Together with
Transforming Empty Houses Into Homes
Hello Friends—
Welcome to the 151 new subscribers who joined since last week’s edition. Happy to have you in our (growing) community.
You know summer is around the corner when the first “First Friday” in Bel Air arrives. Food trucks, beer stations, live music, plus activities for the kids & more!
Quick favor (and a chance to win $100): I’m launching the Semi-Annual Reader Survey to make sure this newsletter is as useful and relevant as possible for you. It takes all of 30 seconds and I’d owe you one!
To make it worth your while, at the end of May I’ll randomly pick 5 people to win a $100 gift card to a local restaurant of your choice. Click here to take the survey and enter to win.
🏠 For Sale: A 5-bed, 2.5-bath colonial on 3.5+ private acres in Forest Hill — 4,417 sqft with hardwood floors, a granite-and-stainless kitchen, a fireplace-warmed family room, finished lower level, and a backyard with a covered stone porch, patio, and fire pit. Priced at $900,000.
🦀 Menu Item: Bacco Italian + Wine Bar’s new cream of crab soup is officially on the menu — rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. Stop in for lunch or dinner and give it a try.
🎟️ Hot Ticket: Harmony Woods Music & Arts Fest returns to Bel Air on June 19-20, with two days of live music, food trucks, craft cocktails, wine, local breweries, arts, and family-friendly fun.
Now to this weekend…
Harford County's best block party, First Fridays, is back…
The 18th year of Ladew's beloved Garden Festival…
And Defender's Day in Havre de Grace…
Scroll down, make plans, and enjoy your weekend!
TOGETHER WITH FRESH START FURNISHINGS AT INNER COUNTY OUTREACH
Your Unused Furniture Can Help a Harford County Family Rebuild
That couch, table, or dresser sitting in your basement can do more than collect dust — it can help a local family turn an empty house into a home.
Fresh Start Furnishings has spent a decade doing exactly that, furnishing more than 2,050 homes and impacting nearly 6,000 lives right here in Harford County. Now, as part of a merger with Inner County Outreach, their reach just got bigger.
Fresh Start Furnishings at Inner County Outreach combines 10 years of furniture-banking experience with ICO's 40-year history of wraparound services — mental health support, food assistance, and family services — so that families don't just get a furnished home. They get a real foundation.
Furniture poverty affects 3 in 10 people. A bedroom without a bed, a kitchen without a table — it's not cosmetic. It destabilizes everything.
You can help change that… Donate gently used furniture (pickup available)… Donate funds to help furnish homes when items aren't available
Make your impact today at FreshStartMD.org. Because a fresh start isn't just a place to live — it's a place to come home to.
P.S. Want your business in front of 9,900+ locals? Advertising with the Bel Air Brief means growing your business and supporting a feel-good, homegrown newsletter that’s all about building community in Bel Air & Harford County. Let’s talk!
Things To Do This Weekend In Bel Air & Surrounding Areas
Friday, May 1st
First Fridays in Bel Air! (Free)
📅 Friday, May 1 | 5 PM – 8 PM
📍 Downtown Bel Air, 121 S Main St, Bel Air
Harford County's best block party is back — live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, a beer and wine garden, and activities for kids right in the heart of downtown. Shops, the Public Art Walk, and the Ma & Pa Trail are all at your fingertips, and the fun keeps rolling at local pubs after 8 PM.
Curtain Call Bingo to Benefit River Stone Theatre Company ($)
📅 Friday, May 1 | 6 PM
📍 First Presbyterian Church of Bel Air, 10 W Gordon St, Bel Air
A fun night of bingo, prizes, food, drinks, and community connection — all supporting River Stone Theatre Company's outreach programs and future productions. Grab your tickets at tickettailor.com and help keep community theatre alive in Harford County.
🎵 Natalie's Seafood Kitchen: One Year Anniversary — Burn Barrel Band ($)
📅 Friday, May 1 | 7 PM – 11 PM
📍 Natalie's Seafood Kitchen, 2315 Belair Rd Unit B2, Fallston
Natalie's Seafood Kitchen is celebrating ONE YEAR with a full weekend of live music, chef features, and specialty cocktails — and it kicks off Friday night with the Burn Barrel Band from 7–11 PM. Come raise a crush to a year of Chesapeake goodness.
🎵 An Evening of Jazz: Alumni of HCC ($)
📅 Friday, May 1 | 8 PM
📍 Joppa Recital Hall, Harford Community College, 401 Thomas Run Rd, Bel Air
HCC alumni jazz combos return to the rooms they used to haunt for a special evening of live jazz celebrating the music program's legacy. Tickets are $15 for adults; HCC students get in free.
Saturday, May 2nd
DVFC Flea Market (Free)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 8 AM – 12 PM
📍 Darlington Volunteer Fire Company, 2600 Castleton Rd, Darlington
Dig through treasures and goodies at the Darlington VFC Flea Market, with breakfast served by donation from 7:30–10:30 AM.
