EAT

Aug. 30-Sept. 2: Maryland State Fair

Maryland State Fair and Timonium Fairgrounds, 2200 York Rd., Lutherville-Timonium. 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Prices vary.

For the past 137 years, the Maryland State Fair has been summer’s last hurrah before the leaves begin to change. While fairgoers look forward to the Midway rides and thoroughbred races, the fair’s wide array of eats—from farmers’ market finds to deep-fried delicacies—are just as much of a draw. During its final weekend, indulge in tons of nostalgic carnival treats like cotton candy, deep-fried Oreos, and funnel cake, as well as riffs on Old Line State favorites like the Crabby Patty sandwich and the Maryland pulled pork sundae at the Maryland Foods Pavilion.

DRINK

Aug. 30: My Thai Mai Tai

El Tigre Tiki Bar, 1640 Aliceanna St. 4-11 p.m. Free.

Seventy-five years ago, the owner of a California tiki restaurant mixed the very first Mai Thai, and the world of tropical drinks hasn’t been the same since. To celebrate the anniversary of this beach-party staple, Broadway Market’s outdoor tiki bar will be serving up variations of the classic drink and pairing each cocktail with a recommended dish from fellow tenant Thai Street. We highly recommend chowing down on crab fried rice or drunken noodles in between mai tais to offset a sugar-induced hangover.

SEE

Aug. 23: Baltimore Comedy Festival

Locations, times, and prices vary.

Laugh your way through Labor Day weekend with Baltimore Comedy Festival’s killer lineup of more than 20 events scattered throughout the city’s top stand up venues. This third-annual festival boasts everything from panel discussions and podcast recordings with rising comedians to stand-up showcases at spots like Motor House and Zissimos. Whether you stop in to catch a set or make a full weekend out of it, don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy some of Baltimore’s best comedians.

HEAR

Aug. 31-Sept. 1: Lower Dens

Rituals, 12 W. North Ave. 8 p.m. $15.

This veteran indie-pop duo is celebrating the final days before the official release of their new album, The Competition, with two nights of hometown shows in Station North. Pack the Rituals (formerly the Windup Space) dance floor to hear standout singles like “I Drive” and “Young Republicans” come alive with Jana Hunter and Nate Nelson’s synth-laced beats and unmistakable energy and send the band off on their month-long tour with an encore or two.

DO

Aug. 31-Oct. 20: Maryland Renaissance Festival

1821 Crownsville Rd. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. $8-20.

Let’s face it: We could all use a break from modern political chaos and the impending climate crisis, and what could be a better distraction than entering a world of medieval make-believe? This Sunday, embrace ye inner lord or lady and experience this weird and wonderful Maryland tradition among thousands of other mead-swilling attendees. Spend the day chomping on turkey legs, cheering on your favorite knight in the jousting competition, and watching zany takes on The Bard’s greatest plays. If you can’t make it this weekend, don’t worry, the Crownsville festival runs through mid-October.

Since opening his Korean-inspired cafe Dooby’s in Mt. Vernon in 2014, Phil Han has witnessed the city’s food scene expand with globally diverse concepts that take diners everywhere from the islands of Thailand to the mountains of Senegal.

“When Dooby’s opened, we played a very fine balancing act of introducing some Korean ingredients, but at the same time making a menu that was a little more approachable for the broader audience,” says Han, who also owns cocktail bar Sugarvale and forthcoming pizza spot Noona’s. “Where we are food-wise as a city has certainly progressed and caught its bearings since then.”

Han made it a priority to reflect that evolution when he was asked to assist with the vendor selection process for the newly renovated Broadway Market in Fells Point. It was announced today that the revamped north shed of the 232-year-old property—between Fleet and Aliceanna streets—will house 10 stalls, both old and new, when it reopens in early 2019.

Aside from new locations for Connie’s Chicken & Waffles, Taharka Bros. Ice Cream, Thai Street, and The Verandah, veteran vendors Sal’s Seafood, Sophia’s Place, and Vikki’s Fells Point Deli will make up the market. Han himself also plans to introduce two new concepts, an all-day centerpiece bar and an authentic Korean eatery called Old Boy.

The Dooby’s spinoff will feature bar seating that allows diners to engage with their servers and learn more about the authentic dishes that Han grew up with. He mentions homestyle options like tonkatsu, a deep-fried pork cutlet, and dakbokkeumtang, spicy chicken braised with vegetables and spices.

“You’ll certainly see modern interpretations throughout the menu,” he says. “But it’s still built so that if my parents were to come in with their friends they would very much feel at home with the dishes that were presented.”

