EAT

Jan. 17: Lexington Market Celebration by The Night Brunch

Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St. 6-10 p.m. $5-10.

Lexington Market, one of the city’s landmark food and community hubs, is in the midst of a historic (and, in some circles, controversial) redevelopment that will transform the nearly 240-year-old property. To celebrate the market’s entrepreneurial and cultural spirit, The Night Brunch, a popular brunch-and-booze event series, is hosting an all-out party in the property’s ground-floor arcade. Get there early to snag eats from fan-favorite purveyors like Connie’s Chicken and Waffles, knock back a few specialty drinks, and dance the night away with beats by the Night Brunch’s own DJ Impulse.

DRINK

Jan. 18: Zay Day

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st Street. 12-5 p.m. Free.

It’s official: Union Craft Brewing’s Henry “Zadie” Benesch is the world’s oldest brewery worker, clocking in at 100 years old this weekend. Spend Saturday afternoon raising a pint (or two) to the employee known around the brewery for his world-class box-folding skills and love for Blackwing Lager with cigars, $1 coffee from Vent Coffee Roasters, and even a “make your own Zadie mask” station. The first 100 people through the door will participate in a “100 Person Blackwing Shotgun,” before joining the rest of the day-drinking party for live music by dagm, slices of lemon meringue pie, and plenty of brew-filled revelry.

SEE

Jan. 19: The Edgar Allan Poe House Literary Landmark Dedication

Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, 203 N. Amity Street. 1-2 p.m. Free.

In conjunction with Edgar Allan Poe’s 211th birthday on Sunday, his former home on North Amity Street—now a three-story museum—will be named Maryland’s first Literary Landmark. Join the crowd of Poe fanatics outside the revered poet and author’s house for a dedication ceremony hosted by Poe Baltimore and United for Libraries. Then, take a tour through the museum to see original furniture pieces from the family’s home and the room where Poe (supposedly) slept. Before you leave, be sure to take home a Poe-inspired poster or a RavenBeer glass to commemorate the special day.

HEAR

Jan. 19: J Roddy Walston

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $20.

If you did a double take when you saw the name J Roddy Walston without “and the Business” tacked onto it, you’re not alone. After a brief hiatus from the music industry, the rock-n’-roll singer will return to the Ottobar this Sunday, ready to add a single dose of strangeness and a few surprises to his homebase show. After a full solo set of Business songs (our bets are on “Take It As It Comes” and “Don’t Break the Needle”), prepare to hear a debut set by J Roddy’s new project, Palm Palm.

DO

Jan. 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: An Unequal Education

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.

There are tons of local events happening around town this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend to honor the reverend’s legacy of fighting for racial justice, but this program at Creative Alliance helps attendees apply his teachings to Baltimore’s own education system. This Sunday, gather at the Highlandtown arts center to watch Teach Us All, a 2017 documentary about educational inequality. Then, hear from local experts about the still-to-be-solved issues within Baltimore City Public Schools. To carry on the event’s purpose, join in to pack school supply kits, which include binders, highlighters, and lined paper, that will be donated to West Baltimore middle-school students.

EAT

Oct. 4-6: The Night Brunch Festival

Harbor Point, 1500 Thames St. Fri. 6 p.m., Sat. 2 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. $15-500.

After more than a year of hosting brunches after dark at area hotspots—no mimosa cut-off times or reservations required—the Night Brunch team is stepping up their game with a three-day festival dedicated to all things fried and boozy. Kick off the weekend with a happy hour preview at the 1405 Point rooftop pool (featuring mermaids and freshly rolled cigars) before returning to the Harbor Point plaza on Saturday and Sunday to sample brunch-inspired eats from local restaurants and vendors such as Clavel, The Local Fry, and Big Softy. In between rounds of Bloody Marys, take in live music sets by local artists Joi Carter, FUNSHO, and the co-founder of the event himself, DJ Impulse.

DRINK

Oct. 5: Mobtoberfest

Mobtown Brewing Company, 4015 Foster Ave., Suite 400. 12-6 p.m.

