Preakness Week Events

The second jewel of the Triple Crown has arrived and we’ve got all the events just for you! From the Hot Air Balloons at Turf Valley to the live music of InFieldFest, you’re sure to find a way to celebrate the 138th Preakness! We’ve even created a special Maryland themed dessert for the occasion – our Berger Cookie Trifle!

Special Event to Celebrate Secretariat’s 40th Anniversary
Tuesday, May 14th
6:30PM
The AFI Silver Theater
8633 Colesville Rd.
Silver Spring, MD 20910

A Special Evening with Penny Chenery and Ron Turcotte to benefit the Secretariat Foundation, Secretariat.com and the Maryland Jockey Club, in association with ESPN. They are proud to host a trio of events commemorating the 40th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown.

Preakness Frog Hop
Wednesday, May 15th
12 Noon – 1 PM
Paterson Park
Pulaski Monument inside the park at Eastern and Linwood Aves
Free and open to all ages!

The spirit of The Preakness horse race comes alive as kids and adults jockey their jumpin’ frogs to the finish line at this 47th annual event. Trophies awarded to the first four finishers with ribbons for all participants.

Only one frog may be entered per jockey. The frog must be at least 4 inches in length from nose to tail (not counting the legs). If you have extra frogs, please bring them so another child may participate.

For additional information, contact mark.burke@baltimorecity.gov  or call 410-396-9392 Click here (PDF File) for rules and registration form.

Celebrity Crab Derby
Thursday, May 16th
12 Noon
Lexington Market
400 W. Lexington, St.
Baltimore, MD 21201

Cheer for your favorite local celebrity as they jockey blue crabs to the finish line! The winner takes home a “purse” of $500 to the charity of their choice.

Power Plant Live Preakness Week
Thursday, May 16th – Saturday May18th

Power Plant Live!, Miller Lite and 98Rock present Miller Lite Nights Race Week.
ALL SHOWS ARE FREE and you must be 21+ to enter.

Thursday, May 16, The Darkness takes the stage at 7pm featuring Middle Class Rut.
Friday, Go Go Gadjet takes the stage at 8pm

Saturday, join us for the Preakness watch and post party. Watch the race on our 20′ Big Screen. Beer and food specials all day.

Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival and Launch
Thursday, May 16th – Saturday  May 18th

May 16 & 17, 2013, 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM Balloon Festival

May 16 & 17, 2013, 6:30 PM Balloon Launch

May 17 & 18, 2013, 6:30 AM Balloon Launch

Enjoy our annual Hot Air Balloon Festival, perfect for young children and those young at heart. There will be family activities, handmade crafts, retail and food vendors, and live entertainment. Balloon related activities will include tethered hot air balloon rides, a walk-through of an inflated hot air balloon, pilot demonstrations, balloon launches and the nightly Balloon Glow at dusk.

On Saturday, May 18th, the Balloon Festival will culminate with the launching of the balloons at 6:30 am.

Admission to the Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival is free and open to the public. All parking is at the Howard County Fairgrounds, with a donation of $5 per car. Donations benefit the Elkridge Adult Athletic Association. Balloon rides and flights will be fee-based. Please call Ron Broderick, Balloonmeister, at 410-442-5566, to schedule your balloon flight!

Sunrise at Old Hilltop
Wednesday, May 15th – Saturday May 18th
6 AM – 9 AM
Pimlico Race Course
5201 Park Heights Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21215

Experience sunrise over Old Hilltop at Pimlico. The 20 minute tours run from 6am – 9am, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Preakness Week. After enjoying sunrise on the Grandstand Apron, you will get an insider’s perspective on racing during an escorted tour of the Preakness Stakes Barn. You never know who you may run into on the backside…trainers, vets, owners, blacksmiths, exercise riders or jockeys. The Barn area is one place you can count on an interesting story! You will have an opportunity to shop for Preakness Souvenirs, stop by the Pimlico Museum and maybe even peek into the jockey’s quarters, then head back outside to watch the horses go through their morning workouts. The tour guides bring with them a wealth of experience and add a personal touch that can’t be beat!

Tours are FREE and on a first come, first serve basis. For more information email Diana Harbaugh at dharbaugh@marylandracing.com

Jockey Autograph Session
Friday, May 17, 2013
10 AM – 11 AM
Pimlico Race Course
5201 Park Heights Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21215

Meet your favorite jockey and get their autograph!

