UPDATE: THE PARADE HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO CONCERNS OF EXCESSIVE HEAT

The City & the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Department celebrate the unofficial end of summer with the 85th Annual Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 4, 2023, at 1 p.m. The parade features an assortment of high school marching bands, dance groups, costumed characters, antique cars & fire engines, equestrian units, clowns, and more, all winding their way down East Diamond & Russell Avenues. Note that participation in the Labor Day Parade by groups or organizations other than City of Gaithersburg officials, departments or committees does not constitute City of Gaithersburg endorsement. Food vendors will be located at Olde Towne Plaza and the parking lot next to the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Fire Station.


Rocktobierfest is set to return to Rockville after last year’s cancellation. The event will take place on Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and features two stages of entertainment, including German and rock music. Guests can also enjoy beverages for sale by local breweries and participants, food, and an artisan shopping area. This annual event attracts nearly 10,000 people to Rockville Town Center.

Local artisans and breweries are invited to apply to participate as a vendor for Rocktobierfest. Click on the appropriate application below to download the rules and application for this year’s festival. Applications are due by Friday, August 11, 2023. Additional information and applications can be found here.


The 31st annual Taste of Bethesda is scheduled for Saturday, October 7th from 11am – 4pm, and will feature Bethesda’s best restaurants, five stages of live entertainment, an activity area for kids and more.

Admission to the Taste of Bethesda is free. Taste tickets are sold on-site in bundles of four tickets for $5. Food servings cost one to four tickets. Restaurants serve delectable dishes from 11am-4pm. Ticket sales end at 3:30pm. The event is held along Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Taste of Bethesda is located just three blocks from the Bethesda Metro. Participating restaurants and entertainment schedule can be seen below:


The convention was first held in 2008 at Tysons Corner, Virginia by Todd Webb, and in subsequent years, the flagship Virginia convention has been held in Chantilly, typically during the first weekend of August. BrickFair is a four-day event, operating generally Thursday through Sunday. The convention displays Lego models, displays and trains, most often covering more than 100,000 square feet of convention space. BrickFair conventions are also held in New England and the Southeastern United States, with the advent of BrickFair Alabama in 2012 and BrickFair New England in 2013. BrickFair operates in every season and in four East Coast states. BrickFair is believed to be the largest Lego convention in the United States and one of the largest in the world. The Virginia convention has had up to 22,500 attendees in its public hours.

The first BrickFair convention, in 2008, was held as a four-day convention at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel near Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia. The location was partially chosen because it was the 2006 site of BrickFest, a now-defunct Lego convention. In 2010, BrickFair was moved to the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA to make room for further expansion of the event. The Virginia convention of BrickFair is still held annually at the Dulles Expo Center. Additional information can be found here.


Metro will “Hold Up” the final train departing from Morgan Boulevard Station on Sunday night to give the #BeyHive a “Flawless” ride to and from FedEx Field. 

The last Silver Line train toward Ashburn on Sunday night will now depart Morgan Boulevard at 12:04 a.m. instead of 11:34 p.m., allowing concertgoers enough time to walk from the stadium to the station. Metro will make late trains available at transfer stations so customers aboard the final Silver Line train can rely on Metro to get them to their destinations on all lines. All customers in line at Morgan Boulevard at 12:04 a.m. will be accommodated.


Gold’s Gym will be holding a Grand Opening celebration for its new Germantown location at 12922 Middlebrook Rd. The gym opened earlier this month in the former location of DSW in the Germantown Commons shopping center, next to the recently closed Bed Bath & Beyond. The celebration will feature over $10K in giveaways and will take place on Tuesday, August 15th from 10am until 7pm.

Per Gold’s Gym: “Join us from 10AM-7PM to celebrate our brand new gym location by experiencing group exercise classes, free giveaways, special membership offers, fitness competitions, Therabody recovery clinic, free food, live dj and more — Presented by Celsius! Attend to enter for a chance to win a 1 year FREE membership!


