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Upcoming Events
FREE YOGA in the WEST PARK every Saturday
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Starting this Saturday June 4th through September 10th
Bring your own mat and a water bottle!
Sponsored by the Merritt Athletic Clubs
FREE MOVIES in the WEST PARK at 8:30 pm
July 6th The Blind Side
July 20th The King’s Speech
August 3rd Secretariat
August 17th The Tourist
FREE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES in the WEST PARK
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
June 29th: J. Scott Matejicka: Spanish Classsical Guitarist
July 13th: Mary Matthews & Meslissa Wertheimer: The Dahlia Flute Duo
July 27th: Blake Meister’s Jazz Ensemble
August 10th: Blake Meister’s Jazz Ensemble
August 24th: Sarah McKittrick Sethi & The Trio A’venture
The Friends of Mount Vernon Place and the Mount Vernon Place Conservancy are grateful for the support of the above programs provided by: Merritt Athletic Clubs, Agora, Mount Vernon Club, Wyndham Peabody Court Hotel, The Walters, Stafford Apartments and an Anonymous Donor.
Past Events
Flower Mart Lemon Stick Stand
Once again, the Friends of Mount Vernon Place volunteers had fun assembling and selling “Lemon Sticks” which are made by gently placing a gourmet peppermint stick into half of a large, juicy lemon. It’s indescribably delicious and a true Baltimore tradition!
The Mount Vernon Neighborhood is featured on The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Tour
Nine of the most prestigious Mount Vernon properties were opened to the public during the 74th annual Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Tour in May. A gourmet Maryland lunch was served outside in the garden at Feast @ 4 East, located in the 4 East Madison Inn. All of the proceeds from the Mount Vernon tour will be used to maintain and beautify the four parks surrounding the Washington Monument in Mount Vernon.
Park Clean-Up Days
March 19th , April 10th , and May 21st , 2011
Mount Vernon Place volunteers rallied to spruce up the parks for summer! Under the direction of the Master Gardeners, the knock out rose bushes were pruned, the shrubbery trimmed and annuals planted. The large bed in the North Park was planted in a beautiful Parisian style this year.
Presentation and Book Signing by Margaret Haviland Stansbury, author of "GLASS HOUSE OF DREAMS: BALTIMORE’S HISTORIC GLASS PALACE IN THE PARK"
March 24, 2011 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
It was a delightful evening as Peggy Stansbury shared with us how she came to spearhead the six year, $5 million dollar renovation of the Conservatory in Druid Hill Park. She founded the Baltimore Conservatory Association in 1977, and partnered with the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks and the state of Maryland to coordinate the restoration of this unique Baltimore treasure. The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore is the second oldest glass conservatory in the United States that is still standing. The book contains a collection of orginal lithographic postcards through which the history of the Conservatory unfolas well as an extensive portfolio of photographs and images of the property itself and the beautiful plants within.
Baltimore Book Festival
September 24th to the 26th
The Friends of Mount Vernon Place and the Mount Vernon Conservancy shared a booth this year. Volunteers from both organizations staffed the booth and had information on hand to distribute about the parks and the Conservancy’s restoration plan. The Friends also handed out free bookmarks that were designed by our board member, Taylor Hubbard. Additionally, we sold gently used books that the proceeds were used to buy bulbs for the parks.
Planting Bulbs in the parks
Volunteers planted over 3600 bulbs in the four parks this past fall. We are all looking forward to seeing them pop up in the spring!
Halloween Spooktacular
The Friends of Mount Vernon Place in conjunction with the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, once again hosted a wonderful Halloween Spooktacular! It was a huge success!
2010 Summer Entertainment
The Friends of Mount Vernon Place was proud to present four movies this summer: Mamma Mia!, Where the Wild Things Are (sponsored by Agora Publishing), Julie and Julia (sponsored by City Café) and Alice in Wonderland. People brought their lawn chairs and blankets, and settled in to watch the movies that were projected onto a large inflatable screen in the West Park. We also enjoyed Wednesday evening musical interludes from Peabody students: Mary Wertheimer on flute, Domenica Romogni on cello, and Sven Rainey on classical guitar. Lastly, The Merritt Athletic Clubs sponsored free weekly yoga classes on Saturday mornings in the West Park, and provided us with a wonderful instructor, Jude Asher, who did a wonderful job of keeping the class fun and challenging for all levels. We’re looking forward to an even more extensive program next summer!
