Flower Mart’s second day opens under cloudy skies
BALTIMORE — The Flower Mart at Mount Vernon Place again featured live performances on a stage just south of the Washington Monument, It also put on some fun-filled contests especially suited for the kids.
Even though it was cloudy almost the whole day, the rain, mercifully, held off.
It did my heart good to see so many of the little folks in attendance, some pushed in baby carriages, some ambling with their favorite pet – the family dog – tagging along.
There were, of course, a wide array of flowers, and mini-gardens to enjoy, along with colorful pennants flying high in the square, and plenty of flowers, hats, and art to buy. It also had two food courts set up along Charles Street.
The music this year was provided early in the afternoon by a small group of about six vocalists. Later, that tent where they were performing turned into a lounge with specialty cocktails for the festival goers to enjoy, along with the music.
The Flower Mart again came through with plenty of traditional family-friendly favorites, such as lemon peppermint sticks for sale, “as well as a pet parade and a dog show.” Of course, there was plenty of kinds of ice cream for purchase and a hat contest tossed in for good measure.
The colorful Flower Mart traces its origins in Baltimore City, with a few interruptions, back to the year 1911. According to local tradition, it was the first of its kind in the nation.
According to a program note, the Flower Mart is “presented by the Mount Vernon Place Conservatory. Its purpose is the manage the George Washington Monument and the squares of Mount Vernon Place.”
The annual two day festival is set up to celebrate the arrival of Spring and to promote “the greening of Baltimore.” On both counts, it succeeded again this year. One of the old timers at the festival told me: “The city has never looked greener.”
Well, it’s clear the neighborhoods, and parks, too, (Latrobe Park is Exhibit A), are busting out in a gorgeous green around the city, and another big plus, the Mother of all Green Spaces, “Sherwood Gardens,” is having a banner year.
Finally – and this was a first! I didn’t see any local politicos making the rounds on or about the premises! Also, I couldn’t help but notice: anybody was complaining about it either!
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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