Will A Festival Help Revitalize Baltimore’s Preakness Stakes?
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott are planning a week-long festival to rejuvenate the Preakness Stakes races as Baltimore plans to host the second jewel of the Triple Crown horse race, Fox Baltimore reported.
The creation of the 2025 Preakness Festival was announced on Dec. 11 during a press conference at Camden Yards in collaboration with Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (Sport Corp). The 150th Preakness Stakes, taking place at the Pimlico Race Course, will be featured during the inaugural festival including “free and ticketed cultural events, arts activities, and other programming at prominent locations across the state.” Moore says the festival will help curate a legacy in addition to boosting growth in the tourism and hospitality industries. “Preakness 150 will be more than a celebration—it will help us build a legacy in this city and this state,” Moore said.
“A legacy of progress, a legacy of opportunity, a legacy of growth, and a legacy of leaving no one behind.”
He continued to say “Preakness is a chance for Baltimore to show off,” according to the Baltimore Sun.
Scott celebrated the festival announcement on X with photos revealing the logo and the festival’s leader, Maryland’s First Lady, Dawn Moore. “Baltimore, there’s one more festival I couldn’t wait to share with you all – 2025 Preakness Stakes!” he said.
“Come this May, thanks to the leadership and vision of Dawn Moore, @GovWesMoore, we’re bringing Preakness back bigger and better than ever – kicking off the 150th celebration in true Baltimore fashion with a Preakness Festival.”
Dawn said the idea came to her after she and the governor attended the Kentucky Derby in 2022 and noticed the parties and community events were a result of the first jewel of the Triple Crown taking over Louisville. She remembered telling her husband, “We could do it better.”
The dilapidated facility is scheduled to be torn down shortly after the races will take place in correlation to a $400 million rebuild project for a new Pimlico ready to host the Preakness by 2027. The refurbished track is expected to become the headquarters for Maryland thoroughbred racing by the end of that year.
The festival will be co-chaired by Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein, Stronach Group CEO Belinda Stronach, and Stella May Contracting chief financial officer Christian Johansson. Rubenstein remembered being taken aback by the idea while dining with the first family and was excited to get on board. “How come nobody else thought of that before?” he recalled thinking.
Growing up a mile from Pimlico, the MLB owner said he never visited the track because he wasn’t old enough, but promised to be there to celebrate the winner in 2025.
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