When four members of the Harbor City Music Company decided to dress as "Bawlmer hons" and head to Honfest for the first time June 14, they thought they would meet a few people and pass out some business cards in an effort to drum up new business and members.

What they found exceeded their expectations, and now they said they hope to return to the annual kitschy celebration of Baltimore and its "hons," originally a term of endearment bestowed historically by working women that now represents the women themselves. Hons dress in colorful dresses with beehive hairdos, cat-eye glasses and lots of makeup.

At first, they weren't sure what to expect as they walked from their parked car to the festival in Hampden, said Tina Brady of Pasadena, who sings lead and never had attended the festival. But as they got closer and saw other women dressed similarly, they knew they'd fit right in, she said.

As they walked through Honfest, they'd stop every now and then and perform one of three songs - "Fly Me to the Moon," "Love Me With All Your Heart" and "Hey, Daddy."

Wherever they went, the singing hons attracted quite a crowd, Brady said. Strangers asked to pose for photos with them, and at least one gave them money, which they donated to a charity working with the Maryland Food Bank.

"You would have thought we were famous. You couldn't go five steps without someone asking if they could take our picture," Brady said.

Deciding to go to Honfest was a spur-of-the-moment but easy choice for the Harbor City Music Company, which practices at the Chesapeake Arts Center, said President Nancy Gaither of Howard County. Members come from around the state.

And dressing as hons was just as easy, Gaither said, because they had Lucille Ball costumes in their closets - blue and white polka-dot dresses, white-rimmed glasses and of course, wigs that resembled Ball's famous red hair and needed a little teasing to be hon-beehive high.

"It was one of the best things we've ever done in the history of the Sweet Adelines," of which Harbor City Music

Company is a member, she said.

The women consider the event a success because they gave out 15 to 20 business cards and answered a lot of questions about the chorus, Brady said. They also got the laughs and stares and considered the day to be a lot of fun, she said.

The chorus also is seeking new members. Those interested can attend any rehearsal from 7:25 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays at the CAC, 194 Hammonds Lane.

For details, call 800-856-9868 or visit www.harborcitymusiccompany.org.

Contact Jennifer Donatelli at 410-789-0066 or brooklynparknews@gmail.com.