Arts Festival in my Backyard

It’s Artscape weekend!!  The largest free arts festival in the country is literally in my backyard (and around the corner and up the street), and I had my apartment to clean.  What would you have done?  Exactly.  My dishes can wait. 

 I walked to the festival and found myself immersed in Baltimore’s arts culture.  Thousands of people of all ages and colors strolled through wide streets as if some tropical market.  At Artscape, hundreds of vendors from various places sell all types of wares, from jewelry, original t-shirts and paintings, to clocks made out of Cuban cigar boxes and magnificent, colorful (amazingly unharmed) framed insects, ready to mount on a wall.   Performances both stage and musical are feasts for the eyes, and are free to enjoy.  Even though it was exhilarating to be among all the people and the arts, I came specifically for Baltimore’s own Mario/Dru Hill free concert.  I got to the old Mt. Royal Station just in time to hear Mario sing his hits off of his most current album.  I parked myself on the side of a very steep hill among throngs of people and let my inner teenager come through.  I sang along to song after song bopping to the beat.  About an hour after Mario left the stage, Dru Hill commanded the attention of hundreds in the audience.  They belted out their classic songs to their Baltimore hometown family.  I left right when they were wrapping up and walked the few blocks back to my messy place.  That’s the joy about living in the heart of B’more: everything out of the ordinary is a few steps or a short drive away.  If that means another day of dirty dishes in my sink, so be it.

Artscape is usually the second to last week in July. Learn more at www.artscape.org