drone show that launches from Middle Branch Park. 

7/3-4. BSO’S STAR-SPANGLED 250
Music. Pack a picnic and celebrate Independence Day with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra during its outdoor concert featuring classic patriotic tunes from “The Star-Spangled Banner” to the Star Wars score, followed by a spectacular fireworks show. Oregon Ridge, 13401 Beaver Dam Rd., Cockeysville. 8 p.m. $20-30. 

7/4. B&O’S 250TH ALL-AMERICAN BASH
Festivals. All aboard the American Freedom Train No. 1., which last hit the tracks was nearly 50 years ago during the nation’s Bicentennial. Step into history with live music, a BBQ lunch, craft beer, and more for the whole family. B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St. 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $12-20. 

7/5. BACH HANDEL & FAURE
Music. Celebrate 250 years of American music with a performance by the Bach In Baltimore Concert Choir and Orchestra, which will be one of Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock’s final shows of his nearly 40-year tenure. St. Joseph Parish, 100 Church Ln. 4 p.m. Free. 

7/6. LADEW BUTTERFLY HOUSE
Outdoors. The Ladew Butterfly House opens for the season until late September with a guided tour to learn about these insects, their favorite plants, and how to support their habitat, as well as a chance to view them at different life stages. Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pke., Monkton. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free-$22.  

TO 7/8. UNFINISHED REPUBLIC
Exhibitions. This group show explores the unfinished business of the American experiment, featuring works by local artists like Sonya Jclark, Joyce J. Scott, Paul Rucker, Elizabeth Talford Scott, and more. Goya Contemporary, 3000 Chestnut Ave. Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 12-4 p.m. Free. 

7/8. BENSON BOONE: WANTED MAN TOUR 2026
Music. After his recently sold-out global American Heart Tour, this rising pop star is backflipping right back into the spotlight in downtown Baltimore. CFG Bank Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $53-406. 

7/9-22. YOUNG BLOOD
Exhibitions. Since 2008, the Young Blood program has helped give local Masters of Fine Arts students both a platform and opportunity to connect with other blossoming artists. In the Bromo Arts District, see extraordinary selections from their recent thesis projects. Maryland Art Place, 218 W. Saratoga St. Tues.-Sat. 12-4 p.m. Free. 

7/9-26. VARIATIONS ON SILENCE
Theater. For the 22nd year, Rapid Lemon Productions presents a series of 10-minute plays from local playwrights, exploring last year’s audience-selected theme: “Silence!” Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Rd. $10-25. 

7/10. ORIOLES TURNSTILE NIGHT
Music. The Birds take on the Royals with a special collaboration with this Baltimore-bred, Grammy Award winning hardcore band, with fans who purchased special tickets taking home a limited-edition Turnstile-Orioles jersey. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, 333 W. Camden St. 7:05 p.m. $75.14-124.23. 

7/10-12. BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON ONE CARNIVAL & CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL
Festivals. For one full weekend, this annual fete brings a Caribbean-style parade complete with colorful masquerade bands, live music, dancing stilt walkers, and more family-friendly festivities to Druid Hill Park. Druid Hill Park, 900 Druid Park Lake Dr. Fri. 3-10 p.m., Sat. 12 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Free. 

TO 7/11. CLAIMING THE FUTURE
Exhibitions. High-school students and undergraduates across Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia showcase artworks on the theme of “Claim the Future,” exploring vulnerability, climate solutions, and a future to strive for. Crow’s Nest, 116 W. Mulberry St. 1-4 p.m. Free. 

7/11. 90 YEARS OF THE LINOTYPE
Festivals. Celebrate the machine that revolutionized printing and was printed right in Baltimore with hands-on activities, Twilight Zone film screenings, and a birthday cake to boot. Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Hwy. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free, 

7/11. PLRLS
Music. This beloved Baltimore-based New Wave punk band celebrates the release of their fourth album, Sleeping in a Dress, joined by other local opening acts Twings, Party Nerves, and Choking Boys. Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 7 p.m. $21.17-31.45. 

7/16-10/31/27. THE LINES WE CROSS
Exhibitions. To coincide with America’s 250th birthday, this new multi-floor exhibition traces how Black Marylanders shaped the social, cultural, and political landscape of America. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St. Mon. Thurs.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m. Free-$12. 

7/17-8/29. THE BIG SHOW
Exhibitions. This beloved Highlandtown arts center presents its annual members show, with works for sale, too. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Tues.-Sat. 12-5 p.m

7/18. DISABILITY PRIDE ARTS FEST
Festivals. Celebrate Disability Pride Month with Make Studio, the Maryland Department of Disabilities, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library with arts organizations, mini-art workshops, stage performances, and more. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral St. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. 

7/18-19. STAVROS HALKIAS: THE DREAMBOAT TOUR
Comedy. This unabashedly brazen comedian, writer, and actor may live in the Big Apple now, but he hasn’t forgotten his Baltimore roots on tour. Known for his Ravens superfan character Ronnie, the comedian returns home to bring laughs to the city that raised him—a rescheduled date from April after Stavvy broke his arm in a motor scooter accident. The Lyric, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 7 p.m. $38.90-257.05. 

7/18-19. PHISH
Music. On the heels of their 14th studio album, this iconic, cult-followed jam brand lures the masses to Columbia for two nights of funk, psychedelia, and rock n’ roll, with the performance featuring all four original members. Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 7 p.m. $62-186.  

7/21-25. DOLL PARTS…
Theater. In this one-trans-woman show about self-discovery and transitioning gender in later life, walk with Nikki Ann Hartman through hormone-therapy-induced puberty, dating, menopause, and self-realization in her 60s. The Voxel, 9 W. 25th St. 7:30 p.m. $10-30.

7/25. KOJO ASTRONAUT
Music. A perfect pairing to the museum’s current Douriean Fletcher exhibition, Afro House presents a new work that thumbs through love, liberation, and our relationship to the universe, with artistic director Scott Patterson pushing the boundaries of music beyond sound. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. 3 p.m. Free. 

7/25. FETE CHAMPETRE
Festivals. This lavish garden party takes picnicking to the next level with live entertainment, local vendors, and next-level food and drinks overlooking Middle Branch Park’s beautiful waterfront. Middle Branch Park, 3301 Waterview Ave. 4-10 p.m. $69.40-1,116.16. 

