Juneteenth weekend is here and there is no shortage of fun events to check out. Whether it’s the AFRAM Festival or the final concert of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 season, The Baltimore Banner has you covered with options.
Friday, June 16
Pints in the Park
Free live music and drink specials? Sounds like the perfect start to a weekend. After being postponed last week due to the Air Quality Index, Downtown Partnership’s Pints in the Park is back for their Friday happy hour. Hear music by the Janine Wilson Band and enjoy good drinks. Children are welcome, and attendees are encouraged to bring their dogs.
Time: 5 to 8 p.m.
Location: Center Plaza (100 N. Charles St.)
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Cost: Entry is free, and if you register in advance, you get a free drink ticket for canned wine or draft beer from Guilford Hall Brewery.
Family friendly? Yup!
‘The Rocky Horror Show’
In honor of Pride Month, Baltimore’s yearly live tradition is back with “The Rocky Horror Show.” Iron Crow Theatre’s annual fundraiser promises a live, interactive experience as audience members can join in with a participation script. You’ll also get a prop bag with water guns, toilet paper and other goodies.
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Iron Crow Theatre (45 W. Preston St.)
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Cost: Tickets range from $45 to $55.
Family friendly? Technically, there’s no age limit, but I’m not sure if you’d want to bring your kids to an 11:30 p.m. show that’s based on an R-rated cult movie.
Saturday, June 17
BARCS Crawl
Want to enjoy some drinks while raising money for homeless pets in Baltimore? Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) will be taking over participating bars in the Federal Hill area where animal lovers can party for a great cause. And you’ll get more than alcohol, too: Each ticket includes a T-shirt, sunglasses and a drink koozie.
Time: Check in starts at 1:30 p.m., while the actual crawl takes place from 2 to 7 p.m.
Location: Check in at Mother’s Grille to pick up your wristband (1113 S. Charles St.).
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Cost: Tickets are $35 and include discounted drink specials, a commemorative shirt and a donation to the shelter.
Family friendly? Bar crawls = no kids.
Saturday and Sunday, June 17-18
AFRAM Festival
Since 1976, the AFRAM Festival has rocked the East Coast, and this year is no different. The free, two-day event, which is Baltimore City’s official Juneteenth celebration, celebrates African American culture, food, music, art and crafts. The Isley Brothers, Ty Dolla $ign, Eric Bellinger, Kid Capri, DJ Spinderella and Maryland’s own Tamar Braxton are just some of the performers. The must-attend event will also have a tribute to 50 years of hip-hop, as well as kick off the inaugural Baltimore Club Music Day.
Time: 12 p.m. until 9 p.m. on both days
Location: Druid Hill Park (900 Druid Park Lake Drive, though you should refer to AFRAM’s website for the best information about where to park or get dropped off)
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Cost: Free.
Family friendly? Yup!
Sunday, June 18
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s ‘To Awaken the Sleeper’
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will host the final concert of their 2022-23 season this weekend. To honor the Juneteenth holiday, the orchestra will perform “Epitaph for a Man Who Dreamed,” composer Adolphus Hailstork’s memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. The show will also include “56 Blows,” a work from Alvin Singleton about police brutality; and “To Awaken the Sleeper,” with words by James Baldwin led by young composer Joel Thompson; and a rendition of Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 10.”
Time: A preconcert event begins at 1 p.m.; the performance is at 3 p.m.
Location: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St.)
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Cost: Tickets start at $25.
Family friendly? Yup!
Monday, June 19
An Opulent Juneteenth
An Opulent Juneteenth will provide a space for appreciation of Black American history and culture, remembrance and reflection. There will be a panel discussion, tattoo bar, bike show, music, food and drinks. “We deserve spaces that allow us to bask in Blackness and uninterrupted peace and solidarity,” organizer and curator Diamon Fisher said in a press release about the community event.
Time: 2 to 8 p.m.
Location: The Compound (2239 Kirk Ave.)
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Cost: The event is free, but currently sold out. Register online to be added to the waitlist.
Family friendly? Yup!
Juneteenth Celebration at Sandlot
Sandlot will host a night of fun for the Juneteenth holiday. Along with music and barbecue food, the venue will showcase local Black businesses that sell everything from jewelry to clothing. The cost of a ticket for the rain-or-shine event also includes two alcoholic beverages.
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.
Location: Sandlot (1299 Dock St.)
Cost: Tickets are $25.
Family friendly? Must be 21 years or older.
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