Grand Marshal

Friday, June 14 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.   Twilight on the Terrace , a high-end cocktail party and major fundraiser for Baltimore Pride, offers an open bar and dancing to music from DJ J.R. Embrey. While gaudy outfits are sometimes de rigeur for Pride weekend, Twilight on the Terrace is a bit more refined -- the suggested attire is "garden-party chic. " Gertrude's at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. $150. Saturday, June 15 3 p.m.  Competitors in the High-Heel Race face the daunting task of running fast while maintaining their balance.

Mayor Bob Davis of Alexandria, Mo., is busy rebuilding his house, which was damaged in last summer's Midwest floods.But he's taking time out for a trip to Mount Airy to be grand marshal in the town's centennial parade Sept. 24.Originally, Mr. Davis said he declined the invitation to be in Mount Airy's parade because he needed to finish his house. But the connection between Mount Airy and Alexandria changed his mind.The town of Mount Airy adopted the small Missouri town last summer after it had been nearly destroyed by flooding.

Anyone who's been to Baltimore Pride -- or any Pride, really -- knows there is a lot to see. It takes a lot to make me raise my eyebrows, but I did on several occassions during the parade and block party in Mount Vernon on Saturday -- mostly with a smile. How boring would it be if that wasn't the case at the state's largest gay party? But beyond the shocking, and beyond the funny, a few broader themes also stood out. Here's Baltimore Pride in a blender: a quick mix of insights from a rowdy day of celebration, political posturing and hometown charm.

Lorie Young, her white veil neatly pulled over her eyes, tucked a handwritten note into the bouquet of blue and purple flowers she clutched as she waited for the ceremony to begin. Written on it were her wedding vows, the promises of a shared future with her partner, Latasha Dinkins. Behind them was the 11-hour drive the Atlanta couple made to Baltimore, four years of dating and raising their two daughters, and the moment last New Year's Eve when they decided they should get married.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will preside over a mass wedding of same-sex couples at this year's Baltimore Pride Celebration, with the event drawing interest from couples as far away as Atlanta, according to organizers. In November, Maryland became one of the first states to have same-sex marriage approved by voters in a referendum. "After doing so much work on this - on the ballot initiative - we thought, how do we really celebrate this?" said organizer Carrietta Hiers, who plans to marry her partner of nearly 13 years, Tonya Cook, at the ceremony.

It's not easy being red. For decades, Santa Claus has anchored the Thanksgiving parade. A tough job, says the parade's longtime Santa, but somebody's got to do it for Baltimore's children. There's the sweltering wool costume. The grueling hours of ho-ho-ho-ing. The pointed questions from increasingly suspicious kids. And these days, there is also stiff competition. SpongeBob SquarePants, the ubiquitous cartoon character "who lives in a pineapple under the sea," served as the grand marshal in yesterday's 53rd annual parade on Pratt Street.

national cherry blossom festival Where:: Washington. When:: Now through April 12. What:: Annual Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the people of Tokyo to the people of Washington in 1912. Many activities and exhibits, including boat rides, film showings, the Freedom Walk, bike rides, a kite festival and more can be enjoyed by visitors. The annual parade, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday with a multitude of celebrity appearances, including singer Thelma Houston, Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, Elmo and Jeopardy!

Just two days before she was scheduled to lead the annual Savage Fest parade through the historic mill town, the "Purple Mail Lady" was thanked yesterday for her kindness to residents as a mail carrier for 18 years.Jan Arnold earned the nickname because of her passion for the color. She wears only purple clothing, shoes and jewelry, her eyeglasses are purple, and she drives a purple jeep with a purple interior."When I started at the post office, mail carriers had to own their vehicles. I bought a jeep and painted it purple," said Mrs. Arnold, 58, grand marshal of tomorrow's parade.

A second World War I veteran -- a 97-year-old Navy man -- will serve as an additional grand marshal of the Glen Burnie Memorial Day Parade.James Martin Rice, who enlisted in the Navy at age 21, will share the May 22 honor with Alfredo Angelo Appetito, 96, an Army veteran, parade chairman Joseph Corcoran said yesterday.Mr. Corcoran, who had been seeking an elderly veteran to lead the parade, already knew of Mr. Appetito, and named him grand marshal in March. Mr. Rice, who lives in Severna Park, was brought to his attention last month, he said.

CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS: Pop singer Cyndi Lauper was anxiously waiting at the door Monday morning for Tim Potee to open up his nifty vintage clothing shop, Dreamland, on Read Street.4 "She nearly busted it down," he said with a laugh.The diminutive Lauper, who'd performed the night before at Hammerjacks, brought a bunch of girlfriends on her 20-minute whirlwind buying spree, which included the purchase of a pair of vintage '50s sea horse glasses."She tried on every hat in the store," Potee dished, adding that he thought his friends would never believe she was there . . . so he put her on his portable phone with a few.Didn't anybody tell him that girls just want to have fun?