7th Annual Fest-Of-All: Fashion Show, Live Band, Open Bar & More!

Federal Hill Main Street’s 7^th annual FEST-OF-ALL Party & Fashion Show is on Saturday, February 22nd, 2014, 7 to 11 pm, at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

Tickets are on sale now at historicfederalhill.org, but can also be purchased at the door (if any remain). Don't wait until the last minute to get your pass to the most exciting party of the season. This event has sold out the last three years!

FEST-OF-ALL is a showcase of the best of Federal Hill, featuring fine food and drink from many great local restaurants and taverns. Be sure to try the new Fest-of-All 2014 Signature Drink, courtesy of Crazy Lils, whose Crazy Cider won over voters at the contest held during Moonlight Madness.

A runway fashion show will unveil the newest styles and accessories from local shops and feature up-and-coming Baltimore models. In addition to showcasing trends, retail businesses will collaborate to bring you fashion with an artistic and uniquely Federal Hill twist! 

Back by popular demand are The Real Geniuses, whose music will have you up on your feet all night. A silent auction offering fabulous finds and exciting trips rounds out the evening.

Proceeds from FEST-OF-ALL go to the national award-winning nonprofit Federal Hill Main Street program for its community revitalization efforts, including a small business revolving micro-loan fund established to assist local businesses in gaining access to capital.

Tickets are $75 in advance, $90 at the door, and include open bar and light fare buffet. Check out photos from previous years to see for yourself the fun that awaits! 

Ron Zimmerman Realtors & The Rowan Tree Help You Give Back this Holiday Season

Sponsored by your local small businesses!

The American Rescue Workers, located at the corners of South Hanover and Clement streets, kindly asks you to give back to our neighbors this holiday season by donating your gently used winter clothing.

Their homeless mission aids men in recovery, in addition to serving thousands of meals every year to Baltimore families in need. They need nonperishable food items for their pantry and men's clothing, if possible, but will accept any generous donation. Drop Off location: Ron Zimmerman Realtors, 1234 Light Street, or The Rowan Tree Tavern, 1633 South Charles Street.

 The Allen Center for Seniors is kicking off this holiday season with a raffle for a hand-crafted Ravens Afghan. Ticket prices TBA, and will be available for sale next week at Rowan Tree and Ron Zimmerman Realtors.

                                                                    


Moveable Feast is a national non-profit that puts food on the tables of Maryland residents fighting life-threatening illnesses, HIV/AIDS, and cancer.

 They have an ongoing 50-50 raffle that has already started, centered around the Ravens Season, and they are currently up to $700.00! Winner recieves 50% of the take, and the remainder is donated to Moveable Feast.

Federal Hill Ace 'Shopsgiving' Sidewalk Sale and Blood Drive

In the spirit of the holidays, give back while you shop Black Friday deals during Federal Hill Ace Hardware's Shopsgiving event!

Saturday, November 30, from 10am - 3pm, Children National Medical Center will have their bloodmobile parked outside Ace, collecting donations to help kids in need. 

Your local hardware destination will also host a sidewalk sale starting at 11am, with most items under $1! This is a great opportunity to collect stocking stuffers and small, inexpensive gifts for those holiday parties and secret Santa exchanges!

They need at least 20 donors. Please sign up for an appointment time here: https://www.cnmcblooddonor.com/index.cfm?group=op&step=2&opid=2702

Celebrate the Holidays Federal Hill Style!

Federal Hill will kick off this holiday season, per tradition, with the 18th Annual Festive Flavors Tour on Tuesday, December 10th, from 6 to 10 pm. Groups travel to 7 different local restaurants and bars, where they'll sample delicious food and (adult) beverages, all for only $55. Tickets can be purchased at Federal Hill Main Street, 42 East Cross Street.  

Everyone's favorite shopping event, Moonlight Madness, will be held Friday, December 13th, from 8 pm to midnight. Don't miss your chance to score last minute holiday deals and find something for everyone on your list! Locally owned shops will stay open late to offer you specials and savings on everything from vintage jewelry and unique clothing, to creative homegoods and one-of-a-kind artwork. All the while, Carolers will stroll the streets, filling the air with holiday cheer!

Retrieve a "Moonlight Madness Passport" from Federal Hill Main Street, get at least 5 stamps from participating businesses on December 13th, and you'll be entered to win a goody bag of Federal Hill items. We'll be open 'til midnight to offer complimentary gift wrapping and refreshments!

