New Baltimore festival board has high hopes

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Burger Festival is no more, but the new festival board wants people to know they're hard at work on next year's event.

Danay White, secretary of the Baltimore Festival Association, said the eight-member group is hoping there will be something for everyone: children, teens, adults and older individuals alike.

"We're not just the Baltimore Festival," White said. "We're a community celebration."

That community pride is something White said the board is hoping to showcase at the festival. The ultimate goal is to bring the community together. People didn't feel a personal connection to the burger theme, she said.

"For now, it's just the Baltimore Festival, and that's what everyone knows it as," White said.

White said the 2017 festival will be small again because the new board is just starting out. The board wants to know what the community wants to see from the festival.

"We want to know what people want. We're a blank slate," White said. "We're here. We've got open ears."

David “Lumpy” Stilwell started the festival parade in 1982, and he's been helping out in one way or another ever since. He's on board again, serving as the president this time around.

"The parade is my baby," Stilwell said.

He said the new board is diving in head first, full of new ideas. Despite a couple of tough years recently, Stilwell said the current board is working to get the festival back to its former glory, if not better.

They're starting early with fundraising.

There will be a scary movie night from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday in the newly renovated Victoria Opera House, in partnership with the Baltimore Downtown Restoration Committee. There's no cost to attend, but donations are appreciated. There will be free popcorn with other snacks for sale.

"We're really trying to get people to come out and meet the new board," White said.

Later this year, the committee also is hostin a holiday light decorating contest.

Overall, White said she thinks people are excited about the new festival board. She said after board members spoke at Monday's Baltimore village council meeting, they heard someone say "that looks promising" as they left.

For more information on the festival, visit facebook.com/baltimorefestival or call 740-675-3378. A website, thebaltimorefestival.com, is still under construction.

The Baltimore Festival Association meets at 7 p.m. every first Monday at the Basil Joint Fire District Station, 410 W. Washington St. Anyone is welcome to attend.

tthurston@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4345

Twitter: @tristathurston