HONfest celebrates 23rd birthday in grand style
Hello, Bawlmer! Saturday marked the opening for the annual HONfest happening on the Avenue (36th Street), in Hampden. Indeed, it was a glorious summer day for it.
There were a lot of “Hi, Hon” greetings shouted out along the crowded street, with some of the folks spotted wearing those wide-rimmed, cats-eye glasses. The Avenue was jumping with live music, too, with over 30 acts slated to perform over a two-day period.
HONfest is celebrating its 23rd birthday in grand style.
Of course, Denise Whiting, the controversial owner of the Hon Cafe, was seen making the rounds and (guess what?) without her beehive hairdo! She gets the credit for launching the popular event many moons ago and keeping it growing at a steady pace.
To its credit, HONfest has added new sponsors each year. Domino Sugar joined that list in 2016.
“The Boys of Hampden” had a colorful wall calendar available for purchase. There were also contests galore. One of them involved “best mustache.” I thought about entering it, but decided to pass since mine just wasn’t wide enough to compete.
There was plenty of food to eat (and beer to drink) and over 100 vendors selling their products. I tried out a delicious ham, egg and cheese crepe from “Ma Petite Shoe Cafe.” If you’re looking for a coffee, check out my fave spot at Spro’s Coffee.
A handful of artists were at work completing portraits and drawing caricatures. One of Baltimore’s most talented artists, Paul Mintz, age 83, was displaying his skills (and some of his earlier paintings) in front of Rick’s Santiago’s Art Under Ground Studio. Mr. Mintz told me he plans on being there on Sunday, too.
There are lots of fun things, too, for the kids to enjoy at HONfest. Hey, there’s even a “dunking booth” to benefit charity.
Warning! Keep an eye out for the Pink Flamingos!
To learn more, go to honfest.net
To see all of the photos, go to my Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10209597371634508.1073742175.1334685315&type=1&l=861ef24d78
Bill Hughes is an attorney, author, actor and photographer. His latest book is “Byline Baltimore.” It can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/William-Hughes/e/B00N7MGPXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1