The Walters Art Museum announces Block Party!, a new annual summer festival for all ages

Baltimore, MD (June 17, 2026) — The Walters Art Museum announced today the debut of Block Party!, its new annual summer festival celebrating Baltimore’s boundless creativity through art, music, and community. The event will take place Saturday, July 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

During this fun-filled day of festivities, neighbors of all ages can come together inside and outside of the museum to experience live music performances, take part in artist- and educator-led art projects, enjoy the flavors of local food trucks, shop local vendors, explore the museum’s galleries, and enjoy the company of their neighbors.

“Many are familiar with the Lunar New Year festival we hold each February; it’s a joyous day of celebration where the museum is filled to the brim with community members. Now, we are bringing that same energy and sense of togetherness into the summer with the introduction of Block Party!,” said Laurel Miller, Chief Learning, Experience, and Community Engagement Officer. “This experience is designed for Baltimore, by Baltimore. We enlisted the help of three local creatives with depth of knowledge in creating thoughtful, community-centered events to craft an all-ages experience that encourages connection, conversation, and—most importantly—fun.”

Block Party! features performances by CIELO of Creative Alliance, Grupo ETNIA, Drum Dr. Dot, Gyzelle Garcia, and Daoure Diongue. Attendees can also submit their own song selections to the event’s collaborative playlist. Artmaking activities will be led by local artists and museum educators and include a radical cartography workshop with Arts Collective; a papel picado flag workshop with CIELO of Creative Alliance; and visor decorating with museum educators. Visitors are also invited to contribute to a collaborative chalk mural designed by Pablo Machioli, allowing them to work together to color in the work. Inside the museum, food and drinks will be served up by The Empanada Lady. Outside, attendees can enjoy bites by Black Baltimore Vegan and Taharka Brothers ice cream.

Various other activities will be spread throughout the event: a family guide for the museum; a silent disco in the Sculpture Court; afrofuturist story times with Enoch Pratt Free Library and screenings of exhibition videos featuring Baltimore community members in the Graham Auditorium; and the Conservation Window on Level 4 of the Centre Street building. Other community fixtures will be present at the event, including Black Star Line Literacy Bus powered by Urban Reads, the Peabody Institute, Maryland Center for History and Culture, Baltimore School for the Arts, and Baltimore Center Stage.

Block Party! performances have been curated by the event’s community advisors: John Tyler, Viridiana Colosio-Martinez, and Alexis Tyson. Tyler is an Emmy Award-winning film composer, visionary artist, and dynamic music and event producer who is the founder of the Love Groove Festival. Colosio-Martinez is an interdisciplinary scholar, storyteller, and educator based in Baltimore who works with community members on sharing their personal narratives, experiences, and cultural identity. Tyson is a Baltimore-born curator, muralist, and multi-disciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection of public art, social impact, and historical storytelling.

About the Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is a cultural hub in the heart of Baltimore, located in the city’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. The museum’s collection spans more than seven millennia, from 5000 BCE to the 21st century, and encompasses 36,000 objects from around the world. Walking through the museum’s historic buildings, visitors encounter a stunning panorama of thousands of years of art, from romantic 19th-century images of French gardens to mesmerizing Ethiopian icons, richly illuminated Qur’ans and Gospel books, ancient roman sarcophagi, and serene images of the Buddha. Since its founding, the Walters’ mission has been to bring art and people together to create a place where people of every background can be touched by art. As part of this commitment, admission to the museum and special exhibitions is always free.

Admission to the museum is always free. The Walters Art Museum is located at 600 N. Charles St., north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For general museum information, call 410-547-9000 or visit thewalters.org.

Free admission to the Walters Art Museum is made possible through the combined generosity of individual members and donors, foundations, corporations, and grants from the City of Baltimore, with special thanks to the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Entertainment, Maryland State Arts Council, Citizens of Baltimore County, and Howard County Government and Howard County Arts Council.