Prior to this shopping extravaganza, join members of Federal Hill Neighborhood Association and Federal Hill Main Street at our annual Tree Lighting, to be held at the Digital Harbor Foundation Tech Center Park at 7pm. Children of all ages can enjoy caroling, hot cocoa and cookies, and a special visit from you know who!

Please feel free to bring your children's hand-made ornaments or decorations for our community tree. They can be dropped off in advance, or bring them with you to the event and we'll hang them during the lighting ceremony.

Santa will be available for pictures (please bring your own camera) on Saturday, December 14th, from noon to 4 pm at the Cross Street Market. There will be crafts and activities which the entire family can enjoy together.

Please join our community in celebrating the holidays, as they are meant to be shared. We hope to see you there!


Briana Lopes, Intern

Historically Hip Halloween: 7 Adorable DIY Kids Costumes

"What are you going to be for Halloween?" Children (and adults) hear this question every October, but it never ceases to provoke anxiety and anticipation! Although a trivial feat, finding just the right costume seems to be important at every age. What makes a great costume? If you take a stroll down any Party City isle, you'll see current pop stars, classic cartoons and fairy tale idols, and a mask of every horror movie villain created.

Not only can these store-bought costumes run you a pretty penny, they're the same recycled ideas from last year, lacking your own individual stamp. If you're feeling crafty, thrifty, and time-crunched, and you want to have the most uniquely-dressed trick-or-treaters on the block, bust out your sewing kit (or safety pins and fabric tape) and try these simple and affordable do-it-yourself costumes that your little ones are sure to love!

Dwight, from The Office

No alterations required! All you need to do is dig through your husband's tie drawer, pick the one he never wears, and pair with black dress pants, black shoes, and solid colored dress shirt. The look is solidified by Dwight's signature glasses and slicked down hair.

Hot Air Balloon

This creative costume is super easy and inexpensive to make. You probably have a wicker basket laying around the house, along with brown paper lunch bags and white rope or string. Fill two bags with candy and tie them to the ends of two ropes. Use a third to create a knot from which your balloon will be attached with ribbon. Cut leg holes in the bottom of your basket, and fill your balloon with helium to keep it from falling down!

IPod

Keep up with the times with this easy, no-fuss costume. It's a project you can work on with the kids. Use a rectangular cardboard box, cut slits for arms, head, and legs. Paint it white, and stencil on the apple logo and touch circle with silver Sharpie marker. Use red duct tape to outline and cover the rest of the box. 

California Sushi Roll

Baltimore is a foodie town, and sushi is a cult favorite among many people young and old in neighborhoods like Federal Hill. Celebrate your love of Asian cuisine with this simple costume you can make from felt cut outs, a black onesie and leggings, and black headband. The chopsticks and ginger/wasabi headband pull together this precious outfit!

Frida Kahlo, Artist

For the toddler who appreciates folk art. This clever costume can be recreated with synthetic roses, a colorful shawl, Mexican-style embroidered dress and a brown eyebrow pencil to create the allusion of the painter's famous unibrow. 

Alice in Wonderland

Put a unique spin on a classic heroine costume. Purchase grey and white horizontal stripped tights and matching hair bow and Alice's signature turquoise blue dress. Remember the boxes Build-A-Bear comes in? That shape is perfect for decorating the white rabbit's house! 

Raven

Poe would be so proud. Show your town spirit and reinvent this iconic mascot. Martha Stewart shows you how, step-by-step, here.

With a little inspiration, we hope to see you and your family all decked-out in Halloween attire in the Federal Hill Business District on Halloween Day (from 4pm to 7pm) for the annual Federal Hill Businesses Association's Trick-or-Treat event. Each business (between the 800 and 1300 blocks of Light and Charles Streets) with orange and black balloons in front of their doors will have free candy for the kids!

Briana Lopes, Intern

2nd Annual SoBo Halloween Bash: An All Ages Affair!

The Second Annual SoBo Halloween Bash will take over Riverside Park on Sunday, October 27, from 1pm to 6pm. What emerged from collaborative ideas of FedHillKids volunteers expanding their bash venue, and community advocate Cathy Strodel’s vision of an inclusive event in the park with “…young and old people, families and single people,” has now evolved into a Halloween tradition for children and adults of all ages. 

