The Preakness Stakes will be held somewhere other than Baltimore this year for the first time in over a century. The race is in Laurel Park while Pimlico undergoes reconstruction, but even if you were willing to travel for it, this weekendβs festivities have already sold out. Fix yourself a batch of black-eyed Susans and watch it on TV, or check out one of the many awesome events that you can still attend.
And donβt forget to check out The Bannerβs calendar of coming festivals in the area to help you further plan your weekend.
Thursday, May 14
Bromo Art Walk
Choose your own adventure on this self-guided tour of the downtown Baltimore art scene, taking in more than 30 venues and over 100 artists. You might attend a poetry reading, pop into an open studio, make your own art with Day-Glo paint, watch African dance or see excerpts from a play. Tour the clock room in the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower and stick around for the after-party at Current Space (9-11 p.m., 421 N. Howard St.), featuring the legendary Landis Expandis. If youβre hungry for more, pair with MICAβs annual art walk, starting Friday.
Time: 5-9 p.m.
Price: Free, registration recommended
Location: Bromo Arts District (multiple locations, Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes.
Friday, May 15
International Gem and Jewelry Show
Bring that broken coral necklace of your grandmotherβs or the silver earrings that need cleaning and youβll find experts to take on the job at this massive show. Then feast your eyes on row after row of jewelry, beads and gems: South Sea pearls, antique watches, rough-cut gemstones, tiaras, wedding bands, opals, rubies, silver and gold. It doesnβt hurt to look, right?
Time: Noon-6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Price: $6 online, $8 at the door (good for all three days)
Location: Maryland State Fair Exhibition Hall (2200 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium)
Family friendly? Children under 9 not permitted.
Kaki King
Rolling Stone has called guitar virtuoso Kaki King β who has performed with everyone from the Mountain Goats to Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters β βa genre unto herself.β While her fingerstyle skills alone are dazzling, she likes to push the boundaries of whatβs possible: using the strings to trigger visuals, playing with odd tunings, even dancing with her instrument.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Price: $35-$45 nonmembers, $30-$40 members, prices subject to change
Location: Creative Alliance (3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes.
Bach Motets
It would be a mistake to call these Bach pieces undersung because, by definition, motets are primarily vocal. But though some regard Bachβs motets as his finest compositions, they are not nearly as famous as his other choral works, like βMass in B minor.β On Friday, the Emmanuel Choir, the stateβs premier professional liturgical ensemble, will perform all six of Bachβs surviving motets, with cello and piano accompaniment.
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Price: $10-$35
Location: Emmanuel Episcopal Church (811 Cathedral St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes, but you have remarkable children if theyβll sit quietly through an 18th-century choral concert.
Saturday, May 16
George βSpiderβ Anderson Music & Arts Festival
On May 10, 1889, George βSpiderβ Anderson became the first African American jockey to win the Preakness. Little is known about Andersonβs life after that; historians suspect Jim Crow laws ended his horse-racing career. Celebrate his victory belatedly with horseback riding, food trucks, carnival games and performances by K. Michelle and rapper Big Daddy Kane. βDress for the Gamesβ in your boldest Preakness attire and you could win a portion of the $5,000 fashion prize.
Time: 1-8 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: 4800 block of Park Heights Avenue
Family friendly? Yes.
Afro-Preak 2026
Now in its fifth year, Afro-Preak is a celebration of Black culture timed to coincide with the historically exclusive Preakness Stakes. This yearβs event will take over Power Plant Live. Six different lounges will be in play, all with food, cocktails and their unique atmosphere. Entertainment includes live DJs, a cigar patio, a karaoke lounge and massive screens broadcasting the race. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, Mayor Brandon Scott and Gov. Wes Moore have all been spotted at prior events, so make sure your fascinator is on straight. (And if you want to give your outfit a trial run, check out Ceceβs Roland Parkβs Black Eyed Suzy Party, 5-11 p.m. Friday at the Village of Cross Keys in Baltimore.)
Time: 2-10 p.m.
Price: $60-$250
Location: Power Plant Live! (35 Market Place, Baltimore)
Family friendly? No.
Gunz of Steel
If you missed out on tickets for this weekendβs other major sporting event, youβre in luck: Youβll be welcome at Gunz of Steel. This hilarious biannual event is less about the arm wrestling β though, yes, there is a custom-built arm-wrestling table β as it is the fabulous costumes and showmanship. Proceeds go to local nonprofits supporting women and the queer community. Drinks and food will be available, but attendees are asked to bring their own chair.
Time: 7 p.m.
Price: $15 suggested donation
Location: Clifton Pleasure Club (2803 Grindon Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? No.
