One of Catonsville's Special Places

      Lurman Theater is one of Catonsville's hidden gems where diverse people become a community. Young, old, white, black, rich, and poor gather together to enjoy free music concerts every Saturday and Sunday in the summer. Children romp, dance, and play in the sandbox. Young lovers sprawl out on their blankets and share a picnic. Parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents sit in their beach chairs nodding their heads and tapping their feet. People connect and reconnect. The community is strengthened. All is good. This is a special place where the woods come alive with a oneness of spirit and celebration of the way of life found here.
     Gustav Lurman was a farmer who owned over 2,000 acres on Wilkins Avenue in the 19th century. This property was special then and provided many benefits to the community as a farm. Now it has been divided and is part mental hospital, university, high school, country club, and neighborhoods.
     A group of forward thinkers financed and built a woodland amphitheater in a natural bowl on the high school property during the 1960's. Music enthusiasts began to present free concerts in 1992. The music genre is different every night. Martin O'Malley, Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Cash entertain us. Blues, rock, country, and big band sounds emanate from the stage.The music is secondary. The feeling of belonging makes everything okay.

    Lurman Theatre is one of the places that make Catonsville special. Let's keep it that way!

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