Baltimore's downtown area was abuzz this past weekend as Artscape 2025, the nation's largest free public outdoor arts festival, drew in crowds by the thousands. According to a press release by the City of Baltimore , more than 100,000 attendees celebrated the event's cultural, economic, and artistic prowess. Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Mayor's Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment (MOACE) were joined by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA) in touting the festival as a marker of the city's transformative renaissance.

The success of the festival, as Mayor Scott noted, is credited to "hundreds of hardworking public servants, volunteers, and event coordinators working around the clock." In his statement detailed by the Mayor's Office , Mayor Scott proudly proclaimed, "For the first time, we brought the festival to the heart of our Downtown Baltimore" and promised improvements for next year. Artscape 2025 featured a broad array of activities, including music, visual art, and food, with attendees describing the atmosphere as "electric," especially on Saturday, when over 90,000 people flocked to the event in a single evening.

One of the highlights of this year's Artscape was the Scout Art Fair, curated by artist Derrick Adams, which featured over 40 solo artists and six galleries. Adams, in a statement reported by the Mayor's Office , expressed that the support of the mayor's office made the event "that much more meaningful." A series of discussions, entitled "In Conversation & Beyond The Reel Series," at Baltimore Center Stage saw actors, artists, and activists engage on topics of art, culture, and equity, drawing capacity crowds and accolades from participants like actress Lex Scott Davis.

As nighttime fell, the Artscape After Dark initiative took the festival into the small hours. Hotel Ulysses in Mount Vernon and Ikonic Live nightclub featured performances by notable names, including Frenchie Davis. At the same time, Dr. Rebecca Dupas curated Femme Frequency, bringing together a diverse group of women artists. Eze Jackson, musician and host of the Artscape Afterparty at Ikonic Live, told the Mayor's Office , "The new location felt like new life has been breathed into Artscape" and lauded the inclusion and active listening that local artists experienced this year.