Spring in Baltimore: Cherry Blossoms, Daffodils and Opening Day

TLDR

Early spring in Baltimore can be warm and sunny or snowing from day to day.  Despite the unpredictability, spring is my favorite season. In Baltimore, blooming flowers and Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (OPACY) are my first signs of spring. OPACY was voted the #1 MLB Fan Park and #3 in for food in USA today. You don't have to be a baseball fan, but you should check out an Orioles game at least once for a true Baltimore experience with food and people.

Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Opening Day

The season opener is the most popular game. It is hard to get a ticket, but that is OK. The atmosphere of the city on Opening Day is next level. You can hang out at bars near the stadium and hear the cheers from the stadium. Two very popular spots are Pickles Pub and Pratt Street Ale House. But you can cheer on the orange and black in most Baltimore neighborhoods. You can have almost as much fun outside the stadium as inside. 

Pratt Street Ale House

Some other popular days at OPACY are giveaway days. Some perennial favorites are Hawaiian shirts, reversible bucket hats, soccer shirts, and bobble heads. I'm not going to lie, I'm not a big baseball fan, but I have a ridiculous amount of swag from these giveaways. Once you get in the park after grabbing a giveaway, there are some things you need to know about the game. During the National Anthem, everyone is going to say a very loud "O" after "and the flag was still there" If you are a first timer, you will be confused. As I was typing this I wondered where that come from? I don't think I got a real answer for the actual placement in the Star Spangled Banner, but the origin is said to be from super fan Wild Bill Hagy. I'm mentioning it because I found this video from The Today Show and if you want to see some old school Baltimore footage, enjoy! Another thing that happens at the game is the 7th inning stretch song is "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" by John Denver. It replaced the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as a more modern song in the 70's and has never gone away. There are nights with discounted seats and in the summertime you may get a concert or fireworks after a game. But don't over think it, just go to a ballgame. 

Giveaways-Bucket hats and Hawaiian shirts

A different type of Friday Night Lights

Oh it seems like I'm leaving stadium talk, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't talk about food. Remember voted #3 for food by USA Today. Lots of concession stands are local places. The first stop is Boog's BBQ. Boog's is a Baltimore famous pit beef and pork sandwiches place. You will see a long line but it moves fast. And fun fact, the rolls are gluten-free. Stuggy's Gourmet Hot Dogs is located in SE Baltimore and now their dogs are available at the ballpark. That is pretty perfect but that crab mac n' cheese dog makes me happy that I can also get it outside of the park. Some local favorites also rotate into the stadium through the season. There will be future blog posts about Ekiben and Attman's Deli, but just for now if you are at the stadium and they are there, get them in your belly. Remember, these are just some food options to get you started. I like to decide what I'm going to eat before I go. If somehow you sneak into a suite on the club level, find yourself a crab ball.

Stuggy's crab mac n cheese hot dog

A little bit of history

Professional baseball in Baltimore was played at Memorial Stadium until 1991. I even worked in the concession stands when I was in high school. After the Baltimore Colts rolled out of town in the middle of the night in a Mayflower truck (still bitter) for a new stadium, the city decided to build a new stadium for the Orioles. What is really unique about our stadium is it is a mixture of old and new. It was built downtown, but instead of completely clearing away everything to make space, the B&O Warehouse was preserved right next to the stadium. The warehouse now houses offices and a private club for the Orioles. There are some really great historic neighborhoods that also surround the park. A new mural honors the Baltimore's Negro League legacy. My dad could talk your ear off about the Baltimore Elite Giants and Negro League Baseball in general. I want to go on too, but this says it better. And it has better pictures too. My parents still worked in the city when they were building the stadium. They thought there was no way the could fit a stadium there. They said the same thing when the Raven's Stadium was built next door. 

Legends Park at OPACY

An extra story just because...

My grandmother loved baseball. She always listened to baseball games on the radio even though she could watch it on TV. She was 81 when OPACY opened. I was in school in Florida at the time, but my mom would talk to me every week (because long distance fees were a thing and we only talked on Sundays after 7-IYKYK) about the best time to go to the game, parking and what kind of food she was going to pack. We picked a date, I bought a plane ticket and flew home. I don't remember what month I flew home, but it definitely shouldn't have been in the 50's. We didn't think we should take my grandmother, but she wasn't having it. We bundled up, ate chicken salad sandwiches and had a wonderful time.

Me and the best MLB mascot

What a view!!!

Let me know what your favorite game day activity is AND please watch the video of Wild Bill Hagy, so old Baltimore.