The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will release a limited number of passes at noon on Monday, July 31 for its 2023 Hip-Hop Block Party at nmaahc.si.edu/HipHop50. This daylong event celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Saturday, Aug. 12, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (last admission at 10 p.m.), at the intersection of Madison Drive and 14th Street N.W. The event is free, but passes are required. The 2023 Hip-Hop Block Party will be hosted by Vic Jagger and feature performers such as DJ Beauty and the Beatz, The True School DJs – DJ Cuzzin B, Miss H.E.R., and DJ Marc Nfinit, Adam Blackstone and Special Guest Sugar Bear, Mumu Fresh, Monie Love, Kid Capri, J.Period, and more to be confirmed.

NMAAHC hosts the block party in celebration of the culture and music that originated and has been shaped by Black America for decades. Attendees will also be able to participate in interactive activities, such as graffiti art, hip-hop dancing and more.  The Hip-Hop Block Party also marks the return of Club Café, where attendees can taste a delicious hip-hop-inspired menu while experiencing a vibe only the museum can provide. For a complete schedule, please visit nmaahc.si.edu/HipHop50.


The Montgomery County Comic & Cosplay Club, a social club of people who are passionate about comics, anime, and cosplay– and everything related to it, are hosting MonkeyCon from 10am-4pm at Bohrer Park (506 S Frederick Ave.) in Gaithersburg on Sunday, August 6th. Tickets are available online for $15 ($5 off with code MONKEY).

Per the event listing, “MonkeyCon is Montgomery County’s Comic Con and is fun for the whole family. Everyone is invited to attend if you’re from Virginia, DC, Maryland, or anywhere! Make sure you come dressed as your favorite superhero or character! MonkeyCon is brought to you by the Montgomery County Comic & Cosplay Club: a social club of people who are passionate about comics, anime, and cosplay – and everything related to it! Not only do members come together at social events and on social media, but they host their annual meeting – Monkey Con – a convention with media screenings, seminars, contests, cosplay, vendors, and more!” MonkeyCon is welcoming the following special guests this year:


Hyundai has introduced a mobile service center to drive further installations of free anti-theft software from July 27-31, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. EDT at Parking Lot 8 (Zone 1) and Lot 8A of RFK Stadium (2400 Independence Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003). No Appointments Necessary For Customers Of Eligible, Affected Vehicles (you do not have to be a DC resident to bring your car in).

In response to persistent thefts targeting certain Hyundai vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices, Hyundai Motor America is collaborating with Mayor Muriel Bowser and acting Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith to provide a mobile service center at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. from July 27-31. The mobile clinic is intended to complement Hyundai’s nationwide network of dealerships and drive further installations of Hyundai’s free anti-theft software upgrade for customers who continue to be affected by the thefts. Specially trained mobile service technicians will be on-site to install and complete the software upgrade, which should take less than an hour.


Enjoy the last full month of summer with Montgomery Parks. Take in the final Parks Playhouse and Playhouse Junior performances of the season, Foodie Fridays, the Underground Railroad Experience Trail and so much more. August events in Montgomery Parks include: 

Parks Playhouse | August 2, 15, 16, 17, 18 | Various times and locations: Parks Playhouse is a summer series of free, live performances to celebrate the artistry of local bands, troupes and groups.


The City of Gaithersburg presents works by the Gaithersburg Camera Club, on display through October 1, 2023, at Kentlands Mansion. Meet the artists and view their works at a free Artists Reception on Sunday, August 6 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. All our welcome; light refreshments will be served.

This exhibit features 55 images depicting a wide variety of subject matter. Featured artists include Michael Brown, Sabine Dickens, Wendy Dinova-Wimmer, Cheryl Gillerman, Deborah Gillham, Carol Gregoire, Judy Gross, Linda Joy, Michael Kedda, Anis Khan, Judy MacArthur, David Oakes, Ed Palaszynski, Barry Scheiner, Dottie Schmidt, Goutam Sen & Alan Simmons.


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