The largest one is in Downtown Baltimore called “Ports of America Chesapeake Fourth of July Celebration”. Entertainment begins at 2 pm with the jazz band Lovecraft, and at 8 pm the Naval Academy’s Electric Brigade begins at 8 pm.

Fireworks are scheduled to go off at 9:30 pm and can be seen from the Inner Harbor, Fell’s Point, Federal Hill, and other places around the harbor. The music and entertainment is located in the Inner Harbor at Harborplace Amphitheater located at 401 Light Street.

Friday and Saturday, the 2nd & 3rd, Harborplace celebrates its’ 30th Anniversary. Since it was opened in 1980, they are having 80’s themed Anniversary fun, so you can join in and hopefully have a blast!

In Baltimore County, at Oregon Ridge in Cockeysville, the BSO Start Spangled Spectacular happens both July 3rd & 4th! Gates open at 5 pm and the concert begins at 8 pm. Tickets are available online now. It culminates in a huge fireworks display accompanied by the Orchestra.

There are a number of places in Baltimore County where fireworks are scheduled on the 3rd, 4th and 5th, so you can enjoy three nights in a row! Baltimore County’s website lists:

July 3, 2010

Baltimore Country Club (rain date July 4)
11500 Mays Chapel Road

Catonsville High School (rain date July 4)
421 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville

Eastern Yacht Club (no rain date)
918 Seneca Road, The Barge

Grange Elementary School (rain date July 5)
2000 Church Road, Dundalk

Oregon Ridge Park (no rain date)
13401 Beaver Dam Road

The Suburban Club (rain date July 5)
7600 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, 21209

Woodholme Country Club (rain date July 5)
300 Woodholme Avenue

July 4, 2010

Fullerton Park (rain date July 5)
4208 Fullerton Avenue

Loch Raven Academy (rain date July 5)
8101 LaSalle Road

Oregon Ridge Park (no rain date)
13401 Beaver Dam Road

July 5, 2010

Hereford High School (rain date July 6)
17220 York Road, Hereford

For parades and more daytime fun, the Baltimore County website shows quite a few from Kingsville to Towson to Catonsville!

Saturday, July 3

Arbutus Recreation Council
Begin: 12:30 p.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Tom Day Boulevard Route: Tom Day Boulevard to Carville Avenue to East Drive. (Super Fresh store parking lot)

Catonsville Celebrations Committee
Begin: 3 p.m.
End: 5:30 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Montrose Avenue; Bloomingdale Avenue; Route: Starting at Montrose Avenue and Frederick Road, proceed east on Frederick Road to Bloomsbury Avenue, turn right on Bloomingdale.

Dundalk Heritage Parade Committee
Begin: 8 a.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation Area: Logan Village Shopping Center. Route: North on Dundalk Avenue, east on Belcare, north on Liberty Parkway, west on Dunglow Road, west on Dunmanway, north on Shipping Place, east on Shipway, north on Admiral Boulevard, south on Liberty Parkway to Dunmanway.

Glyndon Community Association, Inc
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: noon
Route: Formation area: Albright Avenue. Route: Albright Avenue east to Central Avenue, north onto Central to Chatsworth Avenue, west onto Chatsworth to Railroad Avenue, south onto Railroad to Albright Avenue.

Hampton Improvement Association
Begin: 8:45 a.m.
End: 9 a.m.
Route: Formation: Dead end court Gateshead & Seminary Ave; Start north end of Gateshead Rd, down to St Francis Road left onto Valley View Drive, quick right in to Hampton Mansion farmhouse grounds.

Greater Kingsville Civic Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Kingsville Fire Hall, Bradshaw Road and St. Stephen’s Church lot for fire trucks and large vehicles. Route: from Kingsville Volunteer Fire Department grounds, down Bradshaw Road, right on Jerusalem Road, at judges viewing stand to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Street parking lot.

Pine Valley / Valleywood Community Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 10:45 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Pine Valley Drive and Presway Road; Start at Pine Valley Drive and Presway Road-South to Sandee Road left  then left on Rickswood Road into school (Pinewood Elementary) parking lot.

