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Find free family fun at Baltimore Folklife Festival


Looking for an excuse to visit Baltimore this summer?

Look no further than the sixth annual Maryland Traditions Folklife Festival, which will bring a day of free, interactive family fun to the Creative Alliance at the Patterson June 4.

It’s a celebration of Maryland’s unique culture and traditions, including arts, music, crafts and food, according to a news release.

From noon to 8 p.m., attendees can enjoy live entertainment on two stages, watch traditional food demonstrations and participate in marbles tournaments and other cultural activities.

R&B singer Winfield Parker will headline the outdoor stage, the release said. You might remember him from his R&B, soul and gospel collaborations with artists, including Little Richard, The Temptations, James Brown, Etta James and Carla Thomas.

Other performances will include Afro-Cuban, Ethiopian and Polish dance and honky-tonk, African-American gospel, Nepali and klezmer music. Urban Artistry of Montgomery County will also organize a dance battle.

Traditional artists and craft vendors will display their wide array of works throughout the day, which include Chesapeake skipjack restoration, Globe poster printing, blacksmithing, Norwegian rosemaling, duck decoy carving, basketry and Baltimore painted screens, the release said.

Children can also participate in workshops, where they’ll learn to make piñatas and Cambodian jewelry.

The festival – presented by the Maryland State Arts Council along with the National Council for Traditional Arts and the Creative Alliance at the Patterson – will be held rain or shine at 3134 Eastern Ave., East Baltimore.

Visit www.msac.org/folklife-festival or check out the event Facebook page for parking information and the full lineup of entertainment, craft demonstrations, workshops and food.