Below is our list of the November 2022 upcoming races in Montgomery County. If there are any MoCo races we may have missed, please feel free to comment with the race name and any additional information you may have:
5K Orchard Run – November 12 (Germantown, MD) — Registration fees are $40 until November 10, $45 November 11-12. Kids Fun Run is free. This is a trail run hosted at Butler’s Orchard by Montgomery County FCA. More information available here.
Kensington parkrun – every Saturday 9 am (Kensington, MD) — This is a free weekly run that takes place at Rock Creek Trail. Participants are asked to register beforehand. More information available here.
Stone Mill 50 mile run – November 12 (Montgomery Village, MD) — Registration fees are $75. This is a trail run starting at Stedwick Elementary School and will take participants through the Seneca Greenway and Muddy Branch trails. More information available here.
Freedom is Never Free Half – November 13 (Potomac, MD) — Registration fees are $30 for the 5K, $45 for the 10K, and $65 for the half. This is a flat run at Carderock Recreation Area. Strollers and walkers are welcome. More information available here.
Run Under the Lights – November 19 (Gaithersburg, MD) — This 5K is currently full, waitlist is open. Registration fees are $40, $35 for ages 0-15. This is a run through the Gaithersburg Winter Lights festival at Seneca Creek State Park. More information available here.
Turkey Chase Charity Race – November 24 (Bethesda, MD) — Registration fees are $50 for the 10K, $40 for the 2 mile walk/run. This is a run starting at the Bethesda Chevy Chase YMCA and runners will run through the marked streets in Bethesda. More information available here.
Turkey Burnoff 5/10 mile – November 26 (Gaithersburg, MD) — This race is free for MCRRC members, $15 for non-members 18+ and $10 for non-members under 18. This is a trail run through Seneca Creek State Park. More information available here.
We spoke with a representative from a Montgomery County Sport & Health location on Friday who confirmed that all Sport & Health locations will be rebranding to Onelife Fitness gyms. Currently, Montgomery County is home to two Sport & Health locations- Bethesda and North Bethesda. We were told that notice will go out to existing members on October 1st announcing the change and providing additional information to members.
Back in 2014 US Fitness added Sport & Health to its portfolio of clubs, creating one of the largest health club companies in the country. US Fitness, a partnership between industry veterans Kirk and John Galiani and New Evolution Ventures, operates Onelife Fitness and Crunch Fitness clubs throughout Virginia and Washington, DC under the leadership of the Galianis. Sport & Health operates health and fitness clubs in and around the Washington, DC.
There are existing OneLife Fitness locations in Germantown, Olney, and Rockville.
We have complied a list of the tallest slides in and around MoCo for your thrill seekers. They are listed below in no particular order.
- Cabin John Park, 1 slide temporarily out of order (7400 Tuckerman Lane Bethesda, MD 20817)
- Butler’s Orchard (22222 Davis Mill Road Germantown, MD 20876)
photo by Butler’s - Greenbriar Local Park (12525 Glen Road Travilah, MD 20854)
photo by Greenbriar - Damascus Recreational Park (23723 Kings Valley Road Damascus, MD 20787)
- RIO Washingtonian Center Playground (231 Rio Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878)
- Kemp Mill Urban Park (1200 Arcola Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902)
photo by Kemp Mill Urban Park - Wheaton Regional Park (2000 Shorefield Road Wheaton, Maryland 20902)
photo by Wheaton Regional Park - Beyond MoCo: Lafayette-Pointer Park and Recreation Center (5900 33rd St., NW, Quesada St NW, Washington, DC 20015)
photo by dc.gov - Beyond MoCo: The Big Slide Mount Tabor Park At Rocky Ridge (13616 Motters Station Road Rocky Bridge, MD 21778)
photo by Visit Frederick - Beyond MoCo: Blandair Regional Park (5750 Oakland Mills Rd Columbia, MD 21045)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ4Nz9IhtSP/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Per Zero Deaths Maryland, “In April 2022, Maryland lawmakers passed SB 176, a bill that will upgrade the state’s law that protects children traveling on our roadways. The new law goes into effect on October 1, 2022, and states that children must be kept rear-facing until at least two years of age, unless the child meets or exceeds the height and weight on the seat’s guidelines. Having a seat that properly fits the child is also another important consideration. SB 176 brought Maryland in line with laws in 16 other states (CA, CT, IL, LA, ME, NE, NJ, NY, NV, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, VA, WA) and the District of Columbia.”
