Dressed in a ruffled hair net, neon pink slippers, and a green floral muumuu, Julia Hidary was the quintessential hon.
The 98-year-old Pikesville resident didn't let the fact that she uses a wheelchair get in the way of showing the younger generation of hons how to do it.
"She adorable," said Emma Ur, a 14-year-old from Columbia who posed with Hidary shortly after the Best Hon competition. "I felt honored to stand next to her."
Hampden was overrun by sky-scraping beehive hairdos, neon-colored feather boas, vibrant dresses and tacky housecoats this weekend at Honfest, a festival that celebrates the fashion and culture of Baltimore during the '60s. The event has blossomed from a one-day neighborhood gathering out of the back of Cafe Hon to a three-day event that encompasses the entire Avenue in Hampden and now spills into nearby Roosevelt Park. Honfest is touted as one of the largest in the city.
"I feel very blessed and honored to be an ambassador for Baltimore and show people from other cities, and countries what a beautiful town we come from," said Denise Whiting, founder of the event and owner of Cafe Hon and Hon Bar. "I'm honored to say I was born here. And I love Baltimore, Hon."
Next year, Whiting wants to contact the Guinness Book of World Records to attempt to get the festival recognized for its large gathering of hons or number of people wearing beehive hairdos.
The festival, which started off with a concert Friday night and encompassed all day Saturday and Sunday, was expected to draw 65,000 people. One of the biggest highlights was the annual Best Hon competition, where contestants attempt to dress as the most authentic hon.
Hidary was proof that you can be a hon at any age.
"I felt very good," Hidary said in a soft whisper.
Dena Keplinger, Hidary's self-proclaimed "BFF" [best friend forever], said the memory of watching Hidary on stage for the Best Hon competition made her an automatic winner.
"The greatest gift is a memory," she said as the two headed into the sea of attendees in search of a soda.
Mary Ellen Wade, a New Jersey transplant who has lived in Baltimore for a little more than two years, was named Best Hon at this year's festival. The 29-year-old pieced together a yellow MOD-style dress, a leopard scarf, oversized white sunglasses, white gloves and a fitted black jacket to win the competition.
"I just love everything about Hampden, hon," said Wade, who works as a residence hall supervisor at Loyola University. "It seemed like a lot of fun. It pulled me out of my shell. I knew I wanted to enter."
Beth Pardoe, who works as Whiting's personal assistant, loves the energy and the enthusiasm of the Honfest attendees.
"The people are so genuine," she said. "It's good clean fun. Everyone who lives here has a mom or grandma who is a hon."
The festival has brought its share of critics, including Baltimore filmmaker John Waters, who criticized the festival and the overuse of the hon image. He also said the city should not support the festival. In addition, he said he wouldn't use the word or the image in any of his future scripts. Waters eventually apologized to Whiting for the remarks, according to Pardoe.
"I think they spout out things," Pardoe said. "Why they would bring negativity to something so positive is beyond me. It brings money and people to the city."