Community Corner
Montgomery Parks Fun, Family-Friendly Fall Events
Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission announces a robust schedule of great events this fall to get everyone out enjoying nature and our parks. Below please find a line-up of fall events taking place in our parks during September and October. Many of these events offer opportunities for volunteering. Please visit www.parkvolunteers.org to learn how to get involved.
SEPTEMBER 2013 EVENTS
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Pooch Party!
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Saturday, September 7, 10AM – 4PM
South Germantown Splash Playground
18056 Central Park Circle
Boyds, MD 20841
Admission: $5 per dog
Bring your well-behaved pooches and let them splash off-leash while you catch some end-of-summer rays and meet other dog owners. Rain date: Sunday, September 8,
The PawPaw Festival
Sunday, September 8, 12 Noon – 4PM
Meadowside Nature Center (Rock Creek Regional Park)
5100 Meadowside Lane
Rockville, MD 20855
Admission: $5
www.ParkPASS.org (Course #247802)
Learn about the rich history of America’s largest native tree fruits, the Pawpaw (asimina triloba) at this family friendly event featuring crafts, music, live animals and more.
Back in Grandma’s Day
Saturday, September 14, 12 Noon – 4PM
Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park
3610 Brookeville Road
Olney, MD 20832
FREE
Bring the family and delight in African American fables and fantastic stories provided by the Griots' Circle of Maryland! Enjoy guided tours of the historic 19th century cabin and make crafts to take home. Celebrate Grandparents’ Day by receiving a free Park Pass if you bring your grandparent to the event! For more information contact: 301.650.4373
Bluegrass on the Farm
Saturday, September 14, 12 Noon – 6PM
Agricultural History Farm Park
18400 Muncaster Road
Derwood, MD 20855
Admission: $12 in advance (online), $15 at the gate. Food will be available for purchase.
Join the Friends of the Agricultural History Farm Park for their annual celebration of bluegrass in the great outdoors. This year’s stellar lineup includes Danny Paisley and Southern Grass, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, and Maryland’s own Clear Spring. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy great bluegrass in the great outdoors! Pets are welcome, and kids under 12 are free with an adult.
Children’s Day: School’s Outside!
Saturday, September 21, 11AM – 4PM
Brookside Gardens (Wheaton Regional Park)
1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD 20902
Free Entry; some activities have a nominal fee
This year’s events will take children and families through various activity tents related to math, science, reading, art and music featuring crafts, displays, story time and more.
Kingsley Schoolhouse Open House
Sunday, September 22, 1PM – 4PM
Little Bennett Regional Park
Clarksburg Road
Clarksburg, MD 20871
*Park in Kingsley parking area or Froggy Hollow Trailhead parking area
FREE
Join our trained volunteer docents for free interpretive tours of this 19th century one-room school house located in Montgomery Parks’ largest park, and learn about what school was like in Montgomery County back in the 1920s.
National Public Lands Day Volunteer Trail Work at Blockhouse Point
Saturday, September 28, 8:30AM – 1PM
Blockhouse Point Conservation Park
14750 River Road
Darnestown, MD 20815
FREE
Show your support for our parks by volunteering at this trail work day. Wear clothes and shoes appropriate for working on a trail. Gloves and tools will be provided. Please bring water to drink.
National Public Lands Day Little Seneca Lake Litter Clean Up
Saturday, September 28, 9AM – 12 Noon
Black Hill Visitors Center (Black Hill Regional Park)
20926 Lake Ridge Drive
Boyds, MD 20841
FREE
For more information email Katrina.Fauss@MontgomeryParks.org or call 301-528-3482
Help clean up Little Seneca Lake by boat and on land. Join us to cruise the lake and park to pick up litter. Feel free to bring your own kayak or canoe as well. Please wear clothes and shoes suitable for getting wet and dirty. Please bring water to drink.
OCTOBER 2013 EVENTS
23rd Annual Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 5, 11AM – 4PM
Agricultural History Farm Park
18400 Muncaster Road
Derwood, MD 20855
Admission: $10 per car, some activities have nominal fees
Get a taste of farm life from the 1850s to present day at this annual festival featuring activities, live music, food and loads of hands-on activities such as sack races and pumpkin rolling races, hayrides, scarecrow making, a huge corn maze and more.
2013 MoCo Epic Mountain Bike Rides and Festival
Saturday, October 12, 10AM – 8PM; Sunday, October 13, 6:30AM – 8PM
South Germantown Recreational Park
18010 Central Park Circle
Boyds, MD 20841
Festival entry is Free. Registration and fees required for participation in Epic rides.
Celebrate mountain biking in Montgomery County with four epic rides that span as many as 11 parks in Montgomery Parks system. The two-day event kicks off Saturday with a festival featuring food and beverages, live music, bike clinics, beginner rides on the Mountain Bike and BMX Pump Track and more.
Botanical Happy Hour and Lecture with Amy Stewart
Thursday, October 17, 6:30PM – 9:00PM
Brookside Gardens Visitors Center (Wheaton Regional Park)
1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD 20902
$40; Friends of Brookside Gardens $30
www.ParkPASS.org (Course #245899)
Join Amy Stewart, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Drunken Botanist,” for an exploration of the dizzying array of plants that humans have contrived to transform into alcohol.
Great Pumpkin Fun
Friday, October 18, 10AM – 1PM
Meadowside Nature Center (Rock Creek Regional Park)
5100 Meadowside Lane
Rockville, MD 20855
Admission: $5
www.ParkPass.org (Course #247249)
Children ages 3 – 8 will enjoy activities at this special event featuring a self-guided trail hunt, crafts, games and more. Participants are encouraged to wear trail-friendly costumes.
Nocturnal Neighbors Festival
Saturday, October 19, 5PM – 8PM
Locust Grove Nature Center
7777 Democracy Blvd.
Bethesda, MD 28017
Admission: $5
www.ParkPASS.org (Course #246551)
Celebrate the night by taking a hike, learning from nocturnal animal experts, meet live animals, enjoy a toasty treat around a campfire, games and crafts.
Fall Apple Festival
Sunday, October 20, 11AM – 4PM
Brookside Nature Center (Wheaton Regional Park)
1400 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD 20902
$5 admission
www.ParkPASS.org (Course #247599)
Enjoy fresh homemade apple cider and gooey crisp caramel apples at our annual Fall Apple Festival featuring games, folklore, crafts and learn to make fresh pressed cider.
Community Service Day
Sunday, October 27, Noon – 3PM
Hillmead Neighborhood Park
8609 Ridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
FREE
http://www.montgomeryserves.org/community-service-day-2013
Join volunteers across the county on this annual day dedicated to service. Help rid Hillmead Neighborhood Park of unwelcome, non-native invasive species as part of the parks Weed Warriors program. For more details and to participate please contact mcp-weedwarriors@montgomeryparks.org
About Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning - Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 35,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 418 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.montgomeryparks.org
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