A community festival this weekend will bring the arts back to the grassy field where a Baltimore theater once stood.
The 9th annual Love Groove Festival will return to Baltimore’s Robert C. Marshall Park on Sept. 13. The free event brings crowds together to enjoy live music, savor sizzling dishes from local small businesses, and explore artwork from the city’s own artists.
The festival location sits on the site of the historic Royal Theatre, which opened in 1922 as the Black-owned Douglass Theatre. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Pennsylvania Avenue thrived as a hub of Black culture, giving the community space to celebrate music, food, dance, and more.
“This space holds the spirit of Black Liberation,” said festival founder John Tyler in an Instagram reel. “Baltimore’s Upton neighborhood was once a thriving epicenter for Black creativity and ownership,” he said.
Only a couple years after opening, the Royal Theatre shifted from Black ownership to white ownership, amid urban renewal efforts and white flight. The theatre would remain under white ownership until 1971, when the theater was demolished.
Today, only a grass field remains. In order to reinvent and reclaim the space, Love Groove is hosted there.
Love Groove was founded in 2011 while Tyler was a junior at Baltimore Design School. It was “born from a deep appreciation for Baltimore’s diverse music scene” and influenced by Baltimore punk and rock shows.
Love Groove highlights and employs local artists of all backgrounds and aims to celebrate Black art and its diversity, as well as reshape the portrayal of Baltimore City’s art scene. Love Groove has over 50 vendors they collaborate with during the festival and also hosts community programs and events throughout the year.
Event Highlights
- The Community Ride organized by Bike Party will take place at noon at St. Mary’s Park. Cyclists will ride to Robert C. Marshall Park at 12:30 p.m.
- The Community Fun Run, organized by Runners Run will start at Robert C. Marshall Park. At 12:30 p.m., runners begin the course. Organizations like Black Men Run Baltimore, D17 Running, Black Blazers Run Club, The G.G. Run Club, and Be More Run Collective will be featured during the run.
- The 2025 Love Groove art exhibition is titled “Layers of Becoming” and features art from Rene Fisher, Catherine Rupan Mapp, Christopher “Sandman” Reaves, and Anthony “Tony The Artist” Wiggan.
- Vendors include: Unrestricted Coffee and Drinks, Dogs on the Curb, Pepper’s Pickles, Jay’s Watermelonade, She’s Got Flavas, Tee Sweetz Catering, Elevated Kitchen, Taharka Brothers Ice Cream and Stylish Bar.
- Artisans and markets include: The Vibe Room, Elephant Clover Vintage Thrift, The Movement ArtchiTecT, Flowing Pixie by Liz, The Vibes Spot, Just Keeping Advancing, Warped Vortex Art, Treehouse Ink, Jalesa Makes, SugaSweet SkinCare, ARTBYGOS, From Eden, and Grimmlockart.
- Community organizations include: Open Works, the American Red Cross, Jubilee Arts and The Hidden Genius Project.
Live Performance Schedule
- Noon – Festival officially opens; welcome remarks by John Tyler
- Noon–8 p.m. – DJ Muse (O) Fire
- 12:40–1 p.m. – Love Groove Band
- 1:10–1:25 p.m. – Twano With The Hits
- 1:40–2 p.m. – Modern Inflections
- 2:20–2:40 p.m. – Chioke
- 2:55–3:45 p.m. – Soul Sugar
- 4–4:20 p.m. – TT The Artist
- 4:25–4:40 p.m. – Citywide Goldstarz
- 4:40–5:10 p.m. – John Tyler
- 5:25–5:55 p.m. – Kennedy Ryon
- 6:10–6:55 p.m. – Serpentwithfeet
- 7–8 p.m. – DJ David
- 8 p.m.– Festival Closes
To learn more, visit lovegroovefestival.com and mark your calendars for next year’s Love Groove festival on Sept. 12, 2026.
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