Postponed: April 15, 2023, Shine Brighter Together event re-scheduled due to rain The new date for the event is April 30, 2023, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is hosting Shine Brighter Together, a free special event to promote autism acceptance.
Per Montgomery Parks: Montgomery Parks is blooming with a full lineup of special events and programs in April. Including events catering to people 55 and older, hikes with (and without) dogs, our annual Petal and Paws event, outdoor Sunday brunches, and roller disco. Put on your hiking boots or roller skates and join us:
April events in Montgomery Parks include:
Per the City of Takoma Park: After a few years of a modified egg hunt the traditional egg hunt returns to Takoma Park. Each Spring the Takoma Park Recreation Department hosts an egg hunt at Ed Wilhelm Field (behind Piney Branch Elementary School). This FREE event is always an egg-citing time! Egg Hunt age categories include:
Don’t forget to bring your basket to collect all the eggs! Each age group will have one metallic golden egg hidden among the eggs. If you are the lucky one to find that egg be sure to go to the Information Booth to claim your prize. There will be games, crafts and fun and a special visit from Mr. Bunny. The majority of the eggs are made from recycled baby bottles. Continue the recycling by turning in your eggs before you leave, you will get a ticket to win a raffle prize. For more information visit https://takomaparkmd.gov/government/recreation/egg-hunt/
Arts on the Green presents a ceramics exhibit featuring works by members of Montgomery Potters. The exhibit is on display through June 4, 2023. Meet the artists and view their works at a joint Artists Reception on Thursday, April 27 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at both the Arts Barn & Kentlands Mansion, where the Gaithersburg Fine Arts Association’s exhibition will be on display. The joint reception is open to all and free to attend. Light refreshments will be served. Masks & social distancing are encouraged, but not required.
Members of Montgomery Potters will also provide docent tours of the exhibit from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the Arts Barn’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, April 15. “We are so pleased to welcome the Montgomery Potters to the Arts Barn Gallery,” says Gallery Program Coordinator Jaree Donnelly. “Their work is terrific and varied in style, and we hope our patrons will enjoy perusing the pieces from this talented group of artists & choose to acquire something from the exhibit for their collection or to give as a wonderful, unique gift.”
Per Montgomery Parks: Beyond just places to skate, roller rinks of the 70s and 80s were bustling community hubs for fashion, camaraderie, and great music — and Parks Roller Disco is harkening back to those slammin’ good times. This event will be held at Ridge Road Recreational Park on Friday, April 14 from 6 to 9 pm, at Ridge Road Recreational Park’s inline skating rink.
A live DJ will be pumping the tunes and O’Boy Pizza, Catalyst Hot Dogs, Trippy Tacos and Clayboys Shaved Ice will be selling refreshments. Grab your family, invite your friends, and be sure to wear your bell bottoms, peace signs, tie-dye, and other groovy garb. The event is free, and there will be no on-site skate rentals. Some seating will be available, but guests are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs. Can you dig it?
The City of Gaithersburg invites you to participate in activities that celebrate & improve the environment during Gaithersburg Green Month in April, and beyond. “In addition to being fun & educational, it is also a great way for students to earn service learning credits while making our community a better place to live.”
This year’s Green Month includes a variety of activities to help protect & preserve our environment. Below is access to a list of 50 ways to be a “Better Environmental Steward”: 50 Ways to be a Better Environmental Steward
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck, a traveling food truck selling Hello Kitty-themed treats, will make a stop at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda on Saturday, April 8th from 10am-7pm. The truck will be located near The Gap on Grand Park Avenue. Treats like cookies, madeleines, macarons, clothing, bags, all decorated with Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, will be available while supplies last. The truck will make nearby stops in Tyson’s Corner from 10am-7pm on Saturday, March 25th and at The Mall in Columbia on Saturday, April 1 from 10am-7pm.
The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck has been making annual trips to MoCo with its last one being almost a year ago at Bethesda Row. There are two Hello Kitty Cafe Trucks in the US, one that travels up and down the East coast, and one that travels the West coast. Additionally, there are two Hello Kitty Cafes in the US, one in Las Vegas and one in California. You can learn more about the traveling trucks here.
About Arbor Day: Arbor Day is also a time to recognize that a city can be a hard place for trees to live, and that they need our tender love and care! It is a time to redouble our commitment to providing our trees what they need to thrive in our urban environment. One of the most important acts you can take to support our urban forest is to plant a tree where there wasn’t one. Residents and property owners across the City are planting trees this season in solidarity with this mission. For the trees you already have, remember that a broad area of woody or leafy mulched soil for the roots to grow in is ideal. And don’t forget to water your new trees. Typically, fifteen gallons once a week is sufficient for a new young tree, though watering twice a week can be a good idea during times of drought.
Maryland Arbor Day: This year, Maryland Arbor Day is April 5, while nationally recognized Arbor Day is April 28. Tree planting is best done earlier in the spring, but any time is a good time to celebrate trees! See the City’s Urban Forestry page to learn more about tree care and City tree programs.
Per Montgomery County: Olney Writer’s Group authors and members Kaitlyn Jain and Amy Chan Zhou will present a free program open to all residents on “Writing and Publishing a Memoir” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, at the Olney branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL). Each recently published their memoirs and will have advice and tips for anyone who has been considering writing a memoir of their own. The Olney Library is located at 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Rd. in Olney. Advance registration is not required to attend, but seating is limited.
Ms. Jain and Ms. Zhou will describe the genesis of their writing projects, how they stayed motivated, their participation in and support from the Writer’s Group and the steps taken to successfully publish their works. A question-and-answer session will be part of the workshop. Light refreshments will follow. Ms. Jain is the author of Passports and Pacifiers: Traveling the World, One Tantrum at a Time(2021), which was published by Boston BELS Publishing. Ms. Zhou wrote Flowing with the Pearl River (2022), which was published by Santa Monica Press. Both memoirs can be found on Olney Library’s local author shelf and in MCPL’s catalog.
The Gaithersburg Book Festival has selected the finalists for its 5th annual poetry contest for high school students. More than 150 entries poured in from around the region from students who wrote poems on themes of diversity or inclusion.
The finalists, listed in alphabetical order with the school they attend, city in which they reside and grade, are:
MCPS will host the 2nd Annual Youth Climate Summit from 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. The event will take place at Tilden Middle School, which achieved a LEED Silver Certification in 2021 from the U.S. Green Building Council.
This student-led event is designed to educate MCPS high school students about climate change and equip them with the tools to create climate action projects to bring back to their communities. During the summit, students will talk with environmental mentors, collaborate with peer leaders and grow as environmental activists.