Count Gore de Vol to host Evil Dead screening Saturday in Silver Spring

Count Gore de Vol will rise from his casket once again to resume his horror hosting duties at the AFI Silver Theatre at 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring this Saturday, October 24, 2026. The beloved television personality will preside over a screening of the depraved 1981 classic The Evil Dead at 7:00 PM at the historic movie house. Saturday's event is part of the theater's Halloween on Screen celebration. Tickets are $15, a small price to pay to be able to say you've seen the legendary Dick Dyszel live...er, dead, and in-person.

White Oak Day 2026 set for Saturday, June 6

Save the date! The 14th annual White Oak Day will soon be upon us on Saturday, June 6, 2026. It will be held from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the White Oak Community Recreation Center at 1700 April Lane in Silver Spring. Get ready for four hours of food, fun, music, games and local vendors, and celebrating this phenomenal community of White Oak. Admission is free, just the right price for these tough economic times.

Royal Farms to host soft opening event with free meals ahead of opening in Silver Spring

It's deja vu all over again as Royal Farms will try for a second time to open its new convenience store and mega gas station in the Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring. As it did before its scuppered May opening, Royal Farms will host a soft opening prior to the June 1 grand opening of the store at 9475 Georgia Avenue. What's in it for you? A free meal! 

Just sign up for a timeslot during the soft opening on May 27 and 28, 2026. Then go to the Silver Spring Royal Farms and arrive 5 minutes before your scheduled time. Have your ticket printed out, or ready to show on your phone screen. When it is your scheduled time, go into the vestibule of the store entrance, or to the tent at the side of the store, and a Royal Farms "ambassador" will guide you to receiving your free meal. Let's hope that free meal includes their famous fried chicken!

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? AFI Silver Theater says yes

Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? AFI Silver Theater's answer to that controversial question is definitively, "yes." The downtown Silver Spring movie theater is including the Bruce Willis action flick in its marathon of Christmas movies this week. Die Hard will be screened tonight, Monday, December 22, 2025, at 6:40 PM, and Wednesday night, December 24, at 9:15 PM. The original Die Hard movie poster is on display at the historic theater, which is located at 8633 Colesville Road.

Die Hard, like Batman Returns, is a great film but doesn't meet my definition of a Christmas movie. But one that does, It's a Wonderful Life, the best Christmas movie ever, is playing all three days before Christmas at the theater, 1:30 PM today, 2:00 PM Tuesday, and 2:00 PM Wednesday. Other Christmas movies on the bill include Edward Scissorhands, Home Alone, Elf, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Christmas in Connecticut. Tickets are available for purchase online.

Leech Woods Haunted Trail opens Friday in Damascus

Halloween season is officially underway, and that means it's time to track down local haunted attractions. One of the highest-rated is right here in Montgomery County in one of our greatest towns, Damascus: Leech Woods Haunted Trail at 11201 Bethesda Church Road, and it opens this Friday, October 3, 2025. The trail and hayride have gotten high marks for creativity, originality, scare factor, and the pace of entry to ensure that you get your own experience on the trail, rather than crashing into the adventurers ahead of you. Past survivors also praise the high quality of the food and drinks that are for sale in the village from which you will depart - you've got to fortify yourself for the terrors ahead.

Make sure to read the FAQ on the website for important information regarding accessibility, clothing and shoe requirements, and parking and weather advisories. You can also buy tickets on there, of course. Also, if you are a traditional hayride fanatic, be forewarned that the separate Haunted Hayride attraction is not simply a standard hayride. You will explore the haunted Leech cemetery on foot, in between your rides out and back from that burial plot. There are fire pits in the village over which you can keep warm, and/or heat up s'mores from kits you can buy. In past years, there have been fortune tellers, merch to immortalize your survival, carnival games, axe throwing, and more in that spooky yet quaint village area. And there are plenty of "characters" to keep you diverted while you wait to enter the trail.

The founders of this attraction have wisely grounded the haunts in a chilling story inspired by the original inhabitants of the property, the Leech family, who met a grisly demise at the hands of truly demented people...or something else...during the brutal Maryland winter of 1804. Suffice it to say, there's enough negative energy on-site to overload your ghost radar and EMF meter. No wonder so many who have survived their trek on the Leech Woods Haunted Trail have reported getting quite a scare in their 5-star Yelp, and 4.7-star Google reviews.