In April 2022, Maryland lawmakers passed SB 176, a bill that will upgrade the state’s law that protects children traveling on our roadways. The new law goes into effect on October 1, 2022, and states that children must be kept rear-facing until at least two years of age, unless the child meets or exceeds the height and weight on the seat’s guidelines. Having a seat that properly fits the child is also another important consideration. SB 176 brought Maryland in line with laws in 16 other states (CA, CT, IL, LA, ME, NE, NJ, NY, NV, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, VA, WA) and the District of Columbia.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state that children should ride rear-facing for as long as possible. Rear-facing child seats do a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, and the back of the seat takes most of the impact energy. When children ride forward-facing, their heads are thrown forward in a crash, possibly resulting in serious injuries. Before SB 176, Maryland law only required a child to ride in a car seat until reaching at least 4’ 9” in height. The Maryland Department of Transportation supported the revision of the law to help guide parents on keeping a child rear-facing, something that was not addressed by the prior law.
The inclusion of age for rear-facing child seats helps law enforcement officers educate drivers on proper child passenger safety and gives clearer guidance for caregivers. Under the prior law, no guidance was provided for rear facing. This new bill helps bring attention to the fact that children under two are better protected in a crash when riding rear facing. Under SB 176, only a written warning may be issued for the first violation, supporting law enforcement’s request to use the new law as a teaching moment for drivers rather than a fine.
The October 1 start date gives partners time to build strong campaigns as well as caregivers time to prepare for the change in law. Some who currently have a child in a forward-facing-only seat will find that a convertible seat – one that can be used forward- and rear-facing – may better protect their child. Such seats may also prove to be easier to use and more cost-effective.
Kids in Safety Seats (KISS) supports a volunteer network that offers Car Seat Assistance Programs (CSAP) to the community. A CSAP offers low-cost options (convertible or combination seats) to the public for those in need. Referrals to the programs are made primarily through the KISS Helpline or email.
For more information on selecting the right car seat, please visit NHTSA’s website at:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#car-seat-types
Featured image by Zero Deaths MD
For those moms whose children are fascinated with all things dinosaurs, read on to find out where you can take your littles to learn more and explore their curiosities. They are listed by distance from the approximate middle of Montgomery County.
The Path to the Past in the outdoor Nature Exploration Area located in the Locust Grove Nature Center (7777 Democracy Blvd. Bethesda, MD) lets you “Take a journey back through time, starting from present day to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago. As you walk, learn about the different periods of geologic time. When did the first plants and mammals appear? Have temperatures changed over time? How have our continents changed? You’ll end your journey at a dig site, where you’ll discover a life size replica of a dinosaur fossil. Become a paleontologist; find your tools in the workbox at the dig site and see which dinosaur fossil you unearth.” More information available on their site.
Dinosaur Park (13100 Mid-Atlantic Boulevard Laurel, MD 20708) is an outdoor park with a fenced fossil site and playground. You can “Walk the same ground the dinosaurs did millions of years ago in Laurel, Maryland! Discover secrets of Prince George’s County’s prehistoric past at Dinosaur Park. The park is a unique site which preserves a rare deposit of fossils from the early Cretaceous period, about 115 million years ago.” The park is open to the public on the first and third Saturdays of each month with varying hours and the playground is open daily. More information available on their site.
Beginning in October, Dinos Alive is a temporary dinosaur exhibit in an immersive Jurassic venue at the Rhode Island Center (524 Rhode Island Ave NE, 20002). It features over 80 life-size animated replicas of species such as the T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, and Suchomimus. The fully immersive VR experience is suitable for ages 4+. Estimated duration is 60-75 minutes, all ages are welcome, and tickets start at $20. More information available on their site.
