Baltimore Festivals 2025

Baltimore hosts several of Maryland's most popular festivals. The city is home to a number of venues, parks, and other facilities where enthusiasts can enjoy festivals.

Maryland officials recently announced the 2025 dates for Artscape, AFRAM, the Baltimore Caribbean Festival, and Charm City Live. 

“Starting in May, we will have not just one, but four spectacular events coming to Baltimore. Over the years Artscape, AFRAM, the Baltimore Caribbean Festival, and Charm City Live have become more than just fun for the whole family,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott.

2025 Baltimore Festival dates:

Artscape will take place Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, 2025. 

AFRAM will occur around the Juneteenth holiday on Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22, 2025. 

The Baltimore Caribbean Festival will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, and Sunday, July 13, 2025. 

Charm City Live will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025. 

More Information

Effective January 1, 2025, the City of Baltimore will be updating its public-facing special events calendar to help ease collaboration and planning efforts for events across Baltimore.

The updated calendar will include Non-Permit Dates so that external partners and the public can plan events around the availability of City services.

2013 Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest Results

Artist Paul Makuchal recently won the 39th annual Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest with his painting of a Lesser Scaup titled Peaceful Swim.

A panel of judges selected Makuchal’s work out of 21 entries from 11 Maryland artists. They judged the entries before a crowd on March 24 at the 24th Patuxent Wildlife Art Show, held at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel, Md.

Makuchal is now a two-time Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Contest winner. In 1998 at the age of 21, he won his first Maryland title with a painting of a pair of pintails, and again in 2006 with his Canada Goose entry. At 17 he placed third in the Junior Federal Duck Stamp Contest.

The Makuchal name is well known in the world of Maryland art. Paul’s father, Wally Sr., was a long-time commercial artist by trade. His brother, Wally, is an accomplished wildlife artist as well and won Maryland’s “duck stamp” contest in 1999 and 2009. Paul, who prefers to work using acrylics, does a lot of commissioned art and custom painting.

In addition to his past successes in Maryland, Paul’s artwork has won the 2000 Oklahoma Duck Stamp Contest, and earned him Maryland Ducks Unlimited’s “Artist of the Year,” a feature in Ducks Unlimited Magazine and a spot in the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Calendar.

source: MD DNR

2012 Maryland Natural Resources Photo Contest

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting entries for its annual Maryland Natural Resource Photo Contest. According to DNR Secretary John Griffin. “This contest gives photographers of all skill levels a chance to share their work with the public and win some great prizes.”

Last year, Allen Sklar of Bishopville topped more than 300 other photographers with his winning image ‘Fast’ Food Pick-up. His photograph of a bald eagle swooping down onto the Assateague Beach shoreline was featured on the cover of the 2012 calendar.

Photos entered into the 2012 contest will be judged in six categories: birds, wildlife, insects, scenic, wild plants and Maryland State Parks or people enjoying them. Winning entries will be featured in the winter issue of The Maryland Natural Resource magazine as well as the 2013 DNR calendar.

The best overall photo will win the grand prize of $500, a 2013 Maryland State Park Passport, a lifetime subscription to the magazine and five copies of the 2013 DNR calendar, which will feature the winning photo on the cover.

All qualifying photographs must be taken in Maryland. Photographers may submit up to three entries for a $10 entry fee and additional entries for $3 each. Photos may not be more than two years old or previously published. Non-residents may participate as long as the photos were taken in Maryland. Submissions are due by August 31, 2012 and winners will be announced online September 30, 2012.

Official rules and contest entry forms are available online at dnr.maryland.gov/photocontest/

source: MD DNR

Poplar Hill Mansion Presents The Art and Life of Clara Gunby

Poplar Hill Mansion presents The Art and Life of Clara Gunby on Sunday, September 11, from 1-4 pm.

The public is invited to view the paintings of Clara Gunby, civil war era artist at Poplar Hill Mansion in Salisbury MD .

Accompanying the exhibition will be a reception. Civil War re-enactors will portray Clara Gunby and Sgt. D. Coleman’s 7th Maryland Company.

Local authors Andy Nunez and Elaine Patterson will have autographed books for sale.

This event is free to the public.

Stevensville Maryland Art in the Park

The Third Annual Art in the Park will be held in downtown historic Stevensville, Maryland on June 18, 2011. The show will be in Pocket Park, located between Love Point Rd and Cockey Lane.

Local and visiting artists will exhibit original artwork including paintings, prints, photography, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, books, clothes and more.

As part of the celebration, local shops, galleries, restaurants, and historic sites will be open to the public. Other attractions will include music and food vendors.

DNR Invites Waterfowl Artists To Enter 37th Maryland Game Bird Stamp Design Contest

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is urging  Maryland waterfowl artists to enter the 37th Annual Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest.

All entered designs must be the artist's original work, neither copied nor duplicated from any previously published paintings, drawings, prints, or photographs of the contestant, or any other artist. Each contestant may submit up to three entries.

The entry fee, signed Agreement to Enter Form, and entries with completed Entry Identification Forms attached to the back, must be received via mail by 4 p.m. on Monday, March 21, 2011 at The Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest, Friends of Patuxent, Patuxent Research Refuge/National Wildlife Visitor Center, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop,
Laurel, MD 20708-4027.

Entries will be judged at noon on Saturday, March 26, 2011 in conjunction with the 22nd Annual Patuxent Wildlife Art Show at the National Wildlife Visitors Center in Laurel, Md. Contestants and the public are invited to attend the contest judging process. Admission is free.

For a list of species eligible for depiction and full contest rules and forms visit:

http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/StampContests/DuckStamp/ContestBrochure.pdf

Artists can also contact Patricia Allen, Contest Coordinator, at pallen@dnr.state.md.us or call 410-260-8537.

source: MD DNR

Beverly R. Lynch Retrospective at Water’s Edge Gallery

The Water’s Edge Gallery welcomes Beverly R. Lynch, an Eastern Shore Painter. Lynch’s retrospective opens on June 1, 2010 with an artist’s reception on Friday, June 11th from 6-9pm. Lynch’s works focus on subjects including animals, landscapes and boats.

Born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Lynch has drawn and painted since early childhood. In 1968, she studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC. Returning to her hometown, she worked as an architectural draftsman, wood carver, sign painter and fine artist during the 1970s and 1980s.

Since 1980, she helped her husband, a commercial fisherman, in his business, reared a daughter and has written and painted. She has completed many portraits and several limited edition prints, works as website cartoon artist and wrote Wet and Hungry, an Atlantic Fisherman’s Life, using journals she kept of her husband’s fishing stories. Her work has been shown in New York’s Salmagundi Club, America’s oldest art club, and in various Maryland exhibitions.

The Water’s Edge Gallery is located in historic downtown Berlin at 2 South Main Street across from the Atlantic Hotel and is open to the public seven days a week. The June artist’s reception takes place during Berlin’s 2nd Friday Art Stroll and the public is invited to attend. For more information, contact the gallery at 410-629-1784.