It’s a holiday weekend, with Maryland recognizing the second Monday in October as Columbus Day. But here in Baltimore, it’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Taíno tenor and clarinetist Dylan Aguayo will perform a recital at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, followed by a choral service with compositions by Charles Shadle (Choctaw) and Andrew Balfour (Cree). If you can’t make it in person, catch the livestream via YouTube or Facebook @stdavidsmusic.
There’s lots more to put on your weekend calendar, from Fiesta Baltimore and the Baltimore Taco Festival to Howard County’s first-ever Rainbow Pride Parade. Let’s dive in.
Thursday, Oct. 8
‘Depose: Luigi Mangione, the Right to Health, and the Unfinished American Revolution’
Luigi Mangione, who hails from a Baltimore County family, pleaded guilty in August to federal stalking charges in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The December 4 Legal Committee — an anonymous collective that has raised over $1.5M for Mangione’s legal fund — has a book out this month that explores the American healthcare system. Don’t expect the authors to reveal themselves; according to the tour flyer, spokespeople are showing up on their behalf.
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free without book; $24.56 with book preorder
Location: Red Emma’s (3128 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Use your best judgment
The Quality of Mercy: Shakespeare in Venice 1600
Four musicians close out the Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival with a performance of Italian chamber music played on instruments rarely heard these days: baroque violin, dulcian/renaissance bassoon, baroque guitar, theorbo (a large lute) and a Renaissance flute.
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: Free, with a suggested donation of $20-$30; 18 and under are free
Location: St. Ignatius Church (740 N. Calvert St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
Friday, Oct. 9
Modest Mouse
Portland-based indie rock favorite Modest Mouse is on the road with their latest album, “An Eraser and a Maze.” Read what Pitchfork had to say about the album — or just go listen for yourself. Genre-defying Caroline Rose opens the night.
Time: 8 p.m.
Price: $95-$346
Location: Pier Six Pavilion (731 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
MICA Bicentennial Weekend
Maryland Institute College of Art is throwing a three-day bash to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Hear from renowned artist and alum Jeff Koons. Shop original works of art at the MICA Art Market. Witness a live edition of the Stoop Storytelling podcast with musical guests Micah E. Wood and Eze Jackson.
Time: 5-10:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Price: Free
Location: Maryland Institute College of Art (1300 W. Mount Royal Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Some activities are 21 and over only; be sure to check the schedule.
Lost in Dreamland Putt Putt Pop-Up
Round up your friends for this “pop-up putt putt fever dream” designed by teams of artists, carpenters and engineers. Far from your average mini-golf experience, expect to move through “sweet dreams” and “deadly nightmares.” Proceeds support the 26th Street Green pedestrian plaza.
Time: 8-10 p.m. Friday; 1-8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday
Price: $5 for children; $15 for adults
Location: The Garage at R. House (301 W. 29th St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
‘Inviting Light’ Starlight Stroll
Take a nighttime tour of “Inviting Light” — five art installations in Station North — with the artists and curator Derrick Adams. Join them at Harmony Park for the full walk, or find a spot on the schedule to meet them along the way.
Time: 6:30-9 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: Harmony Park (1707 Barclay St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
Saturday, Oct. 10
‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’
The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company kicks off its 2026-27 season with an adaptation of author Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel “Frankenstein.” On Saturday, take your seat in your best Halloween costume. On Sunday, arrive early for a pre-show talk with Orianne Smith, a professor of English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and expert in British Romanticism and Gothic literature.
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Price: $35-$80
Location: Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Theater (7 S. Calvert St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Geared toward adults
Top of the Morning Fest
Early riser? Amp up your morning with this AM festival set to an Afro-Caribbean, R&B and hip-hop soundtrack. The party promises food, drinks and plenty of dancing to kickstart your day.
Time: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Price: $57.50
Location: M&T Bank Exchange (401 W. Fayette St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? With a 9 a.m. open bar, this seems geared toward adults.
Baltimore Open Studio Tour Weekend
Drop into artists’ studios across Baltimore to see where creative minds bring their ideas to life. Plan your route with Create Baltimore’s handy online map complete with artist statements, social media links, detailed directions and more.
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Price: Free
Location: Check the map for locations
Family friendly? Yes
Baltimore Taco Festival
It’s a food extravaganza with over 30 taco vendors — plus margaritas, tequila flights and beer — spread across an entire city block. No festival is complete without entertainment, so look forward to hot chili pepper and taco-eating contests, lucha libre wrestling and mariachi and folkloric dance troupes. There’s also a pumpkin patch and piñata smashing for the kids.
