Thank you!

Sowebofest 2009 was a success - thanks to all the volunteers, neighbors, vendors and the like who drew the awesome crowd to Hollins Market. Read about the festival in the Baltimore Sun here.

Only 364 days until Sowebofest turns 25!

Represent Sowebo is a 2009 Sowebofest T-shirt!

T-shirts will be for sale at the festival.

Last year's T-shirt sold out so come early and get them while they last!

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

Just ONE more day until Sowebofest 2009!

Visit our first ever Cafe Alley - the bohemian performance schedule includes:
12:00-1:30 • Pan Majestic Steel Drum Orchestra
12:00-2:00 • Street Buskers - The Dahlia Flute Duo
1:00-4:00 • Conceptual Performance Artists The Matka Sisters
1:30 & 3:30 • A Puppet Performance by Black Cherry Puppet Theater
1:30 & 3:30 • Baltizons and Stilt walking Performers
2:00-6:00 • Street Buskers - Peter & Alex, Guitar Duets
3:00-6:00 • Conceptual Portrait Artists Theresa Colombo
4:00-6:00 • Musical Performance by 40 West
4:30-5:30 • Improvisational Marching Band, the Barrage Band Orchestra

A big THANKS to: B daily paper, Urban Discoveries Living Blog, Baltimore by hand, Charm City Craft Mafia and all our friends on Twitter for the mentions - we can't wait to see you all there!

Are you ready?

Just three days until the Hollins Market neighborhood is transformed into a Sowebohemian street fair. The weather forecast predicts it will be a warm so come join us for a day of fun in the sun!

Here are some tips for the day:
• Come hungry - sample good eats from the local restaurants and festival vendors
• Wear your dancing shoes - enjoy three stages of FREE live music all day long!
• Bring your kids and creativity - create DIY bohemian hats and capes for a kids art fashion parade
• Lend a hand - it is not too late to volunteer as a sowebohemian helper for an hour or two
• Don't forget your sunscreen!

Need directions?
The festivities will take place in the Hollins Market neighborhood - 26 S. Arlington Ave., Baltimore, MD 21223
(Corner of South Arlington Avenue and Hollins Street, between West Baltimore Street and West Pratt Street)

View Larger Map

A big THANK YOU to the Baltimore Etsy Street Team for highlighting the Sowebo festival in your blog!

Sowebo Food Vendors

Just five more days until the festivities begin!

Stop by on Sunday to sample food from some of Sowebo's great restaurants and our fabulous festival food vendors:

• Asian Grille
• Rita's Concessions
• Constantine's Greek Kitchen
• Lin-Mar Accessories
• Taste of International Food
• Always Smokin Food Vendors
• South Carolina BBQ & Catering
• Michele's Granola
• Lunch By Nature - Natural Life Cafe
• Zella's Pizzeria
• Baltimore Pho
• Charm City Cafe
• Frosty's Shaved Ice
• New Life Covenant Ministries
• The New Fayette Street Market and Deli
• Little Hollins Crabcakes
• North Station Café

P.S. Check out our Sowebo Festival ad in the City Paper's Summer Sizzler!

Sowebo Posters are online and on display

Check out the 2009 Soweboposters, a highlight of the festival featuring original art by local artists. See them in person at the venues below or view them at the online gallery here - then purchase one Soweboposter auction!

Soweboposter Show
May 16 - June 6 at:
• Sowebo Arts Gallery @ Zellas Pizzeria (Map)
• Sweet Tooth Dessert Shop (Map)
• The Charles Theater (Map)

Soweboposter Auction
June 7, Preview art from 2 - 4 p.m. Auction begins at 4 p.m. at:
University of Maryland Biopark, Building #2 (Ground floor) (Map)
With special guest auctioneer Sam Gallant

Don't forget: there is still time to submit your own Soweboposter - please return posters to the location you got them from. The final deadline for the auction is June 5th!

Sowebo Street Art for all ages!

Join us one week from today for some sowebohemian arts & crafts, food, tunes and street art including:

• I’d Rather Be Sail Painting - A communal painting tsunami of sea worthy proportions. Grab a brush, roller, mop and jump overboard!
• Hat Making - We supply the materials, you supply the chrome dome!
• Cape Making
• Face Painting

Photo courtesy of Gino Molfino via flickr

Just bring your creativity and we'll provide the supplies!

