Entertainment Archives - Page 74 of 114

Gaithersburg to Host its 97th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and “Jingle Jubilee”

Published November 3, 2023 at 6:50AM

The City of Gaithersburg will host its 97th annual tree lighting ceremony and “Jungle Jubilee” festivities on Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 6pm- 8pm at the Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne Gaithersburg (32 South Summit Ave).

Per Gaithersburg: Celebrate diverse & vibrant holiday traditions at Gaithersburg’s Jingle Jubilee. Enjoy an evening of music, dance & song. Enjoy an evening of music, dance, and song. This year marks the 97^th anniversary of the tree lighting ceremony. The festivities take place at the Concert Pavilion in Olde Towne. Admission is free. The outdoor venue features lawn seating with limited chairs. Please feel free to bring your own chair to enjoy the entertainment.

Rio to Host its Holiday Makers Market on November 11 and 12

By MCS Staff

Published November 3, 2023 at 6:45AM

Rio will be hosting its Holiday Makers Market on Saturday, November 11th and Sunday, November 12th from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. “Join us as we kick off the holiday shopping season with a two-day Holiday Makers Market with Locally Crafted on Grand Corner Avenue!”:

A list of artisans participating on each day can be seen in the images below:

10 Celebrities You May Not Have Known have MoCo Ties

By MCS Staff

Published November 2, 2023 at 1:21PM | Updated November 17, 2023 at 7:19PM

Originally published in 2018: Montgomery County has strong ties to many celebrities, but we wanted to list a few that aren’t discussed as much as the usual suspects. Check out this list of just 10 of the thousands of celebrities with MoCo ties below:

Pamela Reed: You may recognize her from one of her many movie or television roles (Kindergarten Cop, Junior, Jericho, NCIS: Los Angeles, etc.), but before she went to Hollywood, Reed lived in Silver Spring and attended Springbrook High School.

Maryland Attorney General Co-Leads Coalition in Multistate Amicus Brief Supporting Safety and Inclusion for LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools

By Patrick Herron

Published November 1, 2023 at 1:54PM

Per the Maryland Attorney General’s Office: “Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, co-led a coalition of 19 Attorneys General in filing an amicus brief supporting a Maryland local board of education’s efforts to create a safe and supportive environment for LGTBQ+ children and all students. The Montgomery County Board of Education (MCBE) is facing a challenge to its policy that incorporates LGBTQ+-inclusive books into its language arts curriculum without allowing students to opt out. In the amicus brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the Attorneys General reiterate the importance of providing safe and inclusive school environments for all children, and explain that policies such as MCBE’s do not raise constitutional or other concerns.

“Our schools play a fundamental role in shaping the minds and hearts of the next generation, and it’s our duty to ensure that every child feels safe, supported, and valued,” said Attorney General Brown. “Educational policies that promote respect for LGBTQ+ people will help build a more equitable future for all children.”

Maryland Native to Wrestle Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship on Saturday

By MCS Staff

Published November 1, 2023 at 7:35AM

Before he was LA Knight, one of the hottest superstars in professional wrestling today, Shaun Ricker was a kid growing up in Hagerstown, Maryland. He graduated from North Hagerstown High School (class of 2000), where he was in the band and ran track, but always dreamed of becoming a professional wrestler. On Saturday, he has his biggest match ever– taking on WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

Though he appears to be outspoken now, as his LA Knight persona has been compared to a modern-day version of Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock, Ricker remembers how different he was when he was growing up in Hagerstown. “I was a very shy kid, but I always wanted to be a performer. I was that kid that was so shy when I was at my grandma’s house, I would whisper in my mom or dad’s ear, ‘Could you ask her for a cookie?’ Those hand mixers, when I was a kid, I thought the metal mixer part looked like a microphone so I would take those, stand behind a door and I would sing and dance. I figured if I was behind a door, nobody would see me, nobody could hear me. It was like I was invisible.” he said in a since-archived interview with the Ottawa Citizen.

DMV Native Actor Sean Whalen Shares Story of the Milk Commercial That Changed His Life

By MCS Staff

Published October 31, 2023 at 4:42PM

Actor Sean Whalen who credits his 1993 “Got Milk?” Commercial for changing the course of his life, shared the story behind it on its 30 year anniversary. The actor, who is a Montgomery County, Maryland native and 1982 graduate of Sherwood High School also starred in various television shows including Shannon’s Deal and Grace Under Fire, as well as movies, including The People Under the Stairs and Twister. The story he shared regarding the milk commercial (as well as the commercial itself) can be seen below:

“30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: On this day in 1993 a regional milk commercial came out that changed the course of my life. I went into an audition just a few weeks before where they gave me peanut butter and told me to try to answer the question of “Who shot Alexander Hamilton?” With my mouth full. Then they told me to improvise an ending. They said I got the job because everyone else screamed, yelled, got angry, and threw the phone! I was the only one who looked at the phone and essentially said, “My whole life led to this moment, and I failed… “ When I got to the set, they just said… “Do what you did in the audition” and Michael Bay shot it over and over for 12 hours. This job killed my commercial career, branded me as “the milk guy” for years, but was loved by Spielberg which got me the gig in Twister, which gave my theatrical career a huge boost. Less and less people know what I’m talking about when I mentioned it so it is fading out of the zeitgeist. But that’s OK. I really haven’t been able to eat peanut butter since but it was a good trade off.”

