EAT

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day Specials

Locations, times, and prices vary.

Don’t (completely) panic: There’s still time to make last-minute Valentine’s Day dinner reservations. Whether you’re looking for a romantic table for two or late-night dessert spot, we’ve got you covered. Read through our guide to local menus for every V-Day agenda—first dates, dinner and a game, and casual spots, to name a few—before calling around to find open tables.

DRINK

Feb. 14-16: Belgian Beer Fest

Max’s Taphouse, 737 S. Broadway. 11-2 a.m. Free.

Nothing says “romantic date idea” quite like sampling hundreds of Belgian beers at Max’s Taphouse. This weekend, the Fells Point staple is stocking its bar with more than 250 varieties of Belgian bottled beers, with another 200 on draft, as well as takeovers each day by the likes of RAR, Stillwater, and Allagash. Swing by the revered taphouse to sip on a few new ales, snack on Belgian-inspired eats, and celebrate this 16th annual beer fest.

SEE

Feb. 14: Baltimore Art Gallery Opening

Baltimore Art Gallery, 855 W. 36th St. 7-9:30 p.m. Free.

This Friday, take a trip down the Avenue in Hampden to check out the neighborhood’s newest addition—Baltimore Art Gallery. The space will feature work made exclusively by local artists, with a focus on providing affordable, accessible pieces to Baltimore art collectors or casual shoppers. Browse through paintings and prints by area artists like Matt Muirhead and Kristin Wiebe during the gallery’s grand opening on Friday night, and take home your favorite piece and a frame by the night’s end.

HEAR

Feb. 15: Mortified Baltimore: Doomed Valentines

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $19-22.

Let’s face it: Everyone has (at least) a few cringe-worthy memories about a middle-school crush that you’d rather not relive. But in honor of Valentine’s Day, a group of brave souls will take over the Creative Alliance stage to share their own tales of awkward adolescent romance, with props like love letters and diary entries to back up their stories. Settle into the Highlandtown arts center and spend Saturday night experiencing flashbacks to the storytellers’ teenage heartsick moments, even if only to temporarily forget your own.

DO

Feb. 16: Pinewood Derby

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-5 p.m. Free-$10.

Sharpen your tools and assemble your pit crew for Union Craft Brewing’s fifth-annual Pinewood Derby. This good ol’ fashioned tradition invites novice builders and expert crafters alike to make a wooden toy car and race it down a 40-foot racetrack. This year, spectators can monitor the finish line via the brewery’s giant projector screen while racers compete to win beer prizes and bragging rights. Stick around after the high-stakes action to knock back a few Duckpins and chow down on Well Crafted Kitchen’s special carnival-themed menu.

Visual Art

The Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Finalists Exhibition
Don’t miss your chance to catch some of the art world’s brightest rising stars at this exhibition celebrating the seven finalists for the prestigious Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize. The winner of the $25,000 fellowship will be named in July, but works by Negar Ahkami, Akea Brionne Brown, Cheeny Celebrado-Royer, Schroeder Cherry, Phylicia Ghee, Jackie Milad, and Stephanie Williams will stay on display through August 11. June 15-Aug. 11. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St.

RAW Baltimore Presents: Impact
This gathering of independent artists will bring beauty, fashion, music, digital art, and more to Baltimore Soundstage. Whether you’re looking to pick up something to hang on the wall or be inspired by creative new takes on genderqueer fashion and vegan beauty, there’s something to be found for everyone at this showcase of local talent. 7 p.m. June 28. Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl.

Music

Outer Spaces Record Release
Grab some friends and head to Current Space’s backyard for this outdoor show celebrating the release of dreamy indie-pop act Outer Spaces’ new record, Gazing Globe, featuring guests Smoke Bellow, Cigarette, and Wheatie Mattiasich with Steve Santilla. The sticky summer evening will fit perfectly with Cara Beth Stalino’s exploration of what it means to lose someone but find yourself all over again. 7-11 p.m. June 29. Current Space, 421 N. Howard St.

Theater

Mortified: PRIDE Edition
Some of us dread those childhood journal entries and notebooks full of poems coming back to haunt us. Mortified embraces them. This Pride-themed version of the Creative Alliance storytelling series will feature adolescent artifacts exploring sexual and gender identity, coming out, and other experiences from the LGBTQ+ community. 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. June 15. Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave.

A Midsummer Night’s Bash
Say a fitting farewell to Single Carrot Theatre’s Remington home with full night of Shakespearean shenanigans. Start the evening with the troupe’s raucous performance of Drunk Shakespeare [and other dead white guys], then stick around for bites, drinks, dancing, and more at the Howard Street theater. 7 p.m. June 22. Single Carrot Theatre, 2600 N. Howard St.

