EAT

Aug. 18: Fiesta Del Mar

Clavel, 225 W. 23rd. St. 12-6 p.m. Prices vary.

We’re a sucker for firsts, and this inaugural Mexican seafood festival hosted by hometown chef Carlos Raba of Clavel—and special guest TJ Steele of Brooklyn’s Oaxacan restaurant Claro—is certainly an original. Stop by the Remington staple on Sunday afternoon for an array of ceviches, grilled whole snapper, and head-on prawns, as well as The Local Oyster’s signature bivalves. It’s an a la carte menu that is sure to make a seafood lover out of almost anyone.

DRINK

Aug. 16: World of Beer Block Party

World of Beer, 1724 Whetstone Way. 5-9 p.m. Free.

Summer may be winding down, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the warm weather while you still can. This last McHenry Row bash of the season will have festivities for everyone in the family, including a moon bounce for the kids, Union Craft Brewing glassware raffles for the adults, and a dunk tank for anyone with a good arm. Spend the evening noshing on seafood from Chesapeake Food Works, bopping along to a set by local band The Unofficial, and knocking back a few Duckpins or Skipjacks to celebrate the end of summer.

SEE

Aug. 17: Wet Hot American Summer Staged Reading

Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th St. 5-8 p.m. $10.

If your summer hasn’t been nearly wet, hot, nor American enough for you, no worries, the nomadic Single Carrot Theatre company has got you covered. The avant-garde group will take over Peabody Heights Brewery for a reading of the 2001 cult-classic film as part of their Screen2Stage series, featuring the same wacky antics and secret rendezvous as the movie. Stick around after the performance to participate in group activities and field-day events to become a true member of Camp Firewood.

HEAR

Aug. 17: Hot August Music Festival

Oregon Ridge Park, 13403 Beaver Dam Road, Cockeysville. 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. $73-199.

The 27th iteration of this hometown throwdown is finally here, and the forecast for this end-of-summer blues and roots festival is shaping up to be just as its name promises. Make the quick trip to Oregon Ridge Park to hear an all-star lineup of acts, including Turkuaz, Billy Strings, Vanessa Collier, and none other than Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (the band, although avian athletes would also be cool). To make a full day out of it, check out the Power Plant Live! pre-party featuring Psycho Killers or the after-party at The Greene Turtle in Hunt Valley.

DO

Aug. 17: Big Sticky Summer Hampden Sidewalk Sale

The Avenue on 36th St. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Free.

Make the most out of Tax-Free Week and shop local during Hampden’s third and final sidewalk sale of the summer. Whether you’re looking for vintage clothing or vinyl records, you will be sure to find a few steals from shops in the neighborhoods’ business district, including Best of Baltimore-winning places like Hunting Ground, Keepers Vintage, and Six2Six Society. Since the sale overlaps with Baltimore Vegan Restaurant Week, check out nearby participating spots like Golden West Cafe or Harmony Bakery for a post-haul snack.

When faced with a menu of savory snacks, soft pretzels are tough to pass up. Whether you’re hanging out at your neighborhood bar or strolling around an outdoor festival, you can’t go wrong ordering a fresh-baked twist—with its warm inside and crisp exterior enhanced by a requisite pinch of salt. (Just thinking about it makes us channel our inner Stanley Hudson from The Office.) Locally, there are plenty of places to get your fix in honor of National Pretzel Day on April 26.

Some of the most beloved soft pretzels in the city can be found at The Food Market, Chad Gauss’s comfort food spot on the Avenue in Hampden. Gauss says that the restaurant’s signature sticks—which were inspired by visits to Pennsylvania’s Amish markets with his grandparents as a kid—have been a hit since day one. In celebration of Pretzel Day, he will be offering free orders to all tables during dinner service. 

“That first day we tried to cook them from raw dough to order and it was literally impossible,” he says. “They’re just so easy-going. It’s something that you can order to really excite your palate for dinner.”

In crafting the dish, Gauss says he opted for the pull-apart, breadstick-style pretzels (rather than a traditional twist) to promote sharing and expose an optimal amount of crust. Each order is served alongside an overflowing cup of Natty Boh beer-cheese fondue.

“I had to use the Boh,” Gauss says with a laugh. “Pretzels and cheese and pretzels and mustard are the two real ways to go, but with mustard you aren’t really making anything. Beer, pretzels, and cheese all incorporate so well together. I thought, ‘I can make a cheese fondue as good as anybody.’”

From traditional twists and braids to unique nuggets and knots, here are a few other top spots to partake in National Pretzel Day.

