Weekend in Arbutus: Things to Do Nov 6 to 8, 2026

The first full weekend of November is a good one around Arbutus. On Saturday you can celebrate Benjamin Banneker's birthday at a free market fair in Catonsville, then dance the night away at Post 109 to raise money for new trees. Sunday brings the farmers market, a free Veterans Day celebration, a neighborhood cleanup in Lansdowne and a string concert at UMBC.

What's happening this weekend near Arbutus?

Community events can change, so please check with the host before you head out.

What is there to do Friday, November 6?

Friday is a quiet, cozy day to wander UMBC's two free art shows before the weekend rush. The Lewis Hine in Maryland exhibit in the library gallery shows the photographer's 1909 pictures of child workers in Maryland, and it is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Over at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, Somewhere Over the Rainbow of Row Homes, We Fly features Baltimore artists exploring home, memory and community, and it closes November 24. You can read more in my post on free art exhibits at UMBC.

What is there to do Saturday, November 7?

Saturday is the big day. Baltimore County Recreation and Parks hosts the free Banneker Birthday Market Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oella Avenue, with historical vendors, music, cooking demonstrations and food trucks. My Banneker Market Fair guide has all the details.

If you like getting your hands dirty, the Friends of Oella Cemetery hold a fall wrap-up cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon with Patapsco Heritage Greenway. And if you still have jack-o'-lanterns on the porch, Baltimore County's free Great Pumpkin Smash runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Honeygo Run Regional Park in Perry Hall. It is a drive, but it is a fun way to give old pumpkins a send-off.

Saturday night, put on your dancing shoes. The Tree Hugger Dance starts at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Dewey Lowman Post 109 on Old Sulphur Spring Road. It raises money for the Catonsville Tree Canopy Project, a volunteer group that plants and cares for trees around Catonsville, with music from The Dave Phenicie Band. Tickets are 40 dollars each, and the event listing has the ticket contact.

What is there to do Sunday, November 8?

Start with coffee and a stroll through the Catonsville Sunday Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to noon on Mellor Avenue. Only three Sundays are left in the season, which ends November 22. My Sunday market guide has parking tips.

Baltimore County and Towson University host a free, family-friendly Veterans Day Celebration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with resources from veteran organizations, a disability claims clinic, family games and free parking in the Union Parking Garage. I wrote more in my post on the Baltimore County Veterans Day celebration.

Closer to home, Patapsco Heritage Greenway leads a trash cleanup at Lansdowne Middle School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Supplies are provided, and every volunteer needs to sign up. My post on volunteering near Arbutus lists more dates.

End the weekend with the UMBC Faculty String Sextet at 4 p.m., playing Brahms' String Sextet No. 2 and Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence." See my UMBC concerts guide for the rest of the month.

What are the free things to do this weekend?

• The Lewis Hine in Maryland exhibit at UMBC, Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday noon to 5 p.m.
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow of Row Homes, We Fly at UMBC, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The Banneker Birthday Market Fair, Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Great Pumpkin Smash in Perry Hall, Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Browsing the Catonsville Sunday Farmers Market, Sunday 9 a.m. to noon.
• The Veterans Day Celebration at Towson University, Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Volunteering at the Lansdowne Middle School cleanup, Sunday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What does this mean if you are thinking about moving here?

This is the kind of weekend that makes Arbutus feel like home. In two days you can learn some history in Oella, dance with neighbors at the Legion, browse the farmers market in Catonsville and help clean up Lansdowne, all within a few miles. If that sounds like your kind of place, my Moving to Arbutus guide is the best place to start, and last weekend's ideas are in Weekend in Arbutus: Oct 30 to Nov 1.

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