With 50% of Americans saying they are “very satisfied” with the way their personal life is going, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Happiest States in America, with Maryland coming in as the third happiest state in the country.
To determine where Americans have the highest satisfaction with life, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 30 key indicators of happiness. The data set ranges from the depression rate and the share of adults feeling productive to income growth and the unemployment rate.
Last March, Bill No. 1-22 Healthy Meals for Children, which requires restaurants in Montgomery County that offer a children’s meal to provide a healthy option (meal and drink) for their youngest customers, was passed. The first phase (healthy beverage option) went into effect in March, and the second phase (healthy meal option) goes into effect this Friday, September 15. This is the first bill of this nature to be fully implemented in the country. It should be noted that while a healthy option must be presented, customers are not limited in selecting any menu item of their choice.
“Childhood obesity remains a longstanding problem in our nation and the rate continues to climb impacting our children’s health and quality of life. Especially in a time when our busy lifestyles have more families eating out, it is imperative that as a County we encourage healthy options in our children’s meals,” said former Councilmember Rice after the bill was initially passed. “I applaud the many restaurants, large and small, in our community that are already providing healthier selections. This bill lays out a minimum threshold over an extended period to ensure that our children have a healthier beverage and meal option available to them, all in order to promote more healthful eating habits throughout their lives.”
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival is coming to Montgomery County on November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland. Get ready to sip, sample, shop, and enjoy a full weekend of family-friendly fun!
Sip, Sample & Shop
Get ready to explore a festival floor filled with top chocolate makers, coffee roasters, bakeries, specialty food vendors, artisan brands and small businesses from across the region and beyond. Sample new flavors, meet the people behind the products and shop directly from the talented makers and businesses who created them.
Experience Chocolate History
One of the highlights of this year’s festival is a large-scale chocolate sculpture of George Washington on horseback, created by award-winning chocolate artist Paul Joachim.
The sculpture will be part of a special exhibit exploring chocolate’s place in early American history. Guests can see the sculpture up close, sample colonial-style drinking chocolate, and shop the exclusive Collector’s Heritage Box inspired by the historic drink. It’s a unique opportunity to experience chocolate through art, history, and taste all in one place.
Seminars, Demonstrations & More
Visit the Sip & Share Seminar Classroom for educational sessions and demonstrations throughout the weekend, all included with your festival admission. Explore topics ranging from ancestral cacao in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the realities of starting a coffee business to craft chocolate and festival trivia. Learn directly from experts and makers as they share their knowledge, demonstrate their craft and offer a closer look at how their products are made.
Fun for All Ages
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival offers an experience the whole family can enjoy. Kids under 12 receive free admission with a ticketed adult and can get creative at our complimentary kids’ craft tables. Festival mascots Chunk & Bean will also be on-site for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities throughout the weekend. Families can even shop for Chunk & Bean plushies, children’s books and other kid-friendly items.
Whether you’re a serious chocolate lover, a coffee enthusiast, a foodie or simply looking for a fun fall outing, there’s something for everyone to see, taste, shop and enjoy.
Save on Tickets
The DMV Chocolate & Coffee Festival Maryland Edition takes place November 7 & 8, 2026, at the Adventist HealthCare Fieldhouse in Germantown, Maryland.
MoCo Show readers can use code MOCO10 at checkout to save 10% on online festival tickets. Grab your tickets and get ready to sip, sample and shop at one of the sweetest weekends of the fall!
Per the State of Maryland: Governor Wes Moore, First Lady Dawn Moore, and Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller today honored 9/11 Day of Remembrance in Maryland, participating in events throughout the day to honor those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, including 69 Marylanders.
“Twenty two years ago, our world changed forever. This isn’t just a day of mourning—it is a day of gratitude,” said Gov. Moore. “We feel gratitude for the first responders who rushed to the scene, we feel gratitude for the Americans who answered the call to serve and deployed to defend our freedom overseas. Today, as we climb these stairs, let’s recommit ourselves to living with courage, grace, grit, fearlessness, and with an abiding commitment to leaving no one behind.”
Montgomery Parks is inviting the public to vote on a new art installation that will be featured at Gene Lynch Urban Park in downtown Silver Spring. The park was officially opened to the public this summer. In January 2023, a Call for Artists was issued inviting artists to submit their qualifications and examples of their work. A panel shortlisted four artists to prepare site-specific concepts for public art that would complement the park’s green space, trees, and pergola structure. The finalists were selected out of more than 100 submissions and the winner will be selected through public voting.
“Gene Lynch Urban Park is a very high-profile, high-foot traffic area in downtown Silver Spring,” said Montgomery Parks Project Manager Linda Komes. “We had so many great submissions, and it was tough to narrow down the finalists. We hope everyone will take the time to vote for their favorite.” Voting is open to the public. Only one vote per person may be submitted. The design that receives the most votes will be selected as the winner. In the event of a tie, Montgomery Parks’ art selection panel will determine the winning artwork.
