Jazz and summertime go hand-in-hand, and Jazz at the Armory’s Summer 2025 season invites all to soak in that perfect mix.
A series of three free jazz concerts, Jazz at the Armory begins in May (kicking off the summer fun a little early), and gives the public a chance to experience the Armory grounds while the Pikesville Armory Foundation (PAF) continues the Armory’s multi-phase redevelopment. PAF, in partnership with Your Girl Cheryl (YGC) and YGC Productions will present the concerts, to be held on the lawn of the NCO Club building.
“It’s so exciting to bring great entertainment to northwest Baltimore again,” Cheryl Goodman of YGC told Baltimore Fishbowl. “As ‘Your Girl Cheryl’, I had great success producing an outdoor jazz series at Cylburn Arboretum a few years back and now, it’s Pikesville’s turn. And the Pikesville Armory is the perfect location.” Goodman is also the founder and director of Dance Baltimore.
These concerts are for all ages, held on three Wednesday evenings in May, June, and July. They feature Baltimore’s best jazz artists. There are food trucks on site, and local restaurants nearby available for carry-out meals to bring to the event. Attendees should bring their own chairs and/or blankets. There is plenty of free parking available.
The Pikesville Armory was built in 1903 as part of the expansion of the National Guard program and has been in military and community use since then. In 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2017, then-Governor Larry Hogan established a commission to determine the Armory’s future, which resulted in many conversations in which neighbors offered their input.
The result was a decision to redevelop the site as “a multi-use venue for recreation, arts, and other community programming,” which in turn, led to the development of the PAF. These concerts reflect the mission of providing a community venue for arts programming.
“Pikesville has lacked a live entertainment venue for years and Jazz at The Armory has been a wonderful kickoff event preparing all for the fabulous renovation that’s taking place–turning the Armory into an exciting entertainment center in the coming years,” Goodman said. “We all need a break so spending time, relaxing, midweek with friends, food trucks and phenomenal music is a perfect one.”
When the second phase of redevelopment begins in 2026, there will be added sports fields, walking paths, an event space, play spaces with public art, and historical monuments interspersed throughout the grounds. The goal is to recreate the Pikesville Armory campus into a regional hub for recreation, sports, the arts, veterans, and community gathering.
Jazz at the Armory concerts are free, though an RSVP is requested for each. The lineup is as follows:
Wednesday, May 21, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., with John Lamkin II. Please RSVP here.
Wednesday, June 18, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., with Seth Kibel. Please RSVP here.
Wednesday, July 16, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., with The Charles Funn Big Band. Please RSVP here.
The Pikesville Armory is located at 610 Reisterstown Rd. Pikesville, MD.
In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to a covered location on the same site.
