ADVENTURE
Parade at the Baltimore Inner Harbor one summer day. This one of the exciting Baltimore summer fun events. Photo: Kazad/Artcentron
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Summer is always exciting in Baltimore for tourists and visitors. Here are some of Baltimore Summer Fun Events and places to visit when you are in town
BY KAZAD
Nicholas Kekic, Transparent Colored Glass Pitchers. Image courtesy of American Craft Council Show
Baltimore Summer Fun Events
BALTIMORE, MD—In the last ten years, Baltimore Maryland has become a major tourist destination in the United States. Every year, thousands of tourists throng Baltimore to be part of the exciting events that have made it one of the most important tourist destinations in the United States.
Hopes are that more people will visit Baltimore than at any other time this summer. The increase in the number of people coming to Baltimore, tourism experts say, is not just because of the exciting events, but also because things happening to make Baltimore the ultimate destination for tourists. If you are in Baltimore, Maryland this summer, here are ten of the exciting events and places you must visit.
Baltimore Inner Harbor
One of the places to visit when in Baltimore is the Inner Harbor. In the past five years, the Inner Harbor Baltimore has been upgraded to world standards. In less than two years, exciting new additions have been made to the Inner Harbor. Baltimore Inner Harbor now has more top-notch restaurants, stores, and public attractions. One of the new places gaining attention is Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Although it opened less than 3 years ago, the place has become a crowd puller. Attendance at other fun places such as the Harbor Place and the Gallery, Maryland Science Center, and World Trade Center has also soared.
Baltimore Aquarium
The Baltimore Aquarium is another place to visit when you are in Baltimore. Amazing things are always happening at the National Aquarium. Located at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, the Baltimore Aquarium has an amazing architectural design. From the outside, it is possible to see inside the building through the glass structure. But the magic is inside the building.
Inside the Baltimore Aquarium are exciting exhibits to see and enjoy. The National Aquarium hosts several exhibits at a time. Some of the exhibits focus on sharks, frogs, jellyfish, and several other sea life creatures. One of the major attractions at the Baltimore Aquarium is the Amazon River Forest exhibit. The exhibit captures the Amazon tributary just at the beginning stage of its seasonal flooding into the surrounding forest. Some of the animals in this exciting exhibit include the emerald tree boa, hungry piranha, Giant Waxy Tree Frog, and dwarf caiman.
The “Blacktip Reef, a breathtaking exhibit full of color, light, and movement is another must-see exhibit. Recently, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recognized the National Aquarium’s Blacktip Reef exhibit with the honor of Significant Achievement in Exhibit Design.
Dolphin Shows: Baltimore Summer Fun Events
The National Aquarium also has a Dolphin show that attracts a lot of fans. Although the mission of the National Aquarium is to educate and conserve the world’s aquatic treasures, it is also a fun place to visit. A visit to the National Aquarium requires a lot of walking and climbing that will make you hungry. For the hungry guests, the National Aquarium has a great eating court and the food is delicious.
You can get hot entrées, grilled and cold sandwiches, salads, snacks, and desserts for lunch and dinner. Guests can also join others for the Sustainable Seafood Dining Series. For this series, the Aquarium invites chefs from restaurants around Baltimore to prepare delicious seafood dinners. The National Aquarium also has discount tickets. To find out more about the National Aquarium in Baltimore, visit the National Aquarium website.
Maryland Zoo
The Maryland Zoo is one of the major attractions in Baltimore, Maryland. A major appeal this summer is the New African Penguin Exhibit. This new state-of -the-art-exhibit situates 100 African penguins in a habitat called Penguin Coast. Penguin Coast provides an enhanced natural environment designed to reflect the South African home of these unique coastal birds.
A visit to the Baltimore Zoo is an excursion of a great adventure. The Zoo has animals from all over the world. While some are usual others are strange. One of the strange animals is the Okapi (Okapia Johnstoni). The Okapi combines the features of a zebra, a horse, donkey, antelope, and giraffe. The important thing is that this is an unusual animal that visitors will find fascinating.
The Maryland Zoo also houses many other animals and birds. They include African Lions, African Leopard, Arctic Fox, Cheetahs, Colobus Monkey, African Elephants, Southern White Rhino, Panamanian Golden Frog, Eastern Hellbender African Bullfrog, Black Vultures, Green Heron, Hamerkop, Ostrich, and many others. What makes the Baltimore Zoo unique is not just the array of animals it houses, but also because a lot of effort went into creating close to a natural environment or habitat for the animals.
In order to fully enjoy the Baltimore Zoo, visitors must set aside two or three days. The Maryland Zoo cannot be totally experienced in one day. Also, visitors must be ready to walk. Bathrooms and eating places are well-distributed around the Maryland Zoo. There is also a store where you can buy souvenirs. The products at the Maryland Zoo store provide an opportunity for bragging rights. Visitors will be proud to say “Yeah, I have been to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. For more details, go to the Baltimore zoo website.
