Short on fun things to do? Not this weekend.
Topping the weekend festival lineup: the combined Light Up Little Italy Festival and Feast of St. Gabriel, with food galore, and Hopfest 2026, pouring specialty brews. Also on deck: a new night market in Parkville, two theater performances, a poetry reading and a comedy show for people who hate their jobs.
On the music front, you can see rap legend Juvenile and The 400 Degreez Band at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, hear Zac Brown Band’s country rock tunes at Merriweather Post Pavilion or the Mexican DJ trio 3BALLMTY at Power Plant Live. R&B lovers, there’s also a party in Towson where you’re the entertainment.
And there’s more. Let’s get into it.
Thursday, Aug. 13
3BallMTY
Months after performing for a massive crowd at Lollapalooza Chile, the Mexican DJ trio 3BallMTY touches down in Baltimore, ready to light up Power Plant Live! Go there to experience “Tribal Guarachero,” their mashup of house, electronic dance music, cumbia and traditional Mexican sounds.
Time: 9 p.m.
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Price: $33.78-$77.02
Location: Power Plant Live! (34 Market Place, Baltimore)
Family friendly? 18 and over; VIP tickets for 21 and over only.
Supernova - A Tribute to Oasis
Liam and Noel Gallagher won’t be on stage, but you can still hear “Wonderwall” and their other hits live, courtesy of this six-piece cover band. Their mission: capture the “energy, intensity, and swagger” of a live Oasis show.
Time: 8 p.m.
Price: $41.24-$47.68
Location: Rams Head on Stage (33 West St., Annapolis)
Family friendly? All-ages venue; however, underage guests must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Friday, Aug. 14
Juvenile and The 400 Degreez Band
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to hear “Back That Azz Up” performed by a live band, here’s your chance. Rap icon Juvenile and The 400 Degreez Band bring their New Orleans bounce classics to Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall for one night only. If Juvenile’s Tiny Desk Concert is any indication, the show won’t disappoint.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Price: $62-$114
Location: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Families welcome, but given the lyrics, you might want to make this a night out for adults only.
Light Up Little Italy Feast of St. Gabriel
Two Little Italy traditions — Light Up Little Italy and the Feast of St. Gabriel — are now one big celebration of culture and cuisine. Get ready for three days of Italian food and pastries, live entertainment, including a meatball-and-sausage-eating contest, an artisan marketplace, a bocce tournament, a pet pageant and a processional of St. Gabriel.
Time: 5-11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Price: Free admission
Location: Little Italy (1012 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? All ages
The Talent Machine: The Show That Started It All
Every child has talent; they just need the confidence to believe it. That’s the powerful message behind “The Talent Machine,” a musical revue that inspired the name of a new children’s theater company nearly 40 years ago. Now, the revue is returning to the stage with a cast ages 7 to 14, with Talent Machine Company alumni serving as directors and choreographers.
Time: 7 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Price: $22.52
Location: Robert E. Kauffman Theater at Anne Arundel Community College (101 College Parkway, Arnold)
Family friendly? Yes
‘Love & Basketball’
Before A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo, there were Monica and Quincy. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets to Baltimore Peninsula to watch “Love & Basketball,” a timeless story about two childhood friends who share a deep love of basketball — and each other.
Time: 6 p.m setup; screening begins at dusk
Price: Free
Location: Baltimore Peninsula (the grass along Cromwell Street, adjacent to Rye Street Tavern)
Family friendly? PG-13
Hopfest 2026
Hopfest is back at Max’s Taphouse, with over 50 different kegs of specialty IPAs, double IPAs and triple IPAs all weekend long. Stick around after dark for the bar’s regular entertainment lineup of Friday and Saturday night karaoke and Saturday night stand-up comedy.
Time: 11:30 a.m. daily, Friday-Sunday
Price: Free admission
Location: Max’s Taphouse (737 S. Broadway, Baltimore)
Family friendly? 21 and over
I Love R&B Party
Imagine a music venue full of people belting out Deborah Cox’s love anthem “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” and she’s not even on stage. That’s what you can expect at this traveling sing-along bringing ‘90s throwbacks and early 2000s hits. Gather your friends; if you buy three tickets, you get one free.
Time: 9 p.m.
Price: $40.86-$49.10
Location: The Recher (512 York Road, Towson)
Family friendly? 21 and over
Saturday, Aug. 15
Zac Brown Band’s ‘Love & Fear’ Tour
Country music’s beloved Zac Brown Band is bringing songs from its new album “Love & Fear” to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Their high-energy performances and genre-blurring sounds aren’t the only reason to be excited: Earlier this month, Brown surprised all 35,000 fans at Fenway Park with a free cruise. Who knows what he’s got planned this time?
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: $72.05-$258.40
Location: Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)
Family friendly? Tickets required for children 2 and older. Children under 2 must sit on a parent’s or guardian’s lap.
‘The Records & The Ruse’
Step into the story of Baltimore’s Black Panther Party through this live theater performance, woven from historical evidence, journalism and original film. The show is a work in progress, so stay after to share your questions and feedback, helping to shape what the artists might do next.
Time: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Price: $11.40-$42.90
Location: The Voxel (9 W. 25th St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? No age restrictions
Work Sucks: A Towson Comedy Show
Hate your job? Yeah, you’re not alone. Share your worst work stories at this live show where local stand-up comedians from Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and beyond riff on your real-life scenarios. You know the saying: Sometimes you gotta laugh to keep from crying.
Time: 8-10 p.m.
Price: $8.24-$14.64
Location: Charles Village Pub & Patio (19 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Towson)
Family friendly? 21 and over
Parkville Night Market
For the first time, Parkville has its very own night market. Spend the evening eating great food, shopping locally made goods and connecting with neighbors, while bopping to a soundtrack by DJ Will. From candles and cornbread to a kids’ activity zone, this market looks to have something for everyone.
Time: 4-8 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: North Plaza Shopping Center (8924 Waltham Woods Road, Parkville)
Family friendly? All ages
Jubilee Jam
Students at Jubilee Arts have been busy all summer, and they’re throwing a block party to celebrate. Stop by the Jubilee Arts Performance Garden to see what they’ve created and take a moment to appreciate nature while you’re there. The event also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Nature Sacred, a creator of green spaces, and those Little Yellow Journals tucked into their benches.
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: Jubilee Arts Performance Garden (1947 Pennsylvania Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes
The Kelly Bell Band
The Baltimore-based Kelly Bell Band got its start backing the legendary Bo Diddley. Since then, the band has performed all over the world and won two Maryland Music Awards. Catch them live at Quiet Waters Park — vocals, horns, everything.
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: Quiet Waters Park (600 Quiet Waters Park Road, Annapolis)
Family friendly? Yes
Sunday, Aug. 16
Colin Asher with Rafael Alvarez: The Midnight Special
Step onto the back patio at The Ivy Bookshop to hear Colin Asher talk about his new book, “The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music.” In this 300+ page read, Asher traces how prisons and the criminal justice system have shaped American musicians like Johnny Cash, Miles Davis and Tupac.
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: The Ivy Bookshop (5928 Falls Road, Baltimore)
Family friendly? Use your best judgment
Gathering Act
Local artists Red Rae and Theresa Columbus host this outdoor gathering of social activists and experimental performers. Expect group singing, poetry readings and an open mic, plus an interactive lesson on how to organize a union.
Time: 6 p.m.
Price: $17.19-$33.02, suggested
Location: Current Space Garden Bar (421 Tyson St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? 18 and over
Nicole J. Caruth is a Baltimore-based freelance journalist covering the intersections of food, health and environmental justice.
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