This was an interesting experience. First time hearing about this event. It was quite busy on the…read morefirst day and loud. We went right at opening and was able to get parking on the lawn, which was managed by police and volunteers. Outside has tents for frappes and some desserts. The main hall has seating and vendors all around. Walking through the hallway leads to the main kitchen area where there are two lines - one for actual food and the one in the back just for desserts. Both can take a while. If you're there with two people, I would split up here. Finding seating is the next problem as it rained during this time. But it cleared up and most people took it to go. The live music was loud, but you wanted that because of how many people were there and talking. They do serve alcohol on premises and they had a "Bar" corner. Fun experience for the area and while you're driving around, you see some nice houses.

The weekend before the St. Katherine's Greek festival in Falls Church was the St. George in…read moreBethesda, which is a bit of a drive but worth going to Maryland as it's always well organized and a lot to do/see/eat. They have multiple outdoor areas with tents for food options like the coffee (frappe) and it can be customized according to your liking. There's Loumoumades which were well cooked, fried so it's crispy enough and also enough honey/syrup. There's other food too when you go inside and we managed to catch the dance performance at the stage. This church hall also has a flea market and multiple vendors. And there's a large area/section towards the back where there are pastries and other goodies to buy like Greek pasta, candy, coffee bags, etc. Even though the lines can seem long, they actually do move pretty quick. There was also pistachio ice cream this year with the Greek sour cherry spread on top reminiscent of what I'd enjoy when I travel to Greece. The parking lot does tend to fill up pretty quick so folks can do street parking, and they have volunteered directing crowds as well.

We use to really enjoy coming to this annual event but it's progressively gone downhill. A lot of…read moremarketing and seldom do the food vendors display the ticket costs until you ask. Fun with small children for maybe a couple hours. Huge increase in Latino and Asian foods, be careful a couple of the dishes were so bad we threw most away. Also the cost for what you get continues to climb. My 2 pics were 4 tickets each which converts to $8 apiece? Yikes.

Bad service and mediocre food. Disappointing, nothing homemade or special about it. Just average…read morechicken and French fries. I seriously think Popeyes is better

Such a fun way to spend an afternoon...you can't find so many different types of art from jewelry…read moreto stained glass ornaments to paintings to photography. So many amazing things to look at and purchase...wish it happened more than just annually. Also wish there some more food options and a beer or wine garden so you could make an entire afternoon out of the event other than just walking through....

A-RTS is a world class art and crafts fair held in Rockville Town Square. You can't ask for a…read morebetter location outdoors because it's adjacent to metro, lots of free parking, and the atmosphere is low-key. The calibre of artists and craftspeople who are presenting their creations is truly top notch. You can acquire some incredible large-format sculpture and art (or just oggle at the inventiveness and craft of the artists). However, if you are simply dabbling in token gifts and small home decorations, this fair won't fail you either. With a broad variety of styles and of price points, everyone can score something unique and fanciful. By discussing the craft and choices with the artist, you can feel truly good about supporting local artists. This arts fair evokes the best of people-to-people markets which is frankly a dying experience given the prevalence of the mall retail world. If this festival was held in downtown DC it would be chockablock full of people and the atmosphere would feel a lot more pressured and crowded. I know that is good for the sellers, but as a buyer I couldn't have been happier with the mellow, small-town feel of Rockville Town Center. Nearby you have a plethora of restaurants in which to dine/relax after taking a turn through the stalls. See my review of Rockville Town Square for selections. While attending I learned about arts communities nearby, including a pottery crawl in Richmond VA which I will surely try to attend. This is a wonderful experience and I would recommend all to savor the riches of arts in our local community through this fair.