Festival of Lights Returns on November 30

By MCS Staff

Published October 31, 2023 at 1:52PM | Updated November 10, 2023 at 9:46AM

Are the Festival of Lights events free? All of the Festival of Lights events and displays at the Washington D.C. Temple are free of charge. The performances require you to reserve free tickets in advance. Ticket holders are asked to be in their seats no later than 15 minutes prior to the performance. After this time, the standby line will be admitted to fill in any remaining seats.

I am not a member of your church, can I still come? Absolutely! Everyone is welcome to attend our events and our worship services (learn more about worship services). We only request that all attendees dress modestly, use clean language, and treat everyone with respect. We are Christians who do our best to follow the commandments and teachings of Christ. Whatever your background, you’re invited to join us!

Gaithersburg’s New 9.54 Acre Park Expected to be Completed By The End of November; May Open to The Public As Early as December

By MCS Staff

Published October 30, 2023 at 10:36AM | Updated April 13, 2024 at 2:05PM

Update: The opening has been delayed. New timeframe TBD

The City of Gaithersburg is in the process of developing a 9.54-acre park at 10901 Darnestown Rd. with parking, community gardens, a bicycle skills course (pump track), open space, pavilions, a playground, fitness pods, and a welcome plaza. Originally scheduled to be completed February 2023, there have been some delays. We spoke with City of Gaithersburg project engineer Sunil Prithviraj, who told us that substantial completion is tentatively expected by the third week of November. Currently, crews are preparing to lay asphalt at the entrance of the park and after some finishing touches, the park could be ready to open for the public in December. A video update can be seen below.

Ghost Story: Maryland’s Headless Horseman

By MCS Staff

Published October 29, 2023 at 10:21PM

From the Montgomery County Sentinel in 1876: “As the story goes, during the Civil War a soldier was decapitated by a saber in a skirmish around what is now Game Preserve Road. After the fight, his fellow soldiers hastily buried him in an unmarked grave, even though they couldn’t find his head to bury with his body.”

The story has been passed down for many generations and many have told tales about the supposed unmarked grave of the headless man. Some have recalled strange noises and apparitions with glowing eyes. Others have seen the figure of a headless soldier (sometimes on a horse and sometimes without it), while many have driven down the Gaithersburg, Maryland road several times and have stated they’ve never noticed anything out of the ordinary. NBC Washington’s Melissa Mollet highlighted the 150-year-old road in a video last year (available below).

Gomez Addams (Actor John Astin) is a Maryland Native Who Was Raised in Montgomery County

By MCS Staff

Published October 29, 2023 at 9:59PM

John Astin, 93, who is perhaps best known for starring in the 1960s version of The Addams Family as patriarch Gomez Addams, is a Maryland native who was born in Baltimore and raised in Bethesda. Astin was born in Baltimore to Margaret Linnie (née Mackenzie) and Dr. Allen Varley Astin, who was the director of the National Bureau of Standards, now the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). At that time, Astin and his family resided on Battery Lane in Bethesda. Astin graduated from Johns Hopkins University (also in Maryland) in 1952. He studied drama while at Johns Hopkins and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at Johns Hopkins.

Astin got his start in theater, appearing on Broadway in the 50s. His first big film break came with a small role in West Side Story in 1961. Actor Tony Randall, famous for his role as Felix Unger in The Odd Couple, spotted Astin’s knack for comedic roles, which led to guest starring roles on the sitcoms Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show, and more. During the 1962–63 television season, Astin had his first lead in a television series, the ABC sitcom I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster, co-starring with Marty Ingels. By the time I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster gained a following and started winning its time slot, ABC had already canceled the show after a total of 32 episodes were produced.

FOX 5’s Erin Como to Step Down From Traffic Anchoring Later Next Month; Will Remain With Station

By MCS Staff

Published October 29, 2023 at 9:31AM

Popular Fox 5 traffic anchor Erin Como has announced she will be stepping away from traffic anchoring in November in a social media post made last week. She will be remaining with fox 5, co-hosting LION Lunch Hour, appearing on Good Day DC & DMV Zone, and adding more feature content. The full statement and more about Como can be seen below:

“It’s been a great ride covering your morning commute around the DMV for the past 8 years. A huge thank you to everyone for the support & love. The time has come for me to ditch the early alarm clock and shift my career focus.