Be a part of Sowebofest 2009 - Volunteer!

There are only nine days left until the big event, but it is not too late to volunteer.

Volunteers are need to serve in many positions before, during and after the festival. As a volunteer you may be asked to serve as a:
• Neighborhood flier distributor
• Parking assistant
• Kid's craft helper
• Orange cone distributor
• Maître d' or concierge in the Café Alley
• Conga-line director
• Walkie-talkie carrier
• Rubbish collector
... etc.

Please contact volunteer coordinator Patricia Dane via email or at 410-271-0732 and let her know your availability.

Come enjoy the sights and sounds of the festival while helping to make it a success!

22 More Sowebo Arts & Craft vendors announced

Ed & Machelle Frantz of T.M. Enterprises - Fashion eye wear, hats, sunbrellas, beef jerky
Linda Synder of Lin-Mar - Sand bottles
Cynthia Angelini & Jes Porro / Jewelry & phone cases
Lawrence Kendall of The Spiral Dance Bookstore - Pottery, fabrics, figurines & [paintings
Bianca Bingaman & Kristy Wandle / Paintings and Handmade tiles
Joseph Laney of In & Out Boutique - Clothing & photos
Amanda McDaniel of Nature Rules - Handmade cosmetics & floral arrangements
Kathryn Dorsey & Patrice Gentile of Hashbury Designs, Prettyparynoid & Aliceanna Designs - "Art You Can Use." Mixed media collage on household goods and custom designed rockin jewelry and women's fashions
Karen Brand of Offbead Jewelry - Wire & beaded jewelry
Betsey Waters of In the Garden - Plants, herbs & containers
Canese Hutchinson - Jewelry & handbags
Yvonne Marie - Clothes, shoes & bags
Carl & Matt Achhammer - Photography and Bonsai trees
Lori Yanke & Jake Warford - Hand knit bags & goods, photography
Patricia Smith of Class Cuts - Hair goods
William Commander - The Mythbuster, Wordwise
Jerilyn Paladino of The Alpaca Girl, LLC - 100% natural fiber garments, accessories, handmade in Peru (Baby Alpaca, silk & Cotton)
Emily White LMT - Healing essence of touch therapeutic massage
James Craig - Tooth and nail art, paintings, shirts, painting replications
Albert Prater of Bella Donna Fashions LLC, Handbags & jewelry
Shawn & Erienne Sutherell of Barbara Sue Designs, Handmade jewelry, semi precious stones & silver
Carrie Brazell - Canvas, clothing, & jewelry

Introducing the first ever Sowebo festival Café Alley!

Be swept away to a Parisian street scene at this year's festival. Cafe Alley activities include musical performances, street performers and arts & crafts activities for children and adults. Seating at cafe tables will be provided for "Sowebohemians" enjoying entertainment, arts activities, refreshments or just a good conversation.

Features include:

Bohemian Stilt Walkers
Musical performances by a Steel Drum Orchestra and 40 West
Street Buskers: Mezzo soprano w/violin accompaniment, Guitar Duets and The Dahlia Flute Duo
A Russian Tea room with conceptual performance artists The Matka Sisters
Self-conscious Portraits
Appearances by the Black Cherry Puppet Theater
AND a Conga Line Parade - It's the hokey-pokey on steroids, a musical topsy-turvy forced march around the bulls eye of Sowebo. Hat or no hat, cut in line!

Just TEN DAYS until the festival - hope to see YOU there!!

Promote the Sowebo Festival on your Website!

Save a copy of your favorite banner and use it on your website or blog to link to http://www.sowebofest.com.

468 x 60

200 x 40

88 x 31

Nine more Sowebo Arts & Crafts vendors announced!

Only 13 days until the 2009 Sowebo festival!

