Hampden Yards Reopens This Weekend Among Wave of Baltimore Community Events

Hampden Yards, Baltimore's outdoor beer garden off Hickory Avenue, opens its doors for Season 4 on Thursday, March 26, a date the venue's co-owners could not have timed better: Orioles Opening Day at Camden Yards falls on the same afternoon, with first pitch against the Minnesota Twins at 3:05 p.m.

The beer garden sits off Hickory Avenue behind a church, the brainchild of co-owner Josh Mente. Built to provide "a fun, lively, outdoor bar and eatery in one of Baltimore's most unique neighborhoods," the spot has become a warm-weather fixture for Hampden regulars since it first opened. Located at 3601 Hickory Ave, the garden serves local DMV craft beers on rotating tap, along with cans, buckets of domestic beer, rotating cocktails, and comfort food, just off The Avenue.

The core of the space is a covered deck with a small bar and several tables; a separate, uncovered section holds picnic tables with umbrellas and yard games including a giant Connect 4, Jenga set, and foosball table. Guests must be 21 and over to drink, but the space is kid-friendly with adult accompaniment, and anyone can order from the food menu. Dogs are welcome, provided they stay on a leash.

The Season 4 launch lands in the middle of a busy stretch of community activity across Baltimore. On Wednesday, March 25, Baltimore CONNECT and the Baltimore City Health Department co-host a free Spring Resource Fair connecting residents with health, housing, and human services from noon to 4 p.m. at Madison Square Recreation Center, 1401 E. Biddle Street. Also Wednesday, Indivisible Baltimore City and Free State Coalition host a Food Drive Open Mic Night at Peabody Heights Brewery, 401 E. 30th Street, from 6 to 8 p.m.; all admissions benefit Baltimore City residents affected by SNAP cuts, and additional canned goods and monetary donations are accepted at the door for $3.

Thursday evening, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Office of the City Council President, and Sage Wellness Group present a panel discussion on the impact of healing-centered and trauma-informed care in Baltimore since the passage of the Elijah Cummings Healing City Act, running from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Pratt's Central Branch in the Wheeler Auditorium, 400 Cathedral Street.

Hampden Yards operates Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 10 p.m., Friday from 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. For a neighborhood that shuts down its beloved outdoor patio each winter, the reappearance of cold beers and cornhole on Hickory Avenue is a reliable sign that Baltimore's warmer months have finally arrived.