Next up on Baltimore’s summertime festival calendar (after the tall ships leave town at the end of June): The Baltimore Caribbean Festival, also known as the Baltimore One Carnival.
Baltimore’s Board of Estimates last week approved a request from the Mayor’s Office to allocate $143,043.48 for the event, which will be held in Druid Hill Park. Free to the public for the first time this year, the festival is marking its 45th anniversary of “promoting the cultural ideals of all Caribbean nations.”
The allocation was approved without discussion as part of the spending board’s routine agenda. According to a memo from the Mayor’s Office, the source of funds is the Baltimore Civic Fund.
“The Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE), in partnership with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, will produce the Baltimore Caribbean Festival,” the memo said. “This cultural event, which will be held in Druid Hill Park in July 2026, will feature a cultural parade, local vendors and live talent performances. Funding will support the planning, production, and implementation of the festival, as well as other MOACE-led cultural programs [and] initiatives to enhance public engagement and promote Baltimore’s cultural vitality.”
The festival will be held from July 10 to 12, with opening events on July 10, a parade on July 11 and live performances on July 12. It will feature masquerade bands, live Soca and Reggae music and traditional Caribbean food.
The scheduled performers are: Anika Berry; Empress J; Cocoa Scorpion; Destra; Kyla Harmon and Carl Malcolm.
The breakdown of projected expenditures includes: $35,000 for an international artist; $7,500 for local artists; $19,000 for security; $12,000 for trailers; $10,000 for police officers; $8,500 for fencing; $8,000 for advertising and marketing, $8,000 for porta-potties; $5,000 for generators; $5,000 for DJs and $4,000 for golf carts and light towers. The Baltimore Civic Fund gets an administrative fee of $11,443.48 for serving as the event’s fiscal administrator.
More information is available from the organizers’ website: www.baltimorecarnival.org, or its Instagram page, @baltimoreonecarnival.
Last year I went to Druid Hill Carnival and had a fantastic time. There was alot of music on the trucks and people dressed in bright colours. There were a whole bunch of stands to get food from but the grass wasn’t cut that great and the entrance to the park wasnt easily accessible. I go to the Carnival Days when the dancing happens and the rum is flowing and theres a nice atmosphere. Didnt go to Carnival to fight people or to destroy the atmosphere. I hope this year is as good as last year. There were alot of very beautiful women there in 2025. Very glad to see it on The Calendar again in 2026.
-Andre