May in Baltimore means Preakness Week - and so much more. Without further adieu, your May 2009 Baltimore calendar of events.
|| Flowermart 2009 ||
May 1 and 2, 2009, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The 92nd version of Baltimore's rite of spring will take place in its traditional location around the Washington Monument at Charles and Monument Streets. Flowers are only a small (well, okay, not a small) part of the festival, which is free. Events include live music, arts and crafts vendors, and of course, those legendary lemon sticks.
|| Kinetic Sculpture Race ||
May 2, 2009, all day
Another Baltimore tradition, the American Visionary Art Museum puts on this one-of-a-kind, eight-hour 15-mile race. The participants are amphibious, human powered works of art custom built for the race, and they travel on paved roads, mud, sand and the Chesapeake Bay.
|| Downtown Farmers' Market ||
Sundays beginning May 3, 8:00 a.m. to noon
The intersection of Holiday and Saratoga streets downtown under the Jones Falls Expressway is the place to be Sundays during the summer for the freshest fruits and vegetables, meat, and seafood the region has to offer. There also are lots of great prepared foods available. Get there early, merchants have been known to sell out of all their good(ie)s by 11 on busy days.
|| Cinco de Mayo! ||
May 5, 2009, all day
Some say it's just an excuse to party on a Tuesday. We say, who needs an excuse? Grab a margarita at one of these hot spots: Nacho Mama's in Canton, Little Havana on Key Highway, Blue Agave in Federal Hill, Holy Frijoles in Hampden.
|| First First Thursday Concert ||
May 7, 2009, 5:30 p.m.
Grab a lawn chair and head to Mt. Vernon for this monthly concert sponsored in-part by WTMD. The first Thursday of each month features a free concert at the park directly next to the Washington Monument. You can bring food (but no booze), or buy food and drink from vendors there. The series begins this month with Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Matt Duke and headliner Wild Light.
|| Maryland Film Festival ||
May 7, 8, 9, 10, 2009
The festival begins on Thursday, May 7 at 8:00 p.m. with "Opening Night Shorts" hosted by Bobcat Goldthwait. It's at MICA's Brown Center, just one of the venues that will host dozens of films and talks during this fantastic film festival.
|| Mother's Day ||
May 10, 2009
Lots of options for mom around town, but here's one a bit out of the ordinary: The 38th-annual Historic Harbor House Tour. It offers a glimpse inside a dozen unique homes in the Fells Point area. 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., tickets start are $15 in advance, $18 day of. Call 410-675-6750 ext. 12 for tickets.
|| Children's Chorus of Maryland ||
May 10, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
After brunch try something a little different for Mother's Day. The chorus' program, "Think On Me: A Tribute to Mothers," revolves around themes of motherhood and nurturing. Tickets are $12-$18. Kraushaar Auditorium, Goucher College, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road in Towson.
|| Preakness Week Begins ||
May 12, 2009, 11:00 a.m.
The little guys (no, not the jockeys) get Preakness Week started with the Pee Wee Preakness at Federal Hill Park. Kids ride their hippity hops in the first of many Preakness events leading up to the race.
|| Black Eyed Susan ||
May 15, 2009, 12:15 p.m.
A great alternative for those for whom the Preakness is just a little too much. One of Pimlico’s oldest stakes races, the Black-Eyed Susan is a mile and one-eighth test for three-year-old fillies. This historical race has long been recognized as the middle jewel of the "traditional" filly Triple Crown, which also includes the Kentucky Oaks (at Churchill Downs) and the Coaching Club American Oaks (at Belmont Park). Ticket information is available online.
|| Preakness Stakes ||
May 16, 2009, gates open at 8:00 a.m., race at 6:00 p.m.
A true Maryland tradition and one of the greatest traditions in all of sports.
|| Taste of Fells Point ||
May 17, 2009, 1:00 p.m.
Crush, Taste of Fells Point benefits the Tyanna Barre O'Brien Breast Cancer Foundation. The afternoon at Thames Street Park in Fells features music, wine, beer, food, children's games and activities. Food from many Fells Point establishments is on the menu, and live music will be provided by Captain Jack, Jeff Coulson and Sara O'Brien. Tickets are $30, free for children under 12, and can be purchased at 2910 on the Square in Canton, The Healing Path in Federal Hill, Su Casa in Fells Point, or online.
|| Trey Anastasio and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra ||
May 21, 2009, 8:00 p.m.
Phish frontman Trey Anastasio joins the BSO for what is sure to be an incredible night of music at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Tickets are $46.50 and can be purchased online.
|| Gallery Opening ||
May 27, 2009, 6:00 p.m.
Baltimore's newest gallery, Tilt, opens this evening with the debut of a new show, One. Local artists Jessica Van Brakle, Kris Vandevander, and TwoCan Collective are featured. The show will run through July 2. The gallery is located at 2616 N. Calvert St.
|| Polish Festival ||
May 29, 30, 31, 2009
All things Polish take front and center stage the last weekend in May during the annual Polish Festival at Patterson Park in Baltimore. The festival features food, drink, music, dancing, and crafts from the venerable Eastern European country. The festival begins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and noon on the weekend. Admission is $2 on Friday and $5 on the weekend, children 12 and under are free with a paying adult.
|| USS Constellation Fundraiser ||
May 30, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
The BLAST!, the USS Constellation's annual fundraiser, will be held under a big tent on the Constellation Pier in the Inner Harbor. Samples from local restaurants, specialty cocktails, beer, wine and sangria are on the menu, along with live music, a silent auction, and live cannon firings. Proceeds benefit the museum's restoration projects and educational programming. Tickets are $65, $50 for members, and can be purchased by calling 410-539-1797, ext. 432.