Time: 2-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Price: $14.98-$78.99
Location: Power Plant Live! (34 Market Place, Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
Fiesta Baltimore
Spend two days celebrating Latino arts and cultures at Patterson Park. Now in its eighth year, the festival brings together over 50 local vendors, many serving traditional foods, while live music and exhibitions spotlight local artists and artisans. Storytelling and interactive cultural workshops keep the kids entertained. Community resource tables provide information on local bilingual services. Don’t miss the Latino Parade of Nations happening Sunday at 2 p.m.
Time: 11 a.m.–7 p.m Saturday-Sunday
Price: Free
Location: Patterson Park (2900 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
Das Best PumpkinFest & Fall Carnival
Nothing says fall like a pumpkin festival. This one takes over part of the Maryland State Fairgrounds with pumpkin smashing and a pie-eating contest, carnival rides, face painting and a children’s costume contest. It’s all happening right next to Das Best Oktoberfest, serving up German food and all-you-can-taste international, domestic and local beers, domestic wines and more. Oktoberfest tickets ($51.30-$85.50) get you into PumpkinFest at no additional charge.
Time: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Price: $10 ahead of time; more on-site
Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds Infield (2200 York Road, Timonium)
Family friendly? Yes
Great Annapolis Pumpkins
Giant pumpkins weighing at least 1,000 pounds go on display all over downtown Annapolis. Snap pics with them and then swing by later in the month to see how local artists have carved them into jack-o’-lanterns. Stop by the Visitors Center for directions to each location.
Time: All day
Price: Free
Location: Annapolis Visitors Center (26 West St., Annapolis)
Family friendly? Yes
Envisioning the Harbor
See the Inner Harbor of the future through the eyes of young Baltimore artists. Hear from the Baltimore Youth Arts’ Summer Studio apprentices who worked with National Aquarium conservationists and educators to envision a healthier harbor 25-100 years from now. Then get hands-on as senior apprentices lead a printmaking activity.
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: National Aquarium (501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
Disco Inferno: A 70’s Celebration
The symphony is going disco! Broadway vocalists and a live disco band will play hits from the likes of ABBA, the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor and Barry Manilow. It’s a get-up-and-dance kinda night, so dress appropriately.
Time: 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday
Price: $29-$133
Location: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Pops concerts not recommended for children younger than 8 years old.
Sitting at the Feet of Our Elders
Soak up some wisdom at this afternoon gathering of local elders. You get to help set the agenda by picking two topics to dive into. It’s a good idea to register in advance, but not required.
Time: 2-4:30 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: Harriet Tubman Cultural Center (8045 Harriet Tubman Lane, Columbia)
Family friendly: Yes. Participants under 10 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Edgar Allan Row
Paddle the harbor to the words of Edgar Allan Poe. Bring your own boat or stand-up paddleboard to Pitango Bakery or launch from anywhere along the Baltimore Blueway and meet the group there. Don’t own a boat? Rent one along the harbor.
Time: 4–6 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: Pitango Bakery (903 S. Ann St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Paddlers under 18 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Sunday, Oct. 11
Crabs and Crushes
Tie on a bib for the last all-you-can-eat crab feast of the season at Phillips Crab Deck. You can also stuff your belly with unlimited steamed spiced shrimp and Maryland fried chicken with all the fixins’ — corn on the cob, coleslaw and potato salad. And don’t forget the Smirnoff Crushes in orange or grapefruit.
Time: Noon-3 p.m.
Price: $119.22
Location: Phillips Crab Deck (601 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Generally a family-friendly establishment.
Howard County Pride
Pride season isn’t over yet. Howard County Pride is back, this time with the theme “Exist, Persist, Love!” to recognize, as the organizers put it, “the strength, resilience, and joy of the LGBTQ+ community.” Get there by noon to see the county’s first-ever Rainbow Pride Parade.
Time: 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods (10431 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)
Family friendly? Yes
Ailey ll
Founded by Alvin Ailey in 1974, the Ailey II dance company showcases early-career dancers performing works with some of today’s leading choreographers. Called “second to none” by Dance Magazine, this is your chance to see them perform live.
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: $57-$98
Location: Maryland Hall (801 Chase St., Annapolis)
Family friendly? Yes
My Sunday Market
Stop by The Avenue’s last Sunday market of the season to shop creations by over 50 local artists and makers. Stay for an acoustic performance by local band the Mudbugs Duo, aka Howlin’ Mudbugs.
Time: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: The Avenue at White Marsh (8125 Honeygo Boulevard, Nottingham)
Family friendly? Yes
Monday, Oct. 12
Madi Diaz
Award-winning folk singer-songwriter Madi Diaz released her seventh album, “Fatal Optimist,” last October. Now she stops in Annapolis with her tour for the follow-up album, “Fatal Optimist (UN-unplugged).”
Time: 8 p.m.
Price: $47.68-$60.05
Location: Rams Head on Stage (33 West St., Annapolis)
Family friendly? Yes. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Nicole J. Caruth is a Baltimore-based freelance journalist covering the intersections of food, health and environmental justice.
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