This weekend highlights Baltimore’s creative scene across music, literature and the performing arts. From jazz sets and poetry readings to student showcases and opera, the lineup moves between intimate performances and larger cultural events throughout the city. Whether you are settling into a listening room, a museum gallery or a concert hall, the weekend offers plenty of ways to step off campus and into Baltimore’s arts community.
Saturday
Believable Fictions: A Poetry & Prose Reading Afternoon, American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy., 1–3 p.m.
Writers from Baltimore and beyond gather at the American Visionary Art Museum for an afternoon of poetry and prose inspired by the museum’s Fantastic Realities exhibition. Featuring readings from local authors alongside national and international voices visiting for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference, the event explores the line between truth and imagination through contemporary verse and fiction. The program is free with museum admission.
Cyrus Chestnut & Affirmation, Keystone Korner Baltimore, 1350 Lancaster St., 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Baltimore native and acclaimed jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut returns to the stage with his quartet Affirmation for an evening of soulful hard bop and gospel-rooted jazz. Joined by saxophonist Tim Green, bassist Obasi Akoto and drummer Eric Kennedy, Chestnut blends technical precision with warm, swinging melodies shaped by his deep church and jazz traditions. Tickets range from $35 to $45.
Expressions ’26: The Power of Wonder & Awe, Baltimore School for the Arts, Schaefer Ballroom, 712 Cathedral St., 5:30–10 p.m.
Baltimore School for the Arts hosts its annual Expressions showcase, a multi-day celebration of student performance and visual art that also serves as one of the school’s largest fundraisers. The evening highlights the work of young Baltimore artists while raising support for programs that provide supplies, masterclasses and academic resources for BSA students.
Sunday
Lucrezia Borgia, Opera Baltimore, Engineers Club at the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, 11 W. Mount Vernon Pl., 3–6 p.m.
Opera Baltimore presents Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia, a dramatic tale of power, betrayal and family secrets set in Renaissance Italy. Performed as a concert opera with piano accompaniment, the production highlights the composer’s sweeping bel canto score while bringing one of opera’s most infamous historical figures to the Baltimore stage.
Homemade Mozzarella Cooking Class, The Wine Collective, 1700 W. 41st St., 5–7 p.m.
Chef Jesse leads a hands-on class that teaches participants to make fresh mozzarella from scratch. The beginner-friendly session covers step-by-step techniques while guests cook, taste and enjoy the final dish together. All ingredients and equipment are provided, with drinks available for purchase at the venue. Tickets are $65.
