Baltimore's St Patrick's Day Parade
March
Check website for parade route
Website: www.irishparade.net

Preakness Celebrations
May
The city's famous Preakness Derby is held at Pimlico Race Course. Meanwhile, parades, concerts and high-jinx (the Crab Derby at Lexington Market) take place city-wide. Balloon rides organised as part of the fun.
Website: www.pimlico.com

Balticon
May
The Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention celebrates all that is weird and wonderful in the world of Sci-Fi.
Check website for location
Website: www.balticon.org

Latino Fest
June
Celebrating Latino music, dance and cuisine in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Patterson Park
Website: www.latinofest.org

Harborplace and Gallery Summer Concert Series
May-August
Weekend concerts throughout warm months: everything from rock, reggae and salsa to blues, jazz and swing.
Harborplace Amphitheatre
Website: www.harborplace.com

Artscape Festival
July
Live musical performances in every genre on four outdoor stages. Also, dance, theatre, fashion and film events.
Mount Royal Avenue
Website: www.artscape.org

Maryland State Fair
August-September
Originally just a farmers' market but now includes horse and livestock shows, hundreds of stalls and a massive fun fair.
Maryland State Fairground, Timonium
Website: www.marylandstatefair.com

Annual Chocolate Festival
October
Baltimore's finest chocolatiers fulfil your wildest choccy dreams. Hilarious chocolate eating contests, live music and cooking demonstrations.
Lexington Market
Website: www.lexingtonmarket.com/annual.html

Baltimore's Great Halloween Lantern Parade
October
Ghostly procession that ends with a shadow puppet drama set to eerie, live music, projected on a huge screen.
Patterson Park
Website: www.creativealliance.org

Lighted Boat Parade
December
Multitudes of boats festooned with Christmas decorations and lights, glinting in the dark - tacky but heart-warming; prizes for the glitziest entries.
From Inner Harbor to Fells Point