Children's Events/Classes
- : Winnie the Pooh at Imagination Stage
Everyone’s favorite bear from the 100 Acre Wood is surrounded by Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, and Owl in this delightful and gentle musical. Set during one busy day, there’s a Heffalump to catch, Eeyore’s tail to find, and a misunderstanding between Rabbit and Kanga to sort out. In the end, friendship and understanding win the day. Best for ages 3+. Buy Tickets.
- : Toddler Storytime at Connie Morella Library
Get up and get moving at storytime! These 20-30-minute programs are full of a diverse collection of books, songs and fun activities. Space is limited! Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis at the Information desk on the morning of the program. Events are held Tuesday mornings at 10:30 and 11:15. Connie Morella Library is located at 7400 Arlington Road.
- : LEGO Construction and Duplo Too!
Each Wednesday, join us in the meeting room from 4:00pm-5:00pm for a session of building with LEGO and Duplos! We supply the LEGO and Duplo pieces, and you supply the imagination! This program is for children ages 3 years old and up. Parents/caregivers MUST accompany children under the age of 8 during the program. Connie Morella Library is located at 7400 Arlington Road.
- : Wednesday Wiggles at Westfield Montgomery
Join us for a performance every Wednesday now through December 18. Bring your littles for magic shows, princess parties, superhero adventures & more!
Time: 4PM - 5PM
Location: Level 1, Near Forever 21
October Schedule:
October 2 - Snow White & Cinderella
October 9 - Mirabel & Bruno
October 16 - Mario & Luigi
October 23 - Princess Party - Aurora & Maleficent
October 30 - The Great Zucchini
: Family Storytime at Connie Morella Library
These 25-30-minute programs are designed to delight children of all ages and are filled with diverse stories and activities that promote and develop language skills and imagination. Space is limited! Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis at the Information desk on the morning of the program. The program takes place at 10:30am. Connie Morella Library is located at 7400 Arlington Road.
: Spanish/English Bilingual Storytime at Connie Morella Library
Please join us at 10:30am for a bilingual storytime just right for the whole family. Stories in English and Spanish, songs and rhymes, too! These 25-30-minute programs are designed to delight children of all ages and are filled with diverse stories and activities that promote and develop language skills and imagination. Space is limited! Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis at the Information desk on the morning of the program. Connie Morella Library is located at 7400 Arlington Road.
: The Incredible World of Dinosaurs!
October is National Dinosaur Month! Come join us & explore the prehistoric world & some of its marvelous creatures. An interactive presentation, story, sing-along, & make a dinosaur craft of your own. The event takes place from 4-5pm at Connie Morella Library, located at 7400 Arlington Road.
: Pajama Storytime at Connie Morella Library
An evening storytime where pajamas are encouraged but not required. These 25-30-minute evening programs are designed to delight children of all ages and are filled with diverse stories and activities that promote and develop language skills and imagination. These programs encourage children to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning and introduce them to the culture of reading. Tickets required! Tickets are available at the Information Desk 30 minutes prior to the program, which starts at 6:30PM.
Classes/Workshops
: How to Create Backstory & Flashbacks
Grow your writing skills in sophistication and depth by using the twin techniques of backstory and flashbacks. Every character has a hidden history from before their story starts. Learn how to masterfully weave in details and experiences that enrich your characters and create believable motivation. Novelists, short story authors, and creative nonfiction writers will all benefit from these twin skills. You’ll see your writing grow in sophistication and depth. Register Here.
- : Writing Picture Books
Learn how to write a picture book from a successful author of thirty award-winning books for children. Each session will begin with a short discussion of an aspect of writing for children, including story openings and arcs, characterization, plot/pacing, rhythm/sound, and marketing. Suggested readings, prompts, and feedback on in-class writing will inspire and guide writers in the class. By the end of the workshop, participants should have written and/or revised part or all of a picture book and have a better sense of how to create one in the future. Register Here.
: Travel Writing for Fun & Profit
Ever wonder if your taste for interesting travel and off-the-beaten-track destinations could lead to publication — and maybe even a new career? Peter Mandel, a nationally-known adventure travel journalist for The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and National Geographic Kids, will deliver the inside scoop on how to shape your own travel experiences into easy-to-compose blogs, posts, and articles that you can publish yourself—or sell to newspapers, magazines and websites. Register Here.
