Feburary 19th - 25th, 2026
This weeks hot topics
CIAA in Baltimore
Home & Garden Show in Timonium
Restaurant Week
Hey Locals! 👋🏽
I want to take a second to say thank you.
Last week, so many of you showed up to support Freakin Sweet Jar at Annapolis Mall after seeing my video — and that meant everything.
The owner shared how people kept coming in saying they saw it here 🥹
That’s the power of this community.
It started with me wandering into a dessert shop…
and turned into one of their biggest weekends.
So thank you for showing up, supporting small businesses, and proving that when we share good places — people respond.
This is exactly why I do this.
You never know whose small business you’re helping just by showing up.
When I started ItsSummersSomewhere, one of my biggest dreams was working with Visit Baltimore… and this week it happened 🥹
Which feels full circle because CIAA week is one of the BEST times to experience this city — whether you live here or you’re visiting.
But here’s what surprised me…
So many locals think CIAA is just basketball.
It’s not.
It’s events, culture, food, parties, activations, energy — the city feels different.
And if you’ve been curious but never gone, this might be your year.
👉 Central Maryland residents can grab $50 semi-final tickets through Feb 28, just enter your zipcode
👉 You can explore events + plan ahead here.
See video of what to expect ⬇️
Home & Garden Show
If your Pinterest board has been calling your name… this is your sign.
The Home & Garden Show is back — and this isn’t just for homeowners.
Meet Matt Blashaw and Craig Conover from your favorite HGTV Shows.
It’s for:
• dreamers
• renters planning their future space
• anyone who loves browsing vendors
• families looking for something different to do
You’ll find inspiration, ideas, shopping, kids activities and honestly… it’s one of those events you walk into “just to look” and leave with a full camera roll.
👉 Tickets are discounted with my link/code below
Eat around town!
Annapolis Resturant Week February 21st- March 1.
If you’ve ever wanted to try Annapolis restaurants without committing to full menu prices — this is your window.
Prix fixe menus mean:
👉 easier decisions
👉 better value
👉 built-in date night idea
And honestly… Restaurant Week is when I explore new spots too.
You can indulge in a two-course breakfast between $13.95 and $19.95, a two-course lunch between $15.95 and $22.95, or a three-course dinner between $29.95 and $45.95 when dining in. Some restaurants even have additional bonus specials!
Black-Owned Restaurant Tour (Baltimore)
CIAA week + food experiences = perfect pairing.
This tour highlights incredible Black-owned restaurants across the city, giving you built-in places to explore while the city is buzzing.
Think of it as your CIAA food itinerary.
Save Chinatown DC — Lunar New Year Crawl
A restaurant crawl that also supports preserving culture and community? Yes please.
Small bites, multiple stops, and a chance to experience Chinatown in a new way.
No-Scroll Saturday Challenge (Family or Solo)
Pick one evening this week to put phones away for 2 hours.
Create a tiny “menu” of what you’ll do instead:
Board game or card game
Bake something together
Movie with snacks you already have
Journal + tea time (solo version)
👉🏽 The goal isn’t productivity. It’s presence.
Image partying like it’s night time but skipping work to do it during the day. That’s what Play Hooky is all about with games, music, bars and fun.
Family Events 🧒🏾👦🏾
2/20 Black History Film Festival - DC
2/21 Saturday Morning Tunes ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Party - Baltimore
2/21 Lunar New Year Celebration - Peabody Brewery Baltimore
2/22 Lunar New Year Parade - DC
2/22 Mardi Gras At the Wharf - DC
2/22 Indoor 5K Race - Arundel Mills Mall Hanover, MD
2/22 Lunar New Year Arts Festival 2026 - Baltimore
2/23 $10 Community Day at Port Discovery - Baltimore
Adult Only Events 🪪
2/20 Love Stinks Anti Burlesque Show - Lord Baltimore Hotel Baltimore
2/21 Black History Month Trivia - DC
2/21 Stand Up Comedy Open Mic - Edmondson Avenue Branch Baltimore
2/21 Black Composers Concert - DC
2/21 Sip, Scrub and Bloom - Tapville Mall in Columbia
2/21 Langston Hughes II - Hemingway Room Baltimore
CIAA Events
2/26-3/1 Official CIAA Events Line Up - Baltimore
2/26-27 Fan Fest Event - Baltimore Convention Center
2/28 That’s My Jam CIAA Day Party - Baltimore, MD
Free Events👇🏾
🆓 Free to Enter
🪪 Adult Only Events
👦🏾🧒🏾 KidsFriendly Event
🔴 Highly Recommend and I have been or will be going
Want to advertise your event or business? Put it here!
P.S. Do you have an event or idea you want me to cover? Hit reply. I read every one.
See you ——-Somewhere!
Disclaimer: I do not host any of these events or have any affiliation with them.
*There are affiliate links on this page that I can make a small profit from so thank you for purchasing through those links to support the time it took to make this newsletter and continue to bring you the videos/reels you love!