BALTIMORE — The City has a plan to revitalize Baltimore’s once thriving Inner Harbor with the arts, music and performances starting this summer.
"Baltimore by Baltimore" is the city’s newly unveiled recurring festival that will serve as a space for musicians, dancers, artists and poets to take center stage.
“We’re bringing back that shine," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. "We’re bringing back that destination by making this a space where residents can go to safely and come and experience the best we have to offer."
The festival will take place every first Saturday, beginning in June and continuing through November, and will showcase artists, vendors, and creatives from Charm city returning vibrancy to the area once the crown Jewel of Baltimore.
“This is about continuing to activate the inner harbor to make this a world class attraction that it was and is going to be. You all have heard the incredible plans for Harbor place at least the start of those plans so there’s a lot of exciting things on the forefront,” said Baltimore City councilman Eric Costello, who represents the district.
Terrell Brown is the first producer of "Baltimore by Baltimore’s" first showcase on June 4.
For Brown, it's an opportunity to showcase skills and create a new path forward and a new story for Baltimore’s artists.
“One of the main goals of this project is to change the narrative in Baltimore 1,000 percent and I believe the gap that comes from the divestment and ignoring of the creative culture in Baltimore," Brown said. "Again, we have artist that go all over the world that live here and can’t get in contact with the arena."
“This is really about collaboration and it’s us for us by us and that’s what it’s about,” said Shelonda Stokes, President of Baltimore Downtown Partnership.
While the excitement is brewing for what’s to come, organizers addressed concern for security in the Inner Harbor area saying police plan to ensure safety.
“They’re going to be to be there working with downtown partnership waterfront partnership, all the other law enforcement agencies that we have here to make sure that these events are going on safely. You will see that presence and that presence will adjust as things adjust we know things happen and we’ll make sure people are there,” said Mayor Scott.
Editor's Note: The monthly festival was originally scheduled to kick off May 7, but was postponed due to inclement weather.