Towson Area Fourth of July Parade
Begin: 10:30 a.m.
End: 1 p.m.
Route: Formation: Towson University (Burke & Bosley) disperse at Burke & Washington Avenue.

Wilson Point Civic Association
Begin: 9 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Route: Formation Area: Middle River Vol. Fire Co & Beech Drive-Route: Right onto Wilson Point Road-right onto Dogwood Drive, left onto Shore Road, left onto Hazel Drive, left onto Wilson Point Road, to the Middle River Vol. Fire Company’s lot for disbursement. Distance total 1.6 miles.

Sunday, July 4

Sudbrook Park Inc.
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Triangle at Adana Road, Kingston Road and Windsor Road. Dispersal area: Playground McHenry Road. Route: Parade travels up Adana Road, turns right into Carysbrook Road, turns right onto Olmstead Road, turns left onto McHenry and ends at playground on McHenry Road.

Coachford / Springlake Community Association
Begin: 10 a.m.
End: 11 a.m.
Route: Formation area: Galewood Circle-Timonium; Route: Galewood Road, right on Tregarone, right on Hartfell, left on Fallsbrook Road, left on Springlake Drive, left into Pot Spring School parking lot.

Colonial Village Neighborhood Association
Begin: 9:30 a.m.
End: 10:30 a.m.
Route: Formation: Lowell Drive at Deerfield Road / Lowell Drive; Route: east at Plymouth Road, south at Concord Road, west on Concord Ending at Salem Court.

Monday, July 5

Hereford Optimist Club
Begin: 5:30 p.m.
End: 8 p.m.
Route: Formation area: Hereford SHA lot; beginning at Hereford Shopping Center, start east on Mt. Carmel Rd to North onto York Road (Rte 45) end at Hereford High School.

Some culminate in the fireworks displays in the area.

So enjoy 4th of July in Baltimore. There is plenty to do!

Photo courtesy of Sam Howzit via Flickr CC

Only 6% of all high schools (about 1,600) make the list.

Baltimore County Public Schools had 12 schools on there!

The Baltimore Sun reported on the list, stating the Baltimore County Schools that made it and their ranking:

Dulaney, 253; Towson, 334; Carver Center for Arts, 470; Eastern Tech, 564; Pikesville, 590; Hereford, 632; Catonsville, 951; Western, 1,179; Owings Mills, 1,240; Loch Raven, 1,302; Franklin, 1,457; Perry Hall, 1,525.

Towson High School was ranked at # 334, and Dulaney High at 253. Many Towson homes are in the Towson High School district, and many Cockeysville and Hunt Valley homes are in the Dulaney High school district.

To be certain of a particular Baltimore County home’s school district, www.bcps.org has a link to discover what schools a particular home is set to attend. One thing to be aware of, though, is that homes can be redistricted at any time.

If you are considering buying homes based on Baltimore County school districts, these scores are a great beginning to discover what may be a good fit for you.

Contact me today for Baltimore County real estate.

A few of my online friends planned a “tweetup” to enjoy some burgers and sweet treats!

It was a hot day so we sat in the shade.

The kids ran around and had fun!

This day was a sneak peek before it officially opened in June. The Farmers Market showcases local wares like beef from local farms, as well as goodies from small shops and food from the area.

We have had our Kooper’s Burger Wagon burgers before, but this was our first taste of IcedGems Cupcakes. We will be back! We split a half dozen, and they are fantastic, delicious bites of heaven!

Two kids enjoyed the birthday cake flavor, and agreed that it tasted just like the real, yummy thing. Another had the PB&J, which has jelly in the middle and peanut butter icing. Another thumbs up. I was disappointed that the one I had been drooling over, the margarita one, wasn’t on “tap” for the day, but ended up with the “Key West”, which is a key lime pie in a cupcake. It was fantastic! I also had a mocha coffee, which was delicious as well. Next time, I am hoping for the “Midnight Mint” or the margarita.

Iced Gems travels daily, but plans to be at the Hunt Valley Farmers Market on a regular basis.

The Hunt Valley Farmers Market is Thursdays from 11 am – 2 pm June through October.

