Events

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 will be hosting a very special cocktail reception at the historic MOUNT VERNON CLUB on December Sixteenth from six o’clock ‘till eight o’clock. Please join us for cocktails, holiday music and light fare as you reminisce and leisurely view photographs of Holly Tours past from a private collection. Admission is $35 and proceeds will be used to maintain the Mount Vernon Place Parks until the newly established Conservancy assumes this role. Cocktail attire is requested and there will be a cash bar. Happy Holidays and we hope to see you on December Sixteenth at the historic Mount Vernon Club!

There are four different ways to purchase tickets

• Online (details below)
• Mail (details below)
• Tickets can be purchased and picked up at the Friends of Mount Vernon Place office from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. The address is 1221 N. Calvert Street in Baltimore, MD 21202.
• Tickets can be purchased at the door. Please note that valet parking will not be available unless you have prepurchased a valet parking voucher prior to the evening of the event.

Online through PayPal using the links below. Please print a copy of the transaction and tickets will be mailed to the address on file for the credit card used.

Mail a check made out to “FRIENDS OF MOUNT VERNON PLACE “. Please be sure to include the following information

	A. Number of ticket(s) at $35 each B. Number of valet parking voucher(s) at $15 each C. Name(s) as you would like them to appear on your nametag D. Address that the tickets/vouchers should be mailed to or if they     can be picked up at the Will Call Desk if specified
	Holly Tour Remembrance 2009 1221 North Calvert Street Baltimore, MD 21202

Qigong Classes (like Chinese Yoga)

If you enjoyed the free Qigong Classes (like Chinese Yoga) that Friends of Mount Vernon Place sponsored this past summer taught by Matt Hayat Ph.D., MMQ, perhaps you’d like to join his new class starting October 1st in the nearby Mt. Washington neighborhood. The class will be held at the Baltimore Yoga Village located at 6080 Falls Road (in the back) in Baltimore, MD. 21209 The class is held on Tuesday's and Thursdays from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. The cost is $20 per class or $85 per month. Contact Matt Hayat at 301-437-4966 or MartialSigning@gmail.com for more detailed information.

Past Events

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

December 7, 2008
The Friends of Mt Vernon Place annual fundraiser the Holly Tour returns this year to was held in the northern part of the neighborhood in early December. on Sunday, December 7 from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Designed to show case the architectural treasures of Mount Vernon, the Holly Tour raises close to $20,000 each year to help with preservation and maintenance of one of Baltimore’s original urban parks. The tour which kicks off the holiday season is easily walkable and can be completed in one afternoon. Please visit our official Holly Tour site www.hollytour.com to order tickets online. Tickets may be purchased the day of the tour at registration at the Monumental Life Building at Charles and Chase Street from 10:30am until 4:00pm. The Tour featured 13 unique properties, including the Monumental Life Insurance Building in the northern part of the Mount Vernon neighborhood. Highlights included 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.

2008 Holly Tour Showcases Homes on Biddle Street

“The Street of the Duchess of Windsor”

And

Includes the First Annual Window Walk a

Festive Display of Decorated Store Fronts

 

Baltimore –This past year, the Friends of Mount Vernon Place, (the organizers of the Holly Tour), the neighborhood’s self- guided holiday house tour are expanding expanded the event to include the First Annual Window Walk during which local merchants will competed for the best decorated window display. Merchants, retailers and restaurateurs from Mt. Vernon, historic Charles Street and Midtown will unveiled their windows on November 29 to officially kick off the downtown holiday season. Judging for several categories including most creative window will occur during the House Tour Sunday, December 7.

 

Retailers interested in decorating their windows can download the application from the website www.FriendsofMountVernonPlace.org or call Window Walk Chair David Wiesand at 410-539-4440.

 

The 2008 Holly Tour features 13 unique properties including the Monumental Life Insurance Building in the north part of the Mount Vernon neighborhood.

Highlights include 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.

 

# Tickets are $50 for the Grand Tour Package offering convenient, free parking at registration, a tour of the 13 locations plus a visit to Monumental Life’s 70-year-old underground treasury vault, a festive Holly Tour cocktail reception and a special lecture on the neighborhood by Mt Vernon resident Lance Humphries, PhD.

Both Tthe Holly Tour and Window Walk is the annual were sponsored by the Friends of Mount Vernon Place, the all-volunteer group dedicated to the maintenance conservation and revitalization of the historic Mt Vernon Place Parks.