What to do this weekend, including the Maryland Seafood Festival and Defenders’ Day

On Friday, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Marylanders are gathering to honor lives lost with candlelight vigils, charitable races and more. We’ve included a couple of events here, but encourage you to read The Banner’s longer roundup of remembrance activities in the city and surrounding counties.

Thinking about those no longer here can make you more appreciative of time with those who are. If you’re looking for other ways to be with family and friends this weekend, you have plenty of options.

The Maryland Seafood Festival and Fells Point Oyster Fest both start Friday, bringing three days of local food and drink. You’ve also got the Bromo Art Walk, the Annapolis Songwriters Festival, a big band performance with Baltimore’s own Brandon Woody and an overnight camping experience in Druid Hill Park. Read on for info on these events and more.

Thursday, Sept. 10

Bromo Art Walk

Take in the Bromo art scene at this twice-annual event. Across more than 20 venues you can visit artists’ studios, see exhibitions and performances and flex your own creativity by helping to paint a community mural on North Howard Street. Bikes and Lime scooters are recommended for travel between locations.

Time: 5-9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Bromo Arts District (218 W. Saratoga St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Annapolis Songwriters Festival

Downtown Annapolis is turning into one big concert venue for the Annapolis Songwriters Festival for four days. The lineup features nationally acclaimed artists, including SoCal band and headliners Young the Giant, plus over 50 local musicians. Not in your budget? Pop into bars and restaurants along “Songwriters Trail” — from Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge to City Dock — for free events all weekend long.

Time: 2-11 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday

Price: $25-$271.90

Location: Calvert Street Stage (44 Calvert St.), Rams Head on Stage (33 West St.), Maryland Hall (801 Chase St.), Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre (143 Compromise St.) and Watermark Cruise (1 Prince George St.), Annapolis

Family friendly? Yes

Chanté Moore

Remember Chanté Moore’s run of ‘90s R&B hits such as “Chanté’s Got A Man,” “Old School Lovin’” and “Love’s Taken Over”? She’s back on the road with her latest music project “EVOLve,” and she’s not alone. Joining her is fellow ‘90s heartthrob Christopher Williams, also known as Kareem Akbar in the movie “New Jack City.”

Time: 8 p.m.

Price: $45.93-$79.98

Location: Pier Six Pavilion (731 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes. Tickets required for children ages 2 and older.

Friday, Sept. 11

‘New York’

Originally staged to raise funds for volunteer psychiatrists who helped people affected by 9/11, this 90-minute play written by David Rimmer depicts an immersive group therapy session, showing 15 individuals’ reactions to the events of that day.

Time: 8 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday

Price: $15-$18

Location: Epiphany Lutheran Church (4301 Raspe Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

25 Years Later — A Community Remembers 9/11

The Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department will host a candlelight vigil and walk to honor the 343 New York firefighters who died in the Twin Towers, followed by a remembrance ceremony to honor all those impacted by that day. People who lost family, friends and colleagues on 9/11 will give remarks.

Time: 6:30 p.m. honor walk and candlelight vigil; 7:30 p.m. remembrance ceremony

Price: Free

Location: Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department (5200 Southwestern Blvd., Arbutus)

Family friendly? Yes

Maryland Seafood Festival

Eat all the seafood your stomach can handle while taking in views of the Chesapeake Bay. Expect to be entertained: there’ll be a crab soup cook-off, chef demos, skipjack races and local crafts for sale — plus “Mama Duck,” a 60-foot inflatable duck that will make an appearance to mark the festival’s 60th anniversary.

Time: 5-9:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.- 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday

Price: $11.37-$253.34

Location: Sandy Point State Park (1100 E. College Parkway, Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Fells Point Oyster Fest

Slurp your way through the weekend at this annual festival serving the Chesapeake’s briny bivalves. Highlights include an oyster-shucking championship and a Ravens watch party. In case you’re curious, here’s the oyster menu.

Time: 4-10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

Price: Free admission

Location: Broadway Square (1641 Lancaster St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Defenders’ Day

Baltimore’s oldest holiday honors the city’s defense against a British attack in 1814 and the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Take a trip to Fort McHenry to hear stories of service and sacrifice during ranger-led walks, living history demonstrations and musical performances. Each day offers something new, so read the event schedule before you head out.

Time: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday

Price: $15

Location: Fort McHenry (2400 E. Fort Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore Hayride Country Dance Night

Slip on your cowboy boots and two-step the night away at Union Craft Brewing. Baltimore-based band D.T. Huber and Whale Show will perform, and a two-step dance lesson with Z Smith will get you moving with confidence before the party starts.

