The conference is scheduled to include a special sneak preview of excerpts from Ain’t no Back to a Merry-Go-Round, an inspirational documentary that highlights the protests that led to desegregation of Glen Echo Park in the 1960s. Breakout sessions will cover topics such as restrictive covenants and housing discrimination, Frieda’s Cottage, LGBTQ+ history, the archaeology of the enslaved, suburban growth in the 1980s and the changing face of agriculture. There also will be a session on the Oyster Wars on the Chesapeake Bay.


Volunteering: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve.” Honor his memory during MLK Week of Service and volunteer with Montgomery Parks. Pick up litter at a park and stream cleanup or remove invasive, nonnative plants at a Weed Warrior event from Saturday, January 14, through Saturday, January 21. Go to Volunteer Services(opens in a new tab) on our website to sign up.

Gardening: Thomas Christopher, author of Nature into Art: The Gardens of Wave Hill, gives a virtual tour of Bronx’s Wave Hill Public Gardens and discusses sustainability and climate change during this online presentation on Saturday, January 14, 10 am, brought to you by Brookside Gardens’ staff. Register for this online event(opens in a new tab).


Montgomery County is hosting its annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute and celebration from 4–5:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 at The Music Center at Strathmore. This free event, “We Are Martin,” will feature special guests, performing artists and a 200-student chorus from Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School. The Montgomery County Volunteer Center is also hosting the main event for the annual MLK Day of Service from noon–3 p.m. on Jan. 16, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center at 5701 Marinelli Road in North Bethesda. There are also three partner sites hosting events on Jan. 16:

A full listing of local and remote opportunities to join an MLK Day of Service event is available here. Students can earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for attending and participating. Service will continue throughout the week with virtual, home-based and other on-site projects hosted by a variety of organizations.


The 2023 Montgomery County History Day competition is coming up, and local students need your help. The 2023 Montgomery County National History Day Contest will be held on March 4, 2023 at Northwood High School. Middle and high school students have been conducting research, diving into primary sources and creating presentations. The competition is seeking volunteers to serve as judges in evaluating student work. The goal is to encourage and foster a passion for history.

Virtual training will be provided. Judges will spend 20-30 minutes per project reviewing content and making comments. They then meet virtually with other judges to determine the projects that will advance to the statewide competition. Judging will take place in person on Saturday, March 4 at Northwood High School in Silver Spring. For more information, email Kelli Champagne, Prek–12 social studies content specialist, or visit the Montgomery History Conference website.


This year Soulfull Cafe and Main Street Connect, the inclusive community and café in downtown Rockville, are offering community members three ways to give back on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16th: Writing cards to patients at Children’s National Medical Center; making dog toys for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, and preparing a meal for Stepping Stones Shelter. Volunteers can write cards and make dog toys from 11 – 1 in the cafe.  Main Street Members will also prepare meals that afternoon in Main Street’s “Poppy Boy’s Kitchen” (the meal preparation is open to Main Street Members only). Participants can register here.

Main Street Connect is the first community-oriented, affordable, accessible housing solution to redefine the concept of inclusion through membership and programming for people of all abilities. Our community is a culture of kindness, opportunity and possibility, improving quality of life for everyone. Main Street ismoving the needle for more inclusive communities across the nation.


January 16- 23, 2023The City celebrates & honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by encouraging residents to give back to their community during a Week of Service, January 16 – 23. An official proclamation recognizing Dr. King & encouraging participation in service projects that strengthen our community & foster a spirit of equality and inclusiveness was made by Mayor Jud Ashman at the Mayor & City Council meeting on January 3. The City’s Youth Services Division, Gaithersburg Youth Club& Student Union were also recognized for providing thousands of hours of service each year through a variety of programs. View the presentation here.

Montgomery County hosts a Week of Service with opportunities for volunteers to help the community’s most vulnerable, keeping with the spirit of Dr. King’s message of nurturing an equitable & inclusive society. Residents are invited to explore the myriad of service activities that are being coordinated by the Montgomery County Volunteer Council. Explore all of the Week of Service opportunities at montgomeryserves.org. If you are interested in leading a service project at your own site and want to recruit volunteers, please contact the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at [email protected].


Montgomery Parks has a varied lineup of special events and programs in January, including New Year’s hikes, Three Kings Day celebration, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day volunteer opportunities and lots of outdoor adventures. It’s a new year and there’s always fun to be had and new things to learn at Montgomery Parks.

January events in Montgomery Parks include: 


The Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department, both part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), have announced their January 2023 calendar of events and meetings. Residents can participate in Planning Board meetings by testifying in-person, testifying virtually, and watching the meetings on the Planning Board’s live stream. Community members may sign up to testify and provide comments in person, through Microsoft Teams, or over the phone to the Planning Board during the meeting on specific agenda items. Written testimony must be submitted in advance of the meeting. Contact us for accessibility accommodations.

These events are subject to change. To sign up to testify for Planning Board meetings, please go to the sign up to testify page and view individual agendas. Agendas are usually made public 10 days prior to the start of a meeting. Consult the Development Review Committee (DRC) and Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) websites for their  agenda information.


The City of Rockville celebrates Lunar New Year by offering a free event that celebrates Rockville’s Asian cultures with performances, to-go activities and snacks. Organized in partnership with Rockville’s Asian Pacific American Task Force, the Lunar New Year celebration is a source of pride for the city’s Asian community and an educational opportunity for neighbors to learn about Asian culture.

The event will take place at Thomas S. Wootton High School (2100 Wootton Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20850) on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 10am-1pm. Performances will begin at 11am.


The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) is extending the “Home for the Holidays” fee-waived adoption event for all animals through Dec. 31. The adoption event is sponsored by Friends of Montgomery County Animals (FMCA).

“Thank you to everyone who has shared our plea, visited the adoption center, and adopted since the beginning of the holiday promotion,” said Adoption Supervisor Faith Koleszar. “We asked for help and our call was answered. We are so grateful for the support we received. Because of our community, we have doubled the number of people coming in through the doors every day and over 100 animals have been adopted. In thanks and celebration, I am so happy FMCA offered to extend this promotion and do more good before the new year.”


Happy holidays! How are you going to keep the kids busy during their winter break? We have these suggestions for activities around Montgomery Parks in this special edition of Parks’ Picks for Friday, December 23, 2022, through Monday, January 2, 2023.

Per Montgomery Parks: Get the children outdoors. Burn off some energy at the playground. We have 276 playgrounds, so there is no shortage of something new to explore. Bring a ball and play a game of soccer, football, or basketball. Pack a lunch and snacks and go hiking! Montgomery Parks has 280 miles of both paved and natural surface trails.


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