Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.
EAT
June 21: #DadBod by Parts & Labor
Parts & Labor, 2600 N. Howard St. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free to attend. 443-873-8887. partsandlaborbutchery.com.
The love-handled physique sported by some of our favorite comedians (Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, pre-Guardians Chris Pratt) is known as the Dad Bod. Its latest Internet sensation—soft bellies, beefy arms, that gentle no-man’s land between fit and fat—and this Father’s Day, Parts & Labor is doing its part to propagate the man-pooch. So celebrate your dear dad with meat and beers outside of the butcher’s shop on Sunday, with hunky pit beef, pit ham, and sausage sandwiches (yes, all in one) and 20 local brews on tap. For last-minute gifts, head inside to unleash his inner Ron Swanson, with knives, butchering classes, and cowboy steaks for sale.
DRINK
June 20: Baltimore Wine Festival
Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St., 12-7 p.m. $10-85. 410-409-7123. baltimorewinefest.com.
Summertime Saturdays are meant to be spent outdoors, in the sunshine, in the warm, balmly breeze, sipping something delicious, both intoxicating and sweet. This weekend, do exactly that beside the shimmering shore of the harbor at the inaugural Baltimore Wine Festival. Taste more than 100 wines from Maryland, across the country, and around the world, plus craft beers and booze, if vino’s not your bag. Enjoy gourmet eats from the local likes of Atwater’s, Dooby’s, Kooper’s Tavern, Verde, Pitango Geltao, and The Local Oyster with True Chesapeake Oyster Co. With live music, arts and crafts, and a family zone, this spirited shindig will benefit the community development non-profit, Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance.
SEE
June 20: Pile of Craft
St. John’s Church, 2640 St. Paul St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. charmcitycraftmafia.com.
From music and arts to food and drink, Baltimore is home to a thriving DIY scene. This Saturday, celebrate artists and markers of all kinds at this annual free fair, brought to you by Charm City Craft Mafia. With an emphasis on local and regional goods, there will be more than 50 vendors in attendance to show and sell their handmade arts and crafts, ranging from apparel, jewelry, and fine art to ceramics, stationary, and home goods. Check out some of Baltimore’s best, like the little, dainty designs of Bmore Papercuts, custom cards by Bowerbox Press, and repurposed china by The Broken Plate Pendant Co., as well as local treats and eats by nearby bakers and eateries.
HEAR
June 20: Hurray for the Riff Raff
Flying Dog Brewery, 4607 Wedgewood Blvd., Frederick. 5:30-9:30 p.m. $25. 301-694-7899. flyingdogbrewery,com.
Alynda Segarra’s band name says it all: Hurray, for the riff raff. Her New-Orleans-by-way-of-the-Bronx folk and blues music celebrates the Americana underdog. She’s singing from the heart, having struck out on her own at the ripe age of 17, hitchhiking and railriding her way across the country before ultimately settling in the South. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the San Francisco Bay, the soulful singer’s pretty, poetic, at-times political music is rooted in storytelling, with backwoods ditties, open-road ballads, and deep Delta blues. Listen up for “Look Out Mama” and “Little Black Star” at Flying Dog in Frederick this Saturday, during the brewery’s first Summer Sessions outdoor concert of the season, with opener Mechanical River, beer, food, and transportation from Mother’s Grille in Federal Hill.
DO
June 20-21: African American Festival
Camden Yards Complex, 1101 Russell St., Sat. 12-10 p.m. Sun. 12-8 p.m. Free. 410-244-8861. africanamericanfestival.net.
This weekend, come together to celebrate life, music, art, and culture at the two-day African American Festival at Camden Yards. At the largest cultural festival on the East Coast, some 200,000 attendees flock to Birdland for this free, family-fun event, filled with entertainment from celebrity musicians like Faith Evans, Doug E Fresh, jazz artist Will Downing, and R&B singer Stephanie Mills, as well as special guest athletes like former Ravens stars Ray Lewis and Torrey Smith. Presented by Black Enterprise and hosted by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the City of Baltimore, the festivities will also feature food trucks, vendors, a playground, beauty bar, and an empowerment zone. In light of the recent events and unrest around both the city and country, there’s no better time to come out and connect.
We also suggest you continue to support local restaurants, bars, and businesses, to take part in community events, and to donate to or participate in the growing number of volunteer efforts around the city. Some examples include the Inner Harbor Project,Maryland Food Bank, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake. Others can be found via Maryland Unites, which lists several non-profits that are accepting donations like the Red Cross of the Greater Chesapeake, Central Region United Way, and Associated Black Charities, and through the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods, which continues to update an online spreadsheet for volunteer and donation opportunities.