Everything I expected and more. Showed up before the open time and the line was already…read moreestablished. That had to mean good things are awaiting indoor. Once we were in, most people moved toward baked goods and got something that they get every year. Everybody new ahead of the opening what they want so this is a serious festival where you have to earn the rights for fresh bread or cakes - you snooze/you loose. Meatballs were the best ever! It made me think I eat something sophisticated that took many hours to prepare as the taste exploded in my mouth. The crown jewel of the food (no pun intended) was Princess Cake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_cake It was worth coming just for that!. This festival will give you exactly what you expect - it will open in exact time, it will have Swedish products that you want to have and food will not disappoint. The food really fits in the Fall schedule. Date for 2016 Festival is November 5, 2016 @ 11:00 am

I've attended many concerts at the Annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival; but there are certain…read moreattendees that immediately come to mind: David Sandborn (saxophonist), Dianne Reeves(vocalist) and most recently Dee Dee Bridgewater with her all female quartet! There have been many artists that has participated but these stood out! Always recommend this event.

Amazing free all day jazz festival on the plaza. Last year I think it was the day before Father's…read moreDay. Also a great way to get people from all over the region and even some visitors like my dad to support the many amazing businesses in Downtown Silver Spring.

This is a great annual festival with lots of activities, music, and food for all ages. Like most…read morestreet festivals, there are many different types of vendors: some selling products or services and others giving out info about non-profit initiatives and community resources. Kids can enjoy the large inflatables for free and participate in interesting crafts and games. There is usually a beach ball pit which my daughter loves. Adults appreciate the draft Dogfish Head beer on tap and the quality musical acts. Some unique additions include a Green Zone with live animals, Taste of Gaithersburg, and a MakerSpace, where art and innovation are on display. This event used to be called Olde Towne Day but the City changed the event from September to June and also changed the name a couple of years ago. It is a great day to be outdoors and enjoy some awesome food and live music.

From the owner: Sunday, June 12, 2016 The 34th Annual Celebrate!…read moreGaithersburg Festival will draw an entire community to Gaithersburg's historic city center. The one-day event is scheduled for Sunday, June 12, 2016, from noon to 5 p.m., and will include multiple stages of live entertainment, food, and themed activity areas for all ages and interests. Celebrate! Gaithersburg in Olde Towne street festival takes place in and around the intersection of Summit and Diamond Avenues. Free shuttle service is available to and from satellite parking at Lakeforest Shopping Center. Additional parking is available at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park, less than a quarter mile from the festival area. Please note that no alcohol, skateboards, rollerblades, bicycles, or pets are allowed at the event. All weapons, real or facsimile, are not permitted at City Events.

A waste of money as it is a small display. Go to Meadowlark Garden instead for less money and a…read morebetter display.

Overpriced for 20mins walk. We drove about an hour and a half for what we aren't expected.read more

exceptional family fun every year - great food, authentic Arabic sweets, Arabic music and dancing,…read moreopen air seating, Kid Zone that keeps the family happy all day!

23rd Annual Middle Eastern Food Festival was a great event. I missed 22 other years but I will be…read morecoming again. The staff is incredibly organized, it feels more like an organized Japanese, not Middle East Festival. Everything is presented nicely in different and multiple formats (plates, hand brochure or large food panel with pictures) so it is really hard not to know what is available. Hosts are welcoming and asking how they can assist. The only improvement would be to place a schedule of events on the website so people can gauge what event they want to attend (dance, or roasted lamb dinner or whatever else). There are many ethnic drinks offered and they complement great food. I had a Kibbeh Platter and it was so good that I wanted to meet the lady cook. This is really easy festival to remember because it always during the Labor day weekend. There is a lot of stuff for the kids (free pony rides for example) in the large backyard or you can have a church tour. The assembly hall is large and Arabic music entertained us entire time. The Sweets table is a LONG table with any baklava that you may think off (walnuts, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, ...) Sweets that I tried were all very tasty. I leave this place with a satisfied belly and notion that everything was perfect and I credit the great hosts for that.