7/25-8/2. FLUID MOVEMENT
Performance. In their Candy Land production, the beloved water-ballet performance troupe takes you on a flavor-filled journey through the city to save the Domino Sugar Factory from the evil Lord Natty Boh. Riverside Park Pool & Clifton Park Pool. Sat.-Sun. 5 & 7 p.m. Prices vary. 

7/31. BALTIMORE’S BIRTHDAY BASH
Festivals. Baltimore is celebrating its 297th birthday, and you’re invited. Dance the night away with DJ Tanz, an open bar, light bites, and birthday desserts from local vendors. Baltimore War Memorial, 101 N. Gay St. 7 p.m. $58.85-132.49. 

7/31. MUSIC UNDER THE DOME: THE GRATEFUL DEAD
Music. Roll away the dew and take a trip through the cosmos set to the Grateful Dead’s greatest hits with this dance party at the Maryland Science Center’s planetarium. Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St. 8 p.m. $35. 

TO 8/9. FRIENDS OF PATTERSON PARK SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Music. Enjoy live music beneath the beautiful Patterson Park Observatory for select Sunday evenings each month. Performances include Downtown Tumbao, U.S. Army Band Downrange feat. Charm City Sings, and the Haitian Caribbean Festival Concert. Patterson Park, 2601 E. Baltimore St. Days vary. 6-8 p.m. Free. 

TO 8/22. 5×5 BALTIMORE: THE ART OF BLACK MEN
Exhibitions. In the Bromo Arts District, view works by Black male visual artists from Baltimore and Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, exploring themes of memory, identity, resilience, cultural sovereignty, and self-determination in a variety of mediums. Eubie Blake Cultural Center, 847 N. Howard St. Wed.-Fri. 1-6 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. 

TO JULY 2028. FLAG HOUSE 250TH EXHIBIT
Exhibitions. This two-year exhibit features eight specially selected artists representing communities across the state to chronicle the last 250 years through the lives of Marylanders. The community is encouraged to engage with the artwork to create an evolving narrative during the span of the exhibit. Star-Spangled Banner Flag House & Museum, 844 E. Pratt St. Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$9. 

Since its inception in 1982, Baltimore has never seen a summer without Artscape, the city’s annual free arts festival and the largest of its kind in the country. But this year, in the wake of Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young’s decision to cancel all public events of more than 250 people in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, there will be no stages or vendors or massive crowds along Mount Royal Avenue on what is always, inevitably, the hottest weekend of the year.

The same goes for so many other events that have become synonymous with the sweltering season in Baltimore. Most residents can’t remember a time when locals didn’t gather to watch the Inner Harbor fireworks on the Fourth of July, or to celebrate the cultural contributions of African Americans at AFRAM in Druid Hill Park, or to take to the streets for the Baltimore Pride Parade or Baltimore/Washington One Caribbean Carnival.

“I always tell people who don’t live in Baltimore that summers in Baltimore are the best,” says Alysha January, local blogger and founder of Discover Charm City. “The city just comes alive.”

These time-honored events have become so ingrained in who we are as a city—not to mention the immense economic impact that they have on local artists, businesses, restaurants, and hotels. Artscape alone is estimated to bring in just over $28 million. (In an effort to support those who would have participated this year, organizers with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts will host a virtual Artscape Artists’ Market August 21-30. Applications are open until July 24.)

Although social distancing measures are essential in flattening the coronavirus’s curve, it’s hard not to lament the loss of these neighborhood celebrations that bring our communities together.

“This summer will, for sure, look different without our beloved summer festivals and other gatherings,” January says. “But you know what? Baltimore always finds a way to pull through.”

As the summer reaches its peak, we turn to local artists, musicians, and business owners to hear about what they miss most:

Amanda Mack
Owner, Crust by Mack
As a kid I grew up a few blocks over from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. As the summer grew hotter, I got more and more excited because I knew Artscape was coming! It was my all-time favorite Baltimore festival because it was the first time I saw so many people of color celebrated and supported for their gifts—for producing a tangible product with their bare hands that hundreds of people flocked to buy. To me, it was a true hustler’s marketplace. And I took pride in that…As a family business, I was looking forward to the opportunity to be an official vendor at Artscape this year. My entire family was going to be part of the experience. I thought about the vendors whose businesses depend on festival season and asked myself, “What is the long-term plan for small business recovery?” I remain patient and do my best to stay positive. We are all navigating the best we know how.

DDm
Musician
What I will miss most is the music community. I love seeing other artists and catching up with them. Our local festivals are where everyone usually puts on their best shows. Since Artscape is literally in my backyard every year, this summer is sure to feel strange without it

Jason Bass
Co-founder, The Night Brunch
I have the highest form of belief and love for this city. This is a time to respect health over wealth, but we also need leadership that can provide a brighter vision for the future. So we cancel city events until August 31—well, why didn’t they explore how to execute these events virtually or as a hybrid? Why can’t we have the fireworks show and lift spirits? [Did they consider] how many people would be happy to watch them on local news or online? Why didn’t they work with festival planners and content creators to develop a new experience, therefore allowing the opportunity for small businesses to sell art, clothing, and food virtually? We need to reopen, function with some bits of normalcy, and operate our businesses with innovation and trust.

Hunter Hooligan
Musician
I’d like to see the city follow up these appropriately precautionary cancellations with transparency on how they plan to get the money from the budgets of those festivals back in the pockets of its local, working-class artists and creators who would have been providing the content. Grants seem like a great opportunity for that. We are “out of sight” right now, by no choice of our own, but we cannot be “out of mind”…There are many working-class artists here who plan their year around the income from Artscape, Pride, and other summer festivals—which are a huge part of the arts economy. Professionally, it’s difficult knowing that we can no longer count on that income. Personally, I always look forward to these celebrations. They are built into my internal calendar, like any holiday. It’s going to be like a year without Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

Eze Jackson
Musician
What I will miss most is Artscape weekend. I’ve thrown an Artscape after-party every year for the past six years, the last three being at Metro Gallery. My party is a chance for me to bring together a mix of artists I enjoy personally, so the crowd is mixed and always fun. The whole weekend is a chance for me to see my friends perform and get exposed to artists I haven’t seen before. I rarely make it to see any of the big mainstage acts because I’m always moving around. I love it—even the heat. Last year, D. Watkins and I got to do back-to-back DJ sets and we literally turned Charles Street into one of the biggest outdoor dance parties that night. It felt like the best representation of a Baltimore night that I could think of.