Garden Festival at Ladew Topiary Gardens ($)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 8 AM – 4 PM
📍 Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton
Now in its 18th year, Ladew's beloved Garden Festival brings 40 exclusive vendors from across the Eastern Seaboard offering rare perennials, specialty plants, antiques, and decorative garden treasures. Ticket proceeds support the preservation of the 22-acre historic gardens and children's education programs.
Final Event at Bray & Em Boutique — Mother's Day Celebration (Free)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 10 AM – 4 PM
📍 Bray & Em Boutique, 696 Baltimore Pike Suite J14, Bel Air
Bray & Em's final event before their big move — shop, sip, and celebrate with a Coach Purse Raffle (spend $200 to enter), bouquet specials with a free room spray, and a Simply Southern giveaway. Come make memories and be first to hear about their upcoming June Move-Out Sale.
Harford County Community Resource Fair (Free)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 10 AM – 1 PM
📍 City of God Highway to Zion Church, 511 Edmund St, Aberdeen
Harford County Housing and Community Services is hosting a free resource fair packed with help for the whole community — SNAP, energy assistance, health screenings, financial literacy, senior services, and more. Visit 6 tables and score a free Sweet Kings dessert while you're at it.
3rd Annual Tea Time Around the World ($)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 2 PM – 4 PM
📍 Bel Air Armory, 37 N Main St, Bel Air
A delightful journey through the diverse world of tea — sip teas from England, Japan, and beyond while mingling with fellow enthusiasts at this LASOS fundraiser. Tickets are $25 (bring your own teacup!); expect raffles and door prizes too.
🎵 Natalie's Seafood Kitchen: One Year Anniversary — Jason Melani + Crushing Day ($)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 2 PM – 11 PM
📍 Natalie's Seafood Kitchen, 2315 Belair Rd Unit B2, Fallston
The anniversary weekend rolls on Saturday with Jason Melani from 2–6 PM and Crushing Day taking over from 7–11 PM. Chef features and specialty cocktails all day — this is the main event.
Defender's Day in Havre de Grace (Free)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | 3 PM – 9 PM
📍 Concord Point Park, Havre de Grace
Celebrate Havre de Grace hero John O'Neill with fireworks at sunset, live music, a kids' zone, food trucks, and an outdoor beer garden at beautiful Concord Point Park. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets — rain date is May 3rd.
Harford County Sheriff's Office Movie Night: Zootopia 2 (Free)
📅 Saturday, May 2 | Gates 6:45 PM | Movie 8 PM
📍 Friendship Liquors, 3520 Woodsdale Rd, Abingdon
The Harford County Sheriff's Office is hosting a free outdoor movie night featuring the brand-new Zootopia 2 — free concessions and blankets while supplies last. All ages welcome; grab a spot early!
Sunday, May 3rd
Mother's Day Candle Workshop at Harford Vineyard ($)
📅 Sunday, May 3 | 1 PM – 3 PM
📍 Harford Vineyard & Winery, 1311 W Jarrettsville Rd, Forest Hill
Sip wine and pour your own custom-scented candle at this Mother's Day workshop hosted by Nature's Glow Candle Company — the perfect early gift for Mom. Tickets are $60 and include the workshop plus a glass of Harford Vineyard wine or spirit (21+).
🎵 Natalie's Seafood Kitchen: One Year Anniversary — Day Drinkers Duo ($)
📅 Sunday, May 3 | 2 PM – 6 PM
📍 Natalie's Seafood Kitchen, 2315 Belair Rd Unit B2, Fallston
Cap off the anniversary weekend with the Day Drinkers Duo from 2–6 PM — a perfect Sunday afternoon vibe with Chesapeake fare and fresh crushes. One year down, many more to go!
🎵 Sunday Afternoon Concert Series: Hexing Xiao and Friends ($)
📅 Sunday, May 3 | 3 PM
📍 Joppa Hall, Recital Hall #1, 401 Thomas Run Rd, Bel Air
Pianist Hexing Xiao joins HCC faculty musicians on flute and cello for a refined afternoon of classical works by Mendelssohn, Haydn, Bartok, and Tan Dun. Tickets are $10 for adults; HCC students get in free with ID.
Save the Dates:
Pairings Bistro Beer Dinner, April 30th, Double Groove Brewing
Cinco de Mayo at Independent, May 5th, Independent Brewing Co
Mother’s Day Bubbles & Bouquets, May 7th, Bacco Italian + Wine Bar
Mother’s Day Self-Defense Workshop, May 7th, Empire Dojo Abingdon
Chick-fil-A Bel Air: Breakfast Bingo!, May 11th, Chick-fil-A Bel Air
Bel Air Town Derby, May 17th, Main Street Bel Air
For more live music on the schedule this weekend, check out the “Harco Live Music Round Up” facebook group…
It’s Not Just a Floor, It’s a Platinum Floor™
The Garage Transformation Everyone in Harford County Is Talking About
From Cluttered Catch-All to Clean, Organized & Built to Impress
For over 25 years, Platinum Concrete Coatings has helped Harford County homeowners turn ordinary garages into clean, functional extensions of their home.
