The Charles Village Festival is ending after a 25-year run in North Baltimore, WJZ media partner The Baltimore Banner reports .
Festival committee members came to the decision after assessing the financial strains the event faced in recent years. Specifically, finding sponsors, expensive city permits, and less interest in vendor spaces because of other year-round event opportunities became obstacles for the festival, which is run by volunteers.
The news follows a recent announcement that organizers of HONfest in Hampden , another large city festival, are retiring and ending the long-time event as well.
John McLane, president of the Charles Village Community Foundation, said the festival was always a great way to meet neighbors and people seemed excited for it each year. Charles Village once had an annual flea market in Wyman Park Dell, and when the neighborhood’s centennial came around in the late ’90s, several groups came together to shape the market into a full-fledged festival.