You may know the SOWEBO Arts and Musical Festival from the Black Cherry Puppet Theater puppet parade, the paint-your-own signs or perhaps the musical performances in the Hollins Market neighborhood.
For more than four decades, residents have known to mark their calendars for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend for what has become the unofficial start to the Baltimore summer festival series.
But in 2025, Baltimore City’s largest free arts festival, Artscape, will be held for the first time on Memorial Day weekend — leaving SOWEBO Fest organizers wondering what that means for them.
The festival “was originally started by artists so that they could showcase their wares and perform for people,” explained Laura Dykes, president of the Hollins Roundhouse Neighborhood Association.
Dykes says they received no warning from the city about the Artscape change. She called it “disappointing.”
The volunteer-run event tries to keep fees minimal to allow for artists who are new, or running on smaller margins, to participate.
“We have a lot of small-time vendors who won't necessarily be able to afford those fees of Artscape, and we have a lot of vendors who come back year after year and depend on our festival,” she said.
During a Monday morning press announcement for the new festival dates, Mayor Brandon Scott said, “Don't plan anything on any of the days that we just laid out, because those permits will not be approved.”
Of course, that was difficult news for Dykes to hear who learned that her event could be in jeopardy from an email sent by WYPR.
In a follow-up statement to WYPR, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office wrote, "We are actively working with the planners for all legacy events that conflict with the City's major festivals to ensure that we are able to provide the support they require to make their events successful."
Dykes then told WYPR that the mayor’s office contacted SOWEBO Fest organizers Monday night instructing them to continue with their regular permit application and that SOWEBO would still be approved for their regular Memorial Day Sunday date.
There’s now a lot to consider for southwest Baltimore’s biggest neighborhood party. Dykes says organizers have a meeting later this week to discuss whether they’ll go ahead with things as they’ve been done or discuss other options.
“We’re all volunteers, we take time off our jobs to keep this festival going,” she said.
Michael Lamason, director of the Black Cherry Puppet Theatre — a long time SOWEBO Fest participant — is more upbeat.
“Frankly, the SOWEBO festival has a 35 year history of success,” said Lamason. “We’re not going to step down just because there's another festival during the day.”
Lamason, who is not a formal organizer of the festival, recalls that SOWEBO started out as a partial protest to Artscape decades ago. SOWEBO was organized by artists “as a celebration of urban and arts and culture” who felt that at the time, they weren’t wanted at Artscape, he said.
While he thinks there is room for both festivals he said it does feel like “one more instance of the city not really paying attention to other arts activities going on.”
Whatever happens, he thinks there’s room for both festivals to run that weekend.
“Next year Artscape may or may not happen — or it may change dates — so why should we change?” he asked.
