- Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & CultureReginald F. Lewis Museum, Baltimore, MD
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture is a resource for information about the lives and history of African American Marylanders. The Lewis Museum's mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, document, and exhibit the contributions of African American Marylanders using its collection of over 11,000 documents and objects and resources drawn from across the country.
The 82,000 square foot museum is located two blocks from Baltimore's Inner Harbor at 830 E. Pratt Street in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in 2005, the museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and was named after Reginald F. Lewis, the first African American to build a billion-dollar company, TLC Beatrice International Holdings. Starting from humble beginnings in Baltimore, in 1993 Forbes listed Lewis among the 400 richest Americans with a net worth estimated at $400 million.Permanent exhibits include "The Strength of the Mind," *"*Things Hold, Lines Connect," and "Building Maryland, Building America". Recent major exhibitions include the work of artists Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden. Other facilities include an oral history recording and listening studio, a special exhibition gallery, a 200-seat theater auditorium, a classroom, and resource center.
Saturday Hours: 10am – 5pm
Daily Admission Pass is required. The cost for an adult is $12.
Website: https://www.lewismuseum.org
Parking:
$9 validated parking is available across the street in the PMI Garage at 815 E. Pratt Street.
Bring your ticket to the museum’s main entrance to have it validated.
Free on-street parking and metered parking is also available throughout the Harbor East and Little Italy neighborhoods. - Walter Beasley in ConcertKeystone Korner Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Walter Beasley is a saxophonist, a professor of music at the Berklee College of Music, and founder of Affable Publishing and Affable Records.
Beasley grew up in El Centro, California. By the age of 13 he was singing in Spanish in a band called Los Elegantes, and he played in various bands and performed at clubs throughout middle and high school. Beasley graduated from Berklee in 1984, and a year later took a short-term teaching position at the same school, which became a permanent career. He is now a professor at the school.
In 1987, he released his first, self-titled album, and since 1998 has been one of the top ten best-selling African American saxophonists in the world. Having grown up as a fan of R&B and funk and trained in classical and jazz saxophone, his own style falls between contemporary R&B and contemporary jazz, a blend which has been called “smooth jazz”.
He is not only an alto and soprano saxophonist and a singer, but also a composer and producer. He is the founder and CEO of Affable Publishing, and the owner of Affable Records.
Tickets:
7PM Show
Premium Seating: $55 + fees and tax = $63.16Keystone Korner Website: https://www.keystonekornerbaltimore.com
I will post additional details when I purchase my ticket.
- Movie - Bad Boys: Ride or DieCinemark Towson and XD, Towson, MD
Synopsis: This Summer, the world’s favorite Bad Boys are back with their iconic mix of edge-of-your seat action and outrageous comedy but this time with a twist: Miami’s finest are now on the run.
I will be in the Reserve Level lounge area about 30 minutes before the show to get concessions. The Reserve Level features a full bar, lounge, and VIP seating in five of the auditoriums. There is a full-service kitchen, and you can either wait for your order or they will deliver to your seat. A medium sized popcorn comes with the Reserve Level ticket.
Selected show time to be added at a future date.
Movie Trailer:
BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE – Official Trailer (HD) (youtube.com)♪♪
Inner Circle- Bad Boys (youtube.com)Parking:
Park in the garage attached to Cinemark. Drive up to level three which has the entrance to the theater. Cinemark has parking validation and pay stations in the theater for a discount on the parking fee. - FYI - 31st Annual Capital Jazz FestMerriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Held each year during Black Music Month since 1993, the Capital Jazz Fest is one of the premier black music events in the country, featuring over 30 acts over three days. The Pavilion Stage features contemporary jazz, while the Symphony Woods Stage (dark on Friday) features R&B/soul music from the old-school and the new!
I am posting this event as an FYI as it might be difficult to schedule as an official meetup due to everyone’s preference for the different seating options. I definitely plan to attend the Capital Jazz Fest in 2024.
Three seating options:
Pavilion (most expensive option)
Lawn (directly behind the pavilion)
Lawn seating throughout the groundsTickets go on sale at 10am on 3/23/24.
Doors open at 10am with the show starting at 12 noon.
See talent line up flyer in the Photos section.
I have attended the Capital Jazz Fest most years for the past two decades. I have sat in all three seating options over the years and have now settled on pavilion seating for the past several years. There are benefits to all three seating options; however, the event is held rain or shine, and the pavilion provides cover in the event of heavy rains or brutally hot sun.
I paid $169 for each day (total of $338 for Saturday and Sunday) for pavilion seating in 2023. I would plan on at least that much for 2024 if anyone is interested in pavilion seating.
Website: www.capitaljazz.com/fest/2024
- FYI - 31st Annual Capital Jazz FestMerriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Held each year during Black Music Month since 1993, the Capital Jazz Fest is one of the premier black music events in the country, featuring over 30 acts over three days. The Pavilion Stage features contemporary jazz, while the Symphony Woods Stage (dark on Friday) features R&B/soul music from the old-school and the new!