Black-Eyed Susan Day
Friday May 17, 2013
9:30 AM

One of Pimlico’s oldest stakes races, the Black-Eyed Susan was first run at Pimlico in 1919. The mile and one-eighth test, for three-year-old fillies is traditionally run the Friday before the Preakness and has long been recognized as the middle jewel of the traditional filly Triple Crown, which also includes the Kentucky Oaks Stakes and the Acorn. Don’t miss any of the fun, including:

• A 13-race program, including the $500,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2), the $300,000 Pimlico Special (G3), the $30,000 Pimlico “Battle of the Sexes” Jockey Challenge with eight of the top riders, and the Lady Legends for the Cure IV Race.

• The People’s Pink Party and first ever infield concert featuring Goo Goo Dolls, Rodney Atkins and Rachel Farley.

• Handicapping sessions, celebrity jockey autograph sessions, book signings, and more!!

138th Running of the Preakness Stakes and InFieldFest
Saturday May 18, 2013

One of the nation’s largest, single-day, annual sporting events! Once again Baltimore’s Old Hilltop comes alive with the running of the 138th Preakness Stakes, where the finest three-year old thoroughbreds will compete for $1 million in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.

The day will feature live performances by international superstar Pitbull and hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Both artists will play extended sets on the Main Stage. Afrojack will open the main stage with electronic dance music.

In addition to the main stage headliners, Preakness InfieldFest will host live music from Chevelle, Florida-Georgia Line and Kristen and the Noise on the Jägermeister Stage along with a variety of other activities, including the return of the popular Beer Garden and bottomless MUG Club. http://www.preakness.com/infield/infieldfest

If you will be celebrating the Preakness with a party at your home, be sure to check out Pinterest for Preakness Playlists, Recipes, Decor & More!

 

Weekend Happenings in the DMV – May 10-12

With beautiful weather and Mother’s Day this promises to be a great weekend! Here are our favorite weekend events, including our guide to all of the brunch locations Mom could ever choose from!

Washington, DC Events

DC Home brewers/ Sam Adams Third Annual Home brew Competition Meridian Pint 3400 11th Street NW Time: Saturday 1 pm Price: $15 Meridian Pint’s latest home brew contest is basically a tournament of champions: Judges selected 15 local home brewers to submit bottles of their favorite original beers, and the winner gets the opportunity to make their beer at Sam Adams’s pilot brewery. You are invited to sample all 15 of these delicious home brewed beers at what is sure to be a fun afternoon event!

Georgetown Garden Tour Tour starts at Christ Church, 31st and O Streets NW Time: Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Price: $35 Come tour 8 of Georgetown’s most beautiful private gardens and afterward sip on a delectable afternoon tea at Keith Hall.

National Train Day Union Station 50 Massachusetts Ave NE Time: Saturday 11 am to 4 pm Price: $5 for adults; children 12 and under free Celebrate National Train day in style at Union Station, where the history of how trains transformed America comes to life with family friendly festivities including interactive exhibits, model trains, and more!

Mother’s Day Brunch Guide

Virginia Events

Friday Night Live! Town Green in Downtown Herndon 777 Lynn Street Herndon, VA Time: Friday at 6:30 pm Price: Free Join in for all the fun with one of the most popular outdoor concert series’ in the DC area! Featuring local and regional acts from up and down the east coast. This Friday featuring Blue Label + South Bay bringing a fresh, new take to the dance floor.

Mother’s Day Celebration! Ticonderoga Farms 26469 Ticonderoga Rd Chantilly, VA Times: Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm Price: Moms are free. $8.95 regular admission Celebrate Mother’s Day in a different way at Ticonderoga Farms. There will be crafts, entertainment, and lots of great vendors!

Mother’s Day Brunch Guide

Maryland Events

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival Located in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle, along Norfolk, Auburn, and Del Ray Avenues Time: Saturday 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday 10 am to 5 pm Price: Free See the works of 140 contemporary artists in this two day event and enjoy live entertainment, children’s activities and downtown Bethesda restaurants.

Annapolis Wine Expo Navy- Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 550 Taylor Avenue Annapolis, MD Time: Saturday Session 1 12 pm to 2:30 pm Saturday Session 2 3:30 pm to 6 pm Price: Session 1: $50 Session 2: $60 Over 100 national and international wines will be served where guests can also sample their favorite foods from local restaurants.

45th Annual Market Day Cylburn Arboretum 4915 Greenspring Ave Baltimore, MD 21209 Time: Saturday 8 am to 12 pm Price: Free  full of family-friendly activities, gardening seminars, and more. Focused on the urban gardener, visitors can purchase plants and gardening supplies from more than 15 vendors. Parking is $10.

Mothers Day Brunch Guide

Sports at a Glance

Contact your concierge for pricing and availability!

