Montgomery Parks will begin selling tickets for Brookside Gardens’ annual Garden of Lights outdoor, walk-through winter light display on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Tickets are available on Eventbrite starting October 11 at 9 am (video of the display available below).

Garden of Lights features glimmering one-of-a-kind displays adorning the flowerbeds and pathways throughout Brookside Gardens. New features this year include a winter wonderland scene with tall ice-like formations and falling snow in the Rose Garden and oversized colorful flower forms throughout the formal gardens. All new displays were handcrafted by Montgomery Parks staff.


The project aims to develop a linear park on two lanes of the four-lane parkway. Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will again reconfigure lanes on Little Falls Parkway for Phase Two of the pilot project to repurpose two lanes of the parkway between Arlington Road and Dorset Avenue and create a linear park. Work is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 17, 2022. The new park will add much-needed recreational space in an area where land is at a premium, and adjacent to the Capital Crescent Trail – one of the most popular trails in Montgomery Parks’ system.

The ultimate planned linear park will be located on a portion of Little Falls Parkway that was previously part of Montgomery Parks’ Open Parkways program between River Road and Arlington Road (1.3 miles). That portion of the Open Parkways program was suspended last summer, to study the operational effects of permanently reducing a segment of the Parkway from four lanes to two. Phase One of the pilot project implemented a road diet from Arlington to Dorset, with one lane in each direction and a median in the middle of the traffic flow. MCDOT and Parks independently completed several rounds of traffic counts during Phase One of the pilot and determined that Little Falls Parkway functioned well with two lanes, allowing the project to proceed to Phase Two.


Montgomery Parks  announces a spooky lineup of events to celebrate Halloween this October with offerings for all ages. Halloween events in Montgomery Parks include: 

Board the miniature Halloween Eye Spy Trains at Cabin John and Wheaton Regional Parks to ride through “Transylvania.” Riders receive an “Eye Spy” card with seasonal items to find along the tracks during the ride. Advance ticket purchase through ActiveMontgomeryis recommended to guarantee a seat. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the venues. All ages (ticket required for ages 2 and older). $6- $8.


Film

Are you shivering with anticipation? We are screening “Rocky Horror Picture Show(opens in a new tab)” this Friday, October 7, 6 pm, at Northwest Branch Recreational Park. Free admission and free prop bags to first 100 participants. Costumes encouraged. Recommended for mature audiences seventeen and older. Carpooling encouraged. Park Police will be onsite for traffic control. Neighbors encouraged to walk to event.


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.


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.


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.


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.


Montgomery Parks invites the public to its Athletic Field Showcase at Wheaton Regional Park’s F. Frank Rubini Athletic Complex, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Parks’ staff will demonstrate the processes to develop and care for athletic fields including construction, renovation and maintenance.  “Athletic fields are one of the most popular amenities in our parks,” Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks, said. “We take great pride in providing top notch fields for athletes to play on and enjoy. Through the showcase we will provide a behind-the-scenes look into the work, resources and funding that goes into providing these fields.”

Montgomery Parks staff will cover topics related to baseball field caretaking, such as irrigation, aeration, seeding, nutrient management, as well as maintenance techniques for the infield, outfield, batter’s box and pitcher’s mound. “Montgomery Parks is a leader in athletic field technology at the parks and recreation level across the country. We pride ourselves on using technology for making data-driven decisions. Especially when it comes to resource conservation and being good stewards of the environment,” Cliff Driver, Montgomery Parks athletic field program manager, said.


View More Stories