Baltimore’s Preakness Stakes ushers in a new era of entertainment, arts and culture

Just as the first Monday in May is synonymous with the Met Gala, so is the third weekend of May in Baltimore bet.

The 148th annual race took place Saturday at North Baltimore’s Pimlico Racetrack, ushering in a new era of live music, entertainment, arts and culture. This year, the event embodies black excellence in all its multifaceted glory.

With dramatic hats, daring dresses, surfwear and glamour, Black Baltimores — and Preakness fans — understood the mission as a fashion wave hit the stands.

Preakness Live features many top performers, including Grammy winner Bruno Mars, musical duo SOFI TUKKER, DJ Chantel Jeffries, Martin 2 Smoove and Baltimore’s own DJ Quicksilva.

In what many consider to be a tale of “Two Baltimores,” the event has worked hard over the past few years to become more inclusive of its surrounding communities, thanks to a partnership with Baltimore’s own 300 Chairman and CEO Kevin Liles, Elektra Entertainment and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. The result — Preakness LIVE, a 2022 campaign launched by 1/ST to support the event’s connection to Baltimore by leveraging the Preakness platform to highlight the city’s rich entertainment, arts and community culture. While the 2023 event is markedly different from last year’s first launch, the underrepresentation of Black chefs at Restaurant Row in Baltimore and the excitement over the previous year’s lineup of talent (which included D-Nice, Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee, Stallion, Moneybagg Yo and The Chainsmokers), but still an overall step in the right direction.

The most important element of the weekend – despite the showers, there was real black joy on that field.

The second jewel in the Triple Crown, Preakness is also mentioned Known as “The Run of the Black-Eyed Susan” because Maryland’s state flower, the Black-Eyed Susan, blankets the winning horse. National Treasure, owned by SF Racing LLC, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by jockey John Velazquez, received a Tiffany & Co. Woodlawn vase after winning this year.

With the return of the Infield Art Garden, this year’s Preakness LIVE spotlights Baltimore’s vibrant arts scene, featuring unique work by local artists using shipping containers as canvases, presented by Chesapeake Ports of America in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture . Merchandise will also be available for purchase of winning artwork from the Motorsports Art Competition in partnership with the Maryland Institute of Art (MICA), with proceeds going to Park Heights Renaissance, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting its community.