Literature

D. Watkins in Conversation with Lisa Snowden-McCray
Five years ago, D. Watkins found a national audience with his viral essay “Too Poor for Pop Culture.” Now a professor, Editor at Large for Salon, and founder of the BMORE Writers Project, Watkins has become an essential voice. In honor of the fifth anniversary of his first print publication, Watkins joins Baltimore Beat editor Lisa Snowden-McCray for a conversation about how things have and haven’t changed since that first essay and what his latest book, We Speak for Ourselves, can add to the story. 7 p.m. June 26. Red Emma’s, 1225 Cathedral St.

Barbara Bourland—Fake Like Me
Humor, mystery, and sharp observation abound in Barbara Bourland’s follow-up to 2017’s I’ll Eat When I’m Dead, Fake Like Me, in which she moves the focus from a Manhattan magazine to the dueling egos of the contemporary art world. Settle into Greedy Reads’ cozy Fells Point home for a conversation with Bourland and BMore Art’s Cara Ober to celebrate the new release. 7:30 June 21. Greedy Reads, 1744 Aliceanna St.

Film

First Look: Dark City: Beneath the Beat
This celebration of community and Baltimore Club comes from one of the genre’s greatest voices, TT The Artist. Head to the SNF Parkway and follow the red carpet in for a first look at Dark City: Beneath The Beat, TT’s documentary following some of the city’s best local musicians, DJs, poets, dancers, and producers as they build and perpetuate a close-knit creative community that rises above Baltimore’s less-than-sterling reputation. 6:30 p.m. Red Carpet Pre-show, 7:15 p.m. Film Presentation, 8:30 p.m. Director Interview and Q&A, June 26. SNF Parkway Theatre, 3 W. North Ave.

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

 EAT

March 24: Grand Opening of Roll Ice Cream & Coffee

Roll Ice Cream & Coffee, 3222 Eastern Ave. 12-5 p.m. Free. 443-595-7655.

Even though Winter Storm Toby ruined the first days of spring, that won’t stop us from celebrating the new season with warm-weather festivities. This Saturday, head to Highlandtown for the grand opening of this brand-new ice cream shop, featuring the trendy frozen treat and Thai street-food eat, rolled ice cream. Enjoy free samples, enter to win free ice cream for a year, and watch a live performance by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids. And if you’re feeling brave, participate in their inaugural ice cream eating contest. Just brace yourself for the impending brain freeze.

 DRINK

March 23-25: Maryland Day Celebration

The Brass Tap at The Fitzgerald, 1205 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 11 a.m. Free. 888-901-2337.

It’s been nearly four centuries since a group of European settlers first stepped off their ships and onto Maryland’s western shore. Now, we’re celebrating the anniversary of those settlers discovering our great state with events across the city—from museum exhibits to county-wide festivals. At the Brass Tap, more than 20 breweries will showcase two of their best made-in-Maryland brews in this boozy tribute to the Land of Pleasant Living. Expect local favorites like Union Craft, Monument City, and Peabody Heights, DuClaw Brewing, Heavy Seas, and Maryland’s only woman and minority-owned brewery, Denizens Brewing Co. 

 SEE

March 23-25: School of Rock

Hippodrome at France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 & 8 p.m., Sun. 1 & 6:30 p.m. $49-107. 410-837-7400.   

Get ready to pledge your allegiance to the band. Based on the hit comedy film of the same name, Broadway’s School of Rock musical follows wannabe-musician-turned-substitute teacher Dewey Finn as he transforms his fifth-grade class into a pint-sized rock band. This weekend at The Hippodrome, hear all the original songs from the movie plus 14 new guitar-shredding pieces from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Jack Black not included—sadly. 

 

 HEAR

March 23: Mortified

WTMD, 1 Olympic Pl., Towson. 7:30-10 p.m. $20. 410-704-8938. 

There’s probably nothing more embarrassing than reading your middle school diary in front of a crowd of strangers, and yet Mortified, the largest and longest-running project of its kind, is bringing grown men and women to the Towson radio station to do exactly that. This certifiably cringe-worthy evening of comedy comes to the stage with stories of love letters and home videos, reminding us all of one simple truth—at the end of the day, we’re all awkwardly human. If you can’t make it, tune in to 89.7 FM for a live broadcast.

 

 DO

March 23: Art After Hours: Moondust & Stargazing

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 8-11 p.m. $10-25. 443-573-1700. 

This Friday, immerse yourself in all things lunar in honor of The Baltimore Museum of Art’s newest installation, Moon Dust. At this cosmic party, dance beneath Spencer Finch’s shimmering installation to music by DJ Trillnatured, sip on moonshine by the Baltimore Whiskey Company, and experience the scents of night-blooming flowers with local body-care company Priya Means Love. From stargazing on the museum’s steps to making a take-home sparkling constellation, revel in the chance to experience the museum, fittingly, at night.