The first weekend of May is packed with spring festivities, and while rain is in the forecast, Baltimoreans looking for a fun activity have plenty of options.
In that spirit, we’ve pulled together a list of six events happening this weekend — and a corresponding drink we think might pair well with each. Cheers, Baltimore!
A lemon stick at Flower Mart
There is no spring tradition quite like Flower Mart, the historic Mount Vernon festival of flowers, and no drink more perfect to sip as you walk around smelling the roses than the lemon stick.
The non-alcoholic “quasi-popsicle,” as Sun reporter Hallie Miller calls it, “consists of a peppermint stick wedged inside half of a lemon.”
The festival, which also includes vendors, workshops, lectures and other family-friendly activities, runs Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Mount Vernon Place.
A hand-crafted cocktail at the Lord Baltimore Skybar *after* the Tattoo Arts Convention
The 12th Annual Baltimore Tattoo Arts Convention this weekend will bring 900 tattoo artists to the Baltimore Convention Center downtown, where attendees can get inked up on site and meet celebrities from “Black Ink” and “Tattoo Nightmares.”
The event will feature food vendors — including crab cakes — and Convention Center concessions. But drinking and tattoos are a recipe for disaster, so the best move might be to head over afterward to the Lord Baltimore Hotel, whose Skybar — one of the only rooftop bars in the city — just opened for the season.
The Skybar on the 19th floor serves up hand-crafted cocktails and a menu of light bites. The tattoo convention hours are Friday 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets to the convention cost $20 per day or $40 for a three-day pass. Children under 12 are free.
A mint julep during the Kentucky Derby
Sugar. Water. Mint. Cracked — not cubed or crushed — ice. Bourbon.
We’ll defer to The Sun’s resident expert on this one. Here’s John McIntyre’s recipe for crafting the perfect mint julep on Derby Day.
Did you know, Maryland has a claim on mint juleps?
The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby is Saturday at 6:50 p.m., airing on NBC.