Montgomery County native and “Abbott Elementary” actress and comedienne Lisa Ann Walter has lined up seven stand-up shows all over North America from Sept. 1-16 this year, including two shows at Bethesda Theater on Sunday, September 17th (6pm and 8pm) with tickets going for $49.

Lisa Ann Walter is an actress, comedian and television producer, perhaps best known for her roles as Chessy in the romantic comedy film The Parent Trap and her current role as Melissa Schemmenti on the ABC mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary. She’s also a native of Montgomery County.


ABOUT THE ARTS BARN: The Arts Barn is Gaithersburg’s home for the performing and visual arts. Housed in a Victorian-era stable, the Arts Barn features a lively performing arts program including film, dance, music, theater, comedy, and magic, as well as showcasing local artists in special events, the City Art shop, and the rotating exhibitions in the Gallery. The Arts Barn is a program of the City of Gaithersburg.

ABOUT THE EVENT: City Shop, a program run by The City of Gaithersburg at Arts Barn, is pleased to offer the Here Come the Holidays Artisan Market on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the Arts Barn and Kentlands Mansion, located at 311 & 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878. This is an opportunity for the community to not only buy a one of a kind original handmade items made by local artists but also meet with the artists and understand the their processes that went behind the creation of the work. The Artisan Market will be held indoors within the City of Gaithersburg facilities.


Spend the day with family and friends at North Bethesda’s premier fall festival– PIKEtoberfest. Get into the fall groove Oktoberfest-style with live music and entertainment throughout the day. Grab a pint of local and craft brews at Owen’s Ordinary beer garden and enjoy a bountiful harvest of eats and treats from the neighborhood’s retail and restaurant partners. Discover artisanal hand-crafted goods at the pop-up Makers Market, play against your friends in exciting games, and get creative with kid’s activities. The event is free to attend and dogs are welcome!

WHAT: PIKEtoberfest at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose


Montgomery County’s first Sheetz opens today, August 24, at 751 Progress Way in Gaithersburg. The store opens to the public at 9am and its grand opening event will take place from 1-3pm. In addition to a “Win Sheetz for a Year” giveaway, the store will be offering discounted gas prices for its first two days. Sheetz had initially announced that all fuel grades would be $2.99, but has since updated to the following:

Per Sheetz: “CORRECTION: GAS PRICES TO VARY BASED ON FUEL GRADESOn Thursday, August 24, Sheetz, a major Mid-Atlantic restaurant and convenience chain, will officially open its first-ever location in Montgomery County. The store will be located at 751 Progress Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20879.To celebrate this first-ever opening in Montgomery County, Sheetz will reduce its gas prices at this location starting at 9am on Thursday, August 24th and ending on Friday, August 25th at 11:59pm. The prices will vary based on the following fuel grades:


Per Montgomery Parks: It’s almost autumn and school’s back in session but there’s always fun to be had at Montgomery Parks. It’s the last chance to enjoy water amenities for the year. Take your favorite pup to Yappy Hour, come out to play at Never Grow Up, catch a concert or lecture. That’s just a sampling of the offerings this month.

September events in Montgomery Parks include: 


On Thursday, August 31st, Montgomery Goes Purple will host its annual Resource Fair starting at 5pm at Memorial Plaza (101 Monroe St. Rockville, MD). The Kick-Off Event begins at 6:30 and will include food trucks and more. At 7:30pm a candlelight ceremony vigil will be held. Per the City of Rockville: The opioid crisis is a national public health emergency. Rockville Goes Purple is an awareness campaign alongside our county and state partners that seeks to shine the spotlight on the impact of opioid addiction and educate our community about the epidemic. In 2018, the Mayor and Council formally joined other state and local jurisdictions to take legal action against drug manufacturers and distributors for their role in the nationwide opioid crisis.

According to the Maryland Department of Health Data-Informed Overdose Risk Mitigation 2021 Annual Report, in 2020, there were 2,799 overdose-related fatalities, the highest annual total in the State of Maryland’s history to date. Additionally, there continues to be a growing disparity in overdose-related deaths in the Black community. Between 2016 and 2020, overdose deaths among non-Hispanic Black Marylanders rose by 64.5% as compared to deaths in the non-Hispanic white community, which increased by 15.3% over the same period. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that deaths from drug overdoses reached 107,622 nationwide in 2021, an increase of nearly 15% from the 93,655 deaths estimated in 2020, and 108,500 in 2022, “a staggering record that reflects the crisis and the continued spread of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in the illegal narcotic supply,” the proclamation states.


The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair returns this Friday, August 11th and will run through Saturday, August 19th. This will be the 74th annual fair and it’s third year back after having to cancel for the first time in its 70+ year history in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. Discount days at the fair include “Family Days” on Monday, Aug. 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 16, with $25 all-day rides, “Senior Day” on Tuesday, Aug. 15, that includes free admission to seniors 62+ until 5pm, and “Military Day” on Thursday, Aug. 17, which allows for free admission for active military in uniform or with a valid military ID through 5pm.

Make sure to join us opening night for the Fifth Annual Fair Foodie Awards, which will take place at 6pm at the seating tent across from the souvenir booth. Guest judges will include Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones and MoCoShow founder “Mr. MoCo” Alex Tsironis.  Last year’s Foodie winners included Cajun Chicken on a Stick and Cotton Candy Lemonade.


Starting October 7th, Titanic: The Exhibition will be in the DMV as it comes to 151 St George Blvd, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 at National Harbor. The visit, which takes approximately 80-90 minutes, will include an audio guide who will take you on a narrative experience describing the events on that fateful day in 1912. Visitors will be able to unravel the true story of the ship through personal belongings, photographs and other relics and walk through a recreation of the ship’s interior—from a first-class suite to a humble third-class cabin.

“The Exhibition is far more than a display of historic items: it is a unique narrative experience, a tale of the people aboard history’s most legendary ship on its maiden and final journey. Travel back to 1912 through photographs, handwritten letters, wayward keepsakes, and other personal belongings telling countless stories about the fates and heroic deeds on board.”


Everyone makes mistakes, and the Museum of Failure is here to celebrate that! The Museum of Failure brings together over 159 products and services that were a total flop but also paved the way for other great inventions. Failure is the mother of success, after all! It showcases a collection of failed products and services from around the world. The museum arrives on September 7th and goes through the month on Wednesdays-Sundays from 10am-7pm at Georgetown Park (3270 M Street NW, Washington D.C., 20007). Tickets start at $25.

Every item provides unique insight into the risky business of innovation—and, let’s face it, the majority of innovation projects fail at some point. But that’s okay because embracing failure and taking meaningful risks paves the way for real innovation and progress. After all, as Confucius once said: “our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”


The 30th annual Oktoberfest returns to transform the Kentlands in Gaithersburg, with multiple stages of live entertainment featuring traditional Bavarian music & dancing, along with local, regional & national talent. the event will take place on Sunday, October 8th from 12pm-5pm.

Fall-themed activities for families, a Business Expo, artisans, beer, mead & cider, and delicious food will delight attendees throughout the day. In past years this event has drawn crowds of up to 30,000. Admission, shuttles & parking are free to the public. We’ll have an update with more details as the event draws nearer.


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