The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils – Deep Time exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (1000 Madison Drive NW, Washington, DC 20560) located on the first floor is described as a “massive, 31,000-square-foot exhibition will inspire a new generation of dinosaur lovers and scientists.” Admission is free and the museum is open every day 10 am-5:30 pm except December 25. More information available on their site.
The Dinosaur Mysteries exhibit at the Maryland Science Center (601 Light St Baltimore, MD 21230) is one where “you’re the paleontologist. Over a dozen full size dinosaurs roam this exhibit hall. Walk under, over, and through a landscape filled with dig pits, a field lab, excavation sites, and other areas of discovery.” This exhibit is particularly great as it allows littles to see over a dozen dinosaurs on display, work in a field lap and dig pits, and walk in a trackway of dinosaur footsteps. “Full size skeletons and casts of fossilized remains are on display and everything is hands-on. Touch a triceratops skull. Grab a brush and work side by side with other dinosaur hunters. Pick up a set of calipers and measure the length of dinosaur leg bones or sit in a nest of eggs. Stand in a footprint in the dinosaur trackway. Listen for the roar of a lumbering giant.” More information available on their site.
The Dinosaurs exhibit at the Maryland Zoo (1 Safari Place Baltimore, MD 21217) is available until November 30, 2022 and was named a 2022 Best of Baltimore winner for Best Kids’ Exhibit. “Travel through a prehistoric forest of roaring, rustling dinosaurs deep in the heart of the Zoo. You’ll take a winding path through our Maryland Wilderness to experience up-close encounters with life-size, animatronic dinosaurs like velociraptors, triceratops, tyrannosaurus rex, and more, created by Dino Don Inc. The fully robotic creatures move their heads, arms, tails, and even spit water! Along your journey, we’ll help you spot the connections between animals at the Zoo and these prehistoric beasts. Learn how these fascinating creatures moved, hunted, and reared their young in many of the same ways our animals do today.” The exhibit is open from 10 am – 4 pm with last entry at 3:45 pm. You can buy a ticket with or without zoo admission. More information available on their site.
Dinosaur Land (3848 Stonewall Jackson Highway White Post, VA 22663) is an outdoor walkable theme park It is a roadside attraction park with over 50 life size dinosaurs, “inviting visitors to step into the world of the prehistoric past, turning back the pages of time to the Mesozoic era, when dinosaurs were the only creatures that roamed the earth.” They also have a gift shop with a variety of dinosaur items. Beginning September 8, Dinosaur Land will be closed every Thursday through December. Tickets are $6 for ages 2-10, $8 for 11 and up. Their hours vary by the season and can be found on their site.
Featured photo courtesy of Maryland Science Center
Target’s car seat trade-in event will run from September 11-September 24. The popular event provides a 20% off coupon for a new seat, stroller, or select baby gear when you trade in a car seat or base.
Drop your trade-in item in the designated box inside the store, use your Target app to scan the code on the box and you’ll find the offer in your “ Baby category + more contactless savings”. Save the offer by clicking the red “+” and you can use it online or in store. More details can be found on Target’s site.
There are Montgomery County Target locations in Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, and Wheaton.
XO Pho & Grill has recently joined T-swirl Crepe at 313 N Washington St in Rockville. T-swirl Crepe has been at the location since April of 2019 with XO Pho & Grill joining a few weeks back.
The XO Pho & Grill menu offers unique pho pairings such as the Pho XO Live Lobster Raptor T Rex (featured photo), a dish made to be shared that includes “Live Lobster, Shrimp Balls, and Prime Beef Ribs”. The Pho XO Snow Crab Legs Prime Beef Ribs is another dish to be shared that includes “Alaska Snow Crab Legs, Shrimp Balls, Prime Beef Ribs”.
About T-Swirl: “T-swirl Crêpe began from a simple idea found on the streets of Tokyo. Inspired by the Japanese Crepe, T-swirl refined and opened its first crêperie in NY. We experienced success due to our product and a strong emphasis of customer satisfaction.”
