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.

Cheese Galore and More Announces Asiago Contest Winners!

Judges: Debbie Alt, Crystal Moll, Frieda Ulman

Congratulations to the winners of Cheese Galore and More's first annual Asiago Cheese Spread Contest!

                    1st Place - Kevin Lillis

                    2nd Place - Kendra Heyde

                    3rd Place - Kendra Heyde

                    4th Place - Nancy Miller

Everyone who participated made the event a huge success.

Owner Sharon Johnson says judges Debbie Alt, Crystal Moll, and Frieda Ulman had a tough time deciding because all the entries were outstanding and unique in their own way.

Events like these promote shopping locally within our community--first and fourth place winners Kevin and Nancy "sourced" their ingredients from Cross Street Market-- so we hope to see another one like it next year!

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

Cheese Galore and More: Enter Our Asiago Cheese Recipe Contest!

Cheese Galore and More, located inside the historic Cross Street Market, will celebrate the start of their third year with a special recipe contest using one of their best-selling cheeses--Asiago Spread aka “Federal Hill Crack.” First place winner will recieve bragging rights and a $50 gift certificate to Cheese Galore and More. First runner up will recieve a $25 gift certificate, while third place winner can choose between a $10 gift certificate or a pound of the addictive Italian cheese.

To earn your chops as a Federal Hill Foodie, just enter your dish using the infamous Asiago Spread. Already known to have been mixed into mashed potatoes, spread on the top of steaks, as well as served on all sorts of crackers and crostinis, there are endless recipe posibilities!

Pick up your entry form either from the Cheese Galore and More Stall at the Cross Street Market or email cheesegaloreandmore@gmail.com. Bring your completed application form and at least three servings of your special recipe with you to the contest. The contest judging will be held on Saturday, November 16th at 3 PM at the Cheese Galore and More location in the Cross Street Market.

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

SoBo Cafe to host Reception benefiting Aspire SHARPkids Mentoring Program

SoBo Cafe is one of many small businesses in Federal Hill who is continuously giving back to its community.  They have teamed up with "SHARPkids," an after school program benefiting students of neighboring Sharp-Leadenhall, to promote their initiative and raise funds for this amazing cause. A dessert and wine reception will be held on Monday, September 30 from 7 to 9:30pm, and tickets are only $25.

On September 19, Federal Hill's Award-winning restaurant participated in Moveable Feast's 20th Annual "Dinning Out For Life," a city-wide fundraising event which takes proceeds from volunteering restaurants--between 20 and 100 percent!--and provides nutritious meals for Marylanders battling life-threatening illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. SoBo Cafe donated 20% of their Dinner guests' checks to help feed their hungry neighbors.

Just weeks before that, the contemporary comfort food restaurant hosted a "Back to School" Happy Hour benefiting The House of Ruth, Inc., which works to end violence against women and their children through outreach, education, and support.


Briana Lopes, Intern