Harbor Bank of Maryland opening Silver Spring branch today

The Harbor Bank of Maryland will mark its first expansion outside of the Baltimore area today, September 23, 2025, in downtown Silver Spring. It will open its first branch in Montgomery County at 1010 Wayne Avenue this morning at 11:30 AM. A grand opening celebration will be held between then and 1:30 PM, including a ribbon-cutting, light refreshments, and an exclusive exhibition of the Thangularity Mothership -a collaborative artwork by music icon George Clinton and artist Overton Loyd. 

Harbor Bank has operated branches in the Baltimore area since 1982. One of its foundational missions was to provide services to Black communities that its founders felt were being underserved by the existing banks in Charm City. Harbor Bank is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-designated Minority Depository Institution, and is a minority-owned community bank.

Roaming Rooster opens in Silver Spring

Roaming Rooster is now open at 8537 Georgia Avenue at Downtown Silver Spring. The chicken sandwich restaurant is currently operating in soft-opening mode with limited hours. However, a grand opening is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM. The first 100 guests at the grand opening will receive a free sandwich. There will also be a DJ providing music, giveaways, and Roaming Rooster merchandise. After the grand opening, the restaurant will operate from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM seven days a week.

These dogs are up for adoption today in Silver Spring (Photos)

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue will be holding a dog adoption event this afternoon, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Silver Spring. All of the dogs pictured here will be available to adopt (a few are contingent upon volunteers giving them a ride over, as noted below). There will also be some cats to adopt, as well. The event will be held at the PetSmart at 12020 Cherry Hill Road at the Orchard Center in Calverton from 12:00 to 3:00 PM.

The Daily Dish celebrating 15 years in Silver Spring

The Daily Dish, the popular restaurant at 8301 Grubb Road in Silver Spring, is 15 years old in 2024. To celebrate, the Hollinger Group restaurant will be serving its famous weekend brunch every day this week through Sunday, June 16, with half-price brunch boards. Brunch will be served daily through 3:30 PM; the regular lunch menu will not be available this week. And each afternoon at 3:00 PM, an all-night Happy Hour will begin.

Capitol View Park yard sale scheduled for Sat., June 15

Capitol View Park, a neighborhood located between Kensington and Forest Glen in Montgomery County, will host a community yard sale this coming Saturday, June 15, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. There will be two clusters for the multi-family yard sale: One at the corner of Grant and Dennis Avenues, and the other at the corner of Barker Street and Menlo Avenue. Sunday, June 16 will be the rain date for the event.

White Oak Day 2024 set for Saturday, June 1

Save the date for the 12th annual White Oak Day! This year, it will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the White Oak Community Recreation Center, located at 1700 April Lane in Silver Spring. This free celebration of the wonderful White Oak Community will include food, fun and games for kids, live music and local vendors. The event is sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Recreation.

Palestinian rotisserie chicken to be available at 2 Silver Spring restaurants later this month

The owner of All Set Restaurant & Bar, Money Muscle BBQ, and Fryer’s Roadside in Silver Spring is teaming up with Shababi Palestinian Rotisserie Chicken to make Shababi Chef Marcelle Afram's spatchcocked smoked chickens available at two of his restaurants later this month. Afram will use chef and restaurateur Ed Reavis' 1000-gallon smokers to duplicate the smoked chicken recipe popular in Palestine in the 1940s.

“When my grandfather was a tour bus operator in Palestine during the 1940s, Zarb, a smoked chicken dish, was a very popular offering at roadside stands,” Afram said in a statement. “This collaboration will be the first time I’ve been able to smoke Shababi chicken, thanks to Ed’s smokers. To be able to offer Shababi in one of the original styles of the Palestinian chicken which inspired the concept is very fulfilling.” 

Chefs Marcelle Afram & Ed Reavis

The Shababi pick-up and delivery menu will first be available April 17th through April 19th at Fryer’s Roadside, located at 12830 New Hampshire Avenue in White Oak. All Set at 8630 Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring will be the pick-up location the following week, on April 24th and 25th. The April team-up will culminate in a Chef’s Dinner hosted at All Set on April 27th, featuring a family-style menu that will combine Palestinian spices and flavors with the restaurant’s seafood-focused menu.

