Ynot Lot
We are saying goodbye to our beloved Ynot Lot at its current location at the intersection of Charles Street and North Avenue. In a typical year, the Lot hosts over 100 events, ranging from small concerts and fashion shows to food giveaways and family gatherings. With the lease ending on September 30, Central Baltimore Partnership is working hard to identify a long-term home for the Ynot Lot along the Charles Street corridor in Station North.
The Ynot Lot is an outdoor event venue located on the corner of North Avenue and Charles Street in the heart of the Station North Arts & Entertainment District.
Through community gatherings and public events, the Ynot Lot encourages daily encounters with art, performance, and design events that are created by a range of local and national cultural organizers.
The Ynot Lot gives voice to artists of all stripes and makes new and exciting work accessible to the broader community. This lot has become a very popular lot for numerous community events to take place, including the Maryland Film Festival, the Red Bull Amaphiko Festival, Ratscape, the Sticky Bun Festival, and many more.
Individuals and groups of any experience level are invited to use the Lot.
We encourage projects that center around social justice, intergenerational and cross-cultural collaboration, daring arts and cultural work, and youth-run or youth-oriented events. Our aim is to accommodate as many rigorous events as is possible during the Ynot Lot’s active season.
What does Station North provide?
The Ynot Lot is approximately 6,000 square feet and features a 16’x20’ stage attached to a shipping container, both of which may be used for performance and storage. Aside from the physical space, Station North is able to provide temporary storage, speakers, a certain number of tables, chairs, and tents, promotional support, support in obtaining event permits, and advice along the way at no additional cost.
What am I responsible for?
As an organizer, you will be responsible for Ynot Lot clean up after your event, obtaining of any event permits, security, and insurance (if needed). There is a $25 utility fee, and a refundable $50 deposit to use the rental equipment in the container.
Applicants are urged to consider the following:
Accessibility, active pedestrian involvement, and overall impression to passerby
Activation and animation of the space during various times of day
Other events in the neighborhood
Public art installations must consider issues of durability, vandalism, and theft. Installations should not introduce hazards of any kind for pedestrians or Ynot Lot users.
Performances should consider noise levels on North Avenue and North Charles Street, as well as City noise ordinances
Event must be open to the public, and if possible, free.
Preliminary ideas have included music festivals, opera, luaus, bingo nights, movie screenings, outdoor chess, table tennis, and temporary sculpture. If you have an idea, we’d love to hear about it!
We are currently booking 2022 on a limited basis.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Please submit your application at least one month prior to your proposed date for your event. Keep in mind that most event permit applications can take up to a month to process.
Email us for any questions or concerns, or if you’d like to volunteer!
Our 2022 Ynot Lot improvement and program partners include: The Cheng Family, The City of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University, The William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the France-Merrick Foundation, Keep Maryland Green, Urban Land Institute, BG&E, Central Baltimore Partnership, Gensler, North Avenue Marketplace and Mike Schecter, and the Neighborhood Design Center.
The Ynot Lot is managed by Station North Arts & Entertainment District, a proud program of the Central Baltimore Partnership.
If you are interested in supporting the Ynot Lot and Station North’s other projects, please donate here.