Check out these recently confirmed Arts & Craft vendors:

SpeakEasy Home Brewed Gear - Growing local company using Eco friendly methods to produce our apparel line
Nura Fardan & Freedom Colbert of SephiaButterfly and Works of Freedom - Original Art Work and Art Prints
Bia Riaz & Heather Elliott of Gypsy Junque - Henna & Bindi Bodyart, Beaded Jewelry, Various Crafts
Sarah Davenport of Glass Happiness - Fused Glass & Stone/Crystal Jewelry unique & whimsical
John Starling and Jack Ratchet of Smith Growth Partners - Political, Esoteric & Humorous Hand screen Printed, Artist Designed T-Shirts and stickers
Juliet Muhwezi of Jinja Boutique - Handmade quilts & crafts from India, Caribbean, Africa and South America
Aaron Yealdhall of Speakeasy - Original t-shirt designs, stickers, independent art and contest with prizes
Hillary Scholten - Handmade Ceramics and Functional Pottery
Lindsay Benedict - Art photography focusing on architecture and cityscapes in Italy

Official 2009 Sowebohemian Arts and Music Festival Poster and Flyers!

Keep your eyes peeled for Sowebohemian Festival posters around town!

Click the images above to download your own to share with family, friends and co-workers!

Sowebo Festival in the press: bthesite.com

Jordan Bartel, assistant editor of the b, has highlighted the Sowebo Festival in his article, Save the date: The best of Md.'s summer fests, saying:

"Go bohemian this summer. With eclectic street art and live performances, Hollins Market serves as a creative playground during the family-friendly Sowebohemian Festival. As you stroll the streets of Southwest Baltimore, you can check out local bands, munch on some funnel cake and, of course, see plenty of works by local artists."

Check out some of this year's Sowebo Festival vendors at SquidFire's 2009 Spring Art Mart

The Spring Art Mart will feature three vendors scheduled to attend the Sowebo Festival later this month: Charm City Soaps, Fisticuffs Leather and Stephney Wallace!

Join over 50 local and regional crafters and artists as they display their handmade wares in Mount Vernon Square this Saturday.

SquidFire's 2009 Spring Art Mart
Saturday May 9, 11-6pm
Mt. Vernon Square (Between Charles and Cathedral Streets)
Baltimore, MD 21201 (Map)

The event goes on rain or shine. See you there!

Sowebo Festival in the press: The Retriever Weekly

Staff writer Becky Hunter of UMBC's student newspaper, the Retriever Weekly, has recommended our own Sowebo Festival [along with several other great local community events] in the article Baltimore summer festivals to beat the heat, saying:

"One of the best neighborhood festivals would have to be the Sowebo Arts Festival in southwest Baltimore. The event, which will be taking place on May 24th outside of the Hollins Market (which is only about 10 minutes from the UMBC campus), showcases everything that makes southwest Baltimore so awesome. Local art, food, music and people all displayed against a backdrop of rickety row houses and the old marketplace really is a quintessential Baltimore experience."

P.S. Do you Twitter? We do!

Support Sowebo's own Black Cherry Puppet Theater this weekend!

Maestro Sensation Presents: MS3 The Resurrection

Please join Sowebo Festival participants Black Cherry Puppet theater for an evening of puppets, music and shenanigans for grown-ups*!

Witness the rebirth of vaudeville with host and giant-sock extraordinaire Maestro Sensational and his loyal ragtag gang of Sockophants! Your charming host will present a veritable uprising of comic bits and slapstick revival. See him unveil the talents of Baltimore's paradigms of puppetry! Enliven your heart with the toe-tapping tunes of host-band Walker and Jay!

Guest puppet performers include Owen Brightman, Kevin Sherry of Squidfire fame, April Wood, Justin Lucas, and Black Cherry's own Michael Lamason.

Three Shows!!!
Friday May 1, doors open @ 8pm show @ 8:30pm
Saturday May 2, doors open @ 8pm, show @ 8:30pm
Saturday May 2, doors open @ 10pm, show @ 10:30pm

Black Cherry Puppet Theater
1115 Hollins St. (right next to Sweet Tooth Dessert Shop!)
Baltimore, MD 21223
410-752-7272
Website: blackcherry.org

Tickets $5
Advanced tickets available 4/16/09 at brownpapertickets.com
*this show is for Grown-ups!!!