Kentlands

Silky Gem, which offers crystal candies inspired by Vietnamese Lunar new year traditions, is now open at 332 Main St in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. The store has been described as the first crystal candy shop to open in the United States (photos below).

The shop has held a few events prior to its grand opening and offers a variety of the same crystal candies many have seen on the Silky Gem social media accounts. The grand opening was initially scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 24th, but had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, opening earlier this week. Store hours are 12pm-8pm daily, closed on Tuesdays.

The 30th Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run, Walk, and Kid’s Fun Runs, as well as a virtual race component, will take place on Saturday, September 2nd from noon until 2pm. The 5K course winds through the Lakelands and Kentlands neighborhoods before heading down Main Street to the finish line. Every 5K registration comes with a Dri-Fit crew neck race shirt (men’s, women’s, and kid’s sizes available). The post-race celebration will feature a Merchant’s Expo area.

Per the Kentlands/Lakelands 5K website: Live entertainment will be featured on the course – local bands set up along the course to delight participants and spectators alike, making what is already a spirited and fun event even livelier. The event finishes with the awards ceremony, team awards (lots of family options), and raffle items donated by local merchants. Cash prizes for the top three male and female finishers.

Last March we let you know that F45, which has been opening locations across Montgomery County with recent openings in Potomac and Olney, is coming to Gaithersburg with an upcoming Kentlands location. Construction has been ongoing and while an opening date isn’t currently available, it may be ready within a few months (photo below). A Germantown location is also expected to open soon in the Seneca Meadows shopping center near Wegmans (no date available).

The company had pre-Covid plans to make a move into Gaithersburg’s Rio Lakefront, which fell through, but signed on to take over the space that was recently closed for a few years and previously home to Subway (between Caspian House of Kabob and the recently closed Edible Arrangements).

Bella Ballet opened in 2013 when owner Hope MacDonald opened the flagship location, located at 347 Kentlands Blvd in Gaithersburg, at age 24 with $5,000 of her savings. Now, she is opening her second location in the neighboring shopping center at 215 Kentlands Blvd, next to Cava.

The flagship location will remain open with classes offered for students ages 2-7.  The new sister location, Empower, will open at 215 Kentlands Blvd., and will offer classes for students ages 7-18. This location will be open in September 2023. Enrollment for both locations is available now on the Bella Ballet website.

Fun fact: The name, RUE + ROE, is a combined adaptation of Briana and Maddie’s dogs and children.

Ed Studio at 360 Main St in Gaithersburg (former site of SPAGnVOLA chocoltier) is currently holding its soft opening. The bakery, which is named after its owner Ed, specializes in Chinese desserts, milk tea, and birthday cakes. Some of the items currently on the menu include Soy Custard Parfait, Earl Grey Dulcey Chocolate Cake, and Cheese Snow Mountain Bread. The bakery is open everyday from 11am-7pm.

In other Kentlands news, Neal’s Bagels, Poke Bros, Potomac Cookie Co, are all expected to open this year. Additional information on each location below.