Aaron Jones
Owner, Bushelers of Baltimore
Born and raised in Baltimore, I always looked forward to events [like Artscape, AFRAM, and the Fourth of July]. These are traditions that keep our city together. Without them, something will be missing. Despite everything, I think we will all find innovative ways to connect intimately with our loved ones—and maybe even create new traditions.

Liz Vayda
Owner, B. Willow
The loss of these traditions is surreal. We’re programmed to seek predictability and routine, and this pandemic has been anything but. To me, having a summer without Remfest, Artscape, etc. feels off, for sure, but humans are incredibly adaptable beings. We will adjust, we will innovate, we will come together, and we will create beauty and joy out of this. Baltimore has a knack for that—working together, supporting each other, and seeing the larger picture. I think all of us have a new appreciation for being able to experience closeness, whether it’s with people we love, in a crowd listening to live music, or at a theater watching a production. When we’re finally able to experience this feeling on a regular basis again, we will all appreciate it on an entirely new level. There’s a lot of good in that.

Editor’s Note: Some of these responses have been edited for length and clarity.

---

EAT

July 4: The Urban Oyster COVID Cook-In

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

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

DRINK

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

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

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

SEE

July 4: Virtual July 4th Visionary Pets on Parade

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

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

HEAR

July 4: Cherry Hill Arts and Music Waterfront Festival

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

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

DO

July 5: Family Day at the Robert Long House

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

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

Fireworks aren’t the only thing to look forward to for Independence Day. Baltimore is full of events to keep the red, white, and blue spirit going all day long. From cruises to pet parades, there is no shortage of things to do in the city to show your patriotic pride. Whether you’re looking for a full day’s worth of star-spangled fun or a dinner on the water, we’ve got you covered.

FOOD

Topside
Celebrate Independence Day by chowing down on a BBQ-inspired menu, featuring ancho BBQ ribs, housemade sausage, smoked brisket, corn pudding, broccoli salad, and cornbread. Although the Mt. Vernon restaurant doesn’t provide a front row view of the fireworks in the Inner Harbor, Topside does offer panoramic views of the Washington Monument—and what’s more patriotic than that?

Summer in the Squares
Listen to live music while enjoying a summer picnic in the west square of Mount Vernon Place. Enjoy refreshments in by the picturesque fountain and celebrate Independence Day with two Baltimore-based ensembles: Ghost Sugar and Brandon Woody’s Upendo. To give you time to get to your favorite fireworks, the performance will begin in the early evening. 6 p.m.

Independence Day Deck Party
Climb aboard the U.S.S. Constellation and watch the Inner Harbor fireworks show from the deck of the historic ship. Along with a top-notch view, take advantage of all-you-can-eat barbecue favorites, special boat tours, and even cannon firings. 7-10 p.m. Free- $75.

Fourth of July Fireworks Dinner
Take a three-hour cruise with incredible views of Baltimore’s fireworks show while indulging in a three-course buffet style dinner. Enjoy an open bar, DJ, dance floor, and games. All guests must be 21 or older. 7:30-10:30 p.m. $124.90+.

FESTIVITIES

Towson Four on the 4th
Start the holiday off on the right foot with a four-mile race through the heart of Towson, beginning at the courthouse and winding through Towson University’s campus. If that distance is too daunting, participate in the 1776 (feet) Family Fun Run at 8:30 a.m. and then stick around for the annual parade. 8:15 a.m. $35- 40.

Visionary Pets on Parade
What could be better than a dog dressed in red, white, and blue garb? Try hundreds of pets of all shapes and sizes competing for costume prizes such as most visionary, owner and pet lookalikes, and most patriotic. Watch in awe as local pets parade around the American Visionary Art Museum and compete in a talent show. 9 a.m. Free.

Red, White & Zoo
Spend the Fourth of July with the biggest party animals around at The Maryland Zoo. Watch as the animals receive special holiday treats, including “fishsicles,” and papier-mache toys. A team of zookeepers will educate guests on the importance of enrichment activities for the zoo’s inhabitants. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. $17.99-25.99.

Hanover Street Gallery
Experience the opening celebration of Reframing Pathways, a diverse collection of artwork showcased on the Hanover Street Bridge facade. The Hanover Street Bridge will be transformed into a gallery with the heart of the works highlighting different art-making perspectives from pattern and design to more representational works. 1-9 p.m.

FIREWORKS

Cherry Hill Arts & Music Waterfront Celebration
Celebrate the cultural vibrancy of this South Baltimore neighborhood with live performances, local food trucks, artistic activities, and a fireworks show. Don’t miss seeing Abu the Flutemaker and the organization Safe Streets Cherry Hill receive honors for its commitment to the community. 1-10 p.m. Free.

South Point
South Point, a pop-up outdoor seasonal space, will be open early for first-come-first-served seating areas to bask in the rockets’ red glare. Throughout the day, standard food service will be available and the bar will be open to patrons 21 and older. Stick around for the afterparty starting immediately following the fireworks. 4 p.m.-12 a.m.

Dogfish Head Takes Over at the Sandlot
Join Sandlot and Dogfish Head for Fourth of July at Harbor Point. The Delaware brewery will take over taps and the event features: two live bands, games on the beach, multiple food stations, various draft and can beer stations, and one of the best firework views in town. Expect additional food pop-ups by The Charmery, Blacksauce Kitchen, and The Local Oyster. Food will be available from 4-9p.m. and stick around for fireworks at 9:30 p.m. $5 kids through age 12. $10 cover. $10 event parking.

Independence Day Celebration
Secure a spot on the waterfront lawn of the Baltimore Museum of Industry for a picture-perfect view of the fireworks over the Inner Harbor. If there’s time before or after the show, take a tour through the Federal Hill museum. Admission is included in the ticket price. 6-10 p.m. $65.

