Cap off the first full week of December with some fun holiday events in Baltimore.
From the lighting of Baltimore’s Washington Monument to the annual Mayor’s Christmas Parade, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the winter holiday season in Charm City.
Check it all out in our weekend events roundup:
53rd Annual Monument Lighting, Thursday, Dec. 5, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Washington Monument and Mount Vernon Place. Presented by the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, this annual tradition kicks off the holiday season with caroling, food, fireworks, and good cheer.
Jhené Aiko, Thursday, Dec. 5, doors open at 6 p.m., event begins at 7 p.m., CFG Bank Arena. Join singer Jhené Aiko for a night of R&B music, co-starring Jessie Reyez, Shenseea, Umi, ad Kiana Ledé, with sounds by Starrza. The concert is part of Aiko’s The Magic Hour Tour.
The Lafayette Gilchrist “Undaunted” Sextet, Thursday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Keystone Korner. Baltimore-based jazz pianist Lafayette Gilchrist will lead the sextet through an evening of “riveting compositions that demonstrate why he is one of the most iconoclastic jazz musicians of his generation.”
Sagamore Spirit Tree Lighting, Friday, Dec. 6, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sagamore Spirit. Sagamore Spirit will celebrate their sixth annual tree lighting with whiskey cocktails, distillery tours, festive live music, custom bottle engravings, and local food and beverages from Nineteen O’Nine Cocktail Bar, Rye Street Tavern, Bmore Greek, Pizza de Joey, Travelin’ Toms Coffee Truck, and Ben and Jerrys.
The Dirty Grass Players, Friday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m., Recher Theatre. Join Baltimore’s own Dirty Grass Players for “an energetic explosion of old-time pickin’, colored with an inventive, newgrass hand, that is given lyrical life by their soaring vocal harmonies that exist on an ethereal plain.”
Love Actually in Concert, Friday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m., Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The BSO will perform the soundtrack from this cult-classic and holiday favorite while the film is projected on the big screen.
Led Zeppelin Tribute, Friday, Dec. 6, doors open at 7 p.m., event starts at 8 p.m., Lyric Baltimore. Jason Bonham will pay tribute to his father and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in this concert celebrating the band’s music throughout their career.
Fell’s Point Old Tyme Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fell’s Point. Fell’s Point will kick off the holiday season with Olde Tyme Christmas, featuring photos with Santa, kids crafts, letters to Santa, the lighting of the Christmas Tree, a view of the Lighted Boat Parade, and more.
Mariah Carey, Saturday, Dec. 7, doors open at 6:30 p.m., event begins at 7:30 p.m., CFG Bank Arena. Has the holiday season truly begun if you haven’t yet heard the iconic “I” run at the start of Mariah Carey’s ““All I Want For Christmas Is You”? Well, here’s your chance to hear Carey live during her Christmas Time concert. The event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of her “Merry Christmas” album.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Saturday, Dec. 7, doors open at 6:30 p.m., event starts at 7:30 p.m., Lyric Baltimore. Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings will bring modern acoustic music to the Lyric. Welch was executive producer on the Grammy award-winning “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, and in 2021 she and Rawlings won a Grammy award for Best Folk Album for “All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone).”
ArtsCentric’s Black Nativity, Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., Baltimore Center Stage. Opening night of American iconic poet Langston Hughes’ show depicting the Nativity through an African American lens. With original music by Cedric D. Lyles, direction by Kevin S. McAllister, and choreography by Shalyce Hemby, Black Nativity runs through Dec. 22. The Opening Night celebration, however, features post-show drinks, dancing, and light bites until midnight. The opening night festivities require an RSVP, which you can see here.
Winter Wishes Holiday Market, Saturday, Dec. 7 through Saturday, Dec. 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Shops at Kenilworth. The Winter Wishes Holiday Market kicks off this weekend. Celebrate the season by shopping local! Explore a vibrant collection of unique gifts, from sweet treats and beauty products to beautifully handcrafted candles and artwork. Located on the upper level between Meg Fox Aesthetics and Comfort One Shoes, the Winter Wishes Holiday Market will be open every Saturday from Dec. 7 through Dec. 21.
Mayor’s Christmas Parade, Sunday, Dec. 8, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Hampden and Medfield. Welcome the start of the Christmas season with the 51st annual Mayor’s Christmas Parade, featuring local leaders, businesses, community groups, performers, and a visit from Santa Claus himself at the very end. The parade will begin at Coldspring Lane and travel south on Falls Road, then turn east onto 36th Street, before a final turn onto Chestnut Avenue.
