Baltimore Rhythm Festival returns to Greenmount West on Saturday, Sept. 26 from noon to 6 p.m., bringing a free day of music, dance, cultural traditions, and hands-on learning for all ages.
This is the 12th year for the Baltimore Rhythm Festival, which was created around the idea that audiences were full participants in the fun. Attendees can enjoy live performances on two stages, community drumming, workshops on dance and music, children’s activities, local vendors, and delicious food.
The festival will open with a Homa Fire Ceremony at noon let by Maria Broom, followed by a Sound Bath with Michele Blu. Broom is a Baltimore-based but internationally-known actor (with recurring roles on “The Wire” and “The Corner”), dancer, teacher, and storyteller with myriad awards and honors including the Eubie Blake Award, the Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist, and Young Audiences of Maryland named her Artist of the Year in 2007. Blu has been practicing yoga for 25 years and opened the first Black-owned and -operated yoga studio in Baltimore City in 2008. Certified in Hatha, Asana, and Kemetic yoga, Blu focuses primarily on Kemetic yoga now, which is African/Egyptian in origin.
The Street Stage will feature Bumbada, Soroché, and headliner Mahiri “Spicy Khasso” Fainké A.R.T and the FoReign DestinÉtion Arkestra. On the Grove Stage, enjoy performances by Park Vibe, Goucher Dancers and the Moziah Saleem Group.
Hands-on participation remains at the heart of the Baltimore Rhythm Festival. Jason Baker will lead a community drum circle, while movement workshops will feature Ana Temple, Mahiri “Spicy Khasso” Fainké, Adjetey Kluufo, BB Penda, and Serges Essombo Ewane. Additional music and rhythm workshops will feature Baba Abu, a women’s Samba group, Steve Bloom, Yu or Amadou, and Baile McKnight, who will lead a Shekere workshop.
All performances and workshops are free, and no previous experience is required.
Young movers and rhythm lovers will have their own special opportunities to participate in the Children’s Area, facilitated by Jessica Smith. Living Classrooms Foundation will present a youth-focused activity, followed by a Children’s Puppet Show with Joshua Smith.
The marketplace of local vendors will offer art, clothing, jewelry, handcrafted goods, and other products, along with a variety of food for families and attendees to explore and enjoy.
At 5 p.m., the community is invited to move together with a Dance Hour featuring a DJ, Talbolt Johnson, and Shawna Divine as the festival winds down.
The Baltimore Rhythm Festival 2026 takes place in the play yard behind Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School, 1600 Guilford Ave., Baltimore. The festival is free, family-friendly, and will happen rain or shine. It is located just blocks from Penn Station in the Greenmount West/Station North Arts District. A full schedule of events is available on the festival’s website and on their social media channels.
