If the cool weather holds, we may soon see the initial skirmishes of southeast Baltimore’s annual “chair wars” – a series of verbal battles fought over whether row house dwellers have the social right (if not a legal one) to use lawn chairs to claim the on-street parking spots they have shoveled out.
The scene makes it into the Highlandtown Train Garden this year, recreated in miniature for a new panel dedicated to the “Great Blizzard of 2016,” which also includes a snowball fight, a dog creating yellow snow, a car futilely spinning its tires, and more.
The life-like Train Garden, set up inside the firehouse at 520 S. Conkling St., opens Nov. 26, the same day as the start of Holidays in Highlandtown, an annual trifecta of holiday events dedicated to merriment and community, presented by Highlandtown Main Street, a program of the Southeast Community Development Corp. The program is part of the larger city-wide “Miracle on Main Streets” event series sponsored by Baltimore Main Streets. Highlandtown’s events are also sponsored by the Highlandtown Business Association.
Below learn more about Highlandtown’s signature events throughout the holiday season.
SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY BREAKFAST
SAT. NOV. 26, 8am-noon
With multiple spots to purchase fine arts, locally made goods, vintage items and more, the area surrounding Eastern Avenue and Conkling Street has been a known shopping destination for several years now.
The Small Business Saturday Breakfast, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26, from 8 a.m. to noon at Hoehn’s Bakery (400 S. Conkling St.) makes it even easier and more fun to get holiday shopping done early….
For event details and Shop Small Challenge CLICK HERE.
HIGHLANDTOWN HOLIDAY KICK-OFF CELEBRATION
FRI. DEC. 2, 5pm-7pm
The festivities begin in front of the Southeast Anchor Library (Eastern Ave. and Conkling St.), with tunes from Rufus Roundtree and Da B’more Brass Factory, followed by the tree-lighting at 6 p.m. and free pictures with Santa, portrayed, by crowd favorite State Delegate Luke Clippinger.
Following the tree-lighting, the Highlandtown Train Garden crew will start their engines at 6:30 p.m., sending two trains through a miniature Southeast Baltimore, complete with relatively new businesses (the Highlandtown Gallery) and old ones (Little Tavern, where you bought them “by the bag”)….
For event details CLICK HERE.
SUNDAY SHOPPING SPECTACULAR
SUN. DEC. 4, 11am-5pm
Return to the neighborhood on Sunday, Dec. 4, for the annual Sunday Shopping Spectacular, featuring gifts, treats, jewelry and more from local artisans. Events include:
- Merry Mart at the Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Y:ART Gallery Holiday Exhibition, 3402 Gough St., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Highlandtown Gallery Shop ‘n Stroll, 248 S. Conkling St., noon to 5 p.m.
- Rust-N-Shine Vintage and Retro Shop, 3522-A Bank St., noon to 5 p.m.
- RoofTop HoT Organic and local market, 339 S. Conkling St., noon to 5 p.m.
There are other shops selling a wide variety of products along Eastern Ave. and up and down Conkling St.; they seem to increase in number every month….
For more information and a full list of participating businesses CLICK HERE.