Picnic at the Top
Climb to the highest floor of the World Trade Center to enjoy a Picnic at the Top. Visitors can take in a 360-degree view of Baltimore and festive fireworks from 27 floors above the Inner Harbor. The event offers catered food and beverages, children’s activities, a live DJ, and photo booth. This is a non-alcoholic, family-fun event, and doors open at 7:15 p.m. 7:30-10 p.m. $35-$75.

Since 1977, the Inner Harbor’s Fourth of July Celebration has illuminated the Baltimore Waterfront and elicited oohs and ahhs from city onlookers. Read up on fun facts about the show in time for this year’s fireworks spectacular.

Top Places to Celebrate

Oregon Ridge Park: On July 3, head to Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville to hear the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra perform family-friendly favorites and traditional patriotic scores in honor of Independence Day. Once the sun sets, watch as a dazzling fireworks display lights up the night sky.

Sandlot: This waterfront oasis in Harbor Point is the perfect spot to sip on frozen cocktails and dip your toes in the sand while taking in the big-bang show. Starting at 4 p.m., Sandlot will feature live music from Speakers of the House and DJ Neil Paul, as well as special games leading up to the fireworks. Plus, there will be a tap and can takeover by Dogfish Head Brewing and a menu of Fourth of July favorites like hamburgers, hot dogs, and stadium nachos. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids.

Wit & Wisdom: The restaurant inside Four Seasons Baltimore will host a family-friendly evening with dinner, live entertainment, an on-site snowball machine, and an unparalleled view of the Inner Harbor fireworks.

L.P. Steamers: Grab a brown paper-covered table on the roof deck of this Locust Point staple for a picturesque view, as well as plenty of steamed crabs and Natty Bohs.

Canton Waterfront Park: Bring your own snacks, drinks, and lawn chairs to this neighborhood park for a panoramic vantage point to watch the fireworks sparkling over the harbor.

American Visionary Art Museum: On the morning of the Fourth of July, join hundreds of pet owners and their four-legged friends to watch animals of all shapes and sizes compete for prizes such as most patriotic, visionary pet tricks, and least likely to succeed.

However divided the United States might feel, there’s never been a better time to come together and celebrate America. Grab your old friends and make new ones this Independence Day with crafts, concerts, parades, and, of course, festive fireworks across the state.

Big Shebangs

7/1-2: Dundalk Heritage Fair
Place your bets on pig races, listen to local hair band Kix, and ride carnival rides at this annual neighborhood fair. Dundalk Heritage Park, 2717 Playfield St., Dundalk. Sat.-Sun. 12-10 p.m. Free-$8.

7/4: Baltimore’s Fourth of July Celebration
Hear live music from the Commodores U.S. Navy Jazz Ensemble in the Inner Harbor and see big-bang fireworks over the sparkling water. Inner Harbor. 7-10 p.m. Free.

7/4: BMI Independence Day
At this patriotic party, peruse artisan goods from local makers and partake in family-friendly festivities with staff from The Star-Spangled Banner House. Baltimore Museum of Industry, 1415 Key Hwy. 6-10 p.m. $45-55.

7/4: Independence Day Deck Party
Board the city’s historic ships for barbecue, cannon firings, and unparalleled views of the city fireworks. Historic Ships in Baltimore, 301 E. Pratt St. 7-10 p.m. Free-$75.

7/4: Frederick’s Fourth
Enjoy two stages of big-name bands, family activities, fair food, local craft beer, bathtub races, and fireworks in Frederick. Baker Park, 12 N. Bentz St., Frederick. Noon to dusk. Free.

Family Fun

7/1-2: Patriotic Train Rides
Take train rides and create your own flag at the museum. B&O Railroad Museum, 901 W. Pratt St. Times vary. Free-$18.

7/3: Fourth of July Crafts
Make red, white, and blue decorations to celebrate the holiday. Enoch Pratt Free Library, 3801 Erdman Ave. 3:30 p.m. Free.

7/4: Port Discovery Fourth of July Fun
Celebrate the holiday with family games and jewelry making at the kids’ museum. Port Discovery, 35 Market Pl. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$15.

Culinary Celebrations  

7/4: Fourth of July Celebration at Wit & Wisdom
This waterfront dining destination inside the Four Seasons Baltimore is bringing back its annual Fourth of July bash with all-inclusive eats (seafood dishes and an oyster-shucking station), drinks, and entertainment. Bring the kids to enjoy activities like face-painting and an on-site snowball machine, and stick around after dark to watch the fireworks light up the harbor. 200 International Circle, 6-9:30 p.m., $45-125, 410-576-5800

7/4: Bay of Pig Roast at Little Havana
Bring a lawn chair to reserve your post for the fireworks at this waterfront spot in Locust Point, which will be roasting a whole pig and serving specialty grilled fare in honor of the holiday. The evening’s music lineup includes a live DJ and steel drum band. 1325 Key Highway, 5-10 p.m., Free, 410-837-9903

7/4: Fourth of July at Sandlot
This recently unveiled waterfront hangout from the team behind Woodberry Kitchen is hosting its first-ever Fourth of July party in partnership with Eastern Shore-based Dogfish Head Brewery. Head to the beach-themed lot to indulge in skewered snacks, start a volleyball match, kick back in a hammock, and, of course, sip select Dogfish beers before the fireworks begin blasting after dark. 1000 Wills St., 4-11 p.m., $10 cover

TO 7/9: Star-Spangled Memories at Sagamore Pendry Baltimore
Fells Point’s swanky Sagamore Pendry Hotel is celebrating its first Fourth of July and offering guests special packages to celebrate. Selected suite bookings will include amenities such as champagne upon arrival, food and beverage credit to the hotel’s restaurant The Rec Pier Chop House, and a reserved cabana on the luxe pool deck overlooking the harbor—an ideal seat for the fireworks display. 1715 Thames St., 443-522-1400

Merry Music

7/1: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Big Band Night
Bring the family for big-band music, dancing, and fireworks on the shore. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, 213 N. Talbot St., St. Michaels. 7-10 p.m. Free-$10.

