Page 24 - Baltimore County Quality of Life Guide and Business Directory
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FARMERS’ MARKETS OFFER FRESH, LOCAL PRODUCE AND OTHER GOODIES
The crown jewel of Baltimore County farmers’ markets is a countywide event held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium every Wednesday, June to and vegetables at the market, as well as meats, milk, ice cream, chocolate, pet treats, baked goods and more. In addition, the County’s communities get together for weekly events throughout the year:
Towson: This weekly market includes fresh vegetables and and shrubs, baked goods, coffee and more. The market runs on Thursdays, mid-June through mid-November. Towson’s Shops
at Kenilworth also play host to a farmer’s market, held on Tuesdays.
Reisterstown: A weekly farmers’ market at Franklin Middle School takes place on Sundays, June through September.
Pikesville: This weekly market runs Tuesdays, May through October.
Randallstown: The Randallstown market runs on Wednesdays, June through October.
Catonsville: Catonsville boasts two markets — one running Wednesdays at The Christian Temple and one on Sundays on Frederick Road.
White Marsh: The Avenue at White Marsh hosts a weekly market on Fridays, June through October, selling everything from honey to fresh vegetables and fruit.
Hunt Valley Towne Centre offers a similar outdoor experience, with stores, movies and restaurants.
Local shops invite browsing, too, whether it’s a tack shop offering horse-inspired art, an antiques store or a boutique
filled with scarves, sweaters and purses. The “downtowns” of Reisterstown, Catonsville, Towson, Cockeysville, Pikesville and Phoenix (also called Jacksonville by the locals) are some of the destinations where you’ll find unique items in locally owned shops.
Dining
Dine on ethnic cuisine from Irish to Indian, or order fresh rockfish in season at a waterfront café. Join the debate about who has the best crab cakes, finish your day with a glass of wine from one of Baltimore County’s wineries, or toast your good fortune with a locally produced microbrew.
Speaking of brews, a major new destination in the County is the Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House in Halethorpe, the first Guinness brewery on U.S. soil since the 1950s. Try small-scale exclusive brews and tour the facility to learn about Guinness’ storied history.
A Towson staple, Cunningham’s grows its own ingredients just 15 minutes north of the restaurant at Cunningham Farms. Those ingredients are then transformed into a variety of delicious dishes that range from prime rib all the way to chicken and waffles or scallop and mushroom risotto.
Looking for authentic Italian? You can’t go wrong with Ristorante Firenze in Reisterstown. Pizza and pasta are complemented by sophisticated chicken, veal and seafood dishes, all served in a
comfortable, stylish atmosphere.
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar, with locations in Parkville, Cockeysville and Glen Burnie, is rightly famous for its crab cakes. In fact, they have been among Oprah’s “Favorite Things,” were voted “Best Crab Cake in Baltimore” by Baltimore Business Journal readers in 2017 and they have made Baltimore magazine’s list of best crab cakes for several years.
Visual Arts
Juried art, sculpture and multimedia shows are provided courtesy of the Towson Arts Collective and Northern Baltimore County Art Foundation.
University galleries are an integral part
of the arts community. The Asian Arts & Culture Center gallery at Towson University holds approximately 1,000 works of classic and contemporary art. In addition, the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County has a reputation as one of the principal art galleries in the region.
Wine Trail
Among the vineyards featured along the Piedmont Wine Trail are several Baltimore County locations known as much for their beautiful settings as for their delicious handcrafted wines. Boordy Vineyards, Maryland’s oldest winery, was established in 1945 and has a 19th-century fieldstone barn as its centerpiece.
Other members on the wine trail include Royal Rabbit Vineyards in Parkton, Basignani Winery in Sparks and DeJon Vineyards, one of Boordy’s neighbors in Hydes. Most vineyards offer wine tastings, tours and special events.
BALTIMORE COUNTY
RESTAURANT WEEK
Each January and August, restaurants throughout the county band together to offer special deals on their menu items. Each of the events lasts for
16 days and features dozens of participating restaurants. Diners have the option of sampling multicourse menus for brunch, lunch and dinner,
22 Quality of Life Guide and Business Directory
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ARTS & LEISURE
