Hampdenfest a treat for visitors

While most of you were either studying or sleeping, I braved the hot Baltimore sun to attend Hampdenfest. Hampdenfest is a pretty vague term for most people, unless you know where Hampden is, and I hope you know what a fest is.

First off, Hampden is neighborhood near campus with a kitschy and eclectic stretch of street known at “The Avenue.” Now, a fest — this is where it get’s tricky — is a festival. Put the two together: it’s a party in Hampden that occurred last Saturday.

I went with my sister to see what he hullabaloo was about. (I’ve been constantly told to attend because it’s a treasure trove of awesome finds and one-of-a-kind items). After making our way literally over the river and through the woods, we were greeted with hoards of people listening to live music.

In the middle of the street, all the way down to the end, there were street vendors set up for our buying pleasure. There was also typical carnival fare: funnel cakes and hotdogs with freshly squeezed lemonade and shaved ice set up.

Some of the other vendors catered to the shopaholic inside me, from the hair accessories to the gaudy pink flamingos they offered. The shops accommodated all walks of life, from the sports fanatics looking for Orioles paraphernalia to the antique lover looking for that perfect locket to match that chain he or she found at the thrift store back home.

Even though Hampdenfest is over, the stretch of shops is still something to check out during the weekend. I wanted to look around more and see what Hampdenfest had to offer me, but when you feel the temperature drop and see the storm clouds rolling in, you usually don’t stay to see if it’ll rain or not. We left with colorful headbands that we bought at one of the pop-up shops on the street. It was, unfortunately, the only thing I bought.

Making our way back we decided to hit up One World Café for that awkward meal that isn’t quite lunch but isn’t dinner either. By the time the rain was at full force, we were sitting in seats close to the window, waiting for our dessert to arrive.

One World is known for its ability to serve vegan food that moonlights as real food. It may seem like a turn-off for a lot of people but why not experiment? You may even realize that tofu meatballs are the best things out there. But at One World, I know what is the best off its menu, and it has to be its vegan chocolate cake.

Yes, vegan! It’s deceiving with its moist and über chocolatey goodness that makes you wonder if it really is vegan. Both Hampden and One World are in easy walking distance from any apartment or dorm on campus, so there are no reasons for not making the hike to The Avenue or making a straight shot to try the best vegan cake in the world, One World that is.