The 2015 Montgomery County Fair is wonderful. Worth every penny of the $10 admission fee…read more The agricultural exhibitions are heartwarming. Seeing the 4-H kids care for and show their livestock is a privilege. These youngsters are carrying on a tradition that the USA mightily needs. The farm animals are adorable and many can be petted. Just talking with the Maryland farm families is fabulous. This year's food and drink vendors do not disappoint. Here's my recommendations: Be sure and get a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich sold at The Big Cheese booth. They're made right before your eyes and come out hot and gooey. Hands down this is THE BEST food item this year. The meals for sale at two competing church booths--St. Francis of Assisi Catholic and Germantown United Methodist--feature some highly respectable pulled-meat BBQ sandwiches (both chicken and pork), along with some killer fries. There's a vendor selling large ears of freshly roasted corn that be can dipped (or not) in butter before purchase. A condiment table offers all kinds of salts, hot sauces and cheese toppings. The roasting of the corn makes it nutty-tasting and plumps up the kernels. I could not finish my ear because it was so huge, and was depressed beyond words. Freshly-squeezed lemonade for sale all over the fairgrounds is tart, refreshing and addictive. The free entertainment is out of the ordinary and fun: piglet races; magic acts; a "chainsaw chick" who creates impressive works of art from wood; local dance troupes, etc. You name it, it's here. Of course no fair is complete without rides and amusements and the "Carnival" section has something for all ages seeking thrills. The high-flying swing ride is wildly popular. But you better act fast. This edition of the Montgomery County Fair closes at midnight on Sunday, August 23, 2015.

The 2016 fair is so-so. It's kind of a scam if you're not really careful about how much you spend…read more You can park at Lakeforest Mall and take the ''shuttle'' to the fairgrounds (it's just a school bus), and then you pay $10/person to get in, plus payment for tickets OR a $15 wristband on wristband days to ride all the rides you want as long as you get there before 5:00PM. So if you get wristbands, you're already at $25/person. If you get food and drinks, that's easily another $20-$30/person extra because the food and drinks are crazy overpriced. Fries for $7? A corn dog for $8? Lemonade for $5? It's insane. The games are an entirely different ball game. AVOID them. The people running the games will taunt you as you walk by and make you want to play but don't. They're all rip-offs. $5/game seems reasonable but it's really not because you're tempted to keep playing until you win something and before you know it you've spent $30. Plus, that $5 doesn't even give you much - 3 basketballs at the shoot-out games and 3 darts at the balloon ones. Again, it's insane. The rides, on the other hand, are actually not bad. Some of them are uncomfortable and rickety, but the others are pretty smooth and thrilling. Getting the wristband is a good investment because getting tickets if you wanna ride a lot of rides ends up being more expensive. Expect lines. And if it rains, the rides will definitely close down. The agricultural stuff is okay. I didn't see a petting zoo this time, but there is a rabbit house and barns where they keep cows and pigs and chickens. It's cool and all but beware of the smell and the nasty pathways.

The 9th annual World of Montgomery Festival is held each year in October to celebrate the rich…read morediversity of Montgomery County through international music, food, dance, culturally authentic arts demos, hands-on activities, and more. It is visible that the county cares about this event and one of the many proofs is that they even created a "kids passport" where kids can get a stamp in one of or all of the international tents. There was enough food (7 different vendors) but I liked the best palak paneer from Tandori nights. The cheese actually had a defined taste that complimented the spinach. There was so much to do and see and maybe the only complain to post is that it was almost too much of it on a very small area. I would recommend having one stage instead of two. I know that is hard because there was so much to showcase and so little time but two loud concerts within 600 feet is too much - along with other sounds that were presents. The parade of the cultures was so much fun!! I wish we have a Holiday where all the ethnic fabric that America is made off would dance and present them like they did it at the World of Montgomery Festival. It was amazing to see a National Federation for Blind (live the life you want) to march along - they may have got the loudest applause. No entrance fee, plenty of stuff for the entire family, affordable ethnic meals, free parking all makes it very attractive and friendly festival. Besides waving the African basket or making Ukrainian bread you could have witnessed many science and STEM experiments (live) which emphasized the role of the education for all. Everybody was happy to contribute their piece for this great diversity event - as much as we participants enjoyed it watching it. The pictures will tell the rest of the story.