A list of upcoming events organized or supported by Baltimore Sister Cities and our sister city committees (Changwon, South Korea; Gbarnga, Liberia; Kawasaki, Japan; Luxor & Alexandria, Egypt; Odesa, Ukraine; Piraeus, Greece; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Xiamen, China) and our affiliates. Events include:
July 19 2026
100 Years of Solitude
Time: 5pm.
Location: Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21201 US
Admission: Tickets cost 25$
For more information & to buy tickets: https://theatreproject.org/
Following Yumiko’s acclaimed solo BEFORE THE DAWN, this is the second part of her trilogy.
Inspired by Garcia Marquez’s ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, to explore a state of solitude Yumiko dances the life of a unique creature, born on a planet 100 light years away from ours. Imagining that this creature is the only one of its species on that planet, it enjoys unfolding its life until it realizes its destiny… to exist in solitude.
June 5, 2026
Baltimore Immigration Summit
Time: 8am-4pm ET
Location: Morgan State University, 1700 E Cold Spring Ln Baltimore, MD 21202
More information: www.baltimorecity.gov/mima/event/13th-annual-baltimore-immigration-summit
The annual Baltimore Immigration Summit is a one-day event that brings together academics, policymakers, service providers, activists, community leaders, and others working with and for New Americans (immigrants and refugees) in our region. Baltimore and its surrounding suburbs represent an area with a growing and diverse New American population, and local governments view New Americans as essential to the region’s ongoing resurgence. The Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA), Baltimore County, and Towson University host the summit. This year’s theme is Harbors and Bridges: Holding Ground and Uniting Communities.
June 6, 2026
Music: AniBand Matsuri Vol. 2
Time: 7-10pm
Location: Le Mondo, 406 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
More info & tickets: www.lemondo.org/events/music-aniband-matsuri-vol-2
A night of anime music, J-pop and Japanese Rock from our Mid-Atlantic neighbors: HIBIKORD (NoVA), Eternal HOSHI (Jersey), and Kumori (DC), bringing their high-energy sets full of anthems and deep cuts to Baltimore.
June 20, 2026
Film screening: Humanity and Paper Balloons (人情紙風船 Ninjo Kami Fusen)
Time: 1pm ET
Location: Towson University Center for the Arts, Art Lecture Hall, Room 2032, 7700 Osler Drive, Towson, MD 21204
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Admission: Free; advance registration required. To register, go to the film program webpage and click the RSVP link next to the film.
This bold, 1937 historical anti-military melodrama is a gem of Japanese cinema. While following Edo-era slum residents—debilitated samurai, peasants, and petty merchants—and their struggles to survive, it exposes the hypocrisy and cruelty of high society. (black and white) Directed by Sadao Yamanaka. 82 minutes.
The Japan Film Program is organized by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) in partnership with Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) Dean’s Office , along with the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University. Films are hosted by and from the private collection of Reed Hessler, longtime host on WBJC.
June 21, 2026 – June 27, 2026
Sister Cities International’s Youth Leadership Summit
Dates: Week of June 21, 2026
Location: Washington DC
This year, Sister Cities International (SCI)’s Youth Leadership Summit will take place in Washington D.C., which is located close to Baltimore. The Youth Leadership Summit is an immersive program for young leaders, ages 14-18, from across the globe. Designed to inspire the next generation of citizen diplomats, the Summit equips participants with essential leadership and professional development skills. Through interactive sessions and activities, students will address global challenges, fostering a commitment to peace, mutual respect, and cross-cultural cooperation. Several Baltimore Sister Cities youth members are participating in this program.
Baltimore Sister Cities is a member of Sister Cities International.
July 2026
Youth Ambassadors Student Travel Program to China
Youth Ambassadors is an annual program organized by BXSCC, that provides Baltimore high school youth the opportunity to travel to Baltimore’s sister city of Xiamen and Maryland’s sister state of Anhui in China during the summer for a life-changing travel abroad experience. More information about BXSCC’s annual Youth Ambassadors program: bxscc.org/youth-ambassadors-program/
To contribute to our students’ efforts, click the “Donate” button on at the bottom of this page, then choose “Baltimore Xiamen” from the drop-down menu, and specify “Youth Ambassadors” in the “tell us why you donate” box. No amount is too small!
July 18, 2026
Film screening: Like Father Like Son (そして父になる Soshite Chichi ni Naru)
Time: 1pm ET
Location: Towson University Center for the Arts, Art Lecture Hall, Room 2032, 7700 Osler Drive, Towson, MD 21204
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Admission: Free; advance registration required. To register, go to the film program webpage and click the RSVP link next to the film.
A ten-minute standing ovation followed the premiere of Like Father Like Son at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Two couples—from different classes and with contrasting parenting styles—discover that their six-year-old sons were switched at birth and embark on journeys of soul-searching, impossible decisions, and coming to terms with the meaning of family. (color) Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. 120 minutes.
The Japan Film Program is organized by the Baltimore-Kawasaki Sister City Committee (BKSCC) in partnership with Towson University College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC) Dean’s Office , along with the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University. Films are hosted by and from the private collection of Reed Hessler, longtime host on WBJC.
