What to do this weekend, including a cat show and a record bazaar

It’s still July and the Maryland Renaissance Festival doesn’t begin until late August, so why mention it now? Tickets go on sale Monday and all those TikTok wenches and elves have ruined it for the rest of us: Tickets sell out much faster than they used to, so if you’re into jousting and turkey legs, buy yours soon.

Now back to your regularly scheduled late July programming. There are a number of musical and performance events this week, as well as a few more, shall we say, eclectic activities. (A cat show or PhoneCon, anyone?) Take a look at what else the region has to offer below.

Thursday, July 23

Anchors Aweigh Music Tour

Take a music-themed tour of the U.S. Naval Academy led by musicologist and retired Master Chief Musician David Hanner. Hanner will share the history behind “Anchors Aweigh,” the musical signature of the U.S. Navy and one of the most recognizable melodies in the world. In doing so, he will tell the story of Charles Zimmerman, the turn-of-the-century composer of the song. The tour concludes with a half-hour performance by the Superintendent’s Combo, the Naval Academy Band’s jazz combo.

Time: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Price: $16; children are $12

Location: United States Naval Academy, Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center (52 King George St., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Friday, July 24

Baltimore Restaurant Week

More than 70 restaurants are participating in Restaurant Week this year, including several beloved high-end establishments. The 20th iteration of the event — which actually spans 10 days — is meant to encourage diners to try new restaurants or return to old favorites, enticed by discounted items, prix-fixe menus and cocktails. You can search by neighborhood, cuisine and dietary preferences on the Restaurant Week website.

Time: July 24-Aug. 2

Price: Various

Location: Various

Family friendly? Yes

Baltimore POC Hardcore Show

This show will no doubt be loud, sweaty and glorious. It’s at the park, so you can retreat to the shade if you need a moshing break, or to 7-Eleven just across Falls Road for refreshments. Four hardcore punk bands fronted by people of color will perform: Albatross, Arlomine, Xtinguish the Code and Lake Lanier.

Time: 6-10 p.m.; music starts at 7 p.m.

Price: $5-$10, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds

Location: Skatepark of Baltimore (Roosevelt Park, 1201 W. 36th St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Use your discretion. The show is open to all ages, but content may be inappropriate.

‘Doll Parts …’ one-woman show

Theater artist Nikki Ann Hartman has been engaged with the stage one way or another for decades, but she’s never done a show quite like this. “Doll Parts …” is Hartman’s humorous, highly personal take on transitioning gender in her 60s, including hormone therapy, dating, menopause and surgery in the context of a shifting political landscape.

Consider also “Variations in Silence,” a selection of 10-minute plays by local authors (8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, $25; Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore) and “Ursula,” combining theater, drag and audience engagement (7:30 p.m. Friday, $20; Le Mondo, 406 N. Howard St., Baltimore).

Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday

Price: $20; students are $15

Location: The Voxel (9 W. 25th St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? No

Saturday, July 25

Annual Baltimore Dragon Boat Challenge

Dragon boat racing originated thousands of years ago in southern China and has in modern times become an international phenomenon. Teams of up to 20 paddlers stroke in unison to the beat of a drum, maneuvering long, canoe-like vessels decorated with dragon heads and tails. This year, the teams will compete in 250-meter, 500-meter and 2,000-meter races in the harbor. Come cheer them on from shore, where a DJ and food vendors will be on hand. You might also wander over to the nearby Fells Point Farmer’s Market (8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Broadway Square, 800 S. Broadway St., Baltimore).

Time: 8 a.m.-late afternoon

Price: Free

Location: Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park (1417 Thames St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Capital City Cat Show

The acrobatic cat show at the Creative Alliance has sadly sold out, but you can still get your feline fix this weekend: The Capital City Cat Show, one of the largest in the region, will feature more than 150 cats competing for top cat in five separate judging rings. Meet giant Maine coons, silky ragdolls, talkative Egyptian maus and up to 30 other breeds. You can even take home your own rescue cat and buy it a toy at one of the many cat-related vendors.

Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: $20; kids 5-12 $10; kids 4 and under free

Location: Maryland State Fairgrounds (2200 York Road, Timonium)

Family friendly? Yes. A stuffed animal contest takes place around lunchtime both days.