7/3: BSO Star-Spangled Spectacular
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs patriotic tunes in the park. Oregon Ridge Park, 13555 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville. 8 p.m. $10-20.

7/4: Ocean City Fourth of July Concert on the Beach
Catch a free concert on the beach followed by a colorful fireworks display over the Atlantic Ocean. N. Division St., Ocean City. 8 p.m. Free.

Parades Galore

7/4: AVAM’s Visionary Pets on Parade!
Dress up your furry friends and strut your stuff for top prizes. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 10 a.m. Free.

7/4: Annapolis Fourth of July Parade
Throw the little ones on your shoulders to wave to scouts, listen to marching bands, and point out vintage cars and fire engines. Amos Garrett and West Street., Annapolis, 6:30 p.m.

7/4: Fourth of July Grand Parade in Catonsville

Hordes of spectators fill the sidewalks along Frederick Road for this community fête, which celebrates its 68th anniversary this summer with color guards, marching bands, and plenty of red, white, and blue garb. Frederick Road and Montrose Avenue, Catonsville, 3 p.m.

7/4: Dundalk Heritage Fair Fourth of July Parade
Now in its 83rd year, this fan-favorite procession boasts circus entertainers, old-school automobiles, and plenty of patriotic flags. Logan Village Shopping Center, 3409 Dundalk Ave., Dundalk, 8:15 a.m.

7/4: Laurel 39th Annual Independence Day Parade

Gather to watch community groups prance down Montgomery Street at this annual parade, which is followed by hotdog-eating contests, live music, and a killer fireworks show over the lake at Gude Park. Montgomery and 6th streets, Laurel, 11 a.m.

7/4: Towson Fourth of July Parade
Set up a lawn chair to watch dancers, musicians, colorful floats, and vintage vehicles making their way through the heart of Towson. Towsontowne and W. Burke Avenues, Towson, 10:30 a.m.

No Fourth of July celebration is complete without a killer fireworks display, and, lucky for us, Charm City offers clear views in nearly every borough. After filling up on hamburgers and hotdogs at a backyard barbecue, pack up the lawn chairs and head to any one of these community viewing spots to watch the bursting beams light up the sky. 

Canton
Canton Waterfront Park: From outdoor concerts to family-friendly festivals, this picturesque park is a go-to for summer soirees. Spread out on the lush lawn to watch the fireworks sparkle over the harbor. 3001 Boston St.

Catonsville
UMBC Soccer Field: Catonsville puts on a fantastic fireworks show, which most people watch from the high school. But UMBC’s soccer field is a nice alternative. 5523 Research Park Drive, Catonsville

Cherry Hill 
Middle Branch Park: Just across the Hanover Street Bridge sits this 150-acre gathering place—which serves as the official home of the Baltimore Rowing Club and offers impressive waterfront views against the backdrop of the Baltimore City skyline. 3301 Waterview Ave.

Downtown
LB Skybar: Head up to the roof of the historic Lord Baltimore Hotel in the heart of the city to enjoy this top-level patio equipped with glowing lanterns and comfy lounge furniture. To complement the fireworks, order a round of summer-inspired jalapeño Palomas or a sangria carafe for the table. 20 W. Baltimore St., 410-539-8400

Harbor East
Wit & Wisdom: This waterfront restaurant’s outdoor patio and bar space is one of the prime viewing locations in town. Expect a festive spread of American classics and seafood selections (oysters on the half shell, anyone?), as well as an onsite snowball machine, face painting, and other activities for kids. 200 International Drive, 6-9:30, $45-125, 410-576-5800

Harbor Point

Sandlot: This brand-new waterfront oasis is the closest we can get to the beach without hopping on Route 50. Squish your toes in the sand while challenging friends to a game of volleyball, and relishing summer sips before the fireworks begin blasting after dark. 1000 Wills St.

Hunt Valley

Oregon Ridge Park: The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra provides the sunset soundtrack for this patriotic party each year. Sway to classic scores like John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” before marveling at the jaw-dropping bursts of light. Picnics are encouraged. 7/3, 13401 Beaver Dam Road, 8 p.m., $9-20

Inner Harbor
Tiki Barge: This floating peninsula of a bar will be a great place to catch the downtown show. We recommend hanging out at the upstairs bar (order a margarita, if that’s your thing) where there is no cover and flawless views of the Harbor. 500 Harborview Drive, 410-246-6501

Locust Point
LP Steamers: Snag a brown paper-covered table on the roof deck of this Locust Point staple to celebrate the 4th the Bawlmer way—with cans of Natty Boh and a bushel of crabs. As an added bonus, it’s an ideal spot to capture the Domino Sugar sign shining in the background of your firework photos. 1100 E. Fort Ave., 410-576-9294

Tide Point Waterfront Park: With fewer crowds than atop Federal Hill or at the Inner Harbor, Tide Point’s waterfront promenade—where Hull Street meets the water and Under Armour has taken over—feels like a boardwalk right in the middle of the city. 1020 North Haubert St.

Towson
Luskin’s Hill: Though the original Luskin’s furniture store closed nearly 20 years ago, its home atop the 120-foot incline off of Cromwell Bridge Road remains one of the best places to see the Loch Raven fireworks. 1125 Cromwell Bridge Road.

Westminster
Carroll County Farm Museum: Gather at this bucolic site for an outdoor fête featuring food vendors, kids activities, live music, and, of course, a full-blown fireworks extravaganza. Admission is $5 after 5 p.m. with proceeds benefitting the Westminster Kiwanis Club. 500 S. Center St., Westminster, 800-654-4645

Wally Orlinsky was so brilliant and so colorful, bursting with such passion and imaginative proposals, that you couldn’t help but want to be around the City Council president of the ’70s. “You leave him vibrating,” Ed Rovner, the state’s first secretary of economic and community development, told The Washington Post when Orlinsky made a bid for governor in 1978. “He can generate more ideas than anybody I’ve ever met.”

Rovner said there was no one he’d rather sit next to on a transcontinental flight. The only problem, he noted, was that only about one in 10 of Orlinsky’s ideas were feasible.