Planning Committee leader  Misty Keens writes in the October-November issue of SoBo Voice, “This year the planning committee has aspired to make it bigger and better than ever! We have a grand plan in the works…food from local vendors and food trucks, lawn games and tournaments for the adults, live music, costume contests for the young and old, 50/50 raffle and grown-up beverages!” Beer and wine will be sold from 4pm to 6pm, and during that time Misty says the event will be “a bit more adult focused.” 

The Halloween Bash has been and will continue to be FREE due to the generous donations of sponsors in our community, such as Protean Records, Harris Teeter, and Porter’s Pub, to name a few! If you’d like to volunteer your time, contact Misty Keens at mistyk_11@yahoo.com

Briana Lopes, Intern

Street Beat Band Schedule

Street Beat Festival 2013 is almost here! So you can better plan your day, and get to see the bands you love, we've put together a detailed list of performances. Where else is Baltimore can you experience over a dozen live music acts absolutely FREE!

Hamburg St. Stage

Nelly's Echo 5:30 - 7
Pasadena 4 - 5
Grilled Lincolns 2:30 - 3:30
Bond and Gently 1 - 2
I'm Just Saying 11:45 - 12:45

Cross St. Stage

Old Man Brown 5:30 - 7
Uncle Jack 4 - 5
Jenny Leigh Band 2:30 - 3:30
Olyver James Band 1:30 - 2:15
Getamunstit 12:30 - 1:15
Karmic Debt 11:30 - 12:15

West St. Stage

All Mighty Senators 5:30 - 7
ELM 4 - 5
Freedom Enterprises 2:30 - 3:30
Cara Kelly & the Tell Tale 1 - 2

Speakers of The House 11:45 - 12:45

Also, don't forget to stop by and support your local vendors!

The Rowhouse Grille

Hot Corner Lee's   

SoBo Cafe

C&R

Mothers

Ryleigh's

Fat Larry's

Nobles

Fenwick's

                 



Interview with New FHMS Executive Director: Andrea Sommer

Federal Hill Main Street has a new executive director with a familiar face! Andrea Sommer -- long-time career volunteer and small business owner -- talks about her passion for community outreach and development, how her background in event planning makes her the right woman for the job, and what she has planned for the future of the organization. 

You’ve volunteered with FHMS in the past. Talk a little about those experiences and how they’ve lead you here.

I began with Federal Hill Main Street soon after it started. Leslie Simmons, who founded Little One’s Lane, first recruited me to help out with the children’s area of the festivals. I worked on that for a few years, then spent some time on the Promotions Committee. I purchased a business in the neighborhood in 2008 and continued to stay involved as a business owner, participating in various events, contributing to the newsletter, and encouraging other families in the neighborhood to be involved. When I closed my business in 2011 and started SoBoKids, many of the family volunteer projects we did were in conjunction with FHMS.


How will your education and professional background help you succeed as executive director?


After graduating from the College of William and Mary, I moved to New Orleans and worked for their Convention and Visitors Bureau, which brought conventions and major happenings, such as the Super Bowl, to the city. I began my career as an event planner after relocating to Charlotte, NC, where I worked for a hotel chain on both social and corporate events. When we moved to Baltimore, while I was expecting my first child, my focus shifted to "career volunteer." I worked with Federal Hill Main Street, my alumni association and Federal Hill Preparatory school on a variety of fundraising projects and activities. Life took a big turn when I purchased Ladybugs & Fireflies, a children's gift and toy store on South Charles Street. I loved being involved in the neighborhood as a business owner as well as parent. Both of my children attended Federal Hill Prep at the time, so my life was pretty much contained in South Baltimore. When the business closed, I started SoBoKids, which planned service projects families could do together around the neighborhood. I also contributed a family column to Main Street's newsletter, and volunteered for various community activities.

My event planning experience will help me with Main Streets biggest fundraisers: Fest of All, Festive Flavors, and the House Tour. More importantly, as a former small business owner, I am very aware of the challenges local brick and mortar stores face on a daily basis. I also am very invested in this neighborhood, and want to see it succeed not just as Main Street Director, but as a resident and a parent of kids who love living here.


What are you passionate about?


I’m very passionate about families being a part of Baltimore City, and I am proud to be raising my children here. I truly believe that neighborhoods are what make this city unique, and are what are keeps families here. We have such an amazing city as our backyard, and are part of such a wonderful community. My kids cannot walk down the street without saying hello to a person they know. They love walking into stores and restaurants where someone recognizes them. They truly have a sense of being part of community, not just one that is created by a sport they play or an activity they participate in, but a larger one that is made up of many different people who all contribute, in their own way, to making this place a wonderful neighborhood.


