The Arts & Drafts Summer Music & Arts Festival will return for its fourth year at Guinness Open Gate Brewery, running June 22 and 23.
This year’s festival is expected to draw more than 7,000 people for the free two-day event, presented by the nonprofit Baltimore County Arts Guild (BCAG). There will be artist vendors, live music, activities for all ages, and specialty food and beers from Guinness Open Gate Brewery, the host sponsor.
Artists hail from Maryland; Delaware; Washington, D.C.; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; and Virginia. Their specialties and wares include glass, acrylic and watercolor painting, photography, pottery, mixed media, 3D, jewelry, sculpture, woodworking, furniture, and more.
“We anticipate that this year’s festival will be the biggest and best yet,” said Arkia Wade, president of BCAG, in a statement. “As we continue to grow our signature event, the more we can support BCAG programs, exhibits and other activities that greatly benefit the artists community in Baltimore County and beyond.”
Guinness has created two specialty beers for the festival that will be available on draft and in cans:
- Blueberry Lime Ale (5.9% ABV) is brewed with a giant addition of fresh blueberry puree, giving it a light purple hue, and lime puree for a touch of balanced acidity. A simple beer, but as delicious as they come.
- Harmonic Haze (7.5% ABV) gives their Hazy IPA an artistic update! This hazy golden beer features a moderate bitterness balanced by a huge citrus aroma, using a slightly different hop blend, showcasing Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, El Dorado and Amarillo hops.
In addition to food, drink, and vendors’ wares and art, there will be performances on both days of the festival. The Kevin Howard Band will perform Jazz, the Brian Cunningham project will perform Reggae/Soul/R&B music, the Pineapple Band delivers Eclectic Rock/Funk/Rock & Roll, and the Pilgrims of Deep Run will perform Irish dance tunes.
Additional activities include:
- Painting life size art for special photo ops
- Designing magnets and other hands-on art activities
- Exploring two levels of Guinness history
- Pairing Baltimore-brewed beer with food from Guinness’ seasonal menu
- Learning to pour the perfect pint of Guinness Draught
- Personalizing your pint of Guinness Draught and making it picture perfect with a selfie
- Lawn games
“Guinness Open Gate Brewery is proud to host the Arts & Drafts Festival for the fourth year in a row,” said Oliver Gray, Brand Manager at Guinness Open Gate Brewery, in a statement. “It’s always special to see the brewery lawn come alive with art and music, and we look forward to hosting our community and coming together in celebration of the many incredible artists, vendors, and musicians – and hopefully inspiring folks with our own creativity through the art of experimental brewing.”
Festival hours are as follows:
- Saturday, June 22, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday, June 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is free (no tickets or registration required) and open to all ages, but children must be accompanied at all times by an adult of legal drinking age.
Guinness Open Gate Brewery is located at 5001 Washington Boulevard, Halethorpe, MD.