I am posting this event as an FYI as it might be difficult to schedule as an official meetup due to everyone’s preference for the different seating options. I definitely plan to attend the Capital Jazz Fest in 2024.
Three seating options:
Pavilion (most expensive option)
Lawn (directly behind the pavilion)
Lawn seating throughout the groundsTickets go on sale at 10am on 3/23/24.
Doors open at 10am with the show starting at 12 noon.
See talent line up flyer in the Photos section.
I have attended the Capital Jazz Fest most years for the past two decades. I have sat in all three seating options over the years and have now settled on pavilion seating for the past several years. There are benefits to all three seating options; however, the event is held rain or shine, and the pavilion provides cover in the event of heavy rains or brutally hot sun.
I paid $169 for each day (total of $338 for Saturday and Sunday) for pavilion seating in 2023. I would plan on at least that much for 2024 if anyone is interested in pavilion seating.
Website: www.capitaljazz.com/fest/2024
- Evening of All You Can Eat CrabsCaptain James Crabhouse, Baltimore, MD
First outing for all you can eat crabs for 2024!
Captain James Crab House has all you can eat steamed crabs on Mondays through Thursdays for $43.95/person. Captain James Crab House has both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is right on the water and is perfect on a warm summer night.
Monday – Thursday Hours: 4pm – 10pm
Website: www.captainjameslanding.com
Note: The date may change if the weather calls for rain. It's nice to sit on the outdoor deck and if there is rain in the forecast, an alternate date will be selected when there is better weather.
- HersheyparkHersheypark, Hershey, PA
Anyone up for a visit to an amusement park? I have been comparing two parks that are close to the Balt/Wash area, Six Flags America and Hershey Park, and overall Hersheypark has a bit more to offer. However, Six Flags America may still make an appearance on the meetup group calendar before Summer 2024 ends. Feel free to bring kids/grandkids to enjoy the day.
Hersheypark was founded in 1906 by Milton S. Hershey as a leisure park for the employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company. It is wholly and privately owned by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. As of 2020, the park covers over 121 acres.
Things to Do at Hersheypark:
76 rides and attractions
ZooAmerica
Boardwalk at Hersheypark waterpark
Hershey’s Chocolate WorldTicket Prices and Hours:
Summer 2024 ticket prices and hours are not yet posted. The event page will be updated when this information is available. Various packages are typically offered that include meal plans for the day, fast track ticketing to avoid long lines, and cabanas at the waterpark.Hersheypark website: www.hersheypark.com
Members can either drive up for the day or chose to stay one or two nights at one of the nearby hotels. I am planning to drive up Friday night in order to be at the park when it opens Saturday morning. It will be a packed day with so many things to do as noted above. That will be quite a full day and I may stay overnight Saturday, as well. I will make a decision on that in the near future.
There are many hotels/motels within a 5 mile or less radius from Hersheypark. Below are just a few examples per Expedia website: www.expedia.com
Days Inn by Wyndham Hershey
Escape Inn Hershey
Inn at Chocolate Ave, SureStay Collection by Best Western
Rodeway Inn & Suites
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Harrisburg-HersheyMore details to follow at a later date.
- TopgolfTopgolf, Baltimore, MD
Topgolf Baltimore is the premier entertainment destination in Baltimore, MD. Enjoy the climate-controlled hitting bays for year-round comfort with HDTVs in every bay and throughout the sports bar and restaurant. Using the complimentary clubs or your own, take aim at the giant outfield targets and the high-tech balls will score themselves.
Each bay is priced by the hour. The cost of a bay on weekends from opening - 12 noon is currently $40/hour per bay, plus a $5 one-time member fee for each new player (As of 3/11/24). Up to 6 players can be in a bay and play. Only one person can be hitting at one time. We can select to have food and beverage in the bay while playing or eat after the game. Walk-ins are welcome and are subject to wait times which may be around 15 minutes.
Cost for 6 people:
2 Hours of Playing Time: $40/hour + $5 new member fees for 6 people = $110.6 attendees = $18.33/person
5 attendees = $22.00/person
3 attendees = $36.67/person
Hopefully we can get a group of 6 attendees for cheaper pricing per person.Please bring cash to cover the cost of golf and food.
We can meet at 10:30am for a 11am play time.
Website: https://topgolf.com/us/baltimore/
- Happy Hour/DinnerHyatt Place National Harbor, MD, National Harbor, MD
Get a start to the July 4th weekend with a nice Happy Hour!
Happy Hour: Mondays - Fridays - 4pm - 7pm
Website: Bar Harbor | Oxon Hill (barharbornationalharbor.com)
Parking:
Fleet Street Garage
150 Potomac Passage
Oxon Hill, MD 20745
0 - 1.5 Hours - $5
1.5 - 3 Hours - $15
3 - 6 Hours - $20