EAT

July 27: Trifecta Food Truck & Music Festival

Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. 12-11 p.m. Free-$20.

Whether you’re in the mood for a gourmet grilled cheese, some tasty empanadas, or just a good old-fashioned Baltimore crab cake, you’ll be able to satisfy your hankering here. With more than 40 different food concepts showcased, this massive gathering at the Maryland State Fairgrounds bills itself as the state’s largest food truck and music event—so you’ll certainly get the full taste of what the mobile eateries of Maryland have to offer. Kids get in free, and there will be a bevy of activities for them, such as a dunk tank, inflatable slides, and even a mechanical bull. The best part? You can enjoy the all-day live music lineup in between meals.

DRINK

July 27: Union Craft Brewing’s Anniversary Celebration

Union Collective, 1700 W. 41st St #420. 6-11 p.m. $35-110.

Come out and party with Hampden’s hometown brewery as it rings in its seventh year. Held in Union Collective’s spacious taproom, the birthday bash will feature perhaps the most expansive beer selection yet with more than 50 to peruse over. (Be on the lookout for a few new brews, as well.) Attendees will enjoy eats from likes of The Local Oyster, Snake Hill, Ekiben, and Clavel while dancing to tunes provided by a lineup of live performers including James Nasty and Yellow Dubmarine.

SEE

July 27: Fluid Movement: The Water Ballet Opening

Druid Hill Park Pool, 2645 East Dr. 5 p.m. $5.

Whether you’re a tried-and-true fan or a first-timer, come experience this joy of a show that commemorates Fluid Movement’s 20th year. This local performance art group walks the line between complex themes and delightful mediums in its productions, and the mesmerizing combination of synchronized swimming, water ballet, and community theatre is truly one of a kind. Of course, there will be the necessities: comedy, choreography, and a smidge of drama. If you can’t make it this week, Patterson Park Pool will host a series of shows next weekend, as well.

HEAR

July 26: Butch Dawson’s Ollieworld Release Show

Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m.- 12 a.m. Free.

Don’t be surprised if you start hearing more and more about Butch Dawson. His new mixtape proves the Charm City rapper is a force to be reckoned with. Stop by the Ottobar this weekend to hear bangers like “Trigger,” “This Is Your Hood,” and “Word on the Block” at Dawson’s official album release show. Other featured artists will include Ghostie, Shido, and Station North Sadboi.

DO

July 26: Baltimore’s Birthday Bash

The Assembly Room, 316 Guilford Ave. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $65-125.

Although Baltimore doesn’t look a day over 289, make sure to show your love for Charm City on it’s 290th birthday. There will be open bars stocked with local brews and spirits, locally baked birthday desserts, and a lively dance party headlined by DJ Impulse. If you’re feeling extra generous, consider buying a Good Neighbor ticket, which covers admission for yourself and another Baltimorean active in the community. Proceeds from the party will benefit Live Baltimore’s promotion of Baltimore City’s residential neighborhoods.

Not so long ago, a festival featuring 40 food trucks from around the region would be unheard of. But this year’s Trifecta Food Truck Festival showcases just how far the industry has come.

“The local scene has grown to the point where it’s not just a few food trucks parked outside of office buildings anymore,” says organizer Paul Manna of 24-7 Entertainment. “Now they’re everywhere.”

Bringing together an array of the area’s best eats, drinks, and live music, the all-day fun fest returns to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium on Saturday, July 29 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Now in its second year, the event billed as Baltimore County’s largest food truck rally—which attracted more than 5,000 attendees last summer—will feature an expanded lineup of mobile kitchens, craft beer from the likes of Dogfish Head and Evolution Brewing, and a soundtrack provided by some of Charm City’s most noteworthy musicians.

As a longtime local concert promoter, booking bands comes naturally to Manna—who organized the Shindig festivals in Carroll Park and Charm City Music Festival headlined by Weezer at Harbor Point in 2012. But last year, he had the idea to add eats and drinks into the mix.

To help streamline the culinary offerings, Manna enlisted the help of The Maryland Mobile Food Vending Association (MMFVA)—a union for local food truck operators that has nearly doubled its membership since it was founded in 2012.

“The added number of food trucks that are on the scene today has done nothing but better the food community as a whole,” says MMFVA president Dave Pulford, who also runs local slider mobile Upslidedown Dave. “There’s competition, but the food trucks that started the association are still in play—and they’ve forced everybody else to come up to their level.”

The evolution of the local food truck community is apparent in the Trifecta lineup, which will offer everything from falafel and French fries to crab cones and customizable crème brûlée. Be on the lookout for favorites like gyros from Greek on the Street, pulled pork sandwiches from The Smoking Swine, slices from Dizzy Cow Pizzeria, tacos from Mexican on the Run, cupcakes from Icedgems Baking, and burgers from Kooper’s Chowhound, as well as sustenance by Anita Burrito, Farm to Charm, Maui Wowi, Jammin Flava, Crabtown Curbs, and more.

Additionally, there will be bites from brick-and-mortar hubs including Mother’s, The Local Oyster, BrickNFire Pizza, Smoke, and Little Italy Sausage.

Manna says that he is encouraging the vendors to offer small portions so that diners can try a little bit of everything: “It’s a shame you can’t eat seven times a day,” he quips. “Because you want to sample as many things as you can.”

In between noshes, festival-goers will be able to check out summer activities including the annual pie-eating contest, dunk tanks, moon bounces, and even a mechanical bull.

Of course, the main stage—emceed by Rodney Henry of Dangerous Delicious Pies—will also be a highlight, with local headliners including reggae rockers Jah Works, soul musicians All Mighty Senators, the bluesy Kelly Bell Band, and beloved veteran songwriter Cris Jacobs.

Aside from hopefully seeing some sunny skies this year (the inaugural festival coincided with the fateful storm that devastated Ellicott City last summer), Manna says that he is most excited to catch all of the live performances.

“Seeing all of these bands together on one stage really is like Baltimore nostalgia for me,” he explains. “It’s going to be a big hometown party.”