On The Town

Weekend Lineup: March 29-31

The best ways to spend your weekend in Charm City.

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March 31: Easter Brunches

Locations, times, and prices vary.

Easter is one of the dining scene’s biggest brunch days, and you best believe chefs are going all out with fancy dishes to celebrate. Whether you need a last-minute reservation to honor the holiday with the fam, or just want to take advantage of the mid-morning specials at a two-top, there are options everywhere from Meadow Mill to Monkton. Check out our roundup of specials, which breaks down buffet spreads, a la carte dishes, and drink deals in the area. Among the mouthwatering meals mentioned are Belgian waffles with blue corn grits at RYMKS in Little Italy, chicken and shrimp jambalaya at Nick’s Fish House in South Baltimore, and smoked salmon “everything” flatbread at Gunther & Co. in Brewer’s Hill.

 

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March 29: Support the Port Benefit Concert at Key Brewing Co.

Key Brewing Co. 2500 Grays Rd., Dundalk. 4-9 p.m. Free admission

As a small business located in the area directly surrounding the Francis Scott Key Bridge—not to mention one that was named after the city’s beloved landmark—Dundalk’s Key Brewing Co. is sharing in the community’s grief in the wake of this week’s tragic event. “The loss of the Key Bridge has forever changed our skyline,” the team wrote in an Instagram caption on Tuesday, accompanying a photo of one of its Key Lager cans with the bridge in the background, “but it will always remain in our hearts and in our name.”

Unsurprisingly, the brewery is opening its doors for a community fundraiser to support its neighborhood, where an estimated 8,000 port workers are currently unemployed in the wake of the collapse. The Friday-evening event will highlight a full lineup of live music, as well as a silent auction, on-site food by B’s Brick Oven Pizzas and EZ Access Eats, and, of course, lots of ice-cold craft beer. In addition to raffle donations and money collected onsite by the Maryland Waterways Foundation, Key Brewing will give 10 percent of the night’s beer sales to port workers in need.

 

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March 30: ‘Good Fences: Neighboring Narratives of the Soul’ Opening Reception

Galerie Myrtis. 2224 N. Charles St. 4-6 p.m. Free admission

This solo exhibition by celebrated collage artist Lavett Ballard—a University of the Arts graduate whose work has been commissioned for two Time magazine covers—arrives at Old Goucher’s Galerie Myrtis with an opening reception this weekend. On view through May 4,  Good Fences features Ballard’s lauded mixed-media pieces that fuse reclaimed wood fences with archival images documenting Black history. “Through my artwork, I aim to visually articulate and celebrate the shared experiences of the African diaspora, highlighting how our collective stories connect us to our ancestors and the broader global community,” Ballard says in an artist statement. “I use wooden fences as powerful symbols representing both division and protection. They embody the passage of time through the grains of the wood, while also signifying the potential for renewal and transformation.”

 

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March 29: Bluegrass Night at The Green Room

The Green Room at The Bluebird. 3602 Hickory Ave. 7:30-10 p.m. $10-25

Unwind from the week with an evening of fingerpickin’ tunes at The Bluebird’s downstairs bar and live music venue in Hampden. Local bluegrass legends Patrick McAvinue (fiddle) and Alex Lacquement (upright bass) of acoustic roots quartet Charm City Junction will be joined by baritone banjoist Alex Berman of The Dirty Grass Players, as well as guitarist Caleb Cox of Virginia’s Nothin’ Fancy. Grab a candlelit table or snag a seat at the bar to enjoy the live jams—and hit the dance floor for some two-stepping after you’ve had a drink or two.

 

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March 30: Maryland Day Festival

Power Plant Live. 34 Market Pl. 12-8 p.m. $20-30

Despite the overwhelming devastation that has rattled the state over the past few days, there’s also been a strong sense of Maryland pride. And this community festival is an ideal embodiment of that “Maryland tough and Baltimore strong” spirit that Gov. Moore has been amplifying in his remarks this week. At the all-day bash at Power Plant Live (originally set for last weekend, but rescheduled to Saturday due to weather), don your red, yellow, and black to enjoy food truck fare, four stages of local music, goods by area artisans, Orioles trivia, crab-drawing tutorials for kids, a Hon fashion show, and a Maryland maniac pageant.