ZBounce/ZPlanet has recently reopened inside of Montgomery Mall. The indoor play space/amusement park was previously located in the mall near Macy’s and is now located across from Forever 21. ZBounce describes itself as “the Ultimate Kids Fun Center in the mall” with inflatable slides, bounce houses, and bumper cars. ZBounce has a additional nearby locations at the Clarksburg Outlets and inside of Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg. Photo courtesy of www.zbouncefun.com.
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Below is a list of ten of our favorite things to do in Montgomery County during the holiday season. Did we leave any of your favorites out? Let us know in the comment section!
Pro Tip! Parking is free and plentiful at rio – beat the crowds and park in the garages near Kohl’s and Target!
Squishable, a pop-up shop that sells hundreds of varieties of stuffed animals that are “cute giant balls of squishy love that are soft, huggable, cuddly, and all-around awesome,” is now open at Montgomery Mall. It is located in the lower level of the mall near Bath & Body Works. Squishables (photos below) has been creating cuddles for 15 years now, growing from a tiny mom-and-pop shop run out of a living room into the (still pretty tiny) 33-person company it is today. Many of its designs are also crowdsourced from the company’s million-strong group of fans who create and vote on hundreds of new potential Squishables each year. “The world can be a hard place. Hug something soft.”
According to its website, “Squishable was started in 2007 by co-founders Aaron and Zoe. They didn’t know anything about toys, but they figured it out. Over the last decade and a half, we have released millions of Squishables to their new homes in the wild. Here at Squishy HQ in Soho, New York City, we’re creating things that help make the world a cuter place.”
Westfield Montgomery ( 7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda) recently gave a retail space on the upper level of the mall to local community non-profit, Creative Outlets Art Center, to further their commitment to connect with the community. Zeina Davis, Marketing Director for Westfield Montgomery tells us, “we are so honored to have such a wonderful community resource in our center. Creative Outlet’s mission of providing art as a wellness tool is a meaningful addition and have already loved working closely with the arts center on engaging and exciting art programming for families.” Creative Outlets has already made a big impact on events and programming including providing complimentary holiday crafting classes through the holiday season at the mall’s pop-up “Jingle Lounge”.
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Per Westfield Montgomery: The magic of the season has arrived at Westfield Montgomery. With the help of artistic groups, No Kings Collective, Brightly Ever After and Social Supply DC, the premiere shopping center has carefully curated a touching ‘Home for the Holidays’ theme that has made the center come alive with holiday spirit. Décor includes an over-the-top interactive Holiday Village – including oversized snowflakes lining Nordstrom Wing, Polar Bear Lane – including child-sized playhouses, a ‘Letters to Santa and Friends’ station where families can send their wishes to the North Pole and patients at Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC, and an ornately decorated holiday lounge, aptly named the “Jingle Lounge.”
Westfield Montgomery invites guests for a full lineup of festive activities including live holiday music, complimentary cocktails with purchase popups prepared by Cocktail Curations, and holiday arts and crafts by the center’s new non-profit arts center, Creative Outlets and Lego – full schedule of activities attached, as well as available here.
Update: Popeyes has reopened.
The Montgomery Mall food court has been without a familiar favorite recently with Popeyes remaining closed over the last few days. According to official Popeyes website, the Montgomery Mall restaurant (7101 Democracy Blvd) is temporarily closed. As of now, there is no word on when it may reopen.
The festive Jingle Lounge, located on the lower level next to Lego, will be open to the public beginning November 21st. Enjoy beautiful seating and decor, pizza delivery, cocktails, crafts and more. While relaxing, scan the QR code on one of the tables and order Frank Pepe’s, delivered RIGHT to your table. Please see below for a sneak peek of The Jingle Lounge and a full breakdown of our events and activities:
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“Saved by the Bell’s” Mario Lopez will be appearing at Westfield Montgomery Mall on Sunday, November 20 to host a holiday concert to benefit Children’s National Hospital. The event is open to the public, but RSVPs are encouraged and will enter guests in to win a meet and greet with Mario Lopez. Funds donated at the event will directly benefit activities and memorable moments for childhood-aged patients residing at the hospital. Westfield Montgomery will match donations made for this event and throughout other activities for the Holiday season, up to $10,000. Click here to RSVP.
Per Westfield Montgomery: On Sunday, November 20 (11AM) Westfield Montgomery is officially kicking off the season with the Home for the Holidays Concert with celebrity guest emcee, Mario Lopez – FREE to attend, but suggested donations will benefit Children’s National Hospital.
Greek Aroma Grill is now open in the Montgomery Mall food terrace. Menu items include dolma, gyros, kababs, salads, souvlaki, and baklava. Greek Aroma has an additional location at 177 D Thomas Johnson Dr. in Frederick, MD. For a full list of recent openings at Montgomery Mall, see: What’s New and What’s Coming Soon to Montgomery Mall (November 2022 Edition)
According to Greek Aroma, “every dish is created using only the freshest and finest ingredients. We serve only the finest meats, freshest vegetables, and desserts that are baked fresh daily. Our authentic menu and atmosphere create a truly enjoyable dining experience. Every dish is made to order.”
Seasonal retailer See’s Candies is now open at Montgomery Mall at 7101 Democracy Blvd in Bethesda. See’s specializes in chocolates, truffles, fudge, brittle, toffee, and nuts. See’s joins Socks To Be You and Sheepskin Gifts & Alpaca Too as stores that have recently opened in the mall for the upcoming holiday shopping season. For a full list of recent openings, see: What’s New and What’s Coming Soon to Montgomery Mall (November 2022 Edition)
According to their website, “See’s Candies has been making quality chocolate and candy Mary See’s way for over 95 years. From the beginning, Mary took pride in her recipes and insisted on only the finest, freshest ingredients. Today, we’re still just as committed to making candy the right way. See’s has expanded from one chocolate shop to over 200 shops across America and a flourishing online store. And though we continue to grow, our commitment to tradition, taste, service and quality never wavers. Stop into one of our iconic black-and-white shops inspired by Mary’s kitchen, or visit us online. You’ll find over 100 varieties of delicious candy, chocolates, and seasonal gifts made with the same motto in mind: Quality Without Compromise®.