Artscape to showcase Baltimore's diverse food palate
BALTIMORE — Artscape is officially a week away!
If you plan to attend we hope you come hungry because of the culinary arts, which will be on display hoping to give the community a taste of that Charm City flavor.
BMore Made with Pride Commercial Kitchen and Cafe is home to lots of food entrepreneurs. It is also home to —Arepi — one of the vendors that'll be feeding thousands of people at Artscape.
For Harold Dams and his family. Food has always been a big part of his life.
"Cause you know when we grew up we'd go down stairs in the kitchen – like 9a– 10a and mom and my mom and my grandmother would be making an arepa," said Harold Dams, the co-owner of Arepi.
Arepi is a play of words on the word 'arepa'.
An 'arepa' is a traditional Southern American Venezuelan dish they serve at Arepi– the business Harold's family built from scratch.
"An arepa has been a Venezuelan staple for many many years actually kind of like a good —very common in South American countries to serve arepas but Baltimore did not have an arepa place so we were like let's bring this we grew up with to the Baltimore community," said Harold Dams the co-owner of Arepi.
Harold started the business with his brother during the pandemic and things took off after winning the golden spatula at the Baltimore farmer market winning a spot at Artscape.
Arepi will join dozens of other food and beverage vendors at Artscape.
"Venezuelan, Thai, Southern, Caribbean, Vegan Whatever your palette is looking forward to, you'll be there at ARTSCAPE. It truly is a celebration of Culinary Arts at the Arts Festival," said Carlos-deShaun Brown the director of live events & public engagement at the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA)
37 of the 40 vendors are from Maryland. This year, many vendors like Arepi will be showcasing the flavors of their culture and heritage.
"We really wanted to focus on locally sourced and operated business. In years past it has been more of a national field that we really want to bring back local and support those local small businesses that are right here back home so when ARTSCAPE attendees come, they know where to go once they leave.," BOPA told WJZ.
"Being able to showcase our hard work to Baltimore tradition like Artscape It feels like a very good honor for us that we're able to serve our community," said Dams.
Arepi hopes to open a storefront soon but until then, you can find them at the Baltimore's Farmers Market, at pop-ups around the city and of course at Artscape.