: CarFit: Enhance Your Safety in your Car
From 10am-1pm you'll be able to bring your car to Oasis at the Macy's Home Store at Westfield Montgomery where experts will show you how to enhance your safety and fit within your vehicle.
: How to Avoid Investment Scams and Fraud
Learn the warning signs and red flags and what to do if you are scammed. This FREE event is for those 50+, and will be held at Oasis at Macy's Home Store at Westfield Montgomery.
: NIH Seminar on Resilience (Live & Zoom)
Seminar & Panel Discussion/Q+A on Traditional Asian Practices for Resilience via Tai Chi, Yoga, and Meditation. The event goes from 1:30-3PM and will be held at Wilson Hall in Building 1 at NIH Main Campus; Simulcast on Zoom.
Concerts/Music
: Mariza @ Strathmore
For more than two decades, Mariza has been the world’s leading voice of fado, the traditional folk music of Portugal. Incorporating influences from Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, and more, she breathes new life into fado's austere and melancholic sound. For more information and to buy tickets, please visit Strathmore.org.
: The Reagan Years at Caddies on Cordell
The Ultimate 80's Playlist - Live! Doors at 7pm, show at 8pm. Learn More.
: Lights Out by 8 @ Caddies on Cordell
Come to Caddies on Cordell for party rock from 9:30pm-1:30am! Free, no cover.
: Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water / The Gospel of James Baldwin
In this special evening, critically acclaimed Grammy-winning instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello, along with her band and guests, shares her resonant, ever-evolving exploration of American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and activist, James Baldwin. For more information and to buy tickets, please visit Strathmore.org.
: Neko Case @ Strathmore
Is there another songwriter so fearless and inventive? Bending decades of pop music into new shapes, Neko Case wields her voice like a kiss and her metaphors like a baseball bat. Learn More and Buy Tickets.
: Supernova Band @ Caddies on Cordell
Party rock at Caddies on Cordell from 9:30pm-1:30am. No cover.
: Richard Thompson at Strathmore
Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the ‘60s, he and his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. He left the group by the age of 21, which was followed by a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, and over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist. Learn More and Buy Tickets.
Discussions/Readings
: If the Forest Could Talk, What Would It Say? Symposium
Rock Creek Conservancy presents a symposium, “If The Forest Could Talk, What Would It Say?,” in conjunction with DC-based artist Sophia McCrocklin’s exhibit in The Writer’s Center’s Joram Piatigorsky Gallery. Speakers include Sophia McCrocklin, Rock Creek Conservancy; Jeanne Braha, Executive Director of Rock Creek Conservancy; and more. Join us as we celebrate the beautiful yet fragile forests of Rock Creek Park. Learn More.
- : B-CC English Conversation Club
Join the B-CC English Conversation Club every Wednesday from 11 AM to 12:30PM for the opportunity to practice conversational English in small groups. Share your experiences and culture with other non-native English speakers in a friendly environment. No registration is required, and these events are free of charge! The club is held at the B-CC Regional Services Center at 4805 Edgemoor Lane. October meetings will be on October 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. For more information please view the flyer here.
: Open Mic @ The Writer's Center
Prose, poetry, and spoken word Open Mic @ The Writer’s Center! All writers are welcome to come and share 4-5 minutes of their latest work. Sign-up starts at 6:45pm, and readings begin promptly at 7pm. Limited to 20 readers, so arrive early if you plan to read.
: Bethesda Reads Book Discussion Club
Interested in joining? The Book Club meets the second Thursday of each month from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, main meeting room. The book chosen for this month's discussion is "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley. It's a powerful novel that reimagines Shakespeare's King Lear set on a farm in Iowa. It delves into themes of family, power, and the complexities of human relationships, as it tells the story of a father and his three daughters and the dark secrets that unravel within their family. Copies of this book are available at the check out desk. Connie Morella Library is located at 7400 Arlington Road.