While partially inspired by a classic Korean action film, Old Boy’s name also pays homage to the idea that, as Han has grown older, has has developed a deeper appreciation for the classic dishes that he grew up eating with his family.

“I used to be that kid who would bring a Happy Meal into Korean restaurants,” he recalls. “Now I realize that the food my mom cooked when I was younger is the food that I’m craving more often. This is what I want to eat, and it’s a return of a deeper appreciation and representation of where I came from.”

Not far from Old Boy’s stall will be Han’s yet-to-be-named bar, which will offer an array of cappuccinos and lattes in the morning, as well as house made pastries and its own New American-style brunch menu. Situated under a gleaming skylight, the bar will also serve a menu of beer, wine, and cocktails during the evening hours.

Though they’re only a few hundred square feet, the goal is for both concepts to have distinct and inviting styles—which will be executed by a hyper-local design team that includes PI.KL Studio, Goodwood Design, and Sandtown Millworks.

“With Old Boy, you’ll see a little bit of homage to that old-school Korean look, which generally lends itself to a lot of natural wood tones,” Han says. “We just really want to create this warm space where it feels inviting to come over and sit down.”

The redesigned north shed, which has sat vacant for more than a decade, is expected to debut in February. Following in the summer of 2019 will be the premiere of The Choptank, a collaborative seafood concept from Atlas Restaurant Group and Captain James Landing, which will open in the neighboring south shed.

Aside from reactivating the Fells Point space, Han is enthusiastic about what a concept like this means for the future of the Baltimore food scene.

“I think sometimes people get a little bit too fixated on what’s closing,” he says. “But there’s definitely some positivity and growth happening in Baltimore. It’s an exciting time to see some of these younger food guys getting a shot at a bigger game.”

Last year, Stephanie Hsu was assisting the Ekiben team with a pop-up at R. House in Remington when they realized that they needed bubble tea to test in their recipes. Normally, Hsu would make the trip to her favorite Asian market in the county to buy the ingredient, but she was short on time.

She remembered hearing about Po Tung, an ethnic grocery store on the 300 block of Park Avenue downtown, which is situated in the heart of Baltimore’s historic Chinatown.

“That was the first time I had ever been on Park Avenue,” remembers Hsu, the former marketing and events director for R. House. “When I was walking up and down the street, I had this realization of generations that had been there before. There is a history there that is not widely shared and not widely known.”

Feeling inspired, Hsu dug deep into the archives of the Enoch Pratt Free Library and the Maryland Historical Society to learn more about the history of Asian-American immigrants in Baltimore. After months of research, she and other local descendants have formed The Chinatown Collective—a group that works to celebrate the contributions of Asian-Americans and their deep-rooted heritage in the city.

“We want to acknowledge the stories of the immigrants and their families that have come before us,” Hsu says. “But at the same time, it’s about the entire community coming together and saying, ‘This is who we are now.’”

That mission is exactly what the collective is hoping to highlight with the first-ever Charm City Night Market on September 22 from 4-11 p.m. The outdoor block party will extend from the green space at 200 Park Avenue down to Lexington Market—a footprint which overlaps with what was once a bustling hub for Asian-American arts, food, and commerce from the late 1800s to the 1940s.

Coinciding with Asia’s traditional Lunar Mid-Autumn Festival, the free event will feature an illuminated lantern walk along Lexington Street where visitors can peruse visual art, crafts, and jewelry from the likes of Priya Means Love and Filipino-American sister duo Timpla.

Attendees can expect to sample eats from local Asian-fusion vendors including Ekiben, Thai Street, Mera Kitchen Collective, and Mochichi—a new Korean shaved ice concept from Steve Cho who owns Sausage Master inside Lexington Market.

The drink offerings, helmed by Phil Han of Dooby’s and Sugarvale, will spotlight beer and spirits such as sake and soju.

“We want to showcase how Asian ingredients can be incorporated into a drink that’s fun and easy to enjoy,” Han says. “Some of the sakes can add this nice, subtle creaminess to a drink that you might not expect.”

From a food standpoint, Han says that the event is in line with the increased awareness of Asian cuisine in Baltimore.

“Five years ago, the word ‘Korean’ being on a menu was so sparse,” he says. “Now we’re seeing more dishes with Chinese, Korean, and Thai ingredients appearing on New American menus across town. That kind of exposure makes it more encouraging for Asian restaurants to keep growing.”

The festival will also feature live performances from Korean drumming troupe Samulnori and the Baltimore Dance Crews Project, which was founded by two Filipino-American hip-hop dancers who work with local students to choreograph pieces inspired by their feelings on social justice issues.