Time: 7 p.m.

Price: $11.75 online; $15 at the door

Location: Union Craft Brewing (625 W. University Parkway, Baltimore)

Family friendly? Geared toward adults but generally a family-friendly location.

Brandon Woody’s Big Band

Baltimore trumpeter, composer and bandleader Brandon Woody used to jam in the back of a pizzeria in Mount Vernon. Now he has an album out and is set to perform an outdoor concert at Current Space with a 16-piece band. Just listen to how smooth rehearsal sounds.

Time: 8 p.m.

Price: $22.47-$28.80

Location: Current Space (421 Tyson St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? 18 and over

Saturday, Sept. 12

Adult Camp Night

Pitch a tent in Druid Hill Park for this first-ever camping event for grown folks. Activities include hiking, field games, campfire karaoke and an outdoor movie screening. Bring your own camping gear or purchase a pre-pitched campsite with a tent and bed. Camp Night brings provisions to you with food trucks and a cash bar on-site.

Time: 2 p.m. Saturday-9 a.m. Sunday

Price: $106.60-$212.87

Location: Druid Hill Park (900 Druid Park Lake Drive, Baltimore)

Family friendly? 21 and over

‘High and Low’

Witness “stunning” cinematography at this screening of “High and Low,” a 1963 film directed by Akira Kurosawa, co-presented with the Baltimore Kawasaki Sister City Committee, Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication Dean’s Office, and Asian Arts & Culture Center. Set in post-World War II Japan, the film is described as a “kidnapping thriller that inspires reflection on our basic humanity.”

Time: 1 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Towson University Art Lecture Hall, CA 2032 (1 Fine Arts Drive, Towson)

Family friendly? Geared toward adults

Premiere Parkton Peterson Pawpaw Pickin Party Fest

Head to Fieldstone Nursery, a 12-acre farm, for the first Annual Pawpaw Festival. Stroll the grounds to sample free pawpaw fruit, watch grafting demonstrations and take tours of the pawpaw patch — then grab some pawpaws of your own to take home.

Time: 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Price: $10 for adults; free for children under 12

Location: Fieldstone Nursery (19316 Middletown Road, Parkton)

Family friendly? Yes

Bmore Vegan Block Party

Chow down on plant-based food at the fifth-annual Bmore Vegan Block Party. Try everything from tasty tacos to cheesesteak egg rolls. This year introduces a few new features: an Under Armor movement lab, a kids’ zone and a clothing swap. Music by DJ Boogie The Gr8 and DJ Marzo.

Time: 3-8 p.m.

Price: Free general admission; $28.52 VIP

Location: (100 N. Charles St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Books & Beers in the Barn

Pick up your fall reads at the Backwater Books pop-up bookstore inside the Manor Hill barn. Items cater to both adults and children, and so do the drink options: Enjoy a beer in the taproom or stop at the Mady’s Squeeze truck for “dirty” sodas and lemonades.

Time: Noon-4 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Manor Hill Brewing (4411 Manor Lane, Ellicott City)

Family friendly? Yes

2026 TTSPAMD Steelpan Music Festival & Awards

It’s only been three years since the United Nations established World Steelpan Day, recognizing the ringing acoustic instrument. Celebrate the day in Baltimore with an evening of solo and ensemble performances hosted by the Trinidad & Tobago Steelpan Association of Maryland. This year’s awardees include Lorna Green, founder of Prince George’s County’s Cultural Academy of Excellence.

Time: 4-9 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Eager Park (900 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Making Movies

The Latin Grammy-nominated band Making Movies is set to take over the Columbia Lakefront. Known for their unique sound, they fuse rock, cumbia, blues, salsa and soul, combining electric guitars with the Mejorana, a traditional string instrument from Panama.

Time: 7 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Downtown Columbia Lakefront (10275 Wincopin Circle, Columbia)

Family friendly? Yes

Sunday, Sept. 13

Wine on the Water

Sip your way around this wine festival featuring a lineup of Maryland wineries, including Boordy Vineyards, Soca Wines and Misfit Winery. This year’s theme centers on R&B & Neo Soul, so expect a chill soundtrack. Tickets include admission, wine tastings and a souvenir wine glass.

Time: Noon-6 p.m.

Price: $44.52

Location: Middle Branch Park (3301 Waterview Ave., Baltimore)

Family friendly? 21 and over

Nicole J. Caruth is a Baltimore-based freelance journalist covering the intersections of food, health and environmental justice.