Parking Panda

A Star Spangled Sailabration

In honor of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, Baltimore is hosting Star-Spangled Sailabration, an international parade of over 40 tall ships and naval vessels. The event will feature tours of the ships, waterside festivities, an air show featuring the Blue Angels, and the world-premier of “Overture for 2012” composed by Phillip Glass. Star-Spangled Sailabration is the kick off of Star-Spangled 200, a three-year state-wide commemoration beginning June 2012 and running through September 2014.  

For the Star-Spangled Sailabration, ships will sail in from all over the world, including Cisne Branco, hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Guayas, a 257-foot tall ship of Ecuador, and Cuauhtémoc, a 270-foot tall ship from Mexico.

This nearly week-long celebration begins Wednesday June 13th when ships begin to arrive throughout the day, and concludes that following Tuesday, June 19th as the ships depart.

Some notable events set throughout the week include:

Thursday, June 14th

Flag Day Celebration
(10am – 4pm) at the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House

Welcome Ceremony
(11am-12pm) at the Inner Harbor

Friday, June 15th

Sailabration Village Open
(11am-9pm) at the Inner Harbor

Saturday, June 16th

Star-Spangled Festival & Aircraft Display
(10am-5pm) at the Martin State Airport

Celebration of the American Flag/ Concerts & Fireworks
(6pm-10pm) at the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

Sunday, June 17th - Star-Spangled Air Show featuring the Blue Angels
(1pm-4pm) - Best Viewed from Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine

Everyday - Free Public Ship Tours
Various Times & Various Locations

For the full schedule of events, a list of visiting ships and more information, check out the Star-Spangled 200 site.

To reserve parking for the event, go to our custom Star-Spangled Sailabration page & ensure your spot ahead of time!

(Source: blog.parkingpanda.com)

Parking for St. Patrick’s Day Events in Baltimore

Last March, Catonsville resident Joe Heldman recounted his St. Patrick’s day woes in an article for the Baltimore Sun:

“Here is how the city rips people off: When we found a parking space on Saturday, the meter would only let us pay for two hours. We encountered the same thing on Broadway (where city officials saw fit to give out tickets to those in church). And also true near Duda’s….Why can’t these meters be good for more time? The only reason they are limited to two hours is to make it possible to give out more tickets. Every time I see things like this happen it makes me not want to go back to the city and support local businesses (The Baltimore Sun, March 2011).”

This dilemma holds true for most suburbanites. Venture into the city where parking is scarce, expensive, and aggravating to find (not to mention many meters are only good for 2 hours) or stay in the suburbs. For holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, with events throughout the month of March, most of the action is in the city. Some St. Patrick’s day events in Baltimore include:

Meet in the Street - A celebration in Canton’s O’Donnell Square.
The Canton Irish Stroll - A bar crawl through Canton.
The Fed Hill Irish Stroll - A bar crawl through Federal Hill.
The Shamrock 5k - A Run & post-race party.
The Baltimore St. Patrick’s Day Parade - Baltimore’s official, traditional Irish parade.
O’Malley’s March - Governor Martin O’Malley leads his Irish band in concert at the Recher Theatre in Towson.
Slainte - Live Irish music and specials on Irish beer at one of Baltimore’s most authentic Irish pubs and restaurants.

With St. Patrick’s Day taking place on a Saturday this year, we know that the number of people partying and partaking in all the great events in Baltimore will be at an all time high.  You know what this means?  Parking will be at its absolute worst.  Don’t let your day be ruined and don’t miss a single second of drinking that green beer, listening to live music, and having a great time.  No matter what part of town you’re headed to, Parking Panda has you covered.  Log on now and grab a guaranteed parking space for the same price you’ll spend on that first (and probably way too early) beer!  Be safe, have fun, and most importantly — Park Happy!