The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore is launching “Baltimore by Baltimore,” a music and maker festival series that will be held the first Saturday of each month from May through October at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater.
“Our goal for this festival series is to revive the heartbeat of the Harbor and create experiences for Baltimore, by Baltimore,” said Waterfront Partnership’s president Laurie Schwartz in a statement.
Each month, a different emerging Baltimore producer will curate a daylong festival with locally produced goods, music, art, and food. The series will showcase local, minority, and women-owned talent, Schwartz said.
Organizers hope that the festival series will help revitalize a struggling development that has steadily lost tenants and tourists.
Despite the decline in visitation, the Inner Harbor saw more people return in 2021 for events such as the opening of Rash Field Park and the Inner Harbor Ice Rink and Christmas Village.
“This is how we support our shared vision for an Inner Harbor that highlights the best of Charm City: small-, women- and minority-owned businesses, a vibrant arts scene, music, and cultural diversity that residents and visitors can’t find anywhere else,” said Mayor Brandon Scott in a statement.
Terrell Brown, a Baltimore artist and activist, will produce the first festival on May 7.
“For me, it’s all about leveraging our creative economy to show how abundant these spaces can be while representing all of Baltimore,” Brown said in a statement.
“We’re looking forward to having a big turnout, bringing positive energy to the Harbor and showcasing the authentic culture and internationally known artists who are from here, but many people may not know,” he said.
Vendors for the first event include Girl in Space Club, Tree House Project, The African Diaspora Alliance, Accessmatized Makeup Artistry, and Mr. Trash Wheel. Food will be provided by Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, Bar Movement, and Sweet Kam, a teenage entrepreneur.
The lineup Brown produced will include John Tyler, Eat the Cake Band, Blaqstarr, and more.
