HonFest 2011
HonFest 2011
36th Street
(Hampden Neighborhood)
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore’s HonFest has been on my radar for quite awhile. All the stars aligned properly this year and I made it down to Baltimore’s cute & quirky Hampden neighborhood for the second day of the 2011 festivities!
What is a Hon?
“Hon” is the Bawlamarese term of endearment (a shortened version of “honey” — Baltimore style). HonFest evolved from a contest held at Cafe Hon way back in 1994 and has grown into a four-block celebration of Hampden culture, arts, and music. The biggest attraction for visitors is probably the Baltimore’s Best Hon contest, which features women of all ages (in all their beehived & leopard-skinned glory) vying for the annual crown.
Hampden was originally settled in the early 1800s by blue-collar flour and cotton mill workers. The streets are lined with the style of row houses that just scream “Baltimore”. Though the mills have been gone for decades, the area still retains a working class atmosphere mixed with a few blocks of 21st century gentrification.
Stand back Marge Simpson and Peg Bundy … no one can rock a beehive like the ladies of Baltimore can!
What! You don’t have a beehive? Not to worry … visit the Glamour Lounge and they’ll hook you up with a kick ass up-do while you enjoy some smooth lounge sounds!
Remember the “Mad Men-Esque” placards that I captured at The Hofbrauhaus last year; or the Veronica Lake-style signs at Sled Fest? Well, just check out the HonFest restroom signs 🙂
I believe the woman at left (with the red belt) is Denise Whiting, owner of Cafe Hon and creator of Hon Fest.
> The Hon Trademark Controversy
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Wheeee! So glad you made it to Honfest, I love it! We were not able to make it this year, so glad to see your photos! Here I am with a few pals- RetroRoadhusband was kind enough to snap our photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/modbetty/541526600/
You gals looked great that year! 🙂
Turlits! I laughed my beehive off at that!
That’s funny1 I’ve long called them “terlets” in a certain crowd but I didn’t know the proper spelling. Duly noted.
Candace –
Terlet always reminds me of Edith from “All In The Family” … that’s how she pronounced it : )