Montgomery Parks will celebrate 60 years of Brookside Nature Center with a slate of free programs and activities from 1-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. Montgomery County’s first nature center has been a staple in the community, educating the public as well as introducing people to environmental stewardship.The lineup of free activities is listed below:
Please note that parking at Brookside Nature Center is limited.
Leech Woods, a brand new haunted trail, is now open at 11201 Bethesda Church Rd in Damascus. It’s described as “a thirty minute immersive haunted trail experience of dark terror” that promises a night of chain saws, clowns and dark corners. Leech Woods also offers food and drink, four bonfires, axe throwing, a DJ booth, fortune telling, and other forms of entertainment each night.
Per Leech Woods: According to Montgomery County historical land records, the present site of Leech Woods was originally settled by Warwick and Jeanne Leech and their six children sometime in early 1790. Having immigrated from Hungary, the family chose Damascus, Maryland based on its temperate climate and heavily wooded region which reminded them of their homeland. The Leech family store thrived as the leading local merchant of hides, furs and hunting supplies. During the disastrous Winter of 1804, the Leech family store was robbed and vandalized by unknown attackers and the body of John Leech, the youngest son, was found nailed to the back wall of the store. The remaining bodies of the family members were later found bludgeoned and bound inside of the root cellar of their homestead. No further information about the attackers or motives for the killings are known.
Montgomery Parks will host a screening of the 1970s camp cult classic, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” on Friday, October 7, 2022, at Northwest Branch Recreational Park from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
“Montgomery Parks is excited to be bringing the screening for all Rocky generations to enjoy. This will be a fun and memorable introduction to the phenomenon that is Rocky Horror for those that have yet to experience it,” said Jordan Crumback, Parks activation specialist. The audience can begin arriving at 6 p.m. with blankets and chairs to get a spot on the lawn. Food and beer concessions will be available for purchase from Liquidity Aleworks, Catalyst Hot Dogs and O’Boy Pizza & Ice Cream before and during the show.
The Takoma Park Street Festival scheduled for Sunday, October 2nd has been cancelled “due to the forecast associated with Hurricane Ian”, per Ron Hardy, the acting public information officer for Takoma Park Police.
This would have been the 41st year in Takoma Park for the event, with music, artists and makers, community groups, green companies and great food originally scheduled for what would have been from 10am until 5pm at Carroll Avenue.
This morning we were able to confirm that The 31st annual Taste of Bethesda, originally scheduled for Saturday, October 1st, has been cancelled due to inclement weather.
The event typically features Bethesda’s best restaurants, five stages of live entertainment, an activity area for kids and more. The event was scheduled held along Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Taste of Bethesda would have been located just three blocks from the Bethesda Metro.
Saturdays & Sundays in October mean the popular Eye Spy Trains are back for Halloween. Great for families of all ages, Montgomery Parks’ Cabin John Miniature Train and the Wheaton Miniature Train will take a ride through “Trainslyvania.” Please visit ActiveMontgomery.org to purchase tickets and guarantee your seat at your ideal train time and date, tickets are available for purchase online.
A small number of tickets may be purchased onsite, but ride times will not be guaranteed. Registration closes the morning of the scheduled ride, so don’t wait, book your ride reservation online today! Trains will run Saturdays and Sundays beginning October 1 and ending October 30, 11a – 6p. For tickets purchased online, any train canceled due to weather or mechanical issues will result in a full refund automatically credited to your method of payment.
Montgomery Parks has a full lineup of special events in October, including Halloween train rides, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, fall-themed happy hours and Sunday jazz brunch.
October events in Montgomery Parks include:
The City of Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival is getting ready to welcome visitors for another spectacular season. The wondrous display of lights at Seneca Creek State Park will be open nightly November 25 through December 31. The festival is closed on December 25 and last entry for December 24 & 31 is 8:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale on October 12th at 10am
The 3.5 mile drive through the enchanted setting of Seneca Creek State Park takes you past more than 450 illuminated displays and beautifully lit trees that light up the night. The park is located at 11950 Clopper Road, conveniently accessible from I-270.
Nature
Meadowside Nature Center has fall-themed outdoor activities during Sensory Friendly Days(opens in a new tab) on Friday, September 30, 10 am, for visitors of all ages with sensory processing differences, autism spectrum disorder, or developmental disabilities. Registration required.
Earlier this month we wrote about Field of Screams in Olney, which opened on Saturday, Sept 24 and runs through October 31, 2022. Located in Olney, Maryland, this Hollywood-level production includes well-trained actors and an intense fright experience with decor and props not seen outside the movie industry. The event was recently voted as the #1 spot in USA Today’s 10 Best Haunted Attractions in the country:
“Enter a horrifically terrifying world beyond imagination at the Fields of Screams in Olney, Maryland. A walk through the woods on The Haunted Trail and Trail of Terror leaves visitors scurrying away. Along their journey, guests are welcomed into thirteen haunted houses, where they might find anything from dead bodies to hillbillies and butchers. Enjoy Body Bean Bag Pumpkin Toss, Zombie Brain Smash, and other Carnival Town Games for a thrilling, competitive experience.”
Dunkin’ is celebrating National Coffee Day in a big way by sharing the loyalty love with a special coffee offer. All day on National Coffee Day, Thursday, September 29, DD Perks® members can get a FREE medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase*.
The free medium hot or iced coffee includes Dunkin’s Original Blend or Dunkin’s Limited Batch Series coffees, 100% Guatemalan Hot Coffee or Dunkin’ Midnight Hot Coffee. Dunkin’ loyalty members can pair their free coffee perk with a purchase of one of the latest fall favorites, including a Pumpkin Donut or MUNCHKINS®Donut Hole Treats, a Pumpkin Muffin or an Apple Cider Donut, as well as the rest of the Dunkin’ beverage and menu items available.