Drivers heading into Baltimore this weekend will run into closures in at least six parts of the city, from Morgan State University’s homecoming parade on Hillen Road to the Baltimore Taco Festival at Power Plant Live! and the Fiesta Baltimore parade in Patterson Park. If you live in Northeast Baltimore, Highlandtown or near the Inner Harbor, or plan to drive to the Maryland Zoo or the Sunday farmers market, some of your usual routes will be blocked for hours on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11.
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (DOT) released the list on Thursday, and the details below are drawn from FOX45 and The Baltimore Banner, which both published the city’s notice. DOT says all events are weather permitting and recommends the Waze app for live detours. The closures arrive on the same weekend we flagged in our guide to things to do in Baltimore this weekend.
Which Baltimore roads are closed this weekend?
Here is the full schedule in one place, sorted by day.
| Event | Streets affected | When |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Taco Festival (Power Plant Live!) | Market Place from Water St. to Lombard St.; Water St. from Market Place to Frederick St., partial closure at Gay St. | Noon Fri., Oct. 9, to 11:59 p.m. Sun., Oct. 11 |
| Morgan State homecoming parade | The Alameda (southbound) from E. Belvedere Ave. to E. Cold Spring Lane; Cold Spring Lane (eastbound) from The Alameda to Hillen Rd.; Hillen Rd. (southbound) from Cold Spring Lane to Argonne Dr.; Hillen Rd. median between Belvedere Ave. and Argonne Dr. | Sat., Oct. 10, 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Morgan State homecoming game | Hillen Rd., both directions | Sat., from the third quarter until about 8 p.m. |
| I-83 cleaning and landscaping | JFX southbound right lanes, Cold Spring Lane to Guilford Ave.; 29th Street ramp to southbound JFX | Sat., 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. (ramp until 4 p.m.) |
| Fiesta Baltimore (Patterson Park) | Linwood Ave. between Eastern Ave. and E. Pratt St. | Sat. and Sun., about 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Fiesta Baltimore parade | Grundy St. between Gough and Fleet streets; Eastern Ave. between Haven St. and S. Linwood Ave. | Sun., about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Race for Our Kids 10K (Maryland Zoo) | Beechwood Dr. between Safari Place and Swann Dr.; the race route inside Druid Hill Park | Sun., about 5 a.m. to noon |
| Baltimore Farmers’ Market | Holliday St. from E. Pleasant to E. Saratoga; Pleasant St. at Holliday; center lane of Hillen St. between Front St. and the Fallsway | Sun., about 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
What should drivers expect around Morgan State on Saturday?
Saturday is the busiest day in Northeast Baltimore. The Morgan State homecoming parade runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., starting at The Alameda and Chinquapin Parkway, but the closures around it begin at 5 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. The Banner reports the Bears host Robert Morris at noon, and DOT plans to close Hillen Road in both directions from the third quarter until traffic and pedestrians clear, around 8 p.m.
DOT also warned that officers will use temporary traffic stops while the parade moves. If you normally use Hillen Road, The Alameda or Cold Spring Lane to reach Loch Raven Boulevard, Perring Parkway or York Road, plan on going around the campus entirely. Harford Road to the east and York Road to the west are the obvious north-south alternatives, though both are likely to carry extra traffic.
One more Saturday wrinkle: southbound right lanes of the Jones Falls Expressway between Cold Spring Lane and Guilford Avenue will close from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for cleaning and landscaping, and the 29th Street on-ramp to the southbound JFX will be shut until 4 p.m. That removes one of the usual escape routes for drivers trying to avoid the Morgan area.
Where are the closures downtown and in Southeast Baltimore?
Near the Inner Harbor, the Taco Festival closures on Market Place and Water Street started around noon Friday and run through the end of Sunday, so expect detours and parking restrictions around Power Plant Live! all weekend.
In Southeast Baltimore, Linwood Avenue along the east side of Patterson Park is closed both days for Fiesta Baltimore. On Sunday the parade adds closures on Grundy Street and on Eastern Avenue between Haven Street and South Linwood Avenue, a stretch that cuts through Highlandtown’s main commercial corridor. Bus riders and drivers who use Eastern Avenue to reach Greektown or Bayview should allow extra time.
What about Druid Hill Park and the farmers market on Sunday?
The Race for Our Kids 10K starts at 8 a.m. on Beechwood Drive at the Maryland Zoo. Beechwood Drive between Safari Place and Swann Drive will be closed from about 5 a.m. to noon, and the entire race route inside Druid Hill Park will be closed to cars. Police and transportation enforcement officers will be posted along the course.
Downtown, the weekly Baltimore Farmers’ Market under the JFX brings its usual closures: Holliday Street from East Pleasant to East Saratoga, Pleasant Street at Holliday, and a center-lane closure on Hillen Street from about 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Could the weather change the plans?
Possibly. DOT says every event is weather permitting, and the remnants of Hurricane Isaias are expected to bring rain and gusty winds to Maryland by Sunday. We break down the timing in our forecast for Isaias in Baltimore. Organizers of Sunday’s outdoor events, especially the Fiesta Baltimore parade and the Druid Hill Park race, are the ones to watch for schedule changes. As of Friday afternoon, the city had not announced any cancellations.
Quick tips for getting around
- Check the Waze app, which DOT recommends for live detours, before you leave.
- Do not park along posted routes: parking restrictions apply on top of the closures.
- Leave extra time on Saturday morning in Northeast Baltimore and on Sunday in Highlandtown and around Druid Hill Park.
- If a sign or officer conflicts with this list, follow the sign or officer: times are approximate and can shift.
The Ravens play in Atlanta on Sunday night, so there is no game-day traffic around M&T Bank Stadium this weekend.
Featured image: Hillen Road (MD 41) in front of Morgan State University near Cold Spring Lane. Photo: Onore Baka Sama / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.