Olney, MD — September 29, 2026 —Olney Theatre Center, Maryland’s largest regional theatre, produces Boublil and Schönberg’sLes Misérables in the Roberts Mainstage (October 30, 2026 – January 31, 2027) in celebration of the musical’s 40th anniversary. This continues Olney Theatre’s tradition of providing popular musicals with multi-generational appeal to local audiences and visitors over the holiday season. This year, Tony Award-nominated director Stephen Brackett returns to direct the production, having last directed Cinco Paul’s critically acclaimed A.D. 16 at Olney in 2022. Trent Saunders, who garnered critical acclaim for his performance in the Broadway company of Dead Outlaw, stars as Jean Valjean, opposite Kevin S. McAllister, a veteran of multiple Broadway and Olney musicals, who recently directed Ford’s Theater’s heralded production of Come From Away. Christopher Youstra, Olney’s Associate Artistic Director of Music Theatre, again serves as Music Director, and William Carlos Angulo is the choreographer.
Tickets are available to the public from $57 – $118 and can be purchased at olneytheatre.org/lesmiz or by calling the box office at 301-924-3400.
Experience the incredible flavors of Japan at Wegmans Rockville Sushi Fest. Enjoy expertly crafted, made-to-order sushi prepared by our talented sushi chefs, along with fresh Bluefin Tuna cuttings daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and King Salmon cuttings throughout the day. Explore unique sushi varieties, discover authentic Japanese products throughout the store, sample customer favorites, and learn more about the craftsmanship and freshness that make Wegmans sushi special. Whether you're a longtime sushi enthusiast or trying something new, Sushi Fest offers a delicious experience for the whole family.
Dollar Tree has signed on to take on the vacant space on the upper level of the Metro Pike Center at 11560 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda. Construction is expected to begin soon on the space next to Palm Beach Tan. An opening date is not yet available, but we anticipate a 2024 opening.
The national chain, which has MoCo locations in Damascus, Derwood, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Montgomery Village, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Wheaton has added “Dollar Tree Plus” sections to area stores. Items in the “Plus” section are priced $3 and $5. New higher priced items include cookware, headphones, chargers, and t-shirts (Baby Yoda, Lilo & Stich, etc.) similar to those found at FiveBelow.
Per MCDOT: Starting on Monday, Sept. 11, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will begin its semi-annual interior washdown to degrease and clean 21 County-owned parking garages in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The cleanings will occur on nights and weekends starting with Bethesda garages in September and concluding with Silver Spring garages on Saturday, Nov. 4. Some garages will experience partial closures during the cleanings, including select entrance/exit areas and ramps. The full schedule of garage cleanings can be viewed here.
MCDOT performs spring and fall washdowns to keep garages clean and help keep grease, oil and debris out of local waterways. Regular cleanings also prevent deterioration from prolonged exposure to salt, sand, oils, gas, dirt, pollen and leaves. MCDOT contractors will do their best to perform work around garage traffic and parked vehicles and to post signs notifying customers of anticipated impacts. For more information about parking in the County, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-parking/news/index.html. For information on MCDOT programs and services visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration will host a virtual public meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, to share information and answer questions about the MD 190 (River Road) Corridor Safety Study. The study is examining ways that pedestrian and bicyclist safety can be improved along approximately 4,000 feet of MD 190 in the Chevy Chase area from Springfield Drive to Little Falls Parkway.
MD 190 is a State-maintained road and not a road maintained by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation.
Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Evan Glass today announced Montgomery County has continued earning the highest possible bond ratings from all three major Wall Street bond rating agencies. Having maintained its “Triple-A (AAA or Aaa)” bond ratings for 2023, the County retains its status as a top-rated issuer of municipal securities, with the highest credit ratings possible for a local government.
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings all affirmed the AAA ratings—the highest achievable—for the County. Montgomery County has earned AAA ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. every year since 1973 (51 consecutive years); from Standard & Poor’s every year since 1976 (48 consecutive years) and from Fitch every year since 1991 (33 consecutive years).
Today, the Maryland State Board of Education and Maryland State Department of Education announced the names of the seven finalists who will compete to be named the 2023-2024 Maryland Teacher of the Year.
“I congratulate these seven educators on their nominations and commend them on their extraordinary impact on the lives of our children – educating, encouraging, and inspiring Maryland’s future leaders,” said State Board President Clarence Crawford. “Maryland’s educators demonstrate an unwavering dedication to the children of our state every day and are a true inspiration to their colleagues and community. These seven educators embody that dedication.”
Per MCPD: Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police – Major Crimes Division have arrested and charged 21-year-old Jennifer Abigail Espinoza Orellana, of Gaithersburg, with the homicide of 20-year-old Jose Manuel Zavala Marquez. On Sunday, September 10, 2023, at approximately 5:51 a.m., 1st District officers responded to the Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in the 9900 block of Medical Center Drive in Rockville for the report of a male who was dropped off with trauma to his body.
The investigation has revealed that Espinoza Orellana had an argument with her boyfriend, Zavala Marquez, at her residence in the 8000 block of Shady Spring Drive in Gaithersburg. The argument continued outside the residence, where Espinoza Orellana allegedly stabbed Zavala Marquez in the chest with a knife. Espinoza Orellana then placed Zavala Marquez in her vehicle and dropped him off at the hospital, where Zavala Marquez was later pronounced dead.
