books and pastries

the highlight of last weekend for me was going to hoehn's bakery in highlandtown and enjoying some of their fatteningly delicious pastries (i tried a marshmallow-filled, chocolate-covered donut for 70 cents!!) in patterson park (where we randomly stumbled upon a great flea market, which was also just fantastic). hoehn's is a family-owned bakery that has been in operation in highlandtown since 1927. definitely a must-see for the sweet teeth of baltimore!!




so...coming up this weekend (september 26-27) is the great baltimore book festival. whether hearing authors, buying books or people-watching, you're in for a good time! there's also the greater lauraville fair in heinz park. i'd like to go because i am not at all familiar with this area. the fair features food, drinks, kids stuff and live music.

coming next weekend (october 2-3) is grundlehammer, a premiere of the baltimore rock opera society. the minds behind this-- some of whom went to goucher!-- have been working on it for years. should be really absurd and terrific!

also coming up in october (7-11) is the autumn glory festival. it will be the 42nd annual of everything harvest in western maryland. i went last year and was beside myself with all the craziness. besides the memorable gospel puppet show, the tri-state parade, a living history tour of the county court house, a glass blowing exhibit, a quilt show, farmer's market, history museum and clogging performance, i got a sense of the area by camping in the gorgeous deep creek state park. i was so impressed with what western maryland had to offer-- the foliage was gorgeous, the people were so friendly, and there was a hugely different pace of life. the four-hour drive was long but pretty, and a stop in the oddly empty town of cumberland was great. i would really, really recommend making a trip to see autumn glory!! if that's not possible, however, you can check the state's foliage hotline to find out the scoop on fall's most interesting feature (i LOVE the fact that the state has this): 1-800-LEAVES-1.

planning ahead to the end of october-- i am really looking forward to the 10th annual great halloween lantern parade in patterson park!! a wonderful collaboration between the nana projects, the creative alliance and the communities of highlandtown, it is a mighty sight to behold. you can build your own lantern at workshops throughout the month and then walk in the parade, or just come to take in this otherworldly spectacle. it takes place on oct. 28, the same night as "thrill the world." thrill the world is a global michael jackson tribute that aims to break the world record for largest number of people doing the same dance. baltimore's will take place at 8:30 pm at harborplace.

also, don't forget about $1 orioles tickets. you have to buy them online and thus accrue some service charges, but all in all a night at camden yards is worth the $4!!


will cozy fall nights ever come to this humid place?