The Grand Prix races are over but the excitement in the city is as high as ever! Lots to do and to celebrate, starting tonight and going strong through Monday!
Let’s Go O’s
To start things off today, September 6th, the Orioles begin a four game home stand against the New York Yankees. To make things even more exciting, tonight, on the 17th anniversary of Cal breaking Gehrig’s consecutive game streak, the Orioles will unveil the Cal Ripken sculpture during an Orioles Legends Celebration series pregame ceremony! Limited tickets are still available!
Purple (And Orange) Friday!
Get your Ravens Purple gear on and get ready to paint the town purple. Show your spirit and spend this Friday, September 7th in your Ravens gear and meeting up with the Purple Friday Caravan. There will be giveaways, mascot Poe, the Cheerleaders and the Play-makers. This will be the first ever Purple & Orange Friday, as they will also have some great Orange & Black giveaways to show support for the other Birds in this city who are making a run at the playoffs!
Dragon Boats are Back!
This Saturday, September 8th from 8am-4pm at the Inner Harbor! Watch 25 corporate teams compete in races across the harbor to benefit Catholic Charities of Maryland. Teams will be in authentic dragon boats that are 41 feet long and seat 22 paddlers! The event is free for spectators and is a fun-filled day for all participating and cheering.
Star-Spangled Weekend
The Star-Spangled Banner Weekend honors Defenders’ Day, Baltimore’s oldest holiday commemorating the bombardment of Fort McHenry and the writing of our National Anthem. There will be FREE activities Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Fort McHenry! The public celebration starts Friday with a parade of re-enactors marching on Federal Hill where a special ceremony will take place.
Saturday and Sunday daytime activities at the Fort will include a dress parade, flag raising, cannon firing demonstrations, and presentations by re-enactors and living history interpreters.
Saturday evening beginning at 6:00 pm will feature tactical demonstrations, traditional music, and a re-enactment of the bombardment of the Fort. The highlight of Saturday evening will be a spectacular fireworks display! For the detailed event schedule, visit Fort McHenry’s website.
B&O Train Museum Restoration Facility Tour!
This Sunday, September 9th at 1pm, take a train ride for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum’s state-of-the-art restoration facility! Constructed in 2005 to restore and maintain the museum’s locomotive and rolling stock collection. This guided tour is an up-close and personal look at the shop including the machinery used in the restoration process and a peek at some of the “Iron Horses” currently being maintained and restored. The tour is one hour plus the fifteen minute train ride to and from the restoration shop. Space is limited and the train ride and tour is $11.00 per person with paid admission.
Maryland Olympian Celebration
This Monday, September 10th at 4pm in the Inner Harbor, Maryland will welcome our Olympians and Paralympians including our own Michael Phelps, to honor their accomplishments in London. Gov. Martin O’Malley, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz will speak at a roughly hour-long celebration at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater at Light and Pratt streets.
Phelps, who is a Ravens fan, will also be introduced along with the Ravens on Monday night as an honorary captain before the first game of the regular season, against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Other Maryland Olympians being honored include Katie Ledecky from Bethesda, the youngest U.S. athlete to compete in London, along with Suzanne Stettinius of Parkton who competed in the modern pentathlon, rower David Banks from Potomac, windsurfer Farrah Hall from Annapolis, and kayaker Scott Parsons from Bethesda. There may be other athletes in attendance so stay tuned for more information on Monday!
