The Baltimore Beat is proud to announce that we are media partners for the inaugural Asia North Festival—“a celebration of art, culture, and the Korean history and heritage of the Charles North community.”
Asia North Festival happens on March 29-31 at Motor House (120 W. North Ave.).
We will be there Saturday, hosting our first mobile newsroom. Inspired by the work of the Boston Institute For Nonprofit Journalism (who have been advisors to the Beat and the Baltimore Institute For Nonprofit Journalism over the past two years), the Beat will be posted up among the festivities, making ourselves available to talk about the news, explore future story ideas, hear about what we should be writing about that we aren’t, meet our readers, and just be present. So pitch us stories, ask us questions, or just say hi.
“We all know that the Baltimore Beat is necessary for this city because it sorely needs a source of independent journalism,” Leandro Lagera of the Chinatown Collective said. “But for organizations like ours, we need a partner, an ally, and a voice that will keep us honest in our mission.”
For the Beat, working with Lagera and others related to the Asia North Festival is important because it maintains some continuity between the previous print version of Baltimore Beat. Lagera was one of the many people who helped the Beat’s relaunched and advised us. He also works at the Real News Network which provided the Beat content and office space. It also realizes some plans we had that didn’t quite get off the ground before. Last fall, when Charm City Night Market, the last project from Chinatown Collective occurred, the Beat was moving towards is relaunch and Brandon and I walked around among the thousand-plus people wishing we had a media outlet to facilitate connections and conversations like the ones happening that night. And finally, now we do once again.
The Asia North Festival’s opening party features 2019 Baker Award music finalist Ami Dang and singer EN’B will perform at the Intricate Layers art exhibition. There will be more events all day Saturday, including a storytelling showcase from the Asian Pasifika Arts Collective, the third installment of Charm City Night Market’s Night Market Underground, as well as free performance and interactive activities. On Sunday, Bite of Baltimore will lead a “Taste of Koreatown” food tour through some of the area’s historic restaurants.
Find more information on the Asia North Festival and a detailed schedule here.