This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend two of Baltimore’s top events; the Baltimore Marathon and Federal Hill Wine Festival. Both events had large crowds and really showcased Baltimore’s heritage. Participation in either event required tickets or advanced registration, however, spectators were allowed to observe freely. I saw familiar faces at both events and got to meet some new people as well.
The Baltimore Running Festival is an annual event that occurs each October in downtown Baltimore. Now in its 10th year of existence, the running festival has become a premier race designation due to the difficulty of the course and the size of the race prizes. The running festival consisted of four main races: the marathon, half marathon, 4 person marathon relay, and the 5K. Every year most of the races sell out, with the half marathon being the most popular race to run.
This year was the first since 2007 that I didn’t run a race in the festival. In 2007 and 2008 I ran a 5K and in 2009 I ran the half marathon. However, cheering on my roommate Jules in her first 5K race allowed me to experience the festival as an observer, which I hadn’t done before. It was cool to observe the diverse groups of people that came out to support the runners all over the city, whether they knew someone in the race or not. My roommate Jules did very well in her first 5K, finishing 5 minutes under her normal time.
On Sunday I got to attend the Federal Hill Wine Festival. This is also an annual event that happens each October. The wine festival brings wine makers from across the nation to promote their wines, some of which are sold locally. For the wines that aren’t sold in Baltimore, the wine festival allows for some one on one market research. While every booth is staffed by volunteers, if you are lucky you could run into a CEO of a winery. Overall, the wines I was able to sample were great with the wine brand Roundhouse taking the top spot.
If you ever get a chance to attend either of these events, I am sure you won’t be disappointed. It’s a great way to experience the best part of Baltimore- the local community.
Related Articles
- Maryland Wine Events in This Weekend (cellarblog.org)
- Baltimore Marathon: David Rutoh Takes Men’s Race in 2:13.11 (bleacherreport.com)
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