Artscape: Baltimore Summer Fun Events
Don’t take the apple from the witch- Otakon -Baltimore Convention Center- Artcentron. Photo: Kazad/Artcentron
Artscape is one of the most important art events in the United States. Staged annually in the Art District of Baltimore, Artscape has been classified as America’s largest free arts festival. The three-day event attracts over 350,000 every year. Artscape features almost 200 artists, fashion designers, and craftspeople who come from different parts of the country to be part of this annual art ritual. This is one of the exciting Baltimore summer fun events.
During Artscape, there is always art for sale. Visitors are able to buy art prints, wall art, abstract art, art posters, canvas art, cheap art canvas art prints, fine art photo, and fine art prints. Besides art exhibitions and displays, there are also musical performances, concerts, street theatre, dance, opera, and many other activities that will keep festival-goers busy for the duration of the event. Artscape is a family event and some areas are specifically for family activities. This year’s event will run from July 17- 19. Find details about this year’s event by going to the Artscape website.
Baltimore Museums and Art Galleries
Although Baltimore has not reached the standard of New York when it comes to art and the number of museums and galleries. However, the Baltimore art scene is flourishing. The number of galleries is increasing and more people are visiting museums and galleries. In addition to the increase in the number of galleries, Baltimore has some of the best museums in the world. There is the Baltimore Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum, and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the American Visionary Museum. While these are some major museums in Baltimore, there are several others spread around the city. So, if you are in Baltimore this summer, visit the museums and galleries. Here is a list of museums in Baltimore, Maryland.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
For the lovers of classical music, the place to be is the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). The BSO is internationally recognized as one of the best Orchestras in the world. The Orchestra has achieved artistic excellence through the years by staging amazing performances. Consequently, it has devoted followership nationally and internationally. This is one of the exciting Baltimore summer fun events. BSO has also been increasing the appreciation of classical music in Baltimore through innovative education and community outreach initiatives.
Led by Maestra Marin Alsop, the first woman to head a major American orchestra, BSO has major events planned for the summer that will again display BSO’s relentless pursuit for artistic excellence. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has a lineup of exciting events for this summer season. They include An Evening with Seth MacFarlane, The Four Seasons, and Dvořák’s New World Symphony among several others. For details, visit the BSO website
Otakon
For the lovers of anime, manga otaku, Japanese comics, and every facet of Asian pop culture, this is the event to attend. Otakon is the annual convention of the otaku generation. The event includes fanfares and abundant celebration. This is one of the exciting Baltimore summer fun events. There are costume contests, panels, workshops, live music, and much more.
This year’s event will open on July 23 with Otakon Matsuri at Baltimore’s beautiful West Shore Park at the Inner Harbor. This entertainment event includes Project BECK, Kieran Strange, Back-On rock band, and hip-hop star Richie Branson.
During the convention, characters from anime and manga otaku movies and comics come alive on the streets of Baltimore. The three–day event is held at the Baltimore Convention Center. During the convention, Baltimore Inner Harbor is overtaken by people dressed as characters from their favorite anima movies and comics. This year’s event, the 22nd Otakon, will be held from July 24-26, 2015.
Baltimore Pride 2015
Nathanmac87, Pride Balloons. via Wikimedia Commons
With the recent ruling by the Supreme Court that gays and Lesbians have the right to get married, there are high expectations about this year’s Baltimore Pride parade. As with other Pride Parade happening across the country, hope is that this year’s Baltimore Pride Celebration will be so much fun. This year’s parade begins with a block party on July 25 at Mount Vernon. Following that is the Pride Festival on July 26 at Druid Hill Park.
Baltimore Fashion Week
This is one of the major fashion events to see this summer in Baltimore. In its eighth year, the fashion show features budding artists and designers who combine fashion and art. The Baltimore Fashion Show runs from August 14 -16 in several locations across Baltimore. For details and ticket prices visit fashionweek.com
BronyCon
BronyCon is an annual convention for and by fans of the animated TV series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This convention which started out as a one-day event in New York City with just 100 attendees has grown to attract thousands of fans from across the country. The convention includes live entertainment, artists’ talks, and food. BronyCon runs from August 7-9 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Conclusion
Baltimore Summer Fun Events
These are just some of the places and things to do in Baltimore, MD. The intention is just to provide some pointers. If you have more events, places, and things to do in Baltimore, please let us know and they will be added.
Here are some of the major attractions and places to attend when in Baltimore this summer:
- Baltimore Aquarium
- Baltimore Zoo,
- Artscape
- Museums
- Galleries
- Otakon
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