Metro is celebrating veterans this November with a special wrapped train and bus to honor those who served our country. The red design features an American flag motif and the message: “Proud to serve those who served our country” and “Honoring Veterans Day.”
Per WMATA: “Metro is honored to support our military members, veterans, and their families with mobility across the region every day,” said Metro board member and retired Army Colonel Donald Drummer. “We also acknowledge and salute the veterans and family members on our Metro team for their service and sacrifices. This train and bus are symbols of our enduring respect and appreciation.”
Downtown Crown, the restaurant and retail portion of Gaithersburg’s Crown neighborhood opened in 2014 with Harris Teeter as an anchor and restaurants including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Coastal Flats, Paladar Latin Kitchen, La Madeleine Country French Café, and more. Though the places listed are all still open, there have been some changes in the area the last nine years or so. Below, we’ll go over a few recent closures, some vacancies, and a pretty big “coming soon.”
BurgerIM, an Israeli burger chain, closed permanently earlier this year after about three and a half years at 200 Ellington Blvd. Doki Toki, an Asian bakery and dessert shop that took over for Mango Mango in May 2022, closed early this past summer after just over a year at 202 Ellington Blvd. Old Town Pour House, one of the original Downtown Crown tenants, closed last month at 212 Ellington Blvd after 8.5 years.
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival is coming to Montgomery County on November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland. Get ready to sip, sample, shop, and enjoy a full weekend of family-friendly fun!
Sip, Sample & Shop
Get ready to explore a festival floor filled with top chocolate makers, coffee roasters, bakeries, specialty food vendors, artisan brands and small businesses from across the region and beyond. Sample new flavors, meet the people behind the products and shop directly from the talented makers and businesses who created them.
Experience Chocolate History
One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a large-scale chocolate sculpture of George Washington on horseback, created by award-winning chocolate artist Paul Joachim.
The sculpture will be part of a special exhibit exploring chocolate’s place in early American history. Guests can see the sculpture up close, sample colonial-style drinking chocolate, and shop the exclusive Collector’s Heritage Box inspired by the historic drink. It’s a unique opportunity to experience chocolate through art, history, and taste all in one place.
Seminars, Demonstrations & More
Visit the Sip & Share Seminar Classroom for educational sessions and demonstrations throughout the weekend, all included with your festival admission. Explore topics ranging from ancestral cacao in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the realities of starting a coffee business to craft chocolate and festival trivia. Learn directly from experts and makers as they share their knowledge, demonstrate their craft and offer a closer look at how their products are made.
Fun for All Ages
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival offers an experience the whole family can enjoy. Kids under 12 receive free admission with a ticketed adult and can get creative at our complimentary kids’ craft tables. Festival mascots Chunk & Bean will also be on-site for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities throughout the weekend. Families can even shop for Chunk & Bean plushies, children’s books and other kid-friendly items.
Whether you’re a serious chocolate lover, a coffee enthusiast, a foodie or simply looking for a fun fall outing, there’s something for everyone to see, taste, shop and enjoy.
Save on Tickets
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival Maryland Edition takes place November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland.
MoCo Show readers can use code MOCO10 at checkout to save 10% on online festival tickets. Grab your tickets and get ready to sip, sample and shop at one of the sweetest weekends of the fall!
Hanaro Sushi, located at 7820 Norfolk Ave in Bethesda, is currently undergoing renovations that will result in a change to the owners’ other concept, Kusshi Sushi. The restaurant began renovating earlier this year, remaining open for carryout and delivery only, but will have a new look and name when it reopens. Hanaro owner Wesley Yao took over the restaurant, which has been open since 2008, back in late 2016. The restaurant has continued to operate as Hanaro ever since.
Kusshi Sushi also officially signed on to take over the space that was home to popular sushi restaurant Sushi Damo at 36G Maryland Ave in Rockville Town Square for over 15 years. Sushi Damo, one of the first tenants of Rockville Town Square, closed permanently on October 1st.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Recreation & Parks Director Nicholas Mooneyhan today broke ground on the COVID-19 memorial and sculpture at Meadowbrook Park and Athletic Complex in Ellicott City. The memorial will consist of three main elements: a grove of native birch trees, a seating area surrounding a water fountain, and a sculpture.