As noted from MRIS, the local Multiple Listing Service, pending sales decreased 13.7% compared to May 2009. April 2010 had 16,089 contracts written. May had only 9,527, which is 6,562 less!

The good news is that the homes that are on the market took less time to sell on average.

The continuation of the not-so-good-news is that for the most part, prices were lower.

View the full 13 page May 2010 Baltimore real estate Market Indicators report.

I will have more detailed information on Baltimore County real estate and Baltimore City market trend indicators coming soon.

Monday, June 14, 2010 is Flag Day, and Oregon Ridge is doing it in style. The American Flag Foundation, Inc. is hosting their 31st Annual “Pause for the Pledge” event in Cockeysville this year from 6-9 pm.

From the coordinators:

Lead the Nation in saying the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
Band Concert and a Fly-Over by the A-10 Thunderbolt Jets Of the 104th Fighter Squadron 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard

Program concludes with Spectacular Fireworks Display. Come join us as we celebrate with a Star-Spangled Banner Program!

This looks to be a fun event for all — and the flyover is always a popular, loud, and exciting experience.

Celebrate our Flag in an enjoyable and Patriotic way on Monday for Flag Day at Oregon Ridge.

There are a number of events to observe Flag Day in Baltimore County, including at Pickersgill in Towson. Just don’t miss out on celebrating!

This is to repair the bridge over Western Run.

Nighttime will have northbound closures as well.

Traffic will be directed from Belfast Road to 83 South to Shawan Road. This will be the only straight way, besides either taking Falls Rd or Jarrettsville Pike/Dulaney Valley Rd, to get from anywhere North of the bridge to anyplace south of the bridge.

This will make things especially difficult for those who live in Sparks, like the many who live in Loveton Farms, as they will have to travel north to go south.

For more information, here is the link to the State Highway Administration’s site.

For those who live in Sparks, be prepared for delays and heavy traffic heading south. For those who live in Monkton and Parkton and points north, be prepared that the area on 83 Southbound will be heavier and slower than usual.

Sign on York Rd Southbound courtesy of Derek Massey

There will be 20 wineries there, as well as family activities, like a great playground and a stage with live music to enjoy.

Crafts, cooking & wine pairings, and organic farm products will be on hand. Great Grapes is open from 12-6 pm both days.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the event. A designated driver ticket is $15, and kids under 12 are free.

All of this at the wonderful Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville!

The Farmers Market in Timonium will be showcasing and run by local Baltimore County farms.

Grand opening is set for Wednesday June 9, but the sneak peek is June 2.

Hours for the Baltimore County Farmers Market are 2 pm – 6 pm every Wednesday.

During the Maryland State Fair, it will be open every day!

The Baltimore County Farmers Market will be located at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

Two other Farmer’s Markets in Baltimore County are the Green Spring Station Farmers Market in Lutherville on Saturday afternoons from 2-5 pm and the Hunt Valley Farmers Market Thursdays from 11-2.

The Maryland State Fairgrounds are located at 2200 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093.

The hardwood floors and ceramic tile are in fantastic condition, as is the carpet on the second floor and lower level.

The kitchen has granite counters, and a sitting area. The current asking price is $600,000.

Right now, there are six homes for sale in Hunt Valley Station.

They are: 5 Ringleaf Ct for $572,500,  13 Ringleaf Ct for $569,000, a five bedroom home at 5 Berrycrest Ct for $549,900, the five bedroom 1210 Walnutwood Rd for $539,000, and 1210 Mapleleaf Ct for $539,900.

Contact me for more information on Hunt Valley Station single family homes.

Listing Courtesy of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

The Baltimore County Government’s site shares the benefits of planting trees, what trees you may want to plant depending on where you live, what kind of soil you have, and what purpose you would like to have it serve.

You can use your $10 tree coupon on each qualifying tree purchased — but you need one per tree.

The Growing Home Campaign is also being put on in conjunction with Harford County and Baltimore City.

Participating nurseries include the Timonium Lowe’s Home Improvement, Cockeysville Home Depot and Towson Home Depot, Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, and Watson’s in Lutherville, among others.

What a great way to make Baltimore County a better place to live, while offering savings to Baltimore residents!