Theater/Music/Dance

Baltimore's picturesque Inner Harbor attracts hundreds of acclaimed street performers—from magicians to musicians—in warm weather throughout the year. Take a break from site-seeing, grab lunch to go, and find a seat in the Harborplace Amphitheater (between the Pratt Street and Light Street Pavilions) to watch a variety of performances.

Three-hundred-year-old Patterson Park is perhaps one of the oldest in Baltimore, one time serving as an encampment for Union Troops during the Civil War. Today the park has playgrounds, a marble fountain, an ice-skating rink, and a pagoda built in 1890. In summer, the park is host to free music—from jazz and salsa to bluegrass and Irish folk—on Pagoda Hill. Concerts are held on various days throughout the summer, so check the schedule before attending.

Browse the gourmet market at Belvedere Square before attending "Summer Sounds at the Square," a free Friday night concert series held at the market from May to September. Concerts take place from 6-9 p.m. and feature various artists like the Crawdaddies, Sons of Pirates, and Junkyard Saints.

In summer months, parks across Baltimore come alive in the evenings with free movie screenings. The American Visionary Art Museum sponsors movies on Federal Hill on Thursdays at 9 p.m.; Little Italy on Fridays at 7 p.m.; and Fells Point on Wednesdays at 8:45 p.m. For family-friendly movies, stop by the Bel Air Outdoor Movie Nights at Shamrock Park (every other Saturday) and Johns Hopkins University (in Keyser Quadrangle on Fridays).