EAT
Jan. 17: Lexington Market Celebration by The Night Brunch
Lexington Market, 400 W. Lexington St. 6-10 p.m. $5-10.
Lexington Market, one of the city’s landmark food and community hubs, is in the midst of a historic (and, in some circles, controversial) redevelopment that will transform the nearly 240-year-old property. To celebrate the market’s entrepreneurial and cultural spirit, The Night Brunch, a popular brunch-and-booze event series, is hosting an all-out party in the property’s ground-floor arcade. Get there early to snag eats from fan-favorite purveyors like Connie’s Chicken and Waffles, knock back a few specialty drinks, and dance the night away with beats by the Night Brunch’s own DJ Impulse.
DRINK
Jan. 18: Zay Day
Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st Street. 12-5 p.m. Free.
It’s official: Union Craft Brewing’s Henry “Zadie” Benesch is the world’s oldest brewery worker, clocking in at 100 years old this weekend. Spend Saturday afternoon raising a pint (or two) to the employee known around the brewery for his world-class box-folding skills and love for Blackwing Lager with cigars, $1 coffee from Vent Coffee Roasters, and even a “make your own Zadie mask” station. The first 100 people through the door will participate in a “100 Person Blackwing Shotgun,” before joining the rest of the day-drinking party for live music by dagm, slices of lemon meringue pie, and plenty of brew-filled revelry.
SEE
Jan. 19: The Edgar Allan Poe House Literary Landmark Dedication
Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, 203 N. Amity Street. 1-2 p.m. Free.
In conjunction with Edgar Allan Poe’s 211th birthday on Sunday, his former home on North Amity Street—now a three-story museum—will be named Maryland’s first Literary Landmark. Join the crowd of Poe fanatics outside the revered poet and author’s house for a dedication ceremony hosted by Poe Baltimore and United for Libraries. Then, take a tour through the museum to see original furniture pieces from the family’s home and the room where Poe (supposedly) slept. Before you leave, be sure to take home a Poe-inspired poster or a RavenBeer glass to commemorate the special day.
HEAR
Jan. 19: J Roddy Walston
Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St. 9 p.m. $20.
If you did a double take when you saw the name J Roddy Walston without “and the Business” tacked onto it, you’re not alone. After a brief hiatus from the music industry, the rock-n’-roll singer will return to the Ottobar this Sunday, ready to add a single dose of strangeness and a few surprises to his homebase show. After a full solo set of Business songs (our bets are on “Take It As It Comes” and “Don’t Break the Needle”), prepare to hear a debut set by J Roddy’s new project, Palm Palm.
DO
Jan. 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: An Unequal Education
Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.
There are tons of local events happening around town this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend to honor the reverend’s legacy of fighting for racial justice, but this program at Creative Alliance helps attendees apply his teachings to Baltimore’s own education system. This Sunday, gather at the Highlandtown arts center to watch Teach Us All, a 2017 documentary about educational inequality. Then, hear from local experts about the still-to-be-solved issues within Baltimore City Public Schools. To carry on the event’s purpose, join in to pack school supply kits, which include binders, highlighters, and lined paper, that will be donated to West Baltimore middle-school students.