Baltimore’s “Honfest” Gives New Meaning to Street Festivals

Have you seen the movie “Hairspray”? If so, you may know that the story takes place in Baltimore, MD – where I grew up. And, if you are familiar with Baltimore, you may know that people often like to greet each other with the phrase “How Ya Doin’, Hon”?

Hence, the inspiration for Cafe Hon in a northern Baltimore neighborhood called Hampden. You can’t miss the giant pink flamingo adorning the building exterior. And, the inspired owner of Cafe Hon created a unique Baltimore street festival called “The Honfest” held the second weekend in June. It’s over for 2019 but there is plenty of time to put it on your calendar for 2020. You will have “perfect vision” on what is means to ne a “Hon”.

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The Honest just may be the best street festival anywhere and one of the few where festival-goers dress up as “Hons.” A Ms Honfest contest often features an Elvis impersonator. There’s even a “Little Ms Honfest” competition. Like most street festivals, there are plenty of local arts and crafts, local delecacies (like crab cakes) and music galore.

Don’t have a “beehive hairdo”? No worries. The Glamour Salon – a pop-up hair salon – in the middle of The Avenue (36th street) will do the trick for you. And, don’t worry if you need to use the “Turlits” as there are plenty. (That’s Bawlmerese for TOILET. )

Iconic Baltimore movie legend John Waters drew inspiration for Hairspray from a number of Baltimore neighborhoods and especially the East Baltimore neighborhood of Highlandtown. Ironically, that neighborhood was an eclectic mix of “conservative” and religious Eastern Europeon immigrants at the turn of the century and they likely would have had no clue about the meaning of words “Hon” or “Hairspray” back in the day.

More info and photos about the HonFest are here: http://honfest.net