BALTIMORE — The Fell's Point Fun Festival returns this weekend for its 59th year, bringing hundreds of local vendors, artists and brewers to Baltimore's historic waterfront neighborhood.
Festival organizers say it's the longest-running community event in Baltimore, with this year's festivities running from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
"We like to say, we have everything from cold craft beer to craft activities for the kids. Truly something for everybody," said Kathy Hornig, festival coordinator for the Fell's Point Fun Festival.
A new highlight this year is the "Make Mine a Maryland" garden, located by the water on Bond Street. The area will feature all-Maryland craft beers, a distillery, wine, bakery items and cheeses.
"It's at a beautiful location down by the water on Bond Street. And we're featuring all-Maryland craft beers, we have a distillery some wine delicious bakery some cheeses, it's just going to be a really fun atmosphere celebrating all things Maryland," Hornig said.
Local brewers like Checkerspot Brewing have a dedicated spot at the festival. Owner and brewer Judy Neff, who holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins, created a special "Belgian Block Kolsch" beer for the weekend.
"Just because it is something that is so unique to Fells Point. You don't see, you see cobblestone everywhere but not Belgian block," Neff said when asked why she highlighted the Belgian blocks in particular.
The festival began in 1967 as a fundraiser to oppose a proposal to build a highway through the neighborhood. Today, it serves as a premier outdoor event to usher in fall while supporting local businesses.
"The good news about the festival is that we bring people down here for 3 days, but once they experience the charm and the beauty and the magic of fells point, they come year round, support these businesses. It's really the heart and soul of why we do the event," Hornig said.
The festival's opening ceremony takes place Friday night at 6 p.m., with events continuing through Sunday afternoon.
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