The Flower Mart is an annual festival native to the neighborhood of

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. The Flower Mart is held each year at the beginning of May. Participants and vendors at the Flower Mart offer gardening tips, sell plants and seedlings, and other gardening-related goods. Along with vendors are various forms of live entertainment and edible treats for guests, such as its traditional

lemon stick Lemon sticks are a type of stick candy. They are similar to candy canes and peppermint sticks except lemon oil and acids are used for the flavoring. The coloring is typically a transuclent yellow body and white stripe. They are not the same as a ...

s. The Flower Mart has produced many annual traditions.

History

The first Flower Mart was held in 1911 in Mount Vernon Place around the

Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, victorious commander-in-chief of the Continen ...

, in the Mount Vernon area of Baltimore, MD. It was founded by a non-profit organization known as the

Women's Civic League The Women's Civic League is an organization founded in 1911 in Baltimore, Maryland to promote the welfare of the citizens of Maryland, generally, and Baltimore, specifically. Throughout the course of the twentieth century, the League has been inv ...

, which is an organization run by women looking to better Baltimore for its citizens. The original mission of the festival was to encourage the growing of flowers and vegetables in home back and fronts yards, as well as on vacant lots. This idea was among many of the goals of the

City Beautiful movement The City Beautiful movement was a reform philosophy of North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of introducing beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. It was a part of th ...

in the United States, which encouraged beautifying and fostering more healthy living conditions in urban centers. In 2000 the Women's Civic League decided not to continue their management of the festival, and the event was taken on by the non-profit Flower Mart at Mount Vernon Place, Ltd. They declared to keep the traditional aspects of the Flower Mart, including its location in Mount Vernon Place. In 2019 the non-profit Mount Vernon Place Conservancy, which manages the Washington Monument and surrounding parks squares of Mount Vernon Place, took over the management of the event. The Conservancy intends to refocus the event on its original "greening" mission, as well as support Baltimore-based vendors.

Location

The annual Baltimore Flower Mart is held in Mount Vernon Place, in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. It has become a tradition since 1911 for the festival to be held in front of the Washington Monument, allowing guest to participate in the festival and to visit shops, restaurants, and museums in the Mount Vernon area. There have been 11 times when the Flower Mart was not held in Mount Vernon. It was canceled from 1939 to 1945 during World War II. Throughout the late 1960s through the early 1970s, the festival was moved from Mount Vernon Place to Charles Center due to the Baltimore Riots. In 1994, the members of the Women's Civic League voted to move the Flower Mart from Mount Vernon Place to the War Memorial Plaza. In May 1995, the 79th annual spring festival was held in War Memorial Plaza, welcoming new guest to the tradition. After the festival was cancelled in 1996, due to discrepancies within the league, the Flower Mart returned to Mount Vernon Place.Alvarez, Rafael. "Flower Mart Canceled for 1996 Apathy, Infighting Cited in Decision by Civic League." ''The Baltimore Sun'' 14 Mar. 1996: n. pag. Print; Alvarez, Rafael."Flower Mart Rebounds in a New Home." ''The Baltimore Sun'' 12 May 1995: n. pag. Print; D'Arcy, Janice. "Spring Tradition Blooms Afresh Fest: Flower Mart Breaks Its Dormancy and Returns, along with Its Much-beloved Crab Cakes and Lemon Sticks." ''The Baltimore Su''n 14 May 1997: n. pag. Print.

References

{{Baltimore art districts Flower markets Festivals in Baltimore Recurring events established in 1911 1911 establishments in Maryland