Holly Tour Remembrance 2009
The Friends of Mount Vernon Place has enjoyed sponsoring the Holly Tour over the past several years as well as the community’s support of this wonderful tradition. For the HOLLY TOUR REMEMBRANCE 2009, we hosted a cocktail reception at the historic MOUNT VERNON CLUB. Attendees enjoyed cocktails, holiday music and light fare as they reminisced and leisurely viewed a private collection of photographs from previousy Holly Tours.
Planting Bulbs in the parks
November 7th
Volunteers met in the East Park from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon for a day of planting and refreshments.
Halloween Spooktacular
The Friends of Mount Vernon Place Volunteers, in conjunction with the United Methodist Church, The Mount Belvedere Association and the Mount Vernon Children’s Park hosted a wonderful Halloween Spooktacular, complete with a Haunted House, games and activities, spooky storytelling and a “Trick or Treat walk “ through the North Park where we handed out “grow your own pumpkin” kits and a hand drawing of the park with hidden pictures for the kids to color (done by our member Barbara Gilbert) . The kids then proceeded up to the merchants on Charles Street that happily filled their bags with candies and treats. It was a huge success and fun was had by everyone! We’re looking forward to an even bigger Halloween Spooktacular next year!!
Baltimore Book Festival
September 25th to the 27th
Following tradition, the Friends of Mount Vernon Place had its own booth where we sold gently used books for $ 1 or $ 2 each with the proceeds being used to buy bulbs for the parks. Volunteers staffed the booth all weekend long and enjoyed meeting and talking to people about the parks, and our role in maintaining and conserving them for everyone to enjoy. We also handed out free bookmarks that our member, Taylor Hubbard, designed.
Weeding in the Parks
September 19th 9:00 am to 12:00 Noon
Several volunteers have gathered on multiple days to weed the parks and plant over 2400 flower bulbs that will bloom in the spring. on a gorgeous, sunny day. The goal was to have the parks looking in tip top shape for the upcoming Book Festival. One of our board members generously donated significant landscaping services including additional plantings, mulching, etc. to beautify the parks for all to enjoy.
Summer Movies in the East Park 2009
Friends of Mount Vernon Place was proud to present two movies this summer, Hairspray and Age of Innocence. The movies were projected onto a large inflatable screen in the East Park, as we all sat around the fountain enjoying the entertainment. It was a lovely way to spend a summer evening!
Qigong in the West Park
July 18th (Saturday) at 10:00 am: Sometimes referred to as “Chinese Yoga”, Qigong is the relaxing and enjoyable practice of using gentle and slow movements to relieve stress, clear the mind, and balance the body. All movements are done from a standing position, so mats are not necessary. This is an introductory level class and was appropriate for all ages and fitness levels.
The class instructor is Matt Hayat, Ph.D., MMQ Matt Hayat has been training in the Eastern Arts for 20 years and is Senior Instructor in Kiaido International. He holds a Master’s Degree in Medical Qigong Therapy (MMQ), Ph.D. in Biostatistics, and Master Black Belt Rank in the Martial Arts. He has a private practice treating clients with Chinese Medicine and is authorized by Dr. Park to teach Kiaido. He can be contacted by phone at 301-437-4966, email at martialsigning@gmail.com or through his website at www.martialsigning.com
Holly Tour 2008
presented by Monumental Life Insurance Company
The Friends of Mt Vernon Place Holly Tour 2008 show cased the architectural treasures located in the northern part of our Mount Vernon neighborhood, including the Monumental Life Building. The Tour also featured 13 unique properties, including empire style residences built in the 1800’s, one of which houses a collection of replica jewelry worn by the Duchess of Windsor in the 1930’s. The Duchess, formerly the Baltimorean Wallace Warfield Simpson, lived on Biddle Street for several years during her romance with the Prince of Whales.