Chesapeake catfish cook-off
Blue catfish, introduced into Virginia rivers in the 1970s, made their way into the Chesapeake Bay, where they are now devouring nearly anything that fits in their mouths. Thatβs bad news for the menhaden, crabs and other native animals that live there. Do your part to eradicate the blues by attending this cook-off, where regional chefs will create dishes featuring the tasty invader. Raw oysters and Southern-inspired sides will also be on offer, as well as cooking demos, live music and free boat rides.
Time: Noon-4 p.m.
Price: $50 ages 13 and up, $10 ages 6 to 12, free for kids 5 and under
Location: Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park (7300 Edgewood Road, Annapolis)
Family friendly? Yes, but no furry family members.
Wine in the Woods
The name says it all, or nearly. The 32nd rendition of this festival includes numerous Maryland wineries and beer breweries plying their wares. Depending on your ticket, you get unlimited tastings. The more tastings, the better the music will sound and thereβs a lot of it: 12 bands on two stages. Arts and crafts and food vendors will also be on site, as well as wine experts delivering seminars on such matters as how to cellar your bottles. Bring folding chairs and picnic blankets for the full experience.
βTime: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Price: $30-$85
Location: Symphony Woods (by Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia)
Family friendly? Kids are technically allowed, but programming is not targeted at them (and if theyβre 2 or over, youβll have to buy them βnon-tasterβ tickets at $30-$35 a pop).
Night Circus
These are some creatures of the Baltimore night you may actually want to encounter. Circus performers combine forces with actors to bring an evening of βmentalism, magic, and cirque with a splash of Poe.β Aerialists and cyr wheel performers will do their stuff to the words of Edgar Allan Poe, with breaks to showcase the mind-reading skills of Alexander the Pretty Good, from the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre. Portions of ticket sales will go to Doomsday 2026, a 24-hour marathon reading of Poeβs writings happening concurrently just outside.
βTime: 5 p.m. (Doomsday reading Saturday noon-Sunday noon)
Price: $31.60 (The reading is free.)
Location: In the Dark Circus Arts (861 Washington Blvd., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Depends on the kid, depends on the Poe story. He did marry a 13-year-old β¦
Sunday, May 17
Baltimore Vintage Expo
Hereβs where youβll find those purple suede fringed pants you didnβt know you needed. This enormous event includes vintage and antique dealers from across the mid-Atlantic, stuffed into every available corner of a brewery, inside and out. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the expo includes clothing, antiques, collectibles, furniture and dΓ©cor. (For more in this vein, check out the Butchers Hill Flea Market and Craft Fair on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or the Roland Water Tower Flea Market, also Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
Time: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; early bird entry 9-11 a.m.
Price: Free; $21.40 for early bird tickets
Location: Union Craft Brewing (1700 W. 41st St., Baltimore)
Family friendly? Yes.
Colonial Garden Party
Former governor William Paca, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, lived in a regal Georgian mansion in Annapolis which is now open to the public. Costumed living historians will host a party in the two-acre garden, with its collection of native and heirloom plants and its fish-shaped pond. Take a tour of the house for context on how Paca was able to care for such a sumptuous home; he owned at least 100 slaves at the time of his death. (For more on this aspect of the era, pair with an African American Heritage Tour, Saturday, 1-3 p.m. It begins at Annapolis City Dock, where slave ships entered 300 years ago.)
Time: Noon-3 p.m.
Price: $5, advance registration recommended. (House tours are $12 for adults, $7 for children under 18)
Location: The William Paca House and Garden (186 Prince George St., Annapolis)
Family friendly? Yes.
Eugenics Now and Then
The long and sordid history of eugenics is best tackled over a beer. Join molecular biologist and health science policy analyst Carlo Quintanilla as he traces that history from the rise of Social Darwinism to forced sterilization programs and beyond. Quintanilla will also discuss what some fear may be a new era of eugenics, beginning with the editing of human embryos by a Chinese scientist in 2018. Should we be able to control the IQ of our unborn children? Should society have the capacity to produce genetically enhanced soldiers? (You might need two beers.)
Time: 4-6:30 p.m.
Price: $14.77
Location: Guilford Hall Brewery (1611 Guilford Ave., Baltimore)
Family friendly? No.
Arbutus Arts Festival
The Arbutans β Arbutusians? β have hosted this festival since the Watergate scandal, and it continues to grow. This year more than 275 crafters will have booths. Ponies, face painting, and amusement park rides will be available to make the kids giddy, with a beer garden to make the adults giddy. Food offerings will include fried rice, pastrami, meatball subs and, somehow, bacon on a stick.
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Price: Free
Location: 5407 Arbutus Ave., Arbutus
Family friendly? Yes.
Andrea Appleton is a Baltimore-based writer and journalist.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.