I checked out the 28th annual ArtScape festival on Sunday, July 19, in Baltimore, Maryland, a city full of rich and illustrious history.
A friend told me about the festival and we decided to check it out together. It was my first time at ArtScape and I was pleasantly surprised by the organization of this well-attended event. The setting for the festival was Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral and Charles streets, a perfect location as Artscape boasts that it is "America's largest … arts festival." The big attraction at ArtScape are the vendors who sell their art, but equally attractive are the international, national and local celebrities who make appearances at this event each year. Even Baltimore's mayor, Sheila Dixon, made an appearance this year.
The festival was free to the public and over the course of three days, almost 90 vendors displayed their works varying from jewelry to paintings and ceramics, photography and sculpting to curious and excited crowds. Some of the vendors offered reasonably-priced goods, while other pieces were a little more pricey. There were some unique designs, drawings and paintings on display and a wide variety to choose from. (A list of vendors are available at http://www.artscape.org/index.cfm?page=exhibitors.)
In addition to the arts vendors, there were the usual food vendors offering up a variety of choices from Asian fare to gyros to crab
cakes and french fries, and the ever popular funnel cake. Depending on the time of day you go or your particular food choices, be prepared for lines as some vendors are more popular than others. Be sure to get your choices before the vendors have to stop selling, per festival rules, as this is strictly enforced by Baltimore law enforcement.
Some big names in the music business have made appearances at Artscape over the past 28 years, and this year was no exception as the highlight concert for many people was Robin Thicke's performance. His soulful singing and sultry voice had many females mesmerized. Robin was on stage for well over one hour and for a freebie, this was not a bad deal. I almost missed seeing him, which woul
d have been regrettable, as I wanted to check out the festival earlier in the day and he performed in the evening. There were also many other musical and dance performances in many different genres throughout the weekend. (Tip: if you want to get a direct view of the any of the stages, be sure to get there early.)
All in all the afternoon was very well-spent and was quite enjoyable. The company was great and the weather was perfect. I will make every effort to attend Baltimore's ArtScape next year as I'm sure the vendors will have new an innovative creations and the entertainment will not disappoint. I recommend you do the same. (:
For more information about ArtScape visit http://www.artscape.org/index.cfm?page=plan.
To plan a trip to Baltimore, check out baltimore.org. There's so much to see and do in this city. You can visit it's museums or the National Aquarium of Baltimore, check out a football or baseball game, dine on cuisine of your choice, cruise the Chesapeake Bay or just walk along the harbor.
All photos were taken on July 19, 2009 in Baltimore, MD and are the personal property of Screenname TriniDiva.
A friend told me about the festival and we decided to check it out together. It was my first time at ArtScape and I was pleasantly surprised by the organization of this well-attended event. The setting for the festival was Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral and Charles streets, a perfect location as Artscape boasts that it is "America's largest … arts festival." The big attraction at ArtScape are the vendors who sell their art, but equally attractive are the international, national and local celebrities who make appearances at this event each year. Even Baltimore's mayor, Sheila Dixon, made an appearance this year.
The festival was free to the public and over the course of three days, almost 90 vendors displayed their works varying from jewelry to paintings and ceramics, photography and sculpting to curious and excited crowds. Some of the vendors offered reasonably-priced goods, while other pieces were a little more pricey. There were some unique designs, drawings and paintings on display and a wide variety to choose from. (A list of vendors are available at http://www.artscape.org/index.cfm?page=exhibitors.)
In addition to the arts vendors, there were the usual food vendors offering up a variety of choices from Asian fare to gyros to crab
cakes and french fries, and the ever popular funnel cake. Depending on the time of day you go or your particular food choices, be prepared for lines as some vendors are more popular than others. Be sure to get your choices before the vendors have to stop selling, per festival rules, as this is strictly enforced by Baltimore law enforcement.Some big names in the music business have made appearances at Artscape over the past 28 years, and this year was no exception as the highlight concert for many people was Robin Thicke's performance. His soulful singing and sultry voice had many females mesmerized. Robin was on stage for well over one hour and for a freebie, this was not a bad deal. I almost missed seeing him, which woul
d have been regrettable, as I wanted to check out the festival earlier in the day and he performed in the evening. There were also many other musical and dance performances in many different genres throughout the weekend. (Tip: if you want to get a direct view of the any of the stages, be sure to get there early.)All in all the afternoon was very well-spent and was quite enjoyable. The company was great and the weather was perfect. I will make every effort to attend Baltimore's ArtScape next year as I'm sure the vendors will have new an innovative creations and the entertainment will not disappoint. I recommend you do the same. (:
For more information about ArtScape visit http://www.artscape.org/index.cfm?page=plan.
To plan a trip to Baltimore, check out baltimore.org. There's so much to see and do in this city. You can visit it's museums or the National Aquarium of Baltimore, check out a football or baseball game, dine on cuisine of your choice, cruise the Chesapeake Bay or just walk along the harbor.
All photos were taken on July 19, 2009 in Baltimore, MD and are the personal property of Screenname TriniDiva.