His plan to celebrate America’s bicentennial on July 4, 1976, by sending a 35-ton birthday cake into the Baltimore harbor on a barge was not feasible, for example. Not that it stopped Orlinsky. By the time a summer thunderstorm—who could’ve guessed?—washed 3,000 pounds of icing into the harbor before the big occasion, the doomed cake had already picked up the nickname “Wally’s Folly” around town.

Orlinsky’s pitch to the City Council had included selling 153,000 pieces of the cake to confectionary-loving patriots. That was supposed to pay for Baltimore’s massive 200th birthday party, which included fireworks, entertainment, and, for some unfathomable reason, 12 hours of live television coverage from Fort McHenry hosted by Ed McMahon.

But the July Fourth bicentennial enthusiasm never fully materialized. Crowds at Fort McHenry failed to meet expectations—as did turnout for events across the country, which was reeling in every way possible in the 1970s. The Sun reported that 30,000 people—half the projected numbers at best—made their way to the Independence Day anniversary. Maybe it was that the headliners included José Feliciano, Lynn Anderson, Rod McKuen, and Zim Zemarel’s Big Band. Not exactly big “gets.” (The Sun’s next-day story highlighted the smell of marijuana in the air during the all-night Saturday party at Fort McHenry, perhaps a sign of the times or merely an effort at stemming the boredom.)

“Sure, I remember the cake,” DeFilippo says. “Everything went wrong in the ’70s.”

Orlinsky’s cake, a Guinness Book of World Records effort created in the shape of the United States and decorated with 200 candles, fared worse. By midweek, the July weather and Baltimore’s renowned rats nearly finished it off. Seventeen tons got tossed.

As a metaphor for the government ineptitude of the 1970s—Watergate, Vietnam, the oil crisis, Love Canal, school busing, deindustrialization, double-digit inflation, crime, radical politics—Wally’s Folly wrote itself.

“Sure, I remember the cake,” says Frank DeFilippo, press secretary for then Gov. Marvin Mandel. “Everything went wrong in the ’70s.”

True to the period—a dark time in Maryland as well as national politics—DeFilippo’s boss faced federal corruption charges during the great bicentennial year and was eventually found guilty of mail fraud and racketeering.

Naturally, Orlinsky, too, would later do time for accepting a bribe.

There was one huge bright spot on the horizon, however, on July 4, 1976. Eight tall ships from around the world set sail from New York City that day for Baltimore. They’d arrive seven days later and dock at the Inner Harbor and Fells Point for the next week and change the course of the city forever.

In a broad sense, the country had continued to fracture in the decade following the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, when the murders of hopeful young leaders landed like a rock against the nation’s windshield. The United States would experience more than 2,500 domestic bombings in just 18 months in 1971 and 1972, including one at the U.S. Capitol. Much of the bombing was tied to the militant Weather Underground, and some to other groups like the Black Panthers, who were active in Baltimore, where one leader was convicted of killing a city police officer. By the mid-1970s, at least 150 planes had been hijacked in the U.S., many to Cuba.

By the bicentennial, the country was coming apart not just politically and culturally—the controversy-tackling All in the Family was the No. 1 television show from 1971-1976—but economically as well. Cities were going bankrupt. (The infamous New York Daily News headline, “FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD,” was published in October 1975 as the Big Apple sought a bailout.) Keep in mind this was also a period when it appeared as if the U.S. might just be losing the Cold War.

In Baltimore, unemployment during the 1970s jumped from 4.6 percent to 10.3 percent and the federal law enforcement agencies began to rate the city the most violent in the country. City residents may recall the deluge of local crises—the plant closings, the corruption, the population and commercial exodus (including our NBA team), and the rise of the drug trade. Also, spiraling homicide totals were unrivaled until this past year.

It’s not as if you could change the date of the country’s founding, however. President Lyndon Johnson had established a national bicentennial commission in 1966 and it was coming, hell or high water.

“It was on the calendar and it was going to fall when it fell—it just didn’t feel quite right when it finally arrived,” says journalist and political historian Jules Witcover, who witnessed the first of two assassination attempts on President Ford in September 1975 and wrote a book about former Maryland governor Spiro Agnew, who was forced to resign the vice presidency in 1973 over bribery charges. “It was just a strange year to be celebrating with the country in so much turmoil. That’s the irony of it—the mood wasn’t celebratory. A few years later, Jimmy Carter gives his ‘malaise’ speech and talks about the crisis of confidence in the country.”

It’s amazing how much we forget about that time. Only two days before an Orlinsky interview promoting the 12-hour televised bicentennialathon at Fort McHenry appeared in the Sunday Sun, a sniper in a West Baltimore row house had shot seven police officers, killing one. Three days before that, there’d been an assassination attempt of then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer inside temporary City Hall headquarters on Calvert Street. Schaefer’s secretary told the deranged killer that the mayor, who was eating lunch behind a locked door, wasn’t in, but Councilman Dominic Leone was shot and killed. Another councilman, witnessing the attack, suffered a heart attack, and a third city councilman and a Schaefer aide were wounded.

All this came on the heels of the murder of Del. James “Turk” Scott Jr. in 1973 in a Bolton Hill parking garage. There were also the tumultuous 1974 municipal strikes that included thousands of city employees—from teachers to sanitation workers to police officers. It’s the ’70s as depicted in films like Dog Day Afternoon, Taxi Driver, Network, and Rocky—even in a feel-good movie, the protagonist’s key epiphany is that he can’t possibly win. He can only try to go the distance.

“There’s a fatalism that takes hold in the culture that’s remarkable,” says Jefferson Crowie, a Vanderbilt University social historian and author of Stayin’ Alive: The 1970s and the Last Days of the Working Class. “Even in pop music, it’s there in corny songs like ‘Billy, Don’t Be a Hero.’”

Despite the compelling evidence to the contrary, however, many Baltimoreans were starting to feel hopeful about the future. That mayor who narrowly avoided assassination? He was corny, too. And funny and angry and mad. But not fatalistic. Never. He believed he could get things done that would make a difference in people’s lives, and he convinced the city it was on the verge of a rebirth.

“He was the original ‘do-it-now’ mayor,” says Barry Rascover, a former longtime political reporter and editor at The Sun. “Schaeffer was a mayor, like a Richard Daly in Chicago, who wanted to build things and put his name on it. There was an exuberance in the way he promoted Baltimore to Baltimore, as well as nationally, where it was seen at the forefront of a comeback city movement.”

