Festival on the Hill version 2026 was, of course, a great success. After 69 years, how could it not be, once good weather overtook morning drizzle?
Preliminary tallies suggest that BHCA will clear around $11,000 from food sales and sponsored activities, plus another $10,000 in contributions directed to the event. Co-chair Louie Wilder said the festival was financially the most successful ever: “Books alone made $6000.” Those funds mostly will go to underwrite 2027 Arts in the Parks concerts, greening and other activities of the association.
For the first time, this year Memorial Episcopal Church ran the Juniquities sale and, prior to the festival, collected so much stuff that the main church hall was filled and a request was made to the neighborhood to stop donating. As with activities directed by other churches and nearby schools, the Bolton Hill Garden Club, Bolton Hill Nursery and a dozen other non-profit and neighborhood-based programs, the profits stay with the sponsoring organization, not BHCA. Avendui Lacovara said the booth selling chili on behalf of Corpus Christi church “ran out of chili . . .and we kept running to the store for supplies.”
BHCA Membership Committee chair Susan Haun reported 32 festival participants joined the association for the first time. Neighbors contributed nearly 10,000 books for the annual book sale organized by Kristen Smets and her family.
One new thing: steamed shrimp were offered where an oyster raw bar had been the norm. With several competing community events around town, organizers were unable to find a shucker this year. But mostly it was a rerun of earlier successful festivals. The Catonsville High School Steel Band played for its 41st year, while the musical group Mambo Combo was there for its 40th year. Lemon sticks were sold, as they have been for 43 years. Local elected officials roamed around.
“We are seeing turnover. A lot of younger people are stepping up to take over and run parts of the festival that have been around from the beginning,” said BHCA President Lee Tawney, adding: “and that’s a good thing for the festival and the neighborhood going forward.”
Prior to becoming Festival on the Hill, the Church Women of Memorial Church organized a church bazaar that was held inside the church. In the mid-1950s Rector Arthur Kelsey, Assistant Rector Sam Hale, and the late Lottie Shivers moved the bazaar outside to the 1300 block of Bolton Street as the first Festival on the Hill. Volunteers are welcome to sign up now for the 70th FOTH in October 2027; send a message to Festival@boltonhillmd.org .