Bounce The Mall, a giant inflatable park, will be at Arundel Mills Mall (7000 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD) from September 3-25. Bounce the Mall is an inflatable festival that that consists of eight bouncy attractions, including some of the largest ball pits in the world, that can provide fun for the whole family.
Per Bounce The Mall: “Bounce, slide and dance your way through a surreal, candy-colored wonderland featuring the largest ball pit on the planet, a 600ft long obstacle course, giant slides, a huge birthday cake bouncer, silent disco dome, inflatable sports arena & more. With colorful characters & instagrammable moments to be discovered at every turn, the mall is literally brought to life in this immersive, one of a kind experience that can be enjoyed by both the young, and the young at heart.”
Tickets are $23 for participants and free for spectators. Children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult with a paying ticket. Additional information below:
SO WHAT TO EXPECT?
🤩 The Largest Ball Pit On The Planet 🤩
This 10,000-square foot party features live DJs and entertainment to dance and play the day away in this one-of-a-kind, immersive party experience. Are you ready to go balls to the wall?
💪 600ft Obstacle Course 💪
Our 600ft Obstacle Course is not for the faint of heart. Filled with a whole load of unique obstacles, you can get your heart rate up racing your friends & family or take a leisurely bounce through our incredibly colorful inflatable wonderland. This is the perfect challenge for all aspiring Ninja Warriors!
🎧 The Silent Disco Dome 🎧
Grab some headphones and get your groove on as our live DJs spin the hottest party tracks! The best part? A silent disco means there are 3 channels to choose from so you can soundtrack your Bounce The Mall experience with the tracks that you love the most.
🏀 The Inflatable Sports Zone 🏀
Can you dunk like LeBron, throw like Brady or strike like Ronaldo? This championship inflatable sports arena filled with balls of every size and type you could imagine for dodgeball, basketball, soccer and many other bouncy challenges. Everyone can be a sports star at Bounce The Mall!
This 4 week inflatable pop-up experience is sure to blow your mind whether you’re young or just young at heart. This event will sell out so grab those tickets before they’re gone out and get ready to make memories that last a lifetime. Who knew the mall could be this cool?
Did you know that in less than an hour from most parts of MoCo you can access a freshwater lake and a sandy beach? Greenbrier State Park, located at 21843 National Pike Boonsboro, MD, allows for a variety of activities without having to make the commitment of an overnight stay.
Particularly great for littles, the first set of ropes in the water still allow for most 3-4 year olds to stand with their heads above water while enjoying the cool water and looking for fish. Before heading out you can rinse off in your choice of indoor or outdoor showers. 
Helpful tips:
- The park will close at capacity so it’s best to arrive early (opens at 8 am) and even better if you can go during the week.
- Tents are not allowed on the sand in order to allow visibility for the lifeguards. Note: they are not on duty in their chairs on the beach at the moment, they scan from further back.
- MD residents are $3 per person, children not included.
Per Maryland.gov:
Located in the Appalachian Mountains, Greenbrier State Park is a multi-use park providing many kinds of recreation. The 42-acre man-made freshwater lake and white sandy beach draw many visitors who enjoy swimming, canoeing, boating and fishing. A visitor center is open year-round and features information on the South Mountain Recreation Area and a small gift shop.
Almost eleven miles of hiking trails meander through a variety of wildlife habitats. Rock outcrops show much of the earth’s geologic history. A portion of the Appalachian Trail enters the eastern edge of the park on Bartman’s Hill Trail. Greenbrier State Park offers 164 campsites in a forest setting with fresh water and bathhouses in each camp loop. Suited for a variety of campers, the park offers two pet-friendly camping loops, one electric camping loop and tent and RV sites.
Greenbrier State Park offers an accessible visitor center, picnic areas and some campsites. A beach wheelchair is also available. For additional accessible amenities in Maryland State Forests and Parks, visit the Accessibility For All section.