: Meet the Author: Sid Sahib
Meet local author, Sid Sahib, as he discusses his book, Undivided: A Tale of an Unbroken Nation. Undivided seeks to bring attention to a significant yet often overlooked historical event in the West: The Partition of India. This tragic chapter, marked by widespread bloodshed, resulted in the deaths of nearly 2 million people, the displacement of 15 million, and the appalling victimization of approximately 75,000 women during India's division into Pakistan in 1947. Undivided imagines an alternate history where this Partition never occurred, set against the backdrop of 1940s and 1950s India. It explores the endurance of love amidst characters grappling with rejection and suffering. The discussion and reading takes place from 3-4:30pm. Connie Morella Library is located at 7400 Arlington Road.
: "Our Earth" Book Discussion Club
Starting from a common base to have real discussions about the environment, this book discussion club is a great way to deepen ideas, have respectful debates while listening to the points of view of others and broaden our understanding and vision on this important topic. Together, we may discover new forms of commitment and imagine new sustainable and desirable horizons. This month we will discuss What We Owe the Future, by William MacAskill. For more information, click here.
: An Evening With Steve Crocker - Inventor of the Internet
Join us on Zoom for a presentation by Steve Crocker about his work as one of the inventors of the Internet. As a student at UCLA, Crocker worked with other graduate students to put together the "Arpanet," the first piece of the Internet, and a trigger for the network era as we know it. Crocker's career has been spent in internet development and security, and was a Chair of the Board at ICANN, the non-profit that oversees the domain name system. Crocker will discuss the origins of networking and historical milestones and will explain this complex topic in a very relatable way.
: Foodie Fridays Speaker Series
Join us the fourth Friday every month for Foodie Fridays: a speaker series focused on highlighting food-related topics in Montgomery County. The event takes place from 6:30 - 8:30 PM at Josiah Henson Museum, 11410 Old Georgetown Road. Admission is $15, and more information can be found at https://montgomeryparks.org/community-gardens/foodie-fridays/.
Live Performance/Exhibit
- : Round House Theatre Presents: Soujourners
By Mfoniso Udofia
Directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton
September 11 - October 6, 2024
Abasiama and her husband Ukpong are Nigerian immigrants studying and living in Texas in the 1970s. Ukpong is exhilarated by the promises of America, but Abasiama is homesick and frustrated by Ukpong’s frequent absences. As Abasiama struggles with the physical pain of her pregnancy, the demands of work and schooling, the isolation of being away from her family, and the uncertainty of her future, an unexpected community inspires her to forge her own path. The first play in Mfoniso Udofia’s epic nine-part Ufot Cycle depicting the Nigerian-American experience, Sojourners is a “moving and powerful” (The New York Times) testament to the complexity of the American dream. Buy Tickets Here.
: Art Heals & Forgives @ Strathmore
Join Dr. Wizdom Powell in a discussion of art as a healing force. This is a free event, but capacity is limited. Learn More.
- : Joseph Holston at Amy Kaslow Gallery
Joseph Holston's visual chronicle of African American life traverses terror, triumphs, and a remarkable combination of the two, the Underground Railroad. Amy Kaslow Gallery proudly presents "Joseph Holston: Black Lives, A Retrospective," a distillation of the artist's past half century of creativity. There will be an opening reception October 10, from 6-7:30pm. Amy Kaslow Gallery is located at 7920 Norfolk Avenue.
- : "Glass Unlimited" at Gallery B
Gallery B is pleased to host The National Capital Art Glass Guild’s juried exhibition “Glass Unlimited.” The exhibit will showcase work from 35 different Guild members including mosaic, fused, stained and blown glass. There will be an opening reception Saturday, October 12 at 7pm. For more information, click here.
- : National Capital Art Glass Guild Presents "Glass Unlimited" at Gallery B
Gallery B is pleased to host The National Capital Art Glass Guild’s juried exhibition “Glass Unlimited.” The exhibit will showcase work from 35 different Guild members including mosaic, fused, stained and blown glass. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, October 12. Learn More.
: Art at Home & Life Around the World: The Three Sisters Reflect
"We are not artists, but we cannot and will not live without art in our lives," say the Three Sisters. Drs. Yonette and Margo Thomas and Dr. Deborah Smith have fascinating stories to share about how they have immersed themselves in the arts, engaged the arts in their professional work, and experience art in their lives. In conversation, the Three Sisters will share their thoughts on making art collecting more accessible and achievable for all. Learn More.
: The Arts Are Uniting... A Family Day!