In fact, while Orlinsky was attempting to pull off his over-the-top spectacle, Schaefer had organized his own team to lead a different project related to the bicentennial. Competing against cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and Norfolk, a city delegation traveled to Bermuda on behalf of Baltimore to pitch foreign captains and diplomats. In Operation Sail, as the project became known, Schaefer and his team sensed an opportunity for more than a one-off, made-for-TV event. It was the chance to bring to the city something larger, something emblematic of its actual contribution to American independence—Baltimore’s clipper shipbuilding past—as well as a glorious homage to the sailing culture of the state.

“The main thing about the tall ships, I think, was that it felt organic to the city,” Hillman says.

“The main thing about the tall ships, I think, was that it felt organic to the city,” says Bob Hillman, who Schaefer appointed chairman of the city’s Operation Sail committee. “The tall ships sailing out on the Hudson River on the bicentennial was a nationally televised event and people found out they were coming to Baltimore. The harbor and Fells Point were just packed. There were tens of thousands of people coming every day for a week. A couple hundred thousand on the weekend.”

Programs sold out the first day.

“People arrived from all over—Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania,” he says. “We hadn’t had that at the harbor ever before. We had no idea that people would come from so far away. I’ve heard that Jim Rouse, who had built Columbia, and just done a project in Boston, told the story that he was one of the people in those crowds. He became interested in developing a project at the Inner Harbor, as did city officials.”

That, of course, became Harborplace.

The Maryland Science Center had been erected, but little else existed other than a promenade and an empty lot at Rash Field, which had hosted the well-attended City Fair since 1973. That annual event brought Baltimoreans to the Inner Harbor once a year, but it didn’t attract tourists. By 1980, however, Harborplace, the Convention Center, and the Hyatt hotel had been built, and the National Aquarium would open a year later. Schaefer’s comic photo-op in the aquarium’s seal pool with a mermaid followed the bicentennial by five years, and Baltimore was suddenly a model for waterfront development.

Today, Baltimore’s tourism industry employs more than 16,000 residents, and in 2014, the city attracted 24.5 million visitors.

The enormous reinvention of the Inner Harbor, while by no means a panacea, also sparked a revitalization in nearby neighborhoods, including Fells Point, Canton, Federal Hill, and Locust Point. It also laid the groundwork for the construction of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. More recently, mixed-use neighborhoods such as Harbor East and Brewers Hill have sprouted, with locally owned restaurants, national and regional employers, hotels, and luxury condominiums rising on the skyline. The largest arrival, Under Armour, after taking over a Proctor & Gamble factory, now intends to build a brand new minicity out of whole cloth at Port Covington.

Essentially, the case can be made that tall ships did more than save Baltimore’s bicentennial celebration—which was suffering from red, white, and blue fatigue long before Wally’s Folly. They helped create the Inner Harbor and shifted the narrative around Baltimore as a dying industrial city. That was Schaefer’s vision.

It shouldn’t be forgotten, either, that Orlinsky—despite the cake, despite the 1982 conviction after taking a hauling company bribe—was in many ways a positive force for Baltimore. He forged some of the city’s early biracial coalitions and opposed the urban highway—supported by Schaefer—that decimated West Baltimore and would’ve decimated the harbor neighborhoods, too, if it had not been stopped.

A few years after Orlinsky served four and a half months in jail, Schaefer put his old nemesis in charge of a state tree-planting program. With newfound humility, he garnered the nickname “Wally Appleseed.” A few years after that, unable to land another political job, he was selling lemonade at Camden Yards.

On July 4, 1976, Roger Simon, a nationally syndicated columnist, penned a column that appeared in The Sun and has been reprinted every year since in one publication or another.

The title was “America’s glorious failures,” and in the award-winning piece, Simon chronicled his refusal to stand up for the playing of the national anthem during the height of the Vietnam War in 1969. He wrote that he’d learned a lot about America since then, mostly from everyday people he’d met like Miss Sheboygan and Miss Watertown, contestants who felt as though they’d let their towns down after not winning Wisconsin’s state pageant.

Simon called them “true dreamers of the American Dream.” They were individuals who cared about their community and country and had the guts to try and lose.
He would stand for them, he said, and “for all the other glorious failures who have made and sustained this country.”

Include Wally Orlinsky on that list.

Fireworks and trendy red, white, and blue garb aside, the best part about the Fourth of July is the abundance of summertime snacks. From grilled to chilled, we’ve gathered a few recipes that will be sure to mix up the menu at this year’s Independence Day cookout.

---

Eddie’s North Bethany Potato Salad
Crab, corn, and Old Bay—the trifecta of emblematic Charm City ingredients—are fused into this hometown-inspired summer side dish from Eddie’s of Roland Park. “This salad is the essence of summer in Baltimore and at the beach,” says Eddie’s chef Stan Levy. “It’s a great way to use up summertime leftovers.”

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large baking potatoes cut in wedges
• 1 tablespoon Season All seasoning
• 2 cups fresh white corn, cut from the cob
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat

For dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2-4 tablespoons Old Bay

 

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°.
2. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry potatoes until golden.
3. Transfer potatoes to a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes until fully cooked and tender.
4. When potatoes are done, sprinkle with Season All and chill.
5. When cold, cut wedges into quarters.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and Old Bay. Set aside.
7. In a large bowl, combine corn, bell pepper, celery, onion, and potatoes. Add dressing and mix well.
8. Fold in lump crabmeat.
Serves 8

---

Kooper’s Tavern’s Napoleon Salad:
Watermelon is essential for any summertime soiree. But instead of slicing up triangles or mixing chunks into a fruit salad, try this recipe from Kooper’s Tavern that combines the juicy treat with fresh goat cheese. “Our Napoleon salad is light and refreshing, perfect during the sizzling Maryland summer,” says Kooper’s chef Tom Hawkins Sr. “The fresh goat cheese pairs perfectly with the watermelon, and it makes for a great side to go with any grilled fare.”

