Baltimore's Best 6.22.25 - Flipbook - Page 1
THE BALTIMORE SUN
|
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2025
2025 ABC Gala attendees migrated to the Maryland Live! Hall for the dinner and program part of the evening. SLOANE BROWN PHOTOS
BALTIMORE SCENE BY SLOANE
SPONSORED BY
Associated Black
Charities 2025 Gala
The cocktail hour proved prime time for catching up with friends at the 2025 ABC Gala.
So much to do, and so much
to celebrate at the Associated
Black Charities’ 2025 Gala.
The party not only commemorated ABC’s 40th anniversary,
but also honored four women
who had served as head of the
Sloane Brown
organization over those years:
Mary Demory, Donna Jones Baker, Barbara Blount-Armstrong and Diane Bell-McKoy.
When it came to the celebrating, there were several
cocktail hour receptions for the 820 guests with various
entertainments, followed by a seated dinner, program,
music and dancing … as well as a duo of artists creating a
sculpture on site.
“I had a blast,” said ABC’s President and CEO Chrissy
Thornton.
“It was such a beautiful night from start to finish, but the
most fun part had to be watching everyone let loose on the
dance floor. After all the speeches, the performances, the
emotions, we all just celebrated. That joy, that energy, that
Black excellence in motion … it was everything,” she noted.
The event raised some $55,000 for the nonprofit.
See more photos from the event on Page 2
MORE SCENE
INSIDE
In A
Mood
A night of
community,
exploration,
and
celebration,
with a focus on
experiencing
the Walter’s
Art Museum
in a new way.
Page 4
In addition to the entertainment onstage, guests could swing by a temporary studio set up nearby where
Baltimore-based sculptor Waymon Scott and his apprentice Alexander Thomas were creating a sculpture of
Harriet Tubman from what had started out that evening as a slab of clay.
STAFF
BALTIMORE’S BEST HOME & GARDEN
In The Baltimore Sun’s Best: Readers’ Choice
2025 poll, our readers have voted on what’s best
in the region, from wedding venues and roofers to
pediatricians and hair salons. This year’s winners
highlight people and businesses recognized for
outstanding service and customer satisfaction
over the last year.
The poll includes more than 550 winners in
nearly 200 categories in six areas — Arts & Entertainment, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, Lifestyles & Shopping, Personal Services and People
& Media.
PEOPLE & MEDIA PAGE 23
LIFESTYLE & SHOPPING PAGE 18
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 24
We asked, you answered.
PERSONAL SERVICES PAGE 12
FOOD & DRINK PAGE 6
IN THIS SECTION: HOME & GARDEN RIGHT
BEST HARDWARE
COSTELLO’S
ACE
HARDWARE
By Mike Klingaman
4167 Mountain Road, Pasadena.
410-437-4300. costellosace.com
Customer service puts this
hardware store over the top, its
manager says. That’s the nuts and
bolts of it.
“If someone comes in with a
broken plumbing part, or a faucet
stem that’s not working, we have
people with the experience to
show them how to fix it, step by
step,” said Brian Fleshman, who
oversees a staff of 32 at Costello’s
Ace Hardware. “We might spend
an hour replacing a key fob in the
parking lot. You can’t get help like
that in big box stores.”
With 14,000 square feet of
Quynn Reed, a sales associate, laughs with a coworker at the paint station
inside Costello’s Ace Hardware store in Pasadena, Md. Costello’s was
named the best hardware store in the metro area. NIA MEYERS/STAFF
space, Costello’s is packed with
paints, tools, pipes and wires. So
are the chain stores. Here, the
staff listens straight-faced (“You
won’t believe what got flushed
down the toilet”) and walks folks
through each step of repairs.
Did the cat shred a screen? Did
a ball bust a window? Bring them
in for a fix.
Turn to 2025 winners, Page 23
