THURSDAY 17
Top Pick: STYLE’s Hooves & Hats Happy Hour!
Join us for a Preakness pre-party at The Charles Baltimore in Federal Hill! We’ll have complimentary Black-Eyed Susans, giveaways on the half hour, contests for Best Hat and Best Pimlico Style and more! Register at charleshappyhour.eventbrite.com.
5:30 – 8 p.m. $10.
Event: Honoring Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Join authors Mary Hartnett and Debbie Levy as they discuss their work concerning the Notorious RBG herself, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Both are the authors of bestselling books about Ginsburg — Hartnett as a co-author of RBG’s autobiography and Levy as author of “I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark.” Hear them talk about the “delights and challenges” of writing about the justice.
May 17, Jewish Museum of Maryland. Free. jewishmuseummd.org
Art: Afrofutures
National Book Award-winning author and Baltimore native Ta-Nehisi Coates appears in conversation with BMA Director Chris Beford to discuss Black Panther, afrofuturism and unapologetic blackness. The speaking engagement will be followed by a party in the BMA featuring music, food, drinks, art-making, discussions and more.
6 p.m. at the BMA. bmatomorrows.org
FRIDAY 18
Event: Baltimore Birding Weekend
Catch sight of some warblers, orioles, tanagers and more at The Patterson Park Audubon Center’s Spring Baltimore Birding Weekend. Find out for yourself how many feathered friends make a stop at our beloved city park as part of their migration pattern. Then join an afternoon “Tally Rally” at one the city’s breweries to compare notes with other birders.
May 18-20. baltimorebirding.com
Film: Say it Loud Film Festival
The Say it Loud Film Festival bills itself as “a showcase of local poets, local musicians, and both local and international short films.” The fest features the organizers’ 10 top picks of a 550-film selection, promising that the final screenings will be powerful.
7-9 p.m. at the Peale Center.
SATURDAY 19
Event: Preakness
Get ready for the 143rd Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown. The event is steeped in tradition, held at Pimlico Race Course and named for the underdog, or underhorse in this case, that won the first race. Back then, it was called the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans. Now the Black-Eyed Susan is the official drink of the Preakness. So, get your extra cash, grab an aptly named beverage and watch Thoroughbred racing history. May 19 at Pimlico Race Course. Ticket prices vary. preakness.com
Event: Fair Hill Scottish Games
We can’t promise any Jamie Frasier sightings, but we can say you will enjoy a full day of Scottish and Celtic culture at the Fair Hill Scottish Games — from the opening ceremonies to the final hurrah with Celtic music favorites, The Brigadoons. If you’re the competitive type, show your mettle in athletics, dancing, fiddling, piping and drumming. Or stick around for the sheep dog trials, learn about your Scottish clan history or watch the Sheep to Shawl event. At the marketplace, you can also partake in some Scottish food, artisanal crafts and more.
May 19 at Fair Hill Race Track. Ticket prices vary.
Festival: Wine in the Woods
Planners swear this event has been aged to perfection; the 26th Annual Wine in the Woods certainly has longevity and popularity to back the claim. Now the largest wine festival in Maryland, it is a frequent recipient of various “best festival” honors. The weekend includes samplings, of course, but also a chance to improve your wine knowledge, purchase arts and crafts, enjoy menu items from local restaurants and take in some local music.
May 19-20 at Symphony Woods in Columbia. $27-44.
SUNDAY 20
Event: Potomac Hunt Races
If you’ve got post-Preakness letdown, now’s the time to check out steeplechase racing. The Potomac Hunt Races provides the perfect chance to watch this Irish-in-origin distance race in which competitors and their steeds jump fences and other obstacles. While you’re there, check out the car display, mounted police demonstrations, a Kid Zone and vendor village.
May 20 at Kiplinger Estate. $40 or $250.
Event: BSO Designer Show House
Visit the former home of Edgar Allan Poe at this year’s edition of the BSO Designer Show House. The Oakland Estate, owned by Poe’s great-great-great-grandnephew, will be transformed as its 20+ rooms and spaces are taken over by local designers. Guests can tour the space and visit the on-site boutique, café and Encore! Shop, as well as enjoy the new Thursday night Sip’n’Shop and June 3 performance from the BSO.
May 20–June 10, Greenspring Valley. $25-$30.
