WTMD's First Thursdays concert series returns to Canton Waterfront Park

WTMD is setting Canton Waterfront Park up as one of Baltimore’s first big summer gathering places, with First Thursdays returning June 4 and a free outdoor concert that should send early-season business flowing through the neighborhood. The opening night bill features Fantastic Cat, Happy Landing and Baltimore’s own Seven Teller, giving the series a mix of touring acts and local representation.

The 2026 season is scheduled for June 4, July 9, August 6 and September 3 at 3001 Boston St. WTMD calls First Thursdays the region’s largest free outdoor music festival, and says the park opens at 5 p.m. with music running from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visit Baltimore lists the event from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., underscoring the need for fans to check final timing before heading out.

This year’s First Thursdays also arrive with a visual reset. Baltimore artist Emilee Beeson created the new look for the series, while Alex Cortright, who officially became WTMD’s music director on April 1, now oversees booking across the station’s live programming, including First Thursdays and Live Lunch. WTMD says Cortright brings more than 20 years of radio and music-programming experience and has been part of the station since 2015.

That mix of new leadership and refreshed presentation matters because First Thursdays is not just a concert, but a neighborhood-economic marker. The event has long pulled people toward Canton’s waterfront, where an evening of music often becomes dinner, drinks and vendor browsing before the first song even starts. Visit Baltimore says the festival includes more than 80 Maryland-based vendors, and WTMD said its 2023 season drew nearly 100 locally based vendors and artisans, setting a record at the time.

WTMD also estimated that June 2023 First Thursdays drew 12,000 people, its largest audience ever then, showing how quickly the series can become a major summer driver for Baltimore’s waterfront entertainment calendar. The station described 2025 as the 20th year of the series, placing its start around 2005 and making it one of the city’s longest-running free concert traditions.

The event remains free thanks to support from CFG Bank, the Maryland Energy Administration and WTMD members. It will go on rain or shine, and outside alcohol, coolers and glass containers are not permitted. For Baltimore residents planning around summer budgets, First Thursdays offers one of the city’s clearest low-cost nights out, with a waterfront setting, local vendors and a lineup that signals Canton is ready for the season.