In a feast for the senses, the 网红爆料, Baltimore (UMB) held its fourth annual Neighborhood Spring Festival to encourage people to connect with their neighbors in West Baltimore. More than 300 attendees from the Poppleton community and beyond gathered beneath a huge tent on the lawn near the UMB Community Engagement Center (CEC) to enjoy the arrival of spring.
鈥淚t was a fabulous display of our community and University partnership,鈥 said Ashley Valis, MSW, executive director of strategic initiatives and community engagement at UMB. 鈥淲e had generations of residents dancing, singing, laughing, and meeting new friends. And that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about.鈥

Members of the Hee Kyung Lee Korean Traditional Dance Team perform at the 2019 Neighborhood Spring Festival.
UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, welcomed both newcomers and those who regularly participate in CEC activities, urging everyone to have fun and take advantage of public health aspects of the April 27 event.
The president鈥檚 co-host was Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan, who is honorary chair of the UMB Council for the Arts & Culture. In what has become a tradition, she was joined by guests celebrating their Korean heritage. The first musical performance of the day was the Flower Crown Dance by the Hee Kyung Lee Korean Traditional Dance Team. Later, the group performed the Sword Dance. The Han Pan Korean American Cultural Center presented Samulnori percussion.
The entertainment was cross-cultural, with marching band appearances by La Banda del Pulgarcito and the Baltimore Christian Warriors. Line dancing by Spirit Feet prompted many in the crowd to put down their plates or finish off their ice cream cones so they could join in the fun.
On several occasions, applause swelled. One highlight was during the taekwondo demonstration by the Cadet Martial Arts & Fitness, when youngsters flipped into the air and snapped boards with their feet. Another was during the Samulnori percussion piece, when performers handed off their spinning plates to none other than Hogan and Perman, who were strategically seated nearby.
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Curtis Eaddy II, events and marketing manager of the Southwest Partnership, served as emcee. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a spring fest,鈥 he told the crowd, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 a healthy spring fest.鈥 He urged attendees to take advantage of resources such as vision and blood pressure screenings.
Inside the CEC, the Student Sight Savers Program of the offered eye tests to children and adults. At a table under the tent, UMB students who belong to the interprofessional Health Alliance offered information. Ryan Dunlow, a second-year UMSOM student, and Trish Hays, a second-year student in UMSOM鈥檚 Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, said their fitness journals and first-aid kits were popular giveaways.
At the curb on Baltimore Street, the 鈥淯MMC on the Move鈥 mobile health van welcomed festival-goers, checking vital signs and providing health facts such as the revised levels for a normal blood pressure. Community health worker Griselda Funn, based at the 网红爆料 Medical Center Midtown Campus, is a member of the van鈥檚 team that makes routine stops at the CEC.
Speaking of arrivals to the van, she said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time for a few, but others are regulars.鈥 As for Funn, this festival was a repeat. 鈥淭his is my third time being here,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really well-attended, and the performers are amazing. The resources for the community are things they really needed.鈥
Eaddy said residents of Southwest Partnership communities tell him how much they appreciate the combination of resources, food, fun, and entertainment at the annual event. 鈥淭he UMB Spring Festival bridges the University鈥檚 campus and our neighborhood campus and provides multicultural experiences,鈥 he said.
Having been raised in Poppleton, Eaddy said the opportunity to emcee such a vibrant event was a special honor. And it was no small feat given the many features that deserved attendees鈥 attention: free produce, vendors selling jewelry and other crafts, representatives of the Port Discovery Children鈥檚 Museum and the National Aquarium, face-painting, pony rides for children, and cavorting mascots. The UMB Police Department鈥檚 McGruff the Crime Dog, the Baltimore Ravens鈥 Poe, the Oriole Bird, and Splash, a Chesapeake Bay retriever wearing a life vest, all appeared. The latter promotes water safety for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Governor鈥檚 Office of Community Initiatives was among supporters of the festival.
During part of the day, sixth- through ninth-graders in the UMB CURE Scholars Program were able to participate. Copies of their research posters were on display, and several scholars and their mentors answered questions about health disparities. Later, a large group of scholars joined in the activities after competing in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Expo at the .
For children at the festival, pony rides were a big draw. 鈥淭he horse caught his eye,鈥 Rodney Timpson said of his son, Solomon, 6. And what did the young rider think of his trip? 鈥淜inda bumpy,鈥 he replied.