PARKVILLE, MD – The 2019 Parkville Fair was held on Sunday, September 8, and it was a picture-perfect day.
After rain dampened last year’s affair, organizers were pleased with Sunday’s beautiful weather.
“This was our first year away from Harford Road with nice weather,” said Chris Montcalmo, president of the Parkville-Carney Business Association, which organizes the annual event. “Given last year’s rain, this was a good barometer for us to see how the fair would perform away from its former location on a sunny day.”
Up until 2018, the fair was held on Harford Road, but State Highway Administration officials no longer allow the PCBA to shut down the busy artery due to traffic and security concerns.
This year, the Parkville Fair was held at Putty Hill Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Old Harford Road and Putty Hill Avenue.
There was plenty of food, fun, kids’ activities, and the Ravens’ first game of the season was shown on the TV screens in the beer garden at McAvoy’s Sports Bar.
There was an Irish dancing demonstration, a martial arts demonstration, and live music from the Swingin’ Swamis and Crazy Eights.
Maryland’s 9/11 Rolling Memorial was also on display at the fair, which seemed even more significant as this year’s location was right in the middle of the Hope & Peace Foundation’s Path of Honor along Putty Hill Avenue. The Hope & Peace Foundation is also the organization behind the rolling memorial.
At noon, several local elected officials recognized those Parkville residents who have given back to the community, including former Delegate Christian Miele (of the Pinder Plotkin Legal Team, the fair’s main sponsor), Ravens Roost 82 based out of McAvoy’s (who host several toy & food drives throughout the year), Faye Ewers Wilkinson (who runs 9 hyper-local Facebook community groups), and Carol Szaroleta (a longtime board member at PCBA).
The board also recognized Ed Pinder posthumously. Pinder was very involved with the girls’ softball program at the Parkville Parks and Recreational Council. “Mr. Ed” coached and mentored countless young women on the value of self-confidence, teamwork, and compassion. In tribute to his lifelong service, he was honored by having a softball field at Belmont Park dedicated to him.
Among the elected officials in attendance were Councilman David Marks (who also represented Councilwoman Cathy Bevins), Delegate Joe Boteler, Delegate Harry Bhandari (who also represented Senator Kathy Klausmeier), and Carl Jackson, who represented former Delegate Eric Bromwell.
But did the new location work? Given the crowds, it would seem so.
“We were very pleased with the turnout,” said PCBA president Montcalmo, who is also a local musician and founder at NottinghamMD.com. “Moving an entire fair is not easy, but a few of the vendors mentioned that this was this was one of the best years they’ve ever had.”
You can view photos from the fair below, and to see more photos, visit Joe Pucillo Photography on Facebook here.