Hsu credits the inspiration for the event to Kitty Chin, a 90-year-old Asian-American immigrant who vividly remembers the once-bustling Chinatown. After the community eventually faded away, Chin and her late-husband, Calvin, hoped to revive the district to be inclusive of all of the different Asian cultures that had converged in Baltimore by the late ’70s.

“They wanted to bring people back to that area,” Hsu says. “Not as a Chinatown specifically, but as a pan-Asian hub that would then incorporate a lot of the other Asian immigrant communities that were moving into the city at that time. Now we’re taking their vision and expanding on it to reflect what the city looks like now.”

Aside from raising awareness about the venue and its origins, Hsu says that she hopes Asian-Americans of all ages come to the event and feel connected to the rich immigrant culture in the city.

“We hope it expands on the idea that Asian food isn’t just Chinese food,” she says. “There are a lot of different cuisines and nuances, and maybe people will find a new favorite. At the end of the day, I think we’ll be pretty happy if people have a good conversation with someone about their own culture or experience a different culture in a deeper way.”

For many city dwellers, stopping by a neighborhood farmers’ market has become a part of the weekend routine. But what happens when you run out of farm-fresh vegetables and herbs in the middle of the week?

Merritt Dworkin, the mastermind behind the Fells Point Farmers’ Market, has launched a new producers-only bazaar that allows locals to restock their bounty on Wednesday afternoons through October. Featuring more than 20 vendors, the Canton Waterfront Farmers’ Market runs Wednesdays from 3:30-7:30 p.m. at Canton Waterfront Park.

“Finding the right location was so key,” Dworkin says. “Initially we wanted to do it on [O’Donnell] Square, but logistically we would have to shut down the street and it would really limit the number of vendors we could get in there. The waterfront seemed like a more natural fit—the view and the background are perfect.”

Aside from the sparkling backdrop, Dworkin says that the park’s location on Boston Street makes the market convenient for people running errands around Canton Crossing, or headed toward I-95 on their commute home.

The neighborhood was previously home to a farmers’ market on South Ellwood Avenue that ended in 2014. Since then, various groups, including the Canton Community Association, have been pushing for a family-friendly market on a consistent basis.

In only two weeks since it began, Dworkin has expanded the event’s footprint from 19 to 24 vendors. Many of them—including Ekiben, Gundalow Juice, One Straw Farm, and Boordy Vineyards—are regulars of the Saturday-morning market in Fells Point. (There will also be live acoustic music in Canton, similar to Fells Point.) But Dworkin has brought in a few newbies and amped up the number of prepared-food purveyors.

Looking ahead to next season, Dworkin hopes to extend the market’s run past October, giving patrons more opportunities to shop local year-round.

“With more farms now having greenhouses and hot houses, we’re hoping it will make it easier to expand our dates,” she says. “For me, it’s all about providing an event to help people support local whenever it’s available.”

Whether you’re heading over for an afternoon treat, or grabbing ingredients to whip up dinner at home, here are a few vendors to look out for at the new Canton market:

A Friendly Bread: Get your carb fix from this North Baltimore-based breadery—which bakes artisan loaves in varieties like walnut-date, pumpkin seed, whole wheat, caramelized onion, apricot cardamom, and chocolate chip.

Black Bottom Farms: This family farm brings its bounty straight from the small town of Galena on the Eastern Shore. Peruse produce including beets, eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, English cucumbers, and sweet basil.

Cheese Galore and More: If you can’t make it to Cheese Galore and More’s new digs on South Charles Street in Federal Hill, visit owner Sharon Johnson at the waterfront fête across the harbor. The specialty shop offers everything you need to create a bona fide charcuterie board—including baguettes, gourmet crackers, meats, olives, antipasti, and, of course, plenty of artisan cheeses.

Migue’s Magnificent Mini Doughnuts: These fried-to-order circles—made popular by the Fells Point market and the Baltimore Farmers’ Market under the JFX—are the ideal mid-week treat. Bury your order in DIY toppings like powdered sugar, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, or a seasonal mango-chili sauce.

Phil’s Dills and The Baltimore Whiskey Company: Dworkin, who intentionally stationed these two vendors side-by-side, encourages patrons to create their own pickleback shots with juice from Phil’s Dills and spirits from The Baltimore Whiskey Company, which is settling in a new home at Union Collective. Pro tip: Try the Sweet & Spicy bread and butter pickles backed by Epoch Rye.

Thai Street: Get a little taste of Bangkok by way of Canton with the authentic grub prepared by this local pop-up. Dishes to look out for include spicy tofu panang (a nutty red Thai curry), sweet mango sticky rice, and classic pad Thai noodles.