People with gardening on their minds will be happy to hear the Flower Mart at Mount Vernon Place returns just one month from now.
On Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. the Washington Monument will become the backdrop to a Baltimore tradition that began in 1911.
The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy took over management of the Flower Mart in 2019, aiming to restore it to its historical roots featuring all locally made and sourced goods while showcasing more local vendors than ever before.
This year’s festival will have nearly 70 vendors selling flowers, plants, crafts that celebrate flowers and plants, and the best of Baltimore’s food scene. Twenty musical performances are planned, covering a wide range of genres on two stages in the squares. There will also be free educational lectures and workshops highlighting people and projects whose goal is to “green” Baltimore City, with the chance to participate in hands-on activities with plants.
The Conservancy will be running beverage concessions with local beer, wine, and mead. Naturally, there will also be the famous favorite, Lemon Sticks.
The first Flower Mart took place in 1911 as an effort to encourage residents to plant flowers and vegetables in their home gardens, and in vacant lots in the city. Founded by the Women’s Civic League, an organization formed to advocate for better living conditions in Baltimore, the League managed the Flower Mart for nearly ninety years.
This “greening” of the city was part of the larger “City Beautiful” movement, which aimed to make urban life safer, cleaner, and more beautiful for people living in dense urban areas. Those priorities are as relevant today as they were a century ago.
The festival is free and open to the public. The Washington Monument in Mount Vernon Place is located at 699 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD. Updates about vendors, performers, workshops and more will be posted on the Flower Mart Facebook page at this link.
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