Monster Bash Returns to Takoma Park on October 29; Street Closures and Bus Detours

Monster Bash returns to Takoma Park on Saturday, October 29. The event begins at 1pm in the Takoma Park Middle School Parking Lot (7611 Piney Branch Rd) with a “Trunk or Treat” and magic show. A costume contest and parade will begin at 2pm that travels to the Takoma Park Community Center (7500 Maple Ave). Full details below courtesy of takomapark.gov:

The City of Takoma Park Recreation Department will host our traditional Monster Bash on Saturday, October 29!

• The Kickoff for Monster Bash will be in the parking lot of Takoma Park Middle School from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.  There will be a DJ and roving entertainment, Trunk-or-Treat and a magic show. (See below for information on our new Trunk-or-Treat component.)
• The Costume Contest and Parade will begin lining up  at 2:00 PM  and wind down Piney Branch Road to Philadelphia Ave., traveling all the way to Maple Ave in front of the Community Center.
• A local band will perform from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM along with announcing the Costume Contest winners, a selfie station, games and more roving entertainment.

Walking is encouraged due to limited parking. In order to hold the event and ensure patron safety, we will have the following road blockages:

• Piney Branch Road, from Takoma Park Middle School to Philadelphia Avenue, from about 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm, there will be a rolling street closure. The roadway will reopen once all parade participants have cleared the roadway.
• The intersections of Chestnut Avenue/Grant Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Piney Branch Road, Philadelphia Avenue/Chestnut Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Holly Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Birch Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Cedar Avenue, Philadelphia Avenue/Old Philadelphia Avenue and will have rolling closures between 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm.
• Some residents will not be able to exit their neighborhoods while streets are closed for the parade (Hodges Lane, Chestnut Avenue, Holly Avenue, Darwin Avenue, and Grant Avenue) and during the culminating event on Maple (from Philadelphia to Lee)
• Once the parade concludes, all street closures on Philadelphia Avenue will be lifted.
• Maple Avenue from Philadelphia Avenue to Lee Avenue will be closed 1:30 pm – 6:00 pmthrough the event.  Lee Avenue will still be open for vehicular traffic.
• Residents along Maple Avenue (Philadelphia Ave. to Lee Ave.) will not be able to exit along Maple through the event.
• Ahead of the event, detour signs will be placed on Maple Avenue and Piney Branch Road with expected closures and times.
• There will also be no parking signs in the Community Center back parking lot and along Maple Avenue between Philadelphia Avenue and Lee Avenue.
• Ride-On and Metro bus service (including Metro Access) will be interrupted on the aforementioned streets from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm.
• In the event of inclement weather, the Monster Bash will be moved inside Takoma Park Middle School, and there will not be any road closures.

Detour signs will be posted and Police will be directing traffic at the main intersections.

Ride On and Metrobus service will be interrupted on the aforementioned streets from 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Maple Ave. will be closed from Philadelphia Ave. to Lee Ave for the duration of the event (inc. set up and clean up). We are expecting to re-open the streets by 6:00 PM.

Ride On detours are updated here.

Metro Bus detours are update here.