There’s no better time than fall to explore the city being dubbed one “to watch” and the “coolest city on the East Coast.” In addition to a ton of fall festivals and crisp autumn weather, Baltimore has experienced one of the largest millennial booms in the nation, and the resurgence is vibrantly visible in the city’s eclectic neighborhoods, marked by new hotels, food halls, breweries, and boutiques popping up around every corner.
Travelers flocking to Charm City to take in the renaissance should also be sure to check out the following October events:
Going on its 12th year, Free Fall Baltimore provides the perfect opportunity to check out the resurgence taking shape throughout the city’s eclectic and historic neighborhoods. The month-long event takes place throughout October, and offers more than 300 free arts & culture events citywide, coinciding with National Arts and Humanities Month. Local attractions will highlight the importance of art through concerts, festivals, workshops, lectures, special events and more.
The Baltimore Craft Beer Festival features a wide selection of Maryland craft beers in addition to a homebrew competition, where festival attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites. Additional festival activities include live Baltimore bands, local food trucks, and more. The festival will be held at Canton Waterfront Park on October 7.
The Great Mystery Show at the American Visionary Art Museum
From psychics to physicists, The Great Mystery Show is artfully peeling away the veil from the unknown! The exhibit, opening October 7 and running through November 2018, playfully explores mystery as that one secret power behind great art, science, and pursuit of the sacred. Mysteries personal and universal, punctuated by the out-of-this-world testimony of astronauts, mystery writers, theoreticians, poets and psychics, aim to inspire the “sleuth for the truth” detective within each of us. No “alternative facts here” – just a wildly visual exaltation of the strangeness and wonder of Life itself.
Baltimore is celebrating its 9th year of all things beer at the upcoming Baltimore Beer Week. The opening tap celebration will take place at the Das Best Oktoberfest at M&T Stadium on October 14. Events are scheduled throughout Baltimore, October 13-22.
Maryland’s biggest beer festival is bringing over 150 international, domestic and local Maryland beers, wines and schnapps to M&T Bank Stadium on October 14 for Oktoberfest. At the event, entrants will be given a souvenir tasting glass for all you can taste samplings, and several brat concessionaires will be offering beef sausages and German food.
Oktobearfest at the Maryland Zoo – Fall Beer Festival
Unlimited sampling of 30+ fall-flavored beer, live music, and German-inspired food and fare are all on tap at the Oktobearfest at the Maryland Zoo on October 21.
Great Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival
Celebrate Halloween and learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos at the 17th annual Great Halloween Lantern Parade and Festival on October 28. The parade kicks off with Day of the Dead altar making, hayrides, food trucks, live music and more. This free event is the perfect family night out, with Kids Costume Contests and Pop Up Costume Yoga.
Poe-tober
There’s also no better place to experience historic haunts this Halloween than in Baltimore, final resting place of the master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Baltimore expertly resurrects Poe’s life and legacy during Poe-tober, a month filled with Poe-inspired experiences.
- Walk on the same floors and wander within the original plaster walls and woodwork as Poe at the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. The refurbished National Historic Landmark is where Poe lived from 1833 to 1835.
- Stop by the Enoch Pratt Free Library in the heart of Baltimore’s downtown to get an exclusive look at one-of-a-kind, rarely seen artifacts – a lock of Poe’s hair, a piece of his coffin, letters and documents from the family’s private collection and more.
- Visit Poe’s grave at Westminster Hall Burying Ground. This is where the Poe Toaster, a mysterious stranger and Poe fan, started visiting the cemetery beginning in 1949 to leave a tribute on Poe’s grave: a partial bottle of cognac and three red roses. Take a tour on the first or third Friday of October, or join the Annual Halloween Tour from 6 pm – 9 pm on Oct. 31.
- Walk the historic cobblestone streets of Fell’s Point in Poe’s footsteps with The Original Fell’s Point Ghost Walk, guided by experts on Baltimore’s best ghost stories and haunted hideouts.
