FAMILY
KIDS IN THE GARDEN
Kids young and old can learn about gardening and the natural sciences through play at Port Discovery's new exhibit, A Garden of Gizmos, tomorrow through Sept. 4. Children can take part in hands-on activities, which teach important environmental lessons, including conservation, preservation, biodiversity and solar energy. Visitors can play at the groundhog display, watch how a garden changes in a year's span, control a fountain made of rope, dance with swaying palm trees and more.
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The exhibit opens tomorrow and runs through Sept. 4 at Port Discovery, 35 Market Place. Port Discovery is open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $10.75; free for ages younger than 2. Call 410-727-8120 or go to portdiscovery.org.
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OBSERVANCE
MEMORIAL DAY IN BALTIMORE
Join the park rangers of Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine for their distinctive Memorial Day observance. The ceremony begins with an all-night honor guard 8 p.m. Sunday until 8 a.m. Monday at Old St. Paul's Cemetery, the resting place of many notables of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, including John Eager Howard and Samuel Chase. Following the honor guard, events will continue at Fort McHenry with historic flag-raisings, readings, music and history discussions on Memorial Day. A wreath-laying ceremony at Old St. Paul's Cemetery will follow.
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The Memorial Day observance will take place Sunday and Monday at Old St. Paul's Cemetery, Redwood Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Monday at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, 2400 E. Fort Ave. Admission to Old St. Paul's is free. Admission to Fort McHenry is $7 for ages 16 and older. Admission to the fort's grounds and Visitor Center is free. Call 410-962-4290 or go to nps.gov / fomc for event times.
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CONVENTION
BALTICON NEVER SLEEPS
Calling all science-fiction fans: The 41st annual Balticon Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention begins tomorrow in Hunt Valley. This year's convention presents authors Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, artist Joe Bergeron and musicians Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff. The four-day, 24-hour-a-day festival will also offer writers' workshops, panel discussions, readings, contests, items for sale and hundreds of writers, editors, agents, publishers, artists, musicians and other sci-fi and fantasy professionals sharing their talents.
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Balticon 41 begins tomorrow at 4 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Monday at Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, 245 Shawan Road, Hunt Valley. Admission is $58 for all four days, $26 for Friday, $38 for Saturday, $33 for Sunday and $12 for Monday. Call 410-563-2737 or go to balticon.org.
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