Things to do this fall in Montgomery County

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No walk in the park

September 11

With its unique course through county parks along the Rock Creek Valley, the Parks Half Marathon is a favorite among both casual and competitive runners. The 13.1 mile course begins near the Shady Grove Metro Station, winds through Aspen Hill, Dewey, Ken-Gar Palisades and Rock Creek Parks and ends at Beach Drive near the Metro Station of Grosvenor. The race is known for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The race is followed by a finishers festival with food and activities for the participants. It is open to runners aged 13 and over.

Start time 6:45am, $100, start line at subway overpass, corner of Redland Road and Sommerville Drive, Rockville, parkshalfmarathon.com

Jack Jeffrey’s photo

Up, up and away

September 17-18

You can float almost 100 feet above the ground in a hot air balloon
DC Hot Air Balloon Festival. A dozen balloons, both traditional and special shapes, such as cartoon characters, will be on display at the event. Rides ($25 per person) are in balloons tethered to vehicles on the ground. Other festival highlights include live music and DJs, craft and retail vendors, festival-style food vendors, and children’s activities ($1-$10) including rides, games, bounce houses, walls of ‘climbing and zip line. Each night of the festival features a laser light show and a balloon with music (20:00).

3-10 p.m.; admission is $20 for adults, $8 for ages 6-17 in advance, or $30 for adults, $15 for ages 6-17 at the door, free for ages 5 and under; Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, balloonshows.com

Courtesy of Wheaton Arts Parade

Arts in parade

September 25

Artists, dance groups, bands, local businesses and community leaders gather to walk down Georgia Avenue for the Wheaton Arts Parade, which also features nearly a dozen large-scale creative floats, such as a tree made of plastic and a recreation of “The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo, this one depicting Adam posing for a selfie with a smartphone. The parade culminates in a festival featuring art for sale, food and drinks from local restaurants and breweries, and three stages of entertainment, including live music, dance and theater performances.

Parade starts at 10:00 a.m. Festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free parade viewing areas are Grandview Avenue, Triangle Lane and Georgia Avenue, festival at Marian Fryer Town Plaza and parts of Reedie Drive and Grandview Avenue, Wheaton, wheatonartsparade.org

Courtesy of Olney Theatre

Dance, revolution dance

From September 28 to October 30

In the play Dance Nation, the stakes are high for the high school dance team at the center of the story. As the team prepares for a national competition, its members confront their hopes, fears, talents and inadequacies. But the play, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist, travels into poignant and surreal territory as adult actors of various ages portray the 13-year-olds who make up the team, offering a glimpse of the people the teenagers will become. . The show is best for adults; it would be rated R if it were a movie, according to the theater’s website.

$42-$78, Olney Theater Center, olneytheatre.org

taste test

October 1

Haven’t had a chance to check out some of the exciting restaurants that have opened in Bethesda in the past few months? At Taste of Bethesda you’ll be able to sample bites from new places as well as revisit old favorites. The food festival was canceled the past two years due to the pandemic, but returns this fall with a lineup of nearly 50 restaurants. The event also features five stages of live music and entertainment, as well as an activity area for children and families. Admission is free; meal tickets can be purchased.

11 am to 4 pm, free, Norfolk, Cordell, Del Ray, St. Louis. Elmo and Auburn avenues, Bethesda, bethesda.org

Photo by Mike Dobbins

raise a glass

October 1

Montgomery County is home to a growing number of breweries, some located in Rockville. The city celebrates local brewers with its German-accented fall festival Rocktobierfest. Like the traditional Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, Rocktobierfest will feature a beer garden with drinks for sale from local breweries. Stay for live entertainment including traditional German music and rock bands, food vendors, an artisan market and children’s activities.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free, Rockville Town Center, Rockville, rockvillemd.gov/1952/rocktobierfest

Courtesy of Cluedupp Games

Down the rabbit hole

October 22

Part escape room, part cosplay event, the CluedUpp Games Alice in Wonderland experience is an interactive event that will take place on the streets of Gaithersburg. To play, teams use a smartphone app that directs them to different locations to solve puzzles, find clues, and rescue Alice. The exact location is revealed to ticket holders two weeks before the event. Teams — which are encouraged to dress in costumes — can include up to six adults; A minimum of two adults is required to play. Children play for free and are not counted as team members. The act lasts from two to three hours; you go at your own pace Teams can win prizes for best costume and other categories.

Start time between 9am and 2pm, $80 per team, cluedupp.com/products/alice-gaithersburg

This story appears in the September/October 2022 issue of Bethesda Magazine.

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