A Revolutionary ‘Romeo and Juliet’

In honor of the country’s 250th anniversary, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company presents a performance of “Romeo and Juliet” set in Revolutionary America. The Montagues and Capulets will no doubt be Patriot and Loyalist. Which city, I wonder, will stand in for Verona? Come early for mask making, dance instruction and food trucks, and remember to bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Time: 6 p.m. for preshow activities; show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Baltimore Peninsula (201 E. Cromwell St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Christmas in July

We’re officially as far from Christmas as you can get, so what better time to buy gifts on the cheap? A cluster of businesses along Harford Road are offering big clearance sales, limited edition specials and themed food and drink offers. Quirky gift shop Found Studio will have hundreds of items on clearance, from “l’il weiner” erasers to a purse shaped like a pizza, and the first 50 customers get free mimosas. Head upstairs to Annie Howe Papercuts to see how Howe makes her incredibly delicate paper cuts (and perhaps buy one on sale). Other participating businesses include the newly relocated Emma’s Tea Spot, Snug Books, fabric store Domesticity, wine shop and tasting room The Beverly House and Koco’s Pub. No word yet if the discounts extend to Koco’s famous crab cakes.

Time: All day; see specific locations for business hours

Price: Free

Location: Various locations in Hamilton and Lauraville, Northeast Baltimore

Family friendly? Yes.

Pride in July

Keep the party going at Pride in July, with a dance floor hosted by drag entertainment company SADBrunch and a 1.4-mile color parade around Lake Kitt that begins with a burst of rainbow powder. Washington, D.C., drag star Cake Pop! will perform along with other local drag artists.

Time: 6-9 p.m.

Price: Free; registration required

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

Family friendly? Yes.

PhoneCon

A niche event in the very best way, PhoneCon is a conference for telephone enthusiasts. All hobbyists welcome, from early manual device buffs to electromechanical experts, from rotary phone dialing devotees to fans of modern-day VoIP. (The “casually curious” are also most welcome.) Talks on telephony topics feature captivating titles like “Fear and Loathing at the Tone: A Savage Journey to the Heart of a ROLM Phone System.” Vintage phones will be for sale, and you can tour interactive exhibits, take part in workshops and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the telephone in the company of those who care most.

Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Price: $15 museum admission plus suggested donation for PhoneCon

Location: System Source Computer Museum (338 Clubhouse Road, Hunt Valley)

Family friendly? 13 years and up

Experimental music aboard a historic ship

Dutch vocalist and composer Vivienne Aerts recorded her latest album, “Current,” aboard her 1951 Dutch mahogany sailboat while traveling through the waterways of the Netherlands. The music incorporates the sounds she gathered there — creaking wood, water, wind and birds — as well as vocals, improvisation and electronics. On Saturday, she performs live aboard The USS Constellation in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, with our own local maritime sounds as a backdrop. Bonus: Guides will lead a preconcert tour of the historic ship.

Time: Tour begins at 6 p.m., concert at 7 p.m.

Price: $45 for adults; children 9 and under are $10

Location: The USS Constellation, Pier 1 (301 Light St., Baltimore)

Family friendly? Yes

Sunday, July 26

Baltimore Record Bazaar

If you are a crate-digger, you already know about this bimonthly event featuring dozens of vendors selling new and used LPs and 45s as well as CDs, tapes, apparel and memorabilia. Live vinyl DJ sets provide atmosphere as you browse, and it’s a brewery so, you know, there’s beer and a food truck parked outside. When your kids tire of all the analog technology, send them over to the Dugout Arcade, also on site.

Time: Noon-6 p.m.

Price: Free

Location: Peabody Heights Brewery (401 East 30th St., Baltimore)

Family Friendly? Yes

Woodshed Fest

Woodshed Fest, a music festival showcasing seven local and regional artists playing in a wide variety of styles from rock to funk to folk, came out of a house concert series. Artists include mid-Atlantic favorites Sweet Leda; alternative rock/American band Pressing Strings; pop singer/songwriter Enslow; and Super City, a dance rock and pop group known for their choreographed routines. Food and drink will be available for purchase and attendees are welcome to bring chairs or blankets as long as they don’t encroach on the dance floor.

Time: Noon-9 p.m.

Price: $45

Location: Baltimore Museum of Industry (1415 Key Highway, Baltimore)

Family Friendly? Yes

Go-Go Barbecue

You’re sweating anyway, so might as well dance your butt off. The JoGo Project, an award-winning D.C. band known for blending jazz and go-go, performs on the lawn of Maryland Hall on Sunday night. Founded by Elijah Jamal Balbed, who performed with godfather of go-go Chuck Brown, the group will be joined by go-go and R&B group Pressure Band for two back-to-back sets. Take a break at some point for some local barbecue and a cold drink as you recline on that blanket or lawn chair you brought.

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Price: $17.50; children 12 and under are free

Location: Maryland Hall (801 Chase St., Annapolis)

Family friendly? Yes

Andrea Appleton is a Baltimore-based writer and journalist.