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:
If you’ve been to Cabin John Regional Park in the last half century or so you’ve probably seen a bizarre, miniature house-like structure that has a pig face with its mouth wide open on one side. That’s Porky. You can feed him paper and cardboard and soft drink cans, but you can’t feed him bottles or broken glass…glass gives him a tummy ache.
Porky has been there since 1966, making his debut one year after Billy the Litter Eater over at Wheaton Regional Park. “I still have nightmares of my arm getting sucked into this thing” commented Richard Schaffer as he shared a picture of the famous trash dispenser. Creepy Basement, a popular website that is comprised of creepy highlights from across the world, refers to Porky as an “eternally hungry demon pig that commands children to feed him with his creepy 1950s radio voice.”
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.
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, announces programming and operating hours for the 2022 winter holiday break with a variety of events for the whole family.
Extended Open Parkways Schedule: The Open Parkways will be extended during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. During this time, parkways are open to pedestrians and bicyclists and closed to motor vehicles.
Per Montgomery Parks: Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), received top awards in creative marketing campaigns and initiatives from the Public Relations Society of America, Maryland Chapter (PRSA Maryland) at its 2022 Best in Maryland Awards on December 8, 2022, where 28 awards were given across over 20 categories. Each year PRSA Maryland presents awards to communication professionals who have successfully addressed a communications challenge with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.
“It’s exciting and an honor to be recognized for these projects that have been so impactful for park users,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “The pandemic years were challenging for everyone and we are proud of our efforts to bring awareness of all the benefits of our park system to the community during that time.”
Montgomery Parks is unveiling the concept plan for the new South Silver Spring Park(opens in a new tab) planned for 1110 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Md., at the former National Tire and Battery site.
The concept plan(opens in a new tab) for the new park was developed based on recommendations in the Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan(opens in a new tab) and extensive community feedback gathered through an open house and online surveys. Many of the amenities specifically requested by the community are incorporated in the concept plan, including a promenade, picnic area, fitness area, stage, dog run, bocce, multi-sports court, drinking fountain, age-specific playgrounds and nature play areas, and games. Plantings will include street trees, shade and flowering trees, bioretention areas and landscape beds for pollinator-friendly plants.
Per Montgomery Parks: Light up long dark nights. Make decorations and gifts for friends and family. Walk through winter woods. Check out these suggested activities for Friday, December 16, to Sunday, December 18.
Winter Solstice: The winter solstice is on Wednesday, December 21. We have two programs to bring light and warmth to the countdown to the shortest day and longest night of the year.
The public is encouraged to submit ideas via the nature center community input survey.
Montgomery Parks is seeking input from community members about facility hours and the types of programs they would like to see at Montgomery Parks nature centers. The department has launched a nature center community input survey for people to provide feedback. The survey can be accessed online at https://mocoparks.org/NatureInput through the end of January 2023.
Montgomery Parks recognized Montgomery Parks’ Park Manager Tom Baker at today’s Montgomery County Planning Board meeting for his heroic efforts in helping people involved in a plane crash in Montgomery County on November 28, 2022. Baker, who has worked for Montgomery Parks for over 18 years and manages 29 parks in the Rock Creek region of the county, was presented with a certificate of appreciation, signed by Montgomery Parks Director Mike Riley and Interim Montgomery Planning Board Chair Jeffrey Zyontz, which read:
“In appreciation for your professionalism, commitment, support, dedication and service to Montgomery County residents during the November 28, 2022, plane crash.” “Our employees demonstrate their dedication to serving Montgomery County residents every day, but Mr. Baker’s actions clearly go above and beyond,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “We are very proud of his courageous efforts, which ultimately helped prevent a tragedy.”
‘Tis the season for festivities! Walk through the Garden of Lights display or partake in a candy cane scavenger hunt. “Wood” you believe it, this weekend is our Urban Wood Sale! The full moon was this Wednesday, and although the moon’s waning, there will be plenty of moonlight for a nighttime hike on Friday. Discover these and other activities around Montgomery County for December 9 to 11, 2022.
Get Festive: What better way to spend the holidays than strolling through the area’s best light display? Garden of Lights(opens in a new tab) has one of the brightest one-half mile trails around. New displays at Brookside Gardens include a winter wonderland scene with tall ice-like formations and falling snow, all handcrafted by the experts at Montgomery Parks. Open nightly 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Advance tickets required. How about a hike that comes with a bonus? Hidden treats! Seek out candy canes, as well as nature’s red and white treasures, at Meadowside Nature Center, as you hike this self-guided winter wonderland trail. Multiple times are available on Saturday, December 10, for the Candy Cane Woods program: 1 pm to 3 pm(opens in a new tab), 1:30 pm to 2 pm(opens in a new tab), and 2 pm to 2:30 pm(opens in a new tab).
Montgomery Parks invites the public to the December 2022 session of its Parks Speaker Series on the topic of the TIDES and teen-focused programs. The free session will take place online on December 14, 2022, from 3 – 4 p.m.
During this presentation, Haley McClanahan and Elizabeth Harnett from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy will speak about the success of the TIDES (Teens Interested and Dedicated in Environmental Stewardship) program. They will share how the program got started, the goals of the program, and how participants have helped shape the program into what it is today. They will also speak about the ways they have been able to retain alumni and continue to grow the program through a tiered system.