The pick-up and delivery menu will offer the following selections: Whole Smoked Chicken ($175, serves four to six) or Half Smoked Chicken ($90, serves two to three) meals, both of which include five sides and a trio of sauces. Side items to choose from include the Smoked Pulled Lamb Leg (a Shababi favorite available for the first time as a side), Za’atar Potato Wedges, Aleppo Crisp Cukes served with chili crisp, and Taboon, a homemade flatbread topped with sumac caramelized onion and garlic spread. A la carte and other add-on options will include the “French Onion” Labneh ($11), last season’s homemade Pickles and Olives ($9), and the M’halabia ($9), a sweet milk custard topped with strawberry rhubarb jam and pistachio.

Tickets for the April 27 Chef's Dinner (menu TBD), available for $115, may be purchased through All Set’s Tock page. Pick-up and delivery orders can be made online, as well. The full pick-up and delivery menu can be seen above.

Photos by Farrah Skeiky

Blind Guardian to start 2024 North American tour in Silver Spring

German power metal band Blind Guardian announced its 2024 "The God Machine" tour of North America this morning. What's notable is that the band has decided to start the tour at The Fillmore in Silver Spring on April 18, 2024. Night Demon will be the opening act. Tickets for the Fillmore show go on sale this Friday, December 1, 2023, but presales begin November 30 at 10:00 AM EST.

Toby Walker to perform at J. Hollinger's in Silver Spring October 29

Blues singer and guitarist Toby Walker will headline a special dinner event at J. Hollinger's Waterman's Chophouse at 8606 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring this coming Sunday, October 29, 2023. Seating times available will be at 5:00, 5:15 PM., 5:30 PM and 5:45 PM, and the concert starts at 6:00 PM, and will run until 8:00 PM. Tickets are $15 - those funds go to pay for Walker's performance, and do not include food or drinks, which will be a minimum of $40 per person. The full dinner menu, and $32 and $40 prix fixe dinner menus, will be available. Reserved seating available here.  

Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass to host Pride Month events in June

Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass (D - At-Large) will once again host or appear at a series of Pride Month events in June. This will be the fifth year Glass will perform this leadership role. The events will include Rockville Pride, an annual event hosted by the City of Rockville at Rockville Town Square, which will be held on Saturday, June 24, 2023 this year. 

June 11 will be Takoma Park Pride Day. Bethesda's Big Train baseball club will also hold a Pride Night on June 17. Pride in the Plaza will take place at Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring on June 25. Events will kick off with the raising of the Pride Flag at the Montgomery County Executive Building on June 1. 

“I’m excited to host Montgomery County’s fifth annual LGBTQ+ Pride month events,” Glass said in a statement. “This is a time for celebration, reflection and unity. Today, the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans are under relentless attack. Members of the LGBTQ+ community — especially people of color and trans people — continue to face discrimination and efforts to undermine their human rights. As we continue our struggle for greater civil rights and liberties, Pride Month is a time to not only reflect on our progress but to focus on the work ahead.”

Hawaiian cultural event in Silver Spring this Saturday, May 13, 2023

Celebrate Native Hawaiian culture and Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 2:00 PM Northwood High School, 919 University Blvd W. in Silver Spring. A ho’ike - a celebration of Native Hawaiian culture through hula, music and sharing of aloha through cultural practice -  will feature traditional and modern hula performances by members of Halau Nohona Hawai’i, a DC-area group of dancers and musicians.

Doors open at 1:00pm, performance begins at 2:00pm.

Tickets:

$15 Early Bird Adult (ages 12 and up)

$ 20 Regular Adult ticket (after May 3rd)

$10 Children (ages 6-11), Students, Military & Seniors (65+)

Free Young Children (5 & Under)

At the door prices:

$25.00 Adult$20.00 Children, Military & Seniors (65+), Students

Tickets are available for purchase in advance online. Vendors, including some selling Hawaiian foods, will be on-location for the event, as well. 

J.Hollinger’s Waterman’s Chophouse celebrating one year in Silver Spring in May

J.Hollinger’s Waterman’s Chophouse at 8606 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring will turn one year old in May, and the critically-acclaimed restaurant will be celebrating all month long. The festivities will begin on this coming Tuesday, May 2nd - Sunday, May 7th, 2023, with happy hour all night long, including $1 oysters on the half shell. Customers can enjoy the happy hour menu all night in the bar (starting at 4pm). The happy hour drink menu will also be available all night in the dining room.

