Funky Hampden shows off Saturday with a street party

Marketplace with music on and around The Avenue

Scene: clubs, bars, nightlife

Hampden is more than just a Baltimore neighborhood.

With its old corner shops and quiet streets, the village over the years has retained the feeling of a small Midwestern town.

It's a funky part of the city where plastic pink flamingos take up proud yet peaceful residence in the tiny yards of blue-collar workers, punks and artsy hipsters alike.

So it's only fitting that the unique urban hamlet would hold a festival that's equally complex and diverse.

Saturday's HampdenFest is a street party that's centered on and around 36th Street, widely known as The Avenue.

But, like the neighborhood, it's more than run-of-the-mill.

Event co-chair Tracy Deemer said the happening, in its fifth year, is a one-of-a-kind festival that allows for unexpected juxtapositions.

Deemer said it's a daylong marketplace of high art and lowbrow that offers both expertly crafted works and flea-market finds.

"Not everybody wants to buy fine art. Maybe someone is just looking for a used set of kitchen knives," Deemer said. The festival, she added, "has something for everybody."

The live music will also tickle the fancies of many different folks.

Bands playing both ethereal acoustic sets and crunching rock 'n' roll will be heard throughout the day.

And this year's festival, which offers three stages, will allow festivalgoers to experience a variety of sounds.

"If you don't like the punk or indie rock on one stage, there's instrumental surf-rock and rockabilly on the other," said festival music coordinator and Atomic Books co-owner Benn Ray.

Ray, who booked more than a dozen acts for the festival, said the majority of the groups were chosen because of their links to the eclectic neighborhood.

"We were trying to work with bands that had some sort of connection to Hampden. And for the most part, we did that well," he said.

"Most of the bands have a member who lives in Hampden or works in Hampden," Ray added.

Both Deemer and Ray hope that this year's expanded, more neighborly lineup will draw a larger number of visitors than in years past.

And the activities, which also include children's games, dance performances and raffles, will be a great way for the locals "to show what it's like to live here," Ray said.

But the residents won't just be advertising their neighborhood, they'll be enjoying themselves, too.

"The eclectic mix of people and activities make it a really fun day," Deemer said.

Ray agreed and said this year's HampdenFest will be the "biggest, best and coolest this neighborhood has ever seen."

For more club events, see Page 41.

HampdenFest

There are three stages of music at this year's event:

Stage No. 1:

At Falls and 36th Street:

11 a.m.: The Barn Burners

noon: Vestal Vermin

1 p.m.: The Twin Six

2 p.m.: Great Northern

3 p.m.: Honky Slim

4 p.m.: Double Dagger

5 p.m.: Slow Jets

Stage No. 2:

At Chestnut Avenue and 36th Street:

11 a.m.: Dave Cipriani

noon: Jones Falls

1 p.m.: The Things

2 p.m.: Circle 9

3 p.m.: Thrillsville

4 p.m.: '52 Pick-Up

5 p.m.: The Diamondheads

Stage No. 3:

At Elm Avenue and 36th Street:

11 a.m.: Bow N' Arrow

noon: Height

1 p.m.: Anomoanon

2 p.m.: Need New Body

3 p.m.: Cass McCombs

4 p.m.: Battles

5 p.m.: Papa-M