Spend the day with family and friends at North Bethesda’s Premier Fall Festival, PIKEtoberfest. The Annual PIKEtoberfest community celebration returns and will be held Sunday, October 2, 12 – 4 p.m. at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose. Additional details below:
The 17th Annual Festival Salvadorenisimo is back at Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg on September 11th to celebrate the Independence Day of El Salvador. Doors open at 11am and the festivities will go until nightfall. This event brings in over 15,000 attendees each year.
The main stage will feature performances by top artists and personalities of the Salvadoran community, along with guest speakers from here in MoCo. The fair grounds will have hundreds of vendors selling for food, drinks, clothing, giveaways, and more (check out the flyer below for some of the performers). Anyone interested can get their tickets at http://FestivalSalvadoreno.com
The Damascus Freedom 5k is back for its 13th annual run. This event takes place along Magruder Branch Trail in Damascus, MD on Sunday, September 11th. This is a non-profit event that raises money for Disabled American Veterans, the USO, Hero Dogs, Fisher House, and the Wounded Warrior Project.
Aside form the 5k course, families enjoy music, food, balloon items, playground, and more. Visit http://DamascusFreedom5k.com to register. Flyer below:
Paranormal Cirque has postponed its planned Clarksburg Outlet shows from September 8-18th indefinitely due to permitting issues, according to a representative we spoke to from the company earlier today. In a corresponding move, the circus has extended its dates in Waldorf by adding shows from September 8th-11th. We were told that the shows have not yet been rescheduled and anyone interested in a refund can contact Paranormal Cirque via phone (941-704-8572) or the company website.
Paranormal Cirque previously ran at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg this past spring. According to the event’s website, Paranormal Cirque is “a crazy yet fun fusion between Circus, theatre, and cabaret in perfect harmony with the evolution of a show that brings you back to when we dream .….. and when we had nightmares and fantasies. Scare, encompass, amuse and surprise are the ingredients for a mixture of emotions impossible to forget. This is truly a Paranormal experience like no other.” Tickets can be purchased at www.paranormalcirque.com Note: No-one under the age of 13 will be admitted to the show. Guests aged 13 – 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
The City of Gaithersburg invites you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with educational & cultural presentations & activities. Residents are encouraged to learn about & celebrate Hispanic culture and participate in local events & programs taking place throughout the month, many coordinated by the City’s Multicultural Affairs Committee. The Mayor & City Council will officially designating September 15 through October 15, 2022 as “Hispanic Heritage Month” in the City of Gaithersburg. The official proclamation will be presented at the September 6 Mayor & City Council meeting. The public is welcome to attend the meeting, watch it live on YouTube or watch it via Zoom by registering here.
The proclamation will be received by María Helena Malagón. María is the only child of Spanish Civil War refugees. She was born in the Dominican Republic and spent her childhood in Mexico, New York & Washington D.C. She has lived in Gaithersburg for more than 40 years. María’s interest & passion for multicultural issues led her to become one of the first ESOL teachers with Montgomery County Public Schools, including Gaithersburg Middle School. In 1984, she was selected to be the Director of the Division of ESOL/Bilingual Programs, a position she held until her retirement in 2002. As the Director, she brought together a highly talented multilingual/multicultural team of individuals who helped develop & implement instructional & support services for more than 11,000 students in 185 schools & their families. María served on numerous local, state & national committees, advocating for English language learners. After retiring, María began volunteering at Hero Dogs, a Gaithersburg-based service-dog training organization. With her Labradors, she makes therapy visits to hospitals, schools & retirement communities including Asbury Methodist Village.
Montgomery Parks is hosting its annual fall native plant sales at Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda and Maydale Nature Classroom in Colesville. The sales seek to bolster native vegetation for native pollinators. The plants help create habitats that are necessary for pollinators’ survival and support the local ecosystem. The online sale for Locust Grove Nature Center runs through Tuesday, Sept. 6, and an in-person sale is scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 17-18. The native plant sale for Maydale Nature Center is exclusively online and begins Sept. 6.
The department’s Native Plant Program began 10 years ago at Pope Farm Nursery, which is located at 7400 Airpark Rd. in Gaithersburg. The program was established in 2012 to enhance habitats for native pollinators and has quadrupled since its founding from 12,000 to 50,000 plants produced per year.
The ninth annual Montgomery County “Friendship Picnic” will again bring people of diverse cultures and faiths together to make new friends and discuss ways to build a stronger community. The free picnic will be held from noon-5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, at Wheaton Regional Park.
Wheaton Regional Park is located at located at 2000 Shorefield Rd. in Wheaton. A free satellite parking shuttle service to and from the Wheaton Ice Rink and athletic fields will be available.
Per Montgomery Parks: September is upon us, and fall is just around the corner! Enjoy our outdoor summer activities before they are gone for the season. Check out these activities in the parks this Labor Day weekend from Friday, September 2, through Sunday, September 4!
History
On Thursday, Sept. 1, participating Dunkin’ locations will offer a free medium hot or iced coffee for educators. Teachers just have to ask for their free coffee, with no proof or ID necessary. We have been told that most, but not all, Dunkin’ locations are participating.
Dunkin’ is also holding a sweepstakes to reward select teachers across the country. From September 1 to October 5, customers can submit nominations for Dunkin’s “Raise A Cup to Teachers” sweepstakes. The website to send in names will go live at midnight on Thursday, September 1st.
The 2022 Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival will take place on September 24th from 11am until 4pm at Rockville Town Square. The event is being held by Taiwan Sister Cities, an organization “dedicated to promoting, educating, and fostering intercultural understanding and cooperation among the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan.”
Participating in the festival will be Tiger Sugar Rockville, which recently reopened after a car crashed through their storefront. Bun’d Up, which has a Pike & Rose location nearby. Mr. Wish, which opened last year in Rockville. Bao Bei, which started operating out of a kitchen in Rockville recently. Doki Toki, which recently opened in Downtown Crown, and a lot more.
The 2022 Maryland State Fair started on Thursday, August 25th at the Timonium fairgrounds (2200 York Rd. Lutherville-Timonium, MD). The schedule is different this year, focusing more on weekends by opening Thursdays through Sunday (and on Labor Day) for three consecutive weekends with the last day on Sunday, September 11th (opening hours are available below). Rap superstar Nelly, legendary rock band Styx and country music singers Niko Moon and Lauren Alaina will also be performing at an event called the “2022 Live! ON TRACK! Concert Series at The Maryland State Fair.” The concerts do require separate tickets.
“We are pleased to host the full Maryland State Fair this summer with thousands of talented individuals and fun-loving fairgoers participating from Maryland’s great cities, towns, farms, mountains and shores,” said Maryland State Fair General Manager Andy Cashman. “Our goal is to provide a variety of safe, enjoyable and educational experiences to help make memories for a lifetime.” The 141st Maryland State Fair will feature the thrills and chills, sights, sounds and aromas of numerous Midway and Kidde Land rides, games, and fun fair food provided by Deggeller Attractions. For those with a more local palate, the Maryland Foods Pavilion, Dairy Bar, and Chesapeake Craft Brew & Wine Garden, will showcase fresh from the farm and Chesapeake Bay food and drinks. A list of all of this year’s events can be found here.