Forty-two birch trees were selected due to their symbolism of new beginnings and growth. They are native, attractive, and easily adapt to Maryland’s environment and various soils. The trees are fast growing, have beautiful, curling bark, and their spreading limbs provide excellent shade.
Olney, MD Art Gallery and Studio to present a Pop-Culture themed group Art Exhibit and Artists’ Alley event.
Highly Animated is a 2-month long celebration of the vibrant world of fan art. From classic JRPG nostalgia, to the latest anime obsessions, to amazing original characters, this exhibition will highlight the passion, creativity and talent within fan communities.
Last November, we let you know that New York‘s Chip City will be opening its first Maryland location at the Shoppes of Bethesda, replacing Fancy Cakes By Leslie at 4939 Elm St. Fancy Cakes by Leslie closed in October 2022. The new store opened to plenty of fanfare, as customers and social media influencers alike have been posting their experiences at the new shop.
Five years ago, cookies were a side hustle for Theodore Gailas and Peter Phillips. Since then, they’ve opened over a dozen Chip City cookie shops in and around New York with plans to expand outside of the area. Chip City is expected to rapidly expand, with over 20 stores expected to open in 2023. According to Forbes, The rollout plan will be supported by the founder of fast casual restaurant Shake Shack, Danny Meyer, who recently invested $10 million in the cookies.
Per WMATA: Metro is reminding customers to plan ahead if traveling on the Red, Blue, Silver, and Green lines this weekend due to planned track and construction work.
On the Red Line, trains will be single tracking between Medical Center and Grosvenor while crews perform rail renewal and joint elimination to provide customers with a smoother ride. Trains will run every 10 minutes between Friendship Heights and Glenmont, and every 20 minutes between Friendship Heights and Shady Grove.
Per the Prince George’s County Police Department: “The Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal collision that occurred in the unincorporated section of Upper Marlboro. The deceased driver is 71-year-old Alena Mirshahi of Bethesda. The collision occurred in late September. On November 2, 2023, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death was caused by injuries suffered during the crash.
On September 22, 2023, at approximately 9:00 am, officers responded to the 900 block of Harry S Truman Drive for a single-vehicle collision. The driver was transported to a hospital with critical injuries. She was pronounced deceased a short time later. The preliminary investigation revealed Mirshahi was traveling on Harry S Truman Drive, when for reasons under investigation, she lost control, left the roadway and collided with a building. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit at 301-731-4422.
Recently, “Harry” and his brother were in the Mt. Airy area, where “Harry” is planning to buy a farm, and they stopped at 7-Eleven #28890 located at 1610 Ridgeside Drive in Mt. Airy. “We were having a bad day,” he recalled, “so I said, ‘Let me try the 50 Years! scratch-offs.’”
The winner’s brother was busy buying convenience store items and “Harry” called him over to show him he won $100,000. “He didn’t believe me at first,” the accountant recalled. Their excitement spilled over and soon everyone knew what had happened. “We were loud about it! We celebrated with everybody in the store.”
Per the State of Maryland: “Governor Wes Moore today toured the AstraZeneca site in Gaithersburg and joined BioHub Maryland to announce a new skills training agreement with the Dublin, Ireland-based National Institute of Bioprocessing Research and Training, a global leader in biopharmaceutical manufacturing training and research. The partnership makes BioHub Maryland the exclusive training partner in the National Capital Region, enabling Marylanders—including veterans and members of disadvantaged communities—to learn a unique brand of skills required to work in the life sciences industry.
“Today, we’re not just here to celebrate this new BioHub partnership. We’re here to celebrate a new direction for Maryland’s economy and workforce,” said Gov. Moore. “We are ready to win. We are ready to grow and we are ready to show the entire country what we’re made of.”
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Christopher Fogleman has sentenced defendant, Marvin Frazier, 24, of Germantown to 40 years in prison suspend all but 25 to serve and five years of supervised probation upon release. Frazier was convicted by a jury in April of 2023 on charges including attempted first-degree murder, two counts each of first-degree assault and use of a handgun in a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a handgun. The sentencing hearing took place on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023.
This stems from an incident at a music studio along Montgomery Village Avenue in Gaithersburg on August 8th, 2020. Frazier shot a 19-year-old male, causing him to become paralyzed from the waist down. He also pistol-whipped a 20-year-old male. The defendant and victims are associated with rival gangs. The defendant fled but was apprehended in 2022.