Ingredients:

• 1 quart balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 1/8’’ slices watermelon cut into round pieces
• 2 oz. fresh creamy goat cheese
• 1 pinch sea salt

Directions:
1. To make the balsamic reduction, cook balsamic vinegar over medium heat and reduce to approximately one cup.
2. Build arugula base by mixing arugula, sea salt, and olive oil on a small square plate.
3. In center of plate, stack melon and goat cheese to make six layers.
4. Drizzle balsamic reduction over stack.
5. Finish with pinch of sea salt on top.

Serves 1

---

Mission BBQ’s Backyard Baby Back Ribs
Hamburgers and hotdogs have their perks, but the finger-licking, fall-off-the-bone kind of barbecue goodness can only be achieved by throwing some smoky ribs on the grill.“Nothing makes a backyard barbecue better than ribs,” says Steve Newton, co-owner of Mission BBQ. Perfect the art of the baby back just in time for the holiday with Newton’s signature recipe.

Ingredients:
For rub:

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons paprika
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons table grind black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

For mop:

• 1/2 c. apple juice
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 2 racks baby back ribs, each 21/2 lbs. and down

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix all rub ingredients. Place in an airtight container and store inside a dark cupboard.
2. In a spray bottle, combine all mop ingredients and mix well.
3. Rinse the ribs and pat dry. Starting at one of the first bones on the thinnest side of the rack of ribs, slide the tip of a table knife under the membrane covering the back of each rack. Lift and loosen the membrane until you can grab a corner of it with a towel. Slowly pull it off removing the entire membrane.
4. Using a serrated knife, score the undersides of the rib in an “X” marks the spot pattern four times across a full rack of ribs.
5. Evenly season over the entire surface area on top, leaving a little bit of the meat visible under the rub. Season the undersides lightly. Then wrap the ribs in heavy duty plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before cooking the ribs using your preferred method.

---

Mussel Bar and Grille’s Deviled Hen Eggs
This appetizer always seems to be a crowd favorite, and Mussel Bar’s rendition kicks things up a notch by throwing prosciutto, feta cheese, and chili flakes into the mix.“Deviled eggs are one of the greatest comfort foods we know, and evoke memories of carefree lazy summers,” says Mussel Bar corporate chef Brian McBride. “Our version makes use of the traditional style with some upscale ingredients to modernize the presentation. They’re a perfect ice breaker for a party, or for a nice light meal.”

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon red onion, minced
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pastry bag

For garnish:

• 2 ounces prosciutto, julienned
• 4 pepperoncini, seeded and julienned
• ¼ cup red onion, finely julienned
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• Pinch of chili flakes
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut each egg in half, lengthwise.
2. Gently remove the yolk and place the white halves on a serving platter.
3. Using a fork, mash the yolks in a separate bowl and add mustard, mayonnaise, red onion, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Mash until you reach a creamy consistency, add more mayonnaise if necessary. Check seasoning.
4. Place mixture in a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe mixture into the white halves.
5. To make the garnish, place prosciutto, pepperoncini, and red onion in to a small bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a little salt. Mix well and sprinkle over the eggs.
6. Sprinkle feta cheese, chives, and a chili flakes over the eggs well.
7. Finish garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Makes 24 eggs

---

[Editor’s Note: 7/3/2024: This piece was originally reported and published in 2015. Mussel Bar & Grille has since closed.]

In the name of celebration, the bangs and pops of holiday fireworks will once again rattle the city on the Fourth of July. Here are the best places in and around Baltimore to see them, as well as some other outlets for your pent-up patriotism.

The
Ports America Chesapeake Inner Harbor Fourth of July Celebration will kick off at 4 p.m. with live music at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. and are best viewed from downtown or nearby neighborhoods. bop.org.

An even better view can be had of the Inner Harbor fireworks at the
Top of the World Observation Level in the World Trade Center ($50/adults, $25/children). viewbaltimore.org.

The American Visionary Art Museum is calling for patriotic pooches and pets in its annual
Visionary Pet Parade. Registration is free and opens at 9:30 a.m. avam.org.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra transplants to Oregon Ridge in Cockeysville for
A Star Spangled Spectacular ($9-18). Two shows on July 3 and 4 at 8 p.m. will showcase patriotic favorites and fireworks. bsomusic.org.

The Dundalk Heritage Fair Association is hosting a Fourth of July parade at 8:15 a.m. and fireworks at the North Point Government Center at 9:15 p.m. dundalkheritagefair.com.

Catonsville will be home to all-day holiday activities, culminating in live music at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. on the grounds of Catonsville High School. catonsvillecelebrations.org.

Loch Raven Village will provide fireworks for the Towson area that can be viewed from both the neighborhood and surrounding areas. lochravenvillage.com/fireworks.html.

Schooner Woodwind is offering Annapolitans a sunset sail and prime fireworks view ($82/ adults, $57/ children). The ship sails at 6:30 p.m. and offers live entertainment before the 9:15 p.m. firework show. schoonerwoodwind.com.

There are tons of fireworks going off this Fourth of July, so here are our picks for the best off-the-beaten-path views.

Tide Point Waterfront Park
Locust Point
With fewer crowds than atop Federal Hill or at the Inner Harbor, Tide Point’s waterfront promenade—where Hull Street meets the water and Under Armour has taken over—feels like a boardwalk right in the middle of the city.

Luskin’s Hill
Towson
Though the original Luskin’s furniture store closed nearly 20 years ago, they just opened a new one last year. But the 120-foot incline off of Cromwell Bridge Road remains one of the best places to see the Loch Raven fireworks.

Tiki Barge
Inner Harbor
This floating peninsula of a bar will be a great place to catch the downtown show. We recommend hanging out at the upstairs bar (order a margarita, if that’s your thing) where there is no cover and flawless views of the Harbor.

UMBC Soccer Field
Catonsville
Catonsville puts on a fantastic fireworks show, which most people watch from the high school. But UMBC’s soccer field is a nice alternative. There was a teeny incident last year with the sprinklers, but maintenance crews promise they’ll remember to turn them off.

Wit & Wisdom
Harbor East
Wit & Wisdom’s new outdoor patio and bar space—that they just opened in the spring—is one of the prime viewing locations in town. Expect casual fare like BBQ ribs, fried chicken, grilled brats, and sangria.