The HCSA is pleased to present our monthly "E-News" with  information on news and upcoming events taking place in the Charles Street district. April 2010 HCSA Upcoming Event Let's Eat! Charles Street Saturday, May 22. The 300 block of Charles Street will be closed for this street event which takes place on Saturday, May 22 between 12 noon and 6pm.  Food, crafts, music and children's activities are in the mix!  For information on participating as a vendor, please contact michele@charlesstreet.net or call HCSA at 410-332-4144. Area Events this Month Art Blooms at the Walters  April 9 - 11  Flower Show and Art Show rolled into one!  See how paintings and art works are interpreted through floral arrangements.  Over 40 art objects throughout the Walters museum are paired up with spectacular arrangements created by local garden clubs. Viewings are FREE for this three day event sponsored by the Women's Committee of the Walters Art Museum . Free floral arranging demonstrations also included on Sunday. Docent tours are also available. This is a must see and a great way to welcome spring!  For more information, visit http://www.wamwc.org/. Second Saturdays in Station North April 10  Free Events at eight venues all within two blocks of the intersection of Charles Street and North Avenue showcasing art exhibits, theatrical performances, workshops, film screenings and live music.  For more information, call 410-962-7075 or visit http://www.stationnorth.org  City Lit Festival April 17 10am to 5pm Named a "can't miss event on the city's cultural scene" ( Baltimore magazine), this FREE annual festival takes place at the Central Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library at 400 Cathedral St .  Elizabeth Kostova, Victoria Rowell, Sam Lipsyte, Ellen Lupton, John Murillo, Ron Egatz, Mash Hamilton, January G. O'Neil, Alafair Burke, and Andrew Gross are just some of the literary artists who will appear. Plus, Poet's Ink workshop and reading, the Maryland Humanities Council's "Letters About Literature" program, a recording of the IndieBookMan Show, and the always bustling Literary Marketplace. For more information, click on http://www.citylitproject.org/ Station North Music Festival April 24 3pm to 9pm Come to the corner of Charles Street and North Avenue and celebrate spring!  Enjoy good food from local restaurants, beer and music!  For more information, contact David Bielenberg at 410-962-7075 or visit http://www.stationnorth.org. Mount Vernon Cultural Walk Starting April 3 10am & 1pm  Each weekend in April, Explore Baltimore's Historic Charles Street National Scenic Byway. See architectural treasures - the Beaux-Arts B&O Railroad building, the Art Deco Bank of America Tower , Mies van der Rohe's sleek One Charles Center , and the nation's first monument to George Washington. Hear about philanthropists who created many of the nation's foremost cultural institutions including The Walters Art Museum, Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Peabody Institute, the Basilica and more. Tours are FREE and last approximately 90 minutes. Tours will be offered both weekdays and weekends from May to October.  Groups welcome. For information or reservations visit http://www.starspangledtrails.org/ or call 443-984-2369 (fees may apply for groups of 10 or more). Highlights at Local Establishments Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church, corner of Charles and Saratoga  March 31 7pm  Organ Concert: Marcel Dupré's Le Chemin de la Croix (Stations of the Cross) will be presented. World renowned organist Dr. Jeremy Filsell will play Dupré's Le Chemin de la Croix, a musical "poem" of fourteen extraordinary tableaux for organ solo, based on the stages (or Stations) of Christ's journey to Calvary. Dupré's original organ improvisations (dating from 1931) formed a musical commentary on a series of dramatic poems on the Stations by French poet Paul Claudel (1868-1955), who was by profession a diplomat and who served as Ambassador to Japan and the United States. At this performance, Claudel's poems will be read by Bard Wickkiser. April 4  Easter Sunday at Old Saint Paul 's - All are invited!      8am The Holy Eucharist, Rite I;  9am Festive Eucharist, Rite II with choirs and special worship experience for children; 11am Festive Eucharist, Rite I with the choirs of Men, Boys and Girls.  For more information, call 410-685-3404 or go to http://www.osp1692.org/. The First Unitarian Church, corner of Franklin and Charles Streets  April 16 8pm Chamber Music Concert! Cellist Michael Kannen, Director of Chamber Music at the Peabody Conservatory of Music and holder of the Sidney Friedberg Chair in Chamber Music closes this year's concert series with an evening of chamber music. Kannen brings Peabody faculty and students to present this evening of chamber music. The concert is free and open to the public. Contributions will benefit the Historic Niemann Organ Restoration Fund.  Check here periodically as concert details develop: http://tinyurl.com/yepyqf7. For information contact musiccommittee@firstunitarian.net.  You can also visit http://www.firstunitarian.net/. The Walters Art Museum ,  600 N. Charles Street April 19 7pm  Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Mood Disorders Center at the Johns Hopkins University, will present a lecture entitled "Psychiatry and the Arts" in the Walters Art Museum's Graham Auditorium. The lecture, sponsored by the Women's Committee of the Walters Art Museum , will be followed by a. wine and cheese reception. Tickets ($25 for the general public; $20 for members) can be ordered in the spring at http://www.wamwc.org/, or at 410.547.9000x667. To learn about this and the many other programs, call 410-547-9000, ext 238 or visit http://www.thewalters.org/.   New Members HCSA is pleased to welcome our newest members! BanThai Restaurant at 340 N. Charles Street .   Call 410-727-7971 or visit http://www.banthai.us. Howards of Mount Vernon  at 900 Cathedral Street .   Call 410-539-2009 or visit www.howardsofmountvernon.com Lumbini Restaurant  at 322 N. Charles Street .  Call  410-244-5556 or visit http://www.lumbinirestaurant.com/. HCSA Programs HCSA VIP Discount Card Program HCSA wants to encourage people who live and work in the area to buy locally.  The VIP Discount Card Program is designed to promote members of our association and compel people to utilize HCSA member establishments!  Single-use cards are available for fellow members, their employees, tenants and guests. If you would like to obtain these cards to take advantage of special discounts in the area, or if you would like to be listed as a participating vendor, please contact michele@charlesstreet.net or call 410-332-4144. For a current list of vendors offering discounts, go to http://www.charlesstreet.net/vipdiscounts.   About HCSA The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization 501 (c) (3), whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor.  HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.  The Historic Charles Street Association is located at 312 North Charles Street , Baltimore , MD   21201 .  For more information about our organization, please contact Michele Coiron, Executive Director, at 410-332-4144 or michele@charlesstreet.net.