Garden of Lights officially opens on November 18th and runs until January 1 (closed Nov. 21-24 and Dec. 24-25), 5-pm9:30 p.m. Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton (video preview below).

Garden of Lights display transforms Brookside Gardens into a dazzling winter wonderland. The one-half mile outdoor exhibit features one-of-a-kind light displays decorating flower beds and the grounds. Visitors can buy unique seasonal items at the gift shop. Hot chocolate and light snacks will be available for purchase.


Montgomery Parks has issued its 2022 Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Policy Plan following approval by the Montgomery County Planning Board at the June 16, 2022, meeting. Revised every five years, this PROS Plan guides the long-term development and management of the park system through the year 2027 and beyond. On Friday, November 5, Parks received confirmation from the Department of Natural Resources that the plan was approved as the County’s Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan, a prerequisite for certain important state funding sources.

The 2022 PROS plan emphasizes the role of parks in supporting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship. The plan recommends enhancing parks in urban areas, delivering services to an increasingly diverse population with a focus on seniors, teenagers, and young adults, and staying abreast of recreational trends.  Parks should foster social cohesion and tell the story of our history, culture, and natural resources. In addition, parks need to provide sustainable access to the County’s natural areas and the plan reaffirms the department’s commitment to environmental stewardship.


Ice skating, hiking, storytelling, volunteering, and more! Discover these programs in the parks for Friday, November 11, to Sunday, November 13! Check out the list of events? Per Montgomery Parks, below:

Veterans: Montgomery Parks honors military service members past and present with Veterans Day Skate. Veterans and active duty service members, along with their families, receive free admission and skate rental on Sunday, November 13, at Cabin John Ice Rink(opens in a new tab), 12:30 to 2:30 pm, and at Wheaton Ice Arena(opens in a new tab), 3 pm to 5 pm.


As part of its Veterans Day schedule, Montgomery Parks will hold a Veterans Day Skate on Sunday, November 13, that includes all military personnel (veterans and active duty) and their families skating for free during public sessions at:

Additional facilities open during the holiday include: 


“Citizen science, freedom celebration, outdoor happy hour, and more! It’s another jam-packed weekend of activities in the parks!” Check our activities in and around Montgomery Parks this weekend:

Nature- Meadowside Nature Center features its Women’s Fire Making Class(opens in a new tab) on Friday, November 4, at 9 am. Learn to identify fire materials, collect them, then practice with a bow drill and flint and knap to create sparks so you have a roaring fire. Please register.


 Montgomery Parks invites the public to the November 2022 session of its Parks Speaker Series on the topic of The Underline. The free session will take place online on November 9, 2022, from 3 – 4 p.m.

The Underline will be a ten-mile, 120-acre linear park, urban trail and public art destination in Miami-Dade County, Florida, that runs underneath the county’s elevated Metrorail system. This public-private partnership is being built in three phases and the first phase opened in 2021. The project is expected to be completed by 2025. In this session, Friends of the Underline’s founder and president, Meg Daly, will discuss the journey of creating a linear park, from idea to completion.


Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has opened two of the four lanes of Little Falls Parkway for recreational use between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue seven days a week.  The space was created by reconfiguring the lanes on Little Falls Parkway so that two of the four lanes—on the east side of the median—are used for traffic with the two lanes west of the median being used for recreation. “Our goal is to repurpose a portion of this roadway for people to exercise and enjoy the outdoors,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks. “In the spring, when it warms up, we will make it even better by creating a pilot linear park and adding activities and events.”

 The linear park coming in the spring is part of a pilot project being developed in phases. During phase one, Montgomery Parks implemented a road diet from May through October 2022 and shut two of the four lanes of the parkway to vehicles to conduct traffic studies. The studies concluded that Little Falls Parkway functions well with just two lanes for vehicles. During October 2022, phase two of the project eliminated vehicles on the west side of the median and routed all traffic to the two lanes on the east side of the median.


WHEATON, Md. —  Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, announces events in celebration of Maryland’s Emancipation Day, including activities at our sister agency, M-NCPPC, Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George’s County. Most events are free.

Maryland Emancipation Day commemorates November 1, 1864, a pivotal day in Maryland’s history when a new state constitution freed all persons held in bondage within its borders.


Get the kids into their costumes and ride our Halloween Eye Spy Trains(opens in a new tab) at Cabin John Train and Wheaton Train and Carousel on Saturday, October 28, and Sunday, October 29, from 11 am to 6 pm. Search for characters during your ride and keep track of them on your Eye Spy Train card. Buy online or onsite for the last train rides of the season.

Kids can ice skate while in costume during Not So Spooky Skate(opens in a new tab). Trick or treat at the rinks, participate in a costume contest, and make Halloween crafts. Not So Spooky Skate is Friday, October 28, 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, at Cabin John Ice Rink; and Friday, October 28, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, at Wheaton Ice Arena. Please sign up online.


Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, has an engaging lineup of special events and programs in November, including Maryland Emancipation Day, Drag Queen Story Hour, free Veteran’s Day skates and the opening of the annual winter favorite, Garden of Lights, at Brookside Gardens.

November events in Montgomery Parks include: 


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