July 22-25, 2026
Sister Cities International 70th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration
Sister Cities International’s 70th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration, taking place July 22–25, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (located close to Baltimore), will unite global leaders, citizen diplomats, and community partners to honor seven decades of international cooperation and cultural exchange. This milestone underscores the organization’s enduring mission to build bridges across borders and strengthen people-to-people connections. It serves as both a homecoming and a launchpad, celebrating our past while inspiring a new era of global connection through storytelling, partnership, and dynamic engagement. Participants will play a key role in supporting meaningful dialogue, innovative collaboration, and the next generation of global engagement.
Representatives from Maryland Sister States, along with Baltimore Sister Cities and other sister city organizations from Maryland, will be attending this event and they are coordinating a joint Maryland presence there.
The event includes:
- 2026 SCI Annual Awards
- 2026 SCI Annual Business Meeting
- Citizen Diplomacy Educational Plenary Sessions
- Embassy Visits
- SCI Outgoing & Incoming Board Meetings
More information: sistercities.org/what-we-do/sci-events/70th-anniversary-homecoming/
Baltimore Sister Cities is a member of Sister Cities International.
July 31 – October 2, 2026
We Know Who They Are: Artworks and Narrative From the Invasion of Ukraine
Location: The Peale, 225 Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21202
Opening reception: Friday, July 31, 6-8pm
We Know Who They Are… (WTWTA) is a comprehensive exhibition project featuring the artworks and wartime artifacts of over 20 Ukrainian artists. The traveling exhibition comes to Baltimore July 31–October 2, 2026 at The Peale museum. There will be several companion events during this time, hosted by The Peale in collaboration with the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee and Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee.
More information
August 14, 2026
Film screening:
The Porcelain War: Art, Resistance, and the Human Story of Ukraine
Date/time: Friday, August 14, 2026 at 6pm
Location: The Peale museum, 225 Holliday Street Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21202
More information
In times of war, what role does art play? Can creativity protect identity, preserve culture, and offer hope amid devastation? Join us for a screening of The Porcelain War, an intimate documentary that follows Ukrainian artists creating and preserving beauty in the midst of invasion.
This event is a collaboration with Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC) and The Peale museum. It is a companion event to the ‘We Know Who They Are… (WTWTA)’ exhibition project featuring the artwork from Ukrainian artists.
August 15, 2026
Artists Panel Talk
Date/time: Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 2-4pm
Location: The Peale museum, 225 Holliday Street Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21202
More information
An interactive discussion with the curators of the “We Know Who They Are” exhibition and local artists that have ties to Ukraine.
This event is a collaboration with Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC) and The Peale museum. It is a companion event to the ‘We Know Who They Are… (WTWTA)’ exhibition project featuring the artwork from Ukrainian artists.
August 16, 2026
Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Afternoon
Date/time: Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 2-4pm
Location: The Peale museum, 225 Holliday Street Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21202
More information
An afternoon of activities for families and kids.
This event is a collaboration with Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC) and The Peale museum. It is a companion event to the ‘We Know Who They Are… (WTWTA)’ exhibition project featuring the artwork from Ukrainian artists.
September 16 – November 28, 2026
International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR)
IABR emphasizes the value of research by design. Central to this approach is a sustained commitment to fostering healthy and just cities that exist in balance with their surrounding ecosystems. Every two years, IABR presents its biennial manifestation in Rotterdam: an extensive public cultural program comprising exhibitions, debates, lectures, workshops, and guided tours. On this international platform, the imaginative power of architecture is explored and celebrated. The 2026 theme is Systems of Support – Building Shared Values. More info: IABR website
Promoted by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee.
September 17, 2026
Virtual event:
Preserving Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict: Lessons from Ukraine
Date/time: Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 12pm ET (Baltimore time) – 19.00 EET (Ukraine time) – 18.00 CET (Netherlands time)
Location: Online
More information
This virtual panel convenes museum professionals, cultural workers, and heritage advocates to explore the urgent question: How do we preserve and maintain cultural heritage in times of conflict?
Centering on the ongoing war and occupation of Ukraine, this program brings together international voices to examine the role of museums and cultural institutions in safeguarding collections, protecting sites, and sustaining cultural identity during crisis. The discussion will feature live-streamed presentations from speakers across multiple time zones, followed by a live, moderated Q&A session to encourage dialogue and exchange among participants.
This event is a collaboration with Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee (BOSCC), Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee (BRSCC), and The Peale museum. It is a companion event to the ‘We Know Who They Are… (WTWTA)’ exhibition project featuring the artwork from Ukrainian artists.
Oct 6-7, 2026
ONE Conference
The annual ONE Conference, held in The Hague in the Netherlands, is Europe’s prime cybersecurity event. A leading platform for sharing knowledge, best practices and research results. Topics range from highly technical subjects and law enforcement cases to less technical subjects, such as partnerships between the public and the private domain, governance and recent cybersecurity research.
Conference website: one-conference.nl
Promoted by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee.
Nov 13, 2026
Stadmakerscongres 2026 (Citymakers Congress)
An annual 1-day congress that brings together Rotterdam neighborhood residents, professionals, students, and others to do workshops and discussions on specific themes, initiatives, and neighborhoods in the city. Coordinated by AIR (Architecture Institute Rotterdam) in partnership with the city government and other partners.
Congress website: stadmakerscongres.nl
Promoted by Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee.