Now, we’re taking it even further with complete Garage Transformations:
Durable, one-day installed floor coatings
Custom-fit garage cabinets
Slat wall & overhead storage systems
Clean, modern finishes that actually last
And yes . . . Piper approves.
Because your garage should work as hard as you do – handling tools, storage, cars, claws, and real life – while still looking incredible.
Don’t settle for a garage that wastes space. Start your transformation today.
Get Your Free Garage Design & Estimate: Call 443-903-2999 or visit PlatinumConcreteCoatings.net
Headlines in the Community…
So Close: Bel Air’s Brooks Rosser Eliminated Just Before American Idol Top 5. Read more…
Pairings Bistro has Cinco de Mayo breakfast specials all next week, including Steak & Chilaquiles, Huevos Rancheros, and Dulce de Leche Pancakes. Read more…
Emergency legislation would pause the building of data centers in Harford County for 90 days. Read more…
The Comptroller of Maryland opened a new branch office on Emmorton Road, which should make things easier for Bel Air-area taxpayers. Read more…
Looney’s Pub Bel Air is running Cinco de Mayo specials May 2–5, with margaritas, beer deals, and a raffle for Orioles-Yankees tickets. Read more…
The Belle Aire Market returns May 10th for the 2026 season, bringing vendors and live music back to Main Street on the second Sunday of each month. Read more…
Basta Pasta Fallston is celebrating 22 years in business, which is a pretty great milestone for a local family-run spot. Read more…
Pet Of The Week: Presented by Our Friends at Shannon’s Pretty Paws Pet Grooming
We are more than just groomers, we’re a family!
Give your pet the 5-star treatment & book a grooming session at Shannon’s Pretty Paws today. Your furry friend will thank you (and so will your furniture).
This week’s reader submission is: Rufus
“Rufus is a 6 year old rescue from Mississippi! He is the silliest, sweetest, weirdest dog you will ever meet. He loves spending his day snuggled up on the couch and will never say no to a pup cup.”
Rufus, big pup cup fan!
Have a furry, feathered, or scaly friend you’re proud of? Send a photo and a few fun facts, and we might feature them in an upcoming issue.
Real Estate Corner
Bel Air’s Trusted Local Businesses (Vetted & Community-Backed)
When you need something done right the first time, you don’t want to guess.
These are local businesses that Bel Air Brief readers rely on—trusted, proven, and part of the community.
Reach out and tell them “Matt from the Bel Air Brief” sent you.
✔️ Garage Doors: Carl’s Door Service has 150+ Google reviews and a 4.8-star rating—trusted locally since 1965 for fast, reliable garage door repair and installation.
✔️ Financial Planning: Paul Applegate — Edward Jones helps Harford County families and business owners build clear, no-pressure retirement and financial plans that actually make sense.
✔️ Flooring: Chesapeake Carpet & Flooring brings 40+ years of local experience—offering shop-at-home estimates and full-service installation for carpet, hardwood, tile, and more.
✔️ Roofing: Tar Heel Construction Group has 750+ five-star Google reviews, an A+ BBB rating, and has won “Best of Harford” six years in a row—Bel Air's go-to contractor since 2004 for roof replacements, repairs, siding, gutters, and solar.
✔️ Concrete Coatings: Platinum Concrete Coatings has 1,000+ five-star Google reviews—one-day installs with a lifetime warranty for garage floors, patios, and basements.
✔️ Pet Grooming: Shannon’s Pretty Paws is 4.7-star rated—calm, certified grooming for dogs and cats with walk-in nail trims available.
✔️ Community Resource: Fresh Start Furnishings at Inner County Outreach has helped furnish 2,000+ homes—providing free furniture to local families transitioning out of crisis.
✔️ Marketing: Hardiman Marketing helps local businesses grow through social media, photography, and video—built for brands that want more visibility.
✔️ Coffee & Community: The Screaming Bean Café has 500+ reviews and a 4.6-star rating—locally owned coffee shop that gives back to Harford County charities.
Want to be featured here and seen by 9,900+ locals each week? Learn more here.
Date Spot Of The Week
Vagabond Sandwich Co. (Bel Air)
📍 111 Thomas Street, Bel Air
Sometimes the best date night is the one where nobody has to pretend they wanted a tiny entrée and a $17 side salad. Vagabond Sandwich Co. keeps things casual, fun, and very Bel Air — locally owned, no B.S., and built around creative comfort food that hits way harder than your average sandwich stop.
This is the move when you want something low-pressure but still memorable: big flavors, generous portions, and enough menu curveballs to make the “what are you getting?” conversation actually interesting.
The vibe: Easygoing, local, and unpretentious in the best way. It’s the kind of spot where a date can feel relaxed without feeling lazy — which, honestly, is a beautiful little sandwich miracle.
Thanks for reading the Bel Air Brief today. Share it with someone who has First Fridays marked on their calendar.
Matt | Bel Air Brief
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