But that's just the beginning. Weekly anniversary specials will be posted on the restaurant's anniversary page. One lucky customer who makes a reservation via Resy during May will be randomly selected to win a four course dinner for two at J.Hollinger’s. The restaurant will also mark the anniversary with weekly $100 gift card giveaways on Instagram.

“While we've only been open for a year in downtown Silver Spring, we are proud to have been part of this community for 13 years,” owner Jerry Hollinger said in a statement. Hollinger previously opened the Daily Dish in Silver Spring in 2010, followed by the Dish & Dram in Kensington in 2016. “The entire team at J. Hollinger's Waterman's Chophouse wants to thank the community and all our customers, who have grown to feel more like family, for their unwavering support,” Hollinger said.

Meditation Museum to celebrate Maha Shivaratri Feb. 11 in Silver Spring

The Meditation Museum at 9525 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring will celebrate the Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri on Saturday, February 11, 2023 from 3:00 to 4:30 PM. "Awakening Our Intimate Experience with God will showcase Indian dance, music, poetry, inspirational messages and guided meditation, providing a peaceful and educational environment for participants," the museum announced in a press release. "It will also feature special video messages by world renowned Bk Shivani and administrative head of the Brahma Kumaris, Sister Jayanti." The event will include a live, guided meditation by Sister Jenna, the founder and director of the museum.

"We are thrilled to bring Awakening Our Intimate Experience with God to the Meditation Museum in Silver Spring," Sister Jenna said in a statement. "This event is designed to relieve stress, reconnect the self to a Supreme Love, and reduce anxiety by enjoying an inspirational and relaxing evening. We believe that the thriving Silver Spring community will find Awakening Our Intimate Experience with God to be a truly enriching and unforgettable experience."

The event is free, but registration is required. Interested participants can register online. The Meditation Museum is located just south of the Capital Beltway interchange on Georgia Avenue, in the Montgomery Hills area of Silver Spring. It is also within walking distance of the Forest Glen Metro station.

Dunkin' Donuts new Cloverly location to hold Grand Opening event today

The new Dunkin' Donuts store at 15509 New Hampshire Avenue in Cloverly is holding a Grand Opening event this morning. At 10:00 AM, the first 100 guests in line will receive free coffee for a year. From 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, you can take a selfie with Dunkin' mascot Sprinkles, or take a chance at winning with the Dunkin' Prize Wheel. Jesse Luis of the local franchisee Luis Group will host a ribbon cutting alongside members of the community at 11:00 AM this morning.

If you haven't been to one of the new Dunkin' next-generation stores in Montgomery County, today is your chance at the Cloverly location. The 2,200 square-foot store will be open Monday through Saturday from 4:30 AM to 9:00 PM, and on Sundays from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. It features Dunkin’s new restaurant design, including modern finishes, lighting and interior layout; the brand's new Premium Pours coffee tap system; a dedicated mobile pickup area, and environmental features that make it about 33% more energy-efficient than the standard Dunkin' restaurant model.

Best of all, there is a drive-thru! Indoor customers will enjoy free WiFi.

Four Corners Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins to celebrate grand opening September 17

The new Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins store at 115 University Boulevard W. in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring will celebrate its arrival with a grand opening celebration tomorrow, Saturday, September 17, 2022, starting at 9:00 AM. Be one of the first 100 guests, and you will receive free Dunkin' coffee or free Baskin Robbins ice cream scoops for a year. Everyone will have a chance to win other prizes when the Dunkin' Prize Wheel spins between 9:00 and 11:00 AM.

Special guests will include Dunkin' mascot Cuppy, and franchisee Jesse Luis of the The Luis Group, who will cut the ribbon at 10:00 AM. The 2400 square foot store employees two dozen people, and features the brand's latest modern and energy-efficient design. Like all of Dunkin's new stores in Montgomery County, it offers the Premium Pours tap system, and a special area for pick-up orders.

The store will be open seven days a week from 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM. There is indoor seating with free WiFi, and best of all, the store has a drive-thru!

Photo courtesy The Luis Group