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.

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.

Very disorganized, as far as food service goes. People are scrambling to get in line, and when you…read moretell the food vendors what you want, someone else will take your same order and walk out. A 12oz can of Coke was $3 and a Capri Sun drink was $5

Salvadoran American Festival is a gathering of very happy people. I have felt their lust for life…read more I spoke with many and many more explained their customs to me. It felt like a true street festival with vendors inviting you in Spanish to try their best food. It was not crowded as much as expected. One Salvadoran person said that the reason is fear of deportation (a young man living nearby, who got a soccer college scholarship got to be deported to El-Salvador a few days before) and another person said that the venue is bigger hence it seems that the crowd is smaller. There were about dozen food vendors and half of those offered delicious pupusas. A lot of lemonade for $2 or pina colada for $4. The entertainment program was going well with various