Thanks to new brewery on the block Mobtown Brewing Company, Brewers Hill is getting its own Oktoberfest complete with a German-style food menu from The Rolling Grill, live music by whiskey-rock band Old Eastern, and commemorative beer steins. Don your best lederhosen or dirndl dress and spend the afternoon downing Mobtown’s special-release Mobtoberfest Marzen and Schwarzbier, as well as taproom favorites like the Belgian amber ale Tiny Purple Fishes and the golden sour Ex-Girlfriend.

SEE

Oct. 4-6: Baltimore Japan Art Festival

Short North Arts District, locations and times vary. Free-$15.

Expand your worldview of contemporary Japanese art and culture at this four-day festival in the Station North Arts District. With the mission of broadening American viewers’ perceptions of Japan, the annual event will host several Japanese artists and cultural experts at multiple venues across the arts-centric neighborhood, including The Crown and the MICA Fox building. Don’t miss the chance to see this year’s special guest, Tokyo-based illustrator Utomaru, present her first-ever solo exhibition at MICA’s Julian Allen Gallery.

HEAR

Oct. 5: Parktoberfest

Mount Vernon Marketplace, 520 Park Ave. 12-11:30 p.m. Free.

We all know and love the Mount Vernon Marketplace for its eclectic mix of food and drink options, but for one weekend a year it also becomes the site of a full-blown music festival featuring some of the best rising acts in Baltimore. With more than 11 hours of nonstop live music, this can’t-miss shindig features eight back-to-back sets from the likes of hip-hop artist Al Rogers, Jr., trumpeter Brandon Woody, and high-energy rapper and DJ Kotic Couture. Stick around to imbibe on specialty cocktails, sample eats from 14 local vendors, and jam out to a wide range of artists that represent every corner of the Charm City music scene.

DO

Oct. 5-6: Doors Open Baltimore

Locations vary. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

Have you ever walked past a centuries-old landmark like the Baltimore Basilica or a brand-new skyscraper like 414 Light Street and thought, “I wonder what’s inside?” Well, this weekend is your golden opportunity to peek inside more than 50 of the city’s most intriguing spaces and places. Take a self-guided tour through local architectural wonders, ranging from the historic Howard O. Rawlings Conservatory to the Zion Lutheran Church, and talk with on-site volunteers about the insider facts of each location.

What makes brunch brunch? Many would say it’s the combination of late-morning reservations, eggs on everything, and gingerly nursed hangovers that sets the weekend ritual apart from other meals. But Jason Bass and Ryan Rhodes, cofounders of The Night Brunch, are questioning that formula, and the success of their bimonthly foodie fête proves that brunch isn’t relegated to lazy Sunday mornings anymore.

Bass and Rhodes met five years ago through mutual friends, and although neither partner has a background in food—Bass is the cofounder of local bag shop Treason Toting Company, and Rhodes spins records as DJ Impulse—Rhodes points out, “We’ve been eating brunch a long time.”

After years of sampling how cities such as New York and Los Angeles approach the weekend meal, the Maryland natives wanted to bring a taste of that bustling lifestyle home. The duo launched The Night Brunch series this past April at Remington’s popular R. House food hall, and since then, hundreds of gourmands have flocked to the exclusive Wednesday and Saturday night gatherings at local eateries such as Wet City, Gertrude’s, and Topside.

Each event boasts a specialty menu of brunch eats ranging from shrimp and grits to coffee cinnamon rolls, with Bloody Marys and mimosas flowing throughout the night. Tickets run between $5-10, and they go quickly: August’s event at Southern Provisions in Canton sold out in just 14 hours.

The Night Brunch redefines brunch not just as a meal, but as a meeting place where people of all ages and from all corners of the city can rub elbows. Bass and Rhodes have already expanded their concept to include Night Brunch-branded cooking classes, and they hope to continue to use brunch as a way to unite all eaters.

“People are starting to come together more than ever,” says Bass. “Through these kinds of events, we can create the culture we want to see in our city.”