Alexander’s Tavern: The soft pretzels at this Fells Point mainstay shine on a lengthy menu that highlights all kinds of pub grub. The butter-basted braids are jumbo-sized, and plated with three different dipping sauces. Pick your preference of white queso, honey-maple Dijon, or tavern mustard while catching a game or kick-starting a meal with friends. 710 S. Broadway, 410-522-0000

Brew House No. 16: Pair a flight of house-brewed beer with the pretzel bread and butter at this buzzed-about Mt. Vernon restaurant—which is housed inside a historic 19th-century fire station. 831 N. Calvert St., 410-659-4084

Crossbar der Biergarten: Federal Hill welcomed this spot—a project which took more than four years to get off of the ground—with open arms when it finally debuted on East Cross Street last year. The German beer hall is meant to harken back to the roots of Oktoberfest, with interior touches like steel doors, a living ficus tree, and communal wooden furniture imported from Munich. The German vibe is also reflected in the menu, which showcases sausages, schnitzel fingers, and, of course, giant Bavarian pretzels. Make the most of the experience by picking apart the twists while downing a boot of Warsteiner of Hefenweizen. 18 E. Cross St., 410-528-1186

Das Bier Haus: On the other side of Federal Hill, this corner hangout takes its pretzel game seriously—especially when it comes to the accouterments. Diners are encouraged to customize their giant or king-sized pretzels by choosing any of the spot’s signature dipping sauces. The lengthy list features more than 20 condiments ranging from basic ranch and whole-grain Dijon to lemon-caper aioli, whiskey cream, honey-cardamom butter, and jalapeño nacho cheese. In honor of National Pretzel Day, the eatery is hosting its third-annual Pretzel Pairings Dinner featuring an array of different soft pretzels (think crab, pizza, and Buffalo-chicken flavors) alongside Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company beers. 1542 Light St., 443-708-8854 

Pen & Quill: This Mt. Vernon favorite is an ideal pick for any occasion, and chef Bella Kline’s snack menu certainly comes in handy if you’re searching for a place to post up for drinks and light bites. Aside from deviled eggs, house-marinated olives, and French fries smothered in mushroom gravy, the list highlights a house soft pretzel with a hearty helping of porter cheddar sauce. Be sure to pair the specialty with one of the many local beers on tap. 1701 N. Charles St., 410-601-3588

Philly Pretzel Factory: As its name signifies, this Pennsylvania-based chain that recently landed in the Inner Harbor’s Light Street pavilion peddles authentic Philadelphia-style soft pretzels in an array of different shapes and sizes. For adventurous diners, the shop also offers items including pretzel-wrapped hot dogs, cheesesteak pretzels, and cinnamon-sugar coated twists. 301 Light St., 410-230-0063

World of Beer: Both locations of this fan-favorite beer bar in Towson and Locust Point will be celebrating the food holiday accordingly by offering the German-style snack—which is served hanging from a hook with house-made stone ground mustard or beer cheese. The bar even recommends pairing the twisted treat with one of its pale lagers. Multiple locations including 1724 Whetstone Way, 410-752-2337

Statistics collected by the State Highway Administration also reveal that more than 60 percent of bicycle crashes occur between May and September, and 47 percent between the evening rush-hour commute between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“We’ve got to look out for each other,” said Slater, stressing that both drivers and bicyclists need to follow the rules of the road.

Bike Maryland interim executive director Steve Miller added that texting and talking on the phone while driving has become a dangerous hazard not for only for automobile drivers, but especially for bicyclists who are unprotected.

“Distracted driving has become the new DUI,” Miller said. “And it’s willful and intentional.”

To help encourage more bicycle commuting as well as protect those who ride bicycles in the city as a means of transportation, the City of Baltimore will also be adding additional bike infrastructure in coming months, including the launch of a long-delayed bike-sharing program. That effort, scheduled for the fall, will place 50 stations and 500 bikes around the city for short-term rental and will include 200 electric-pedal assist bikes.

Also in the works is the construction of a dedicated cycle track on Maryland Avenue, running from 29th Street to Pratt Street, as well as six miles of new bike lanes—many connecting to the new cycle track.

In terms of the percentage of people who indicate that bicycling is a part of their commute, the U.S. Census reported a 62 percent increase nationwide from 2000 to 2014. Portland at 7 percent, Minneapolis at 4.6 percent, San Francisco at 4.4 percent, Washington D.C. at 3.9 percent posted some of the highest bike commuter rates in the country, with Baltimore ranked 38th among the 70 largest U.S. cities at .7 percent.

Ultimately, Baltimore City officials would like to see the percentage of bike commuters reach 9 percent over the next 15 years.

Some of the cities experiencing the biggest bike commuting increases over the past several years are Pittsburgh, where rates have more than tripled, and St. Louis, Chicago, Oakland and New Orleans, where rates have doubled.

“Biking is really important for a lot of reasons,” Caitlin Doolin, bicycle and pedestrian planner for Baltimore City, told The Sun. “It’s a huge part of our urban fabric, making transportation more sustainable, more healthy. People who bike tend to have higher attention spans at work, take less sick days, and have better health ratings from their doctors. And also, it’s fun.”