Save the Date: July 11 Sidewalk Sale

Federal Hill's 3rd annual Summertime Sidewalk Sale is set for Saturday, July 11.

Neighorhood merchants will be offering discounts up to 70%. Free refreshments, too! The fun starts at 11am and wraps up at 6pm. (Photo by Danielle Maggio)

FYI: Free NASA Space Event This Weekend

Stop by the Baltimore Convention Center this Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm, for the "NASA and Maryland’s Place in Space" event. This free expo for all ages will have plenty of hands-on science activities and demonstrations, including robotic competitions and creative projects with NASA astronauts.

On your way don't forget to stop by your favorite Federal Hill eateries for some lunch and enjoy the best shopping Baltimore has to offer!

Washington Paper Spotlights Federal Hill

Washington, D.C.'s "Examiner" newspaper published a great review of our neighborhood in its Travel section on Sunday, May 24. You can find the article in the print issue and download it from the online/PDF print edition. (The story is on Page 34.)

More Flowers on the Way!

Federal Hill is looking great these days with the beautiful hanging flower baskets along Light and S. Charles Streets, sponsored by the Federal Hill Business Association. The beautification will continue with Federal Hill Main Street's "adopt-a-pot" project. Twenty local businesses are sponsoring the large planters at key intersections throughout the business district.

Local resident Helen Huriaux (pictured) is volunteering her time and expertise to help Federal Hill Main Street with this effort to plant attractive flowers and greens. The business sponsors will water and maintain them. Enjoy!

Circulator Bus Update

Well, the good news is that the free Circulator bus serving Federal Hill is still coming. The bad news is that it will be in September, rather than July.

The first 21 of the streamlined buses are due to arrive at the end of this month, but the rest of the order has been delayed because of a change in the manufacturing schedule. On June 10, Mayor Sheila Dixon will announce the name of the new bus service, following a citywide naming contest.

Watch for an announcement on final routes and schedules in late summer. Federal Hill Main Street will continue to provide updates on this service.

Save the Date: Jazz & Blues Fest is June 28

Check out the bands for this year's Jazz & Blues Festival on Sunday, June 28, from 11 am to 7 pm: Lafayette Gilchrist and the New Volcanoes, Honey Island Swamp Band, Lower Case Blues, J and B Blues Project, JMB, Big Daddy Stalings, Blues Therapy, Funk Daddy G Band, and more.

Music is just the beginning. You won't want to miss the Arts & Crafts, great variety of food and drink, and, back by popular demand, Little One's Lane with live entertainment and games for kids.

For more information, call 410-727-4500.

Geocachers Come to Federal Hill

Federal Hill is cashing in on the geocache craze. Federal Hill Main Street is one of three locations in Baltimore where participants can pick up passports and coins for the Maryland Municipal League (MML) Geocache Trail. The game is bringing new visitors to the neighborhood, and many are staying to explore our great shops and restaurants.

Anyone with a hand-held GPS and a sense of adventure can participate. The geocacher first picks up an official MML passport, then plots coordinates found on the MML geocaching Web site, uses their GPS to locate a treasure or "cache" (usually a trinket or unique item from the locale), and then enters the code word for the site in their passport. There are 78 locations along the statewide trail, including two in Baltimore. The first 500 geocachers to discover at least 2 caches in each of the 11 districts across Maryland will be awarded a collectible coin (also available at Federal Hill Main Street).

So far, 20 geocachers have come to Federal Hill from neighboring counties to collect passports. Five others have completed the trail and collected the coveted coins. Many are families who want their children to learn first-hand about Maryland's unique cities and towns, but adults enjoy it, too. "We enjoy learning about different places and their history," said Chris Ryan of Annapolis, the first person to collect a coin at Federal Hill Main Street.