Why is this organization important? And how will you ensure that FHMS continues to play a vital role within the community?

Federal Hill Main Street is important because it encourages the growth of our business district while maintaining its history. The character and charm of Federal Hill was here long before we were, and FHMS is working to ensure that they will remain. The organization also considers the business district to be part of a larger community, and works with that community to achieve its goals. These are the things that drew me to the organization.

I am lucky enough to come into an organization that has been very successful over the past few years, and I hope to continue that success. The festivals and events have become an anticipated part of many people's calendars. They are great community-building events, as well as an opportunity to showcase our neighborhood to potential business owners and patrons. We will also continue to address the needs of the current business community, as well as encourage its growth. On a day-to-day basis, we will address the opportunities and challenges that face small businesses today. As a parent, I believe that creating strong neighborhoods, centered around a dynamic business district, is vital to keeping families in our city. We must encourage what makes Baltimore great -- its patchwork of unique, vibrant neighborhoods.


Briana Lopes, Intern

Federal Hill Demographics: Read All About It!

The new demographic study commissioned by Federal Hill Main Street in January is now available and posted on our Web site. The final report is in two parts, the main report and the appendices.

The study’s authors (local resident Maggie Cawley on behalf of Go Global GIS. LLC) report on the growth, changes, and opportunities in South Baltimore compared with 2000. Since that time, Federal Hill’s population has grown significantly as more college-educated professionals moved to the area. In addition to college graduates, the data also show that the area has drawn young families and “empty-nesters.”

The study also includes information on “retail opportunities” for new businesses and the gaps that exist in the area. The data show a myriad of opportunities for retailers in Federal Hill, including specialty food, home, and sports-related products.

Federal Hill Main Street’s Business Development Committee will use the report as a resource to attract new businesses and expand the appeal of the district by meeting broader consumer demands.

If you would like to get involved or join the volunteer committee, please contact Jane Seebold, Executive Director by emailing admin@historicfederalhill.org.

To view the demographic study, click here and for the appendices click here.

Elizabeth Nelson, Intern

Free Kids’ Kross Street at Jazz&Blues Fest: June 2

It’s that time of year again! On June 2^nd, Federal Hill Main Street will host the 13^th Annual Jazz & Blues Wine & Art Festival featuring the popular children’s play area, Kids’ Kross Street! Misty Keens, parent volunteer and co-coordinator, says she’s excited about their return and feels the activities provided by Kids’ Kross Street enrich the Federal Hill community.

“I’ve immensely enjoyed organizing Kids’ Kross Street. Shane and I have been fortunate enough to have inherited a very dedicated core group of volunteers that give so much to this community throughout the year. It’s nice to be a part of that,” says Misty.                                                                                    

SoBo Kids, the neighborhood family volunteer organization, returns to the festival to adorn children of all sizes with colorful face paint and temporary tattoos. Their station will be operating between 1 and 3 pm. There will also be a sidewalk chalk area where children can create their own masterpieces and a bubble pool, along with some do-it-yourself craft booths.

After they’ve been artfully crafted into their favorite cartoon character or animal, be sure to accompany your little ones to listen to the famous Urban Pirates, who will host story time at 3 pm. After patiently sitting through these sedentary, though fun activities, your kids are sure to be bursting with energy and excitement! What better way to channel that energy than jumping around in one of the two moon bounces? To keep kids safe, parent volunteers take turns supervising the blow-up vessels (which also enables them to enjoy the festival’s adult activities, including the amazing music line-up).

The overwhelmingly popular rice-pools (who knew?) will be set up again this year, where toddlers can amaze and amuse their senses using the many toys on hand to scoop up and play with raw rice. Lawn games will be ongoing, where older kids can compete in bean bag and ring toss. After all the jumping, throwing, tossing, running, and playing, our kids are sure to work up an appetite! Satisfy their hunger and perhaps spark cultural curiosity by participating in a sushi-rolling demo with Roy’s Restaurant.

“Every kid will be entertained,” said volunteer co-coordinator Shane Splitt. “Every parent will be able to enjoy the time while their child is busy playing.”

Thanks to volunteers and organizers, Kids’ Kross Street will continue to be an integral part of the Jazz & Blues Festival, helping to create memories and build bonds within the Federal Hill community. “I hope that the future brings in a new band of parents willing to give back to this community that gives so much to them,” says Misty.

For more information on the festival, go to www.historicfederalhill.org

Briana Lopes, Intern