Soulstice music festival marks end of Sandlot Baltimore

So long, Sandlot Baltimore.

After five years of operation, the temporary “beach bar” at Harbor Point will cease the bulk of its activities after Sunday.

Developers who control the land say Sandlot is closing to make way for construction of a new global headquarters for T. Rowe Price and a 4.5-acre public green space called Point Park.

According to Chris Seiler, director of marketing and communications for Beatty Development Group, the lead developer of Harbor Point, Sandlot’s last big event will be Soulstice Baltimore, a music festival on Sept. 5. The event is free but reservations are required at https://www.soulsticebmore.com/

After that, Seiler said, “the site closes for regular service, regular events and no more bookings.” One exception, he said, is that Volo City, a coed sports league, will be finishing its sand volleyball season through September and into early October.

The very last event at Sandlot before the developers start taking it apart, he said, will be Feastival Baltimore, a food and drink tasting event that runs from 1-4 p.m. on Oct. 10 and supports the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Information is available at https://www.feastivalbaltimore.com/

Located at 1000 Wills Street, Sandlot Baltimore is a privately-owned business created by Beatty and Foodshed LLC, the team behind Woodberry Kitchen. The idea was to create a bar, restaurant and “beach hangout” to draw people to the waterfront.

Opened in June 2017, the seasonal venue included volleyball and bocce courts, a play area for children, an Airstream trailer, outdoor furniture and lots of sand. It was always meant to be a temporary use for the land, until plans could be firmed up for its permanent redevelopment.

Construction work on the 450,000-square-foot T. Rowe Price headquarters and Point Park is expected to begin this fall and be complete by the end of 2024. The developers say there may be periods when parts of the waterfront promenade at Harbor Point are closed to accommodate construction but the intent is to “minimize the impact.”

Although Sandlot is coming to an end, Beatty team members are talking with Foodshed’s Spike Gjerde and Corey Polyoka about possible ways to keep the spirit of Sandlot alive at Harbor Point, Seiler said.

“We are discussing ideas for more collaboration in the future,” he said. “We’re going to keep some of the pieces on site for the time being, but some of them will be taken off site and repurposed elsewhere.”