It’s that time of summer again when hundreds of thousands of Baltimore residents and mid-Atlantic tourists descend on the area between Mount Royal, Bolton Hill, Station North and Mount Vernon for three days of people-watching and culture-collecting.
There’s a lot to see, there’s tons of ways to participate, there’s a handful of things to watch, there’s so much to eat! How are you going to do it all?
Here are some suggestions to help you get the most out of your time at America’s largest free arts festival.
Live music
Artscape has always been the place to go to see some of your favorite musical acts outside for free. Everyone from Kid Creole and The Coconuts and Southern Culture on the Skids to Matisyahu and Cake to Wale and Lupe Fiasco have graced the festival’s stages.
This year, you’ll want to catch main stage performers R&B musician (and Prince collaborator!) Sheila E. (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) and gypsy punk group Gogol Bordello (fronted by the theatrical Eugene Hutz, who always brings the party on stage).
Just remember, Artscape gets more and more crowded every year and it’s getting harder and harder to snag a little patch of grass to call your own, so try to get to the stage as early as possible and expect it to be standing room only.
Movies
The brand new Parkway Theatre, home to the Maryland Film Festival, will host special programming all weekend, including a free screening of “Wet Hot American Summer” (7 p.m., Friday). In case you hadn’t noticed, this year’s Artscape theme is all about summer camp, which makes this screening particularly appropriate. For the uninitiated, the 2001 film, directed by David Wain, is set on the last day of camp in the hot summer of 1981. It stars, well, everybody, but namely Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, we could go on. On Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., the theater hosts a variety of free short films paired with filmmaker Q&As.
Comedy
You should be able to find plenty of laughs at this year’s festival. Ryleigh’s Basement Comedy Show (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.) features live comedy in the basement, hosted by Mike Quindlan. Additionally, LOL@Artscape brings a free pop-up comedy club to Artscape After-Hours for festival attendees over 18. Josh Kuderna, a member of Baltimore Improv Group, hosts local and regional standup acts.
Counter-Culture
Besides Bear Night at The Eagle, an after-hours George Michael tribute and a vegan art-stravaganza, Artscape offers a lot of activities with an edgy or indie spirit. Red Thorn Tattoo hosts an event (all weekend) with new paintings by their artists, limited edition “Camp Red Thorn” T-shirts and buttons and a special edition flash with a chance to win a tattoo. Stumptown Coffee sponsors the event and will have free iced coffee on hand.
Or, you can play a round of putt-putt. Station North Mini Golf engaged local artists, area students and makerspace participants to create a collaborative 8-hole golf course. The course is available all weekend and is $5 to play, or free for Baltimore City students.
Art, too!
It’s not called Artscape because of some guy named Arthur. So, you should probably check out some art-related activities and exhibits while you’re in the vicinity.
One fun interactive project is the Barter Boat Trading Post (at Charles Street by Penn Station). Stop by to trade trinkets, postcards, souvenirs and stories. Keeping with the camp theme, there’s also a giant campfire sculpture (at Cathedral and Preston Streets) with nightly sing-alongs by Caleb Stine. If you’re trying to meet up with friends – and good luck to you, if so – this would be a good focal point to aim for.
If you’ve got some extra Benjamins burning a hole in your cut-offs, the Artist-Run Art Fair (at 1714 Charles St.), curated by Open Space, presents a showcase of contemporary works from artist-run galleries across the country. If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, meander over to the Artists’ Market (Mount Royal Avenue from Mosher to North Charles streets) and browse wares from more than 100 vendors. They’re offering everything from jewelry and wearable art to mixed media and photography. (Also see: Local Artisans Make Their Mark on Artscape this Weekend by Baltimore Fishbowl)
Phew, it’s going to be a busy weekend at Camp Artscape. If the above suggestions are still not enough to keep you busy, go to artscape.org for the complete list of activities. Have fun!
Also read about what Michael Olesker calls “Baltimore’s largest outdoor group therapy session.”
Top photo: Artscape 2016 (Handout photo courtesy Baltimore Office of Promotion & Arts)
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