HONfest Dates Announced

The renowned HONfest, the annual event in Hampden celebrating Baltimore kitsch, will be held for the 19th year this June.

This year the festival, which draws thousands of people from around the world to W. 36th Street, will take place on June 9 and 10, and will again feature its most popular event the “Bawlmer’s Best Hon” contest.

"We’re here to recognize the hard working women of Baltimore, especially those representing the women of the 1960’s," Denise Whiting, the festival’s founder and owner of Café Hon said in a news release. "Our goal is to have fun and celebrate Baltimore. We’re looking for the woman with the strongest Baltimore personality and the best command of ‘Bawlmer-ese,’our local language."

The festival has been controversial with some residents in the past because they feel it mocks working class Baltimore residents more than honoring them. In the past neighborhood churches have also been upset that the festival has expanded and held on Sunday.

Whiting also found herself at the center of public outrage in late 2010 when it came to light that she had "Hon." The resulting furor cost Whiting business at her restaurant, and as a result she appeared on the Fox reality show "Kitchen Nightmares."

During the episode, which aired in late February, Whiting revealed that her business was in serious financial trouble. But since the show the restaurant has stayed open. In fact Patch Readers’ chose her HONBar as the St. Patrick’s Day.

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