Washington Capitals vs NY Rangers Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 5, Friday at 7:30 pm, Verizon Center

Washington Nationals vs Cubs, Friday at 7:05 pm, Nats Park

Washington Nationals vs Cubs, Saturday at 4:05 pm, Nats Park

Washington Nationals vs Cubs, Sunday at 1:35 pm, Nats Park

Area Concerts at a Glance

Contact your concierge for pricing and availability!

Taylor Swift: The Red Tour, Saturday at 7 pm; Sunday at 7 pm, Verizon Center

Sweetlife Festival, Saturday at 12 pm, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Movies Opening this Weekend

The Great Gatsby Drama Romance 143 Minutes A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan.

Peeples Comedy 95 Minutes Sparks fly when Wade Walker crashes the Peeples annual reunion in the Hamptons to ask for their precious daughter Grace’s hand in marriage. Starring Craig Robertson, Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier, and S. Epatha Merkerson.

Weekend Happenings in the DMV April 12-14

The warm weather has arrived and there are lots of fun events this weekend! We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Washington, DC Events

Cherry Blossom Festival Please visit our Cherry Blossom blog page for Cherry Blossom events, pricing, and times!

Filmfest DC A festival featuring over 80 different films, documentaries and shorts representing the best in new cinema from around the world! Please visit the website for show times, as well as prices and locations!

Alicia Keys Verizon Center 601 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004 Time: Sunday at 7:30 pm Price: $50- $128 For one night only Alicia Keys comes to the Verizon Center as a part of her “Set the World on Fire” tour and you are invited! With such hits as “Girl on Fire” and “If I Ain’t Got You” this is one show you won’t want to miss!

Spamalot National Theatre 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW  Washington, DC 20004 (202) 628-6161 Times: Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 12 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm; Sunday at 1 pm and 6:30 pm Price: $65-$125 If you like the blending of comedy and music, this Tony winning musical is for you! Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Spamalot features a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, killer rabbits and one legless knight.

Virginia Events

Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus Dragons Patriot Center 4500 Patriot Circle Fairfax, VA 22030 Time: Friday 10:30 am and 7:30 pm; Saturday 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 7:30 pm; Sunday 1 pm and 5 pm Price: $15-$110 The circus is in town! For the first time in circus history, myth and majesty will share the arena during this must-see family event that can only be witnessed at The Greatest Show On Earth. Dragons, acrobats, tigers, and more share the stage in a performance the entire family will be sure to enjoy!

Broadway’s Next H!t Musical The Barns at Wolf Trap 1645 Trap Rd  Vienna, VA 22182 (703) 255-1900 Time: Friday at 8 pm and Saturday at 7:30 pm Price: $25 Welcome to the world’s only unscripted theatre awards show musical, made fresh every evening from audience suggestions, on-point accompaniment, and the razor-sharp minds and crystalline voices of some truly hilarious triple-threat improvisers.

Wine Festival Gunston Hall 10709 Gunston Road Mason Neck, Va 22079 Time: Saturday from 4 pm to 8 pm Price: $25 must be 21+ Relax with a glass of wine  and enjoy a sunset tour of the mansion and grounds. Experience George Mason’s home in an intimate setting while listening to a wine specialist discuss the wines being poured, and enjoying hors d’oeuvres. Call 703-550-9220 or your concierge to reserve a spot!

Maryland Events

Piccadilly Circus Howard Fairgrounds 2210 Fairground Road West Friendship, MD 20745 Time: Friday 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm; Saturday 1:30 pm, 4:30 pm, and 7:30 pm; Sunday 1 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm Price: $10-$48 From the producers of the Ice Capades comes the “fun circus,” featuring animal acts, acrobatics, clowns and more!

Sugarloaf Craft Festival Montgomery County Fairgrounds 16 Chestnut St Gaithersburg MD 20877 Time: Friday and Saturday 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday 10 am to 5 pm Price: Adults $10 Children (12 and under) Free Lovers of arts and crafts will be thrilled when over 250 top artisans come to Maryland to display and sell their unique creations in pottery, sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, home décor, furniture and home accessories. With so many things to choose from, this event is sure to please everyone!

Les Miserables The Hippodrome 12 N Eutaw St  Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 837-7400 Times: Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm; Sunday at 1 pm and 6:30 pm Price: $35-$150 The story begins in 1815 as Jean Valjean, a man condemned to 19 years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family.Follow his heartwarming tale brought to life through the power of music.

Sports at a Glance

Contact your concierge for pricing and availability!

Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia, Friday at 7pm, Verizon Center

Washington Nationals vs Atlanta, Friday at 7:05 pm, Nats Park

Washington Nationals vs Atlanta, Saturday at 1:05 pm, Nats Park

DC United vs New York, Saturday 7 at  pm, RFK Stadium

Washington Capitals vs Tampa Bay, Saturday at 7 pm, Verizon Center

Washington Nationals vs Atlanta, Sunday at 1:35 pm, Nats Park

Movies Opening this Weekend

42 Biography Drama Sport The life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey. Starring Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, and Nicole Beharie

Scary Movie 5 Comedy A couple begin to experience some unusual activity after bringing their newborn son home from the hospital. With the help of home-surveillance cameras and a team of experts, they learn they’re being stalked by a nefarious demon. Starring Simon Rex, Ashley Tisdale, Charlie Sheen, and Lindsay Lohan

Boordy Sip & Sliders

When we heard we could spend the day at Boordy Vineyards sipping wine, sampling sliders, roasting marshmallows and enjoying live music, we had to check it out! For the price of our $15 admission we received six wine samples along with an engraved wine glass and gourmet sliders from Clementine’s.

We were very fortunate to have picked such a beautiful day. The weather was sunny and 50 degrees. We arrived at 1pm, when the event began and there was already a nice sized crowd. We started by sampling some wine inside the beautiful building. Once we had a favorite picked out, the Petit Cabernet, we shared a bottle outside in the sun. After some relaxing for us and lots of running and playing for the little ones in our group, we headed upstairs to try the sliders and take in some fun live music. The music was great and the upstairs was so cozy with lots of people dancing and beautiful lights strung throughout. The sliders were very good and nice to have something a little different.

We spent the rest of the afternoon outside, it was just too nice to spend the day indoors, though I am sure most February weekends we would have spent the entire day upstairs! I definitely recommend a trip to Boordy to try out the Sip & Sliders! Next weekend is your last chance!

Ravens Purple Friday Rallies!

We’ve worked hard all season, wearing our Purple every Friday, cheering on the team from the stadium and our couches with equal spirit and even donning a purple Fu Manchu! Now we find ourselves just one win away from the big game. This calls for the biggest show of our support yet and we are just the fans to do it! Here are some of the fun activities going on tomorrow for you to participate in around town:

Purple Friday Caravan

The Ravens Caravan will be out again this Friday, making several stops to see fans and do giveaways! The Caravan will include Ravens Cheerleaders, Playmakers, Marching Ravens, Poe and  even Rise & Conquer! Wear your Purple & Black and get in on the party nearest you! Here are the locations:

7:15-7:45 a.m. Alonso’s 415 W. Cold Spring Ln. Baltimore

10:30-10:55 a.m. Giant 3299 Emmorton Rd. Abington

12:00-1:00 p.m. M&T Bank – The Gallery 202 East Pratt St. Baltimore

1:30-1:55 p.m. Giant 8805 Centre Park Dr. Columbia

3:20-3:45 p.m. Verizon 6711 Ritchie Hwy. Glen Burnie

4:30-4:55 p.m. Smyth Jewelers – Annapolis Town Center 1910 Towne Centre Blvd. Annapolis

6:45-7:15 p.m. Bill Bateman’s Bistro 8810 Waltham Woods Rd. Baltimore

For more information visit the Ravens website

Power Plant Pep Rally

Friday night at Luckie’s in Power Plant! Starting at 8PM.

98 Rock, Miller Light, Ravens cheerleaders, Ex-Ravens players, drink specials, PURPLE beer and more! They will also be giving away a trip to New England for the Championship game!

Ravens Spirit Takes Over!

Last week was a blast preparing for our home playoff game! Charm City Concierge has helped our clients Paint the Town Purple! The city was electric and so were all of our properties in Baltimore and throughout Maryland!

Our clients showed their spirit – decked out head to toe in Ravens and Purple attire! No request has gone unanswered as our spirited team of concierges helped their clients decorate offices, plan their tailgate parties and catering and cover themselves in purple. It is such a wonderful time of year and tons of fun to see everyone come together in support of our Ravens and see the spirit throughout the city!

What an awesome time to be a Raven’s Fan and to live and work in Baltimore!

This week should be even more exciting, gearing up for the AFC Championship Game at New England. We will keep our blog updated with Contests, Events around town, Ravens news, Tailgate & Drink How-To’s and MUCH MORE!

Our first contest is to show us your FU! If you sported a Ravens Fanstache in honor of Joe Flacco last weekend, post your photos on our Facebook page! Our favorite photo wins a Ravens Prize Pack full of goodies!

Here are some of our favorite photos from the week to get you in the spirit! GO RAVENS!

Holiday How-To: Candy Cane Centerpiece

Dress up your home decor or holiday table-scape with this inexpensive and cute Candy Cane Centerpiece. This sweet centerpiece is fun and easy to make as you can see in our quick how-to video!

Another cute centerpiece, that is just as easy and adorable is one made with Cinnamon Sticks!

We hope our How-To videos have helped you this holiday season!