Light City Baltimore, A Festival of Light, Music and Innovation

Light City Baltimore is a festival of light, music and innovation. The inaugural event will light up Baltimore’s Inner Harbor from March 28 – April 3 with art, music, performances, and an innovation conference.

Central to the event, will be the 1.5-mile BGE Light Art Walk, with 50 illuminated experiences and art installations, musical performances, street theater and concerts, all free and open to the public. The event will kick off with the Light City Lantern Parade coordinated by the Creative Alliance on March 28 at 7 p.m., beginning at the Maryland Science Center and following the

BGE Light Art Walk. Each night, from 7 – 11 p.m., Baltimore’s Inner Harbor will come to life with light art installations, interactive activities for the whole family, and concerts and performances. The festival will be open until 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Concert headliners include:

· Dan Deacon, Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 10 p.m.

· DJ Jazzy Jeff, Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10 p.m.

· Robert DeLong, Friday, April 1, 2016 at 10:45 p.m.

· TT The Artist, Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 10 p.m.

· Rob Garza, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 10 p.m.

· DJ Spank Rock, Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 10 p.m.

· Thomas Dolby, Monday, March 28, 2016 at 10 p.m.

Strolling along the BGE Light Art Walk, festival–goers can enjoy 28 lighted art installations on the Inner Harbor Promenade, floating in the harbor waters and projected on area buildings. Colorful illuminated projects include: Diamond Light Baltimore by Cheon Kroiz collaborative of Baltimore, comprised of 15 diamond-shaped structures; Peacock by Tim Scofield & Kyle Miller of Baltimore, a 20-foot tall light automated peacock; The Pool by Jen Lewin of Colorado, interactive giant circular pads of light; and Voyage by Aether & Hemera of England, a rainbow colored flotilla of lighted “paper” boats in the harbor. Other installations include thought- provoking works such as Water Will Be Here by Eric Corriel of New York, an interactive

projection about rising sea levels; Walking in the Light of a History, a collaboration between Paul Rucker and The Reginald F. Lewis Museum chronicling the history of the slave trade in Baltimore; and Luminous Intervention of Baltimore, which uses animation, images, etc. to chronicle social concerns such as education, police violence and housing issues.

Families can visit Mini Light City in Pierce’s Park for hands-on, illuminated craft activities in a youth makers’ tent, whimsical snacks such as lighted cotton candy and children’s entertainers including magician David London, Baltimore Dance Crews Project and Baltimore Free Hoops School. The park is home to an interactive sound garden by artist David Hess. Located near Pier 5, Mini Light City is open nightly from 7pm-9pm with an extended hour on Saturday until 10pm.

Along with the festival, Light City U will be the site of a series of four innovation conferences exploring the theme of “powering social change” at Light City Baltimore.

Light City U is a series of seminars focused on four key themes: sustainability, social innovation, creativity, and health. Each of the subject areas will be discussed in a conference setting featuring thought leaders and speakers from Baltimore and across the country. All conferences, with the exception of Creative Innovation, will be held at the Columbus Center. Creative Innovation will be held at City Garage, an innovation hub planned for entrepreneurs and startup companies, and owned by Sagamore Development — a real estate firm owned by Kevin Plank.

“Baltimore is the perfect location for Light City U, at a time when the entire nation is engaged in a dialogue about social justice and change,” said Brooke Hall, founding partner, Light City Baltimore. “Baltimore has long been a city of innovation, and was even recently acknowledged by Inc. as a hub for tech startups. That recognition is just a starting point. Light City Baltimore will establish Baltimore as home to entrepreneurs, thinkers, business leaders and artists who have the same goal – to stay in constant, forward motion, building and improving on the foundation of the past, and dedicated to using the arts and technology as agents for social change.”

Innovators and change-makers including co-founder of AOL Steve Case, Radiolab’s

Jad Abumrad, Alex Laskey, founder of OPower, Design Matters’ Debbie Millman, Wes Moore and Baltimore City Health Department Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen will join thought leaders across the Sustainability, Health, Creative, and Social innovation fields during Light City U to tackle the complicated issue of how to become a more responsible and equitable society.

Baltimore Gas & Electric is the lead founding partner of Light City Baltimore and the major sponsor of the Sustainability Innovation conference. CEO Calvin G. Butler, Jr. said of their involvement, “energy and sustainability are central to any conversation around the issues facing America -- particularly urban areas. It is important to bring thought leaders together. This conference will provide a stage for discussion around energy and sustainability as key factors to create a fair and equitable society.”

For more information on Light City Baltimore, visit www.lightcity.org or call 410-752-8632. Stay connected via Facebook: Light City Baltimore, Twitter: @LightCityBmore and Instagram: LightCityBmore.