You can move the horse race out of the city, but you can’t take the heart of the Preakness out of northwest Baltimore.
Organizers of a community festival this weekend hope to keep the spirit of Preakness alive along Park Heights Avenue, even as the annual horse racing event temporarily shifts to Laurel Park this year to make way for Pimlico Race Course’s major makeover.
“Preakness is a feeling — and it lives here,” festival organizers said in a news release.
On Saturday, Park Heights Renaissance will host its 5th annual George “Spider” Anderson Music & Arts Festival, named in honor of the first Black jockey to win the Preakness in 1889.
Kicking off at 1 p.m. on the 4800 block of Park Heights Avenue, the festival will feature live music performances by hip-hop artist Big Daddy Kane and R&B singer K. Michelle; DJ Tanz and DJ Smally spinning tunes; food trucks; local vendors; horseback rides; carnival games; a kids’ zone; a fashion competition with up to $5,000 in prizes; and more.
“The George ‘Spider’ Anderson Festival is not just an event—it’s a reclamation of narrative, a celebration of Black excellence, and a reminder that Park Heights is not just part of the story—it is the story,” organizers said.