As we approach the season of giving thanks, Art Flow(s) joins Strathmore in its pledge to build a creative community where the arts belong to everyone. Join us on a day for family and friends to take time to explore and enjoy the exhibition with a cornucopia of chats, mini-tours, live music, dance performance, and artsy activities for all ages. With cardboard artist Shirley Perry-Church, dance and drumming from Taratibu Youth Association, and more! Learn More.
- : "Works on Paper by Werner Drewes" at Triangle Art Studios
This show will embrace works spanning Werner Drewes' Bauhaus studies to his retirement years where he continued to “play with shape, form and color” in the creations of stunning abstract collages. No Drewes show would be complete without an assemblage of his multi-plate, textured woodcuts. This show will also include pastels and watercolors never exhibited. We are proud to share this art with you, from one of our most formidable American Abstract Artists. More Information.
Special Events
: The Fall Ball at Glen Echo
Ballroom Time is pleased to present their Second Anniversary Ballroom Dance Gala (The Fall Ball)! Special evening dance with the 15-piece Hotel Paradise Orchestra featuring vocals by Janet Paulsen! Hotel Paradise will be playing a selection of beautiful ballroom music covering a range of dance styles including waltz, foxtrot, tango, samba, quickstep, swing, rumba, cha-cha, mambo, bachata and more. Lesson at 8pm, social dance from 9pm to midnight. Learn More.
: Taste of Bethesda
Bethesda's favorite street festival is back! Sample bites from 42 participating restaurants, enjoy 4 stages of live music, and participate in free kids activities and crafts! For more information, click here.
: Yappy Hour
Your pup's favorite party returns October 10th! Join us in Elm Street Park for Yappy Hour and the pop-up dog park! There will be fenced areas for large and small dogs, food and drinks from Smoke BBQ, and live music. For more information, click here.
: Honky Tonk Dance with Rusty Sal at Glen Echo
We are thrilled to partner with multi-instrumentalist and organizer Alex Lacquement to bring the lively Honky Tonk event he has cultivated in Baltimore to our own Bumper Car Pavilion! Join us for a free dance lesson in Two Step followed by an evening of dancing to live music with Rusty Sal. No prior experience needed and you don't need to bring a partner. Learn More.
: DC Rawhides at Glen Echo
Join us for DC Rawhides' debut dance at the Park! An inclusive, diverse, affirming, fun, high energy LGBTQ+ dance, where all are welcome, structured so all levels of dancers, including beginners, can participate. We dance two-step, west coast, waltz, and line dances to country western and contemporary music. Learn More.
: Contrastock at Glen Echo Park
8+ hours of contra dancing! A premier contra dance event, featuring nationally renowned bands and callers and an amazing open air dance hall. Bring your own picnic for the dinner break so you can keep dancing the day away! Learn More.
- : Mystery Mansion 2024!
Mystery Mansion is an indoor family friendly haunted house and outdoor fest hosted by The Woman's Club of Chevy Chase. While the haunted house is designed for guests as young as five through twelve, the Mystery Mansion experience appeals to Halloween fans of all ages. All are welcome and costumes are appreciated! Purchase your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Buy Tickets Here.
: Celebrate Diwali!
Let’s Celebrate Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights with cultural performances, crafts, and food tasting. Diwali, the "festival of lights" is mainly celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains and originated in India. Nowadays, this holiday is celebrated all around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Observing the victory of good over evil, Diwali is an opportunity for people to move on, let go of past grudges, and make merry.
We will have crafts and stories, as well as cultural performances and snacks! This family-friendly celebration is open to all ages. The event takes place from 1-4pm at Connie Morella Library, located at 7400 Arlington Road.
: Washington Writers’ Publishing House Award Winner Reading & Reception
The Washington Writers’ Publishing House celebrates the 2024 winners of its annual fiction, poetry, and nonfiction contests! Varun Gauri will read from the Carol Trawick 50th Anniversary Fiction award-winning novel For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus. Chanlee Luu will read from the Jean Feldman Poetry award-winning The Machine Autocorrects Code to I. Megan Doney will read from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House Nonfiction award-winning UNARMED: An American Educator’s Memoir. Reception to follow.
FREE and open to the public. RSVP Here.