Bringing People of all Ages and their Pets to Port Covington
The Maryland SPCA and the Port Covington Development Team announced a community partnership to bring the Maryland SPCA Festival for the Animals to Port Covington on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Formerly known as the March for the Animals, the event will be presented by M&T Bank and will feature a walk-a-thon and music celebration bringing pet lovers, pets and music enthusiasts together for a day of recreation, entertainment and community involvement in Baltimore’s largest urban renewal area. The Honorable Catherine Pugh, Mayor of Baltimore City has publicly announced that May 5th will be Pet Day in Baltimore.
“We are truly honored to be selected as the Port Covington Development Team’s animal welfare organization of choice to support,” said Jim Peirce, executive director of the Maryland SPCA. “The newly created walking paths, massive amounts of green space, easy access and plenty of free parking make Port Covington the ideal location for our largest fundraiser of the year.”
“We are thrilled to host the Maryland SPCA Festival for the Animals in Port Covington this spring,” said Marc Weller, Founding Partner of Weller Development Company, the lead developer of Port Covington. “Port Covington is steadily growing, and we’re excited to be able to host large-scale community events such as this for Baltimore City. To be able to help raise much needed funding and awareness for the Maryland SPCA and its programs and services is an honor for us, and we hope to continue this partnership in the coming years.”
The Maryland SPCA Festival for the Animals will begin at 10 a.m. on May 5 with a one-mile walk a-thon, starting at West Covington Park and ending at The Field at Port Covington. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Festival for the Animals will feature pet-friendly vendors, pet activities, a kids’ fun zone, and more.
The Festival for the Animals will conclude with a day-long concert, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Field in Port Covington, offering a lineup of national and local musical talent including:
The Original Wailers – Formed in 2008, The Original Wailers are a reggae group formed by Al Anderson and Junior Marvin in 2008. Anderson and Marvin are best known as guitarists for Bob Marley & The Wailers.
Electric Love Machine - Electric Love Machine is a Baltimore-based quartet that combines Electronica, Dance, Rock, Soul, and Funk into an incomparable, high energy live music experience.
Eze Jackson + The Backwudz Band – Eze Jackson is a Baltimore-based emcee, delivering the spoken word with lyrical prowess through rap and singing. The frontman for Baltimore’s four-piece hip-hop band Soul Cannon, Eze was named The Baltimore Crown Awards 2014 “Hip Hop (male) Artist of the Year.”
J Pope and The HearNow - J Pope and the HearNow are a musical collective from Baltimore City who play their own brand of Soul and Hip Hop. Baltimore Magazine described the band as a "funk-infused group that captivates crowds with its call-to-action lyrics and soulful sound" and as "one of Baltimore's best kept musical secrets.”
The Festival for the Animals concert will also feature set breaks from Baltimore-based DJ Chris Brooks. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase by adults 21-years-of age or older with proper I.D.
“The Maryland SPCA is excited to be able to add a music concert for pet lovers and their pets to enjoy, in addition to the walk-a-thon that’s been a spring tradition for Marylanders for 22 years,” said Jim Peirce, executive director of the Maryland SPCA.
“The success of this fundraiser is critical for the Maryland SPCA and the pets and people we serve. Since the Maryland SPCA does not receive any operating funding from the ASPCA or any other SPCA, we rely on individual, community and corporate support through events like Festival for the Animals to improve the lives of pets and people by providing education, veterinary services and humane care.”
To learn more about the Maryland SPCA Festival for the Animals, including how to register for the walk-a-thon fundraiser and information on the concert, visit www.festivalfortheanimals.org. The event will take place rain or shine.
About the Maryland SPCA
Founded in 1869, the Maryland SPCA is one of the nation’s oldest animal welfare organizations. They are an independent, non-profit organization and do not receive any operating support from the federal government or from other animal welfare groups including the ASPCA and other SPCA’s. They improve the lives of thousands of pets and people each year by providing education, veterinary services and humane care. For more information, visit www.mdspca.org or call 410‐235‐8826.
About Port Covington:
Port Covington is a 235-acre master-planned, mixed-use redevelopment project, with a prime location on the waterfront in Baltimore City. As one of the largest urban renewal efforts in America, the redevelopment of Port Covington will have a fundamental and far-reaching positive impact on Baltimore, its economy and its future. At completion, this 25-year project will include: up to 18 million square feet of new, mixed-use development; 2.5 miles of restored waterfront; and 40 acres of parks and green space for Baltimore City. The Port Covington redevelopment is expected to generate thousands of new jobs, new businesses, better transit, more public parks, improved access to the waterfront, new space for manufacturing, fresh opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship and more for Baltimore City residents and its local workforce.
