Artists and students alike savor Hampden Fest

For those adventurous enough to brave the muddy trails through the mysterious "Enchanted Forest" to Hampden last Saturday, the rewards were rich.

All that separates Charles Village from the quirky village of Hampden is the dense section of woods between San Martin Drive and Beech Ave. -- and despite the treacherous mud slides resulting from a week of rain, trail traffic was heavy.

Clearly no amount of mud or assigned reading was going to keep Hopkins students from Hampden Fest's three stages of live music, four blocks of local vendors and cheap beer from Brewer's Art.

Originally begun as a local community event, Hampden Fest has grown into a vibrant arts festival that draws thousands from across the area. Lining W. 36th Street, Hampden's The "Avenue," were dozens of artisans and clothing designers, as well as three stages of continuous live music.

Local favorites Oranges Band, Two If By Sea and Double Dagger were on hand along with 20 others, culminating in the annual Hampden Idol competition, hosted by Baltimore D.J. Keyboard Man.

"The crowd is great," Elana Fox, bassist for the Squaaks, a Brooklyn band, which recently relocated to Baltimore, said. "There's an awesome energy here. The focus is on being creative more than anything else."

"Hampden Fest focuses a lot more on art and music than Honfest, so it's not so kitschy," Kimry Peronne, owner of Milagro on The Avenue, said. "It definitely draws a different sort of crowd."

One of Hampden Fest's most popular attractions is the eclectic crowd it tends to draw, comprised of students, musicians, artists and families.

"The people-watching is great," senior Kyle Fritz, a Hampden regular, said. "I wish I could press some sort of magic slow button and just people-watch in slow motion all day."

In addition to the unique clothing options available in Hampden shops and from vendors on The Avenue, those who arrived too plainly dressed could have had their heads and faces painted neon blue and green by Wild & Crazy Hair, or have gotten a henna tattoo to commemorate the occasion.

Others celebrated Hampden Fest with an Ozzy from Brewer's Art, the local brewer's popular take on Belgian imports like Lucifer and Duvel. With a 7.25 percent alcohol content -- the highest it makes -- Ozzy only slightly overshadowed Resurrection and its House Pale Ale. All were available for a student friendly price of $4 a cup.

Fritz, however came for the crawfish, and was disappointed to find that "they didn't have them this year," he said. "Double Dagger was pretty cool, though."

The crawfish may have been missing, but area restaurants like India Tandoor and Angelo's Pizza provided plenty of beloved Baltimore cuisine.

Among the day's most popular items were crab balls, an innovative twist on the crab cake provided by King's Pizza.

First developed for Honfest, King's Pizza owner Amir Bhatti said that the crab balls were selling so well that they will soon be permanently featured on the menu.

"They're only a dollar a ball," Bhatti said, "and if students buy five, they get a free soda."

Most Hampden shops offered special sales or promotions as part of Hampden Fest, including Atomic Books, In Watermelon Sugar and Oh! Said Rose, as a way of welcoming new visitors to Hampden.

"We've never been before," Amanda Grossman, a first year graduate student, said. "We just saw the sign in Charles Village and decided to check it out."

"I think it's great," Sarah Pittcock, another graduate student, said. "It makes Baltimore seem a lot cooler."

And that's saying something.