The inaugural Maryland Cider Festival is taking place this Saturday, September 9th at Two Story Chimney Ciderworks (7115 Damascus Rd. Gaitherburg, MD 20882) from 11am until 4pm. Though the event has a Gaithersburg address, it’s north of Laytonsville closer to Damascus. This event will showcase hard cider makers from across the Old Line State. You’ll also find local artisans, craft vendors, live music, and food trucks. Whether you’re an aficionado who knows their cider, cidre, or sidra, or you’re just looking for a refreshing change of taste this is the place to be. Come join us for a celebration of Maryland craft makers.

The festival will feature ten local cideries showcasing their best hard ciders, from dry to sweet, still to sparkling, modern to heritage, and everything in between. Ciders of all styles and types will be in glass for you to sample and take home, and you’ll get to learn more about the cider-making process from the experts. The festival will also have food trucks serving up delicious bites to pair with your cider, live music from local musicians for your enjoyment, and local craft vendors selling their unique and handmade products.


Spirit Halloween is coming to 2210 Veirs Mill Rd., the former CVS location in the Twinbrook Center in Rockville. This is a different location than the nearby Pike Center (where TGI Friday’s is on Rockville Pike) where Spirit Halloween has set up shop in recent years.

The store also recently announced its new Gaithersburg location at the former Pier 1 location (30 Grand Corner Ave) in Rio. Last year, Spirit had an additional Montgomery County location in Burtonsville. During the Halloween season, Spirit operates over 1,400 stores in North America. The Spirit Halloween website is open year-round, offering its in-store products online. The store usually open 30-60 days prior to Halloween.


The Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) is asking for the public’s assistance in locating Betsy Angelee Santiago Olan, a missing 16-year-old. Santiago Olan was last seen on Friday, September 1, 2023 at approximately 5 p.m., in the 400 block of Muddy Branch Road in Gaithersburg. She is 5-feet tall, 150 lbs., with black hair, green eyes, and a tattoo on her hand. She was last seen wearing all black clothing.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Betsy Angelee Santiago Olan is asked to call Montgomery County Police Non-Emergency (301) 279-8000 (24-hour line).


Our small team recently discussed a few upcoming events that some of our staff members/contributors/friends plan to attend in the coming weeks and while many were mentioned, we put together this list of the five events that came up the most:

GreekFest (9/8-9/10, Silver Spring): Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church will hold its annual Greek festival starting Friday, September 8th and running until Sunday, September 10th. The festival will take place over three days–  on the grounds of Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, located at 701 Norwood Road in Silver Spring: Friday, 9/8: 4pm-9pm, Saturday, 9/9: 11am-9pm. Sunday, 9/10: 11am-7pm. Read more about the event here.


Per MCDOT: Due to Labor Day Celebrations, Ride On Routes 5 and 57 will experience detours on Monday, Sept. 4. Information for each detour can be found below.

To Silver Spring Station:  From Knowles Avenue, left on Connecticut Avenue, continue on University Boulevard, right on Perry Avenue, right on St. Paul Street, left on Metropolitan Avenue, and back on route. Stops 24026, 24960, 21284, and 21282 will be bypassed. Use alternate stops 24028 and 23512.


Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a townhouse fire in the 8800 block of Thomas Lea Ter in Montgomery Village early Saturday morning. According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, the exterior fire was located around the chimney, with minimal interior extension.

There were no injuries reported and all occupants have been accounted for. Two adults, one dog, and two cats have been displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation. We will post an update if additional information becomes available.


Quincy’s Uptown opened a few years back at 9813 Main St. in Damascus. Now, the restaurant has added a new dimension with their new arcade games for families and individuals to enjoy with dinner or drinks. The Quincy’s Gaithersburg location, along with Quincy’s Uptown in Damascus, will soon be offering a barbecue menu as well.

“People are looking for a reason to come out and enjoy some food and entertainment. What better way than old school pinball, boardwalk skee ball, and of course Pac-Man?” owner Marty Magill tells us. “We have also joined forces with the powerhouse of Bangin BBQ. Chris Patterson and I have formed a joint venture to take things to another level.”


The City of Gaithersburg is governed by an elected Mayor/City Council – City Manager style of government, with elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in odd numbered years. The Mayor is elected to a four-year term and presides over the City Council.  The City Council consists of five members elected at-large, each serving staggered four-year terms.

Gaithersburg residents will cast their ballots for three City Council Members in the November 7, 2023 Election. The terms of office for Council Members Neil Harris, and Robert Wu expire in November. There is an open seat vacated by Ryan Spiegel. On August 28, 2023, the Gaithersburg Board of Supervisors of Elections certified the following candidacies for the three City Council positions up for election in the City of Gaithersburg, which will be held on November 7, 2023:


Per IKEA, “Our Plan and Order points are smaller stores dedicated to kitchen, bedroom, and living room planning where you can find home furnishing advice and expertise to help design your ideal space.” You can book an appointment to start your design with a planning specialist, or use in-store, self-service tools to design your own solution. “Whilst there are no items to purchase in-store and take home on the day, for your convenience, purchases made at the Plan and Order points can be delivered to your home or picked up from one of our collection points.”

More bout Poke Bros: After the founders were introduced to the Hawaiian staple on a trip to California. The appeal of this fast and casual—while healthy—concept immediately inspired the founders to begin thinking how they could bring this unique dish to the midwest. From its inception, we were confident the foodies of Columbus would love the poké concept, but wanted to provide an inexpensive and accessible product in the larger market. After some intense research and trial and error, the Poké Bros founders developed their own brand of poké bowl flavor they are proud to share and call their own. Modeling similar assembly line casual dining concepts, we developed a unique way to build your “sushi in a bowl” and have fun doing so! As the poké movement has caught on, Poké Bros has rapidly expanded into multiple states across the Midwest and East Coast, offering the same fresh and authentic cuisine to a wider range of customers. We will continue to stick to our roots, as Poké Bros continues to grow, and offer only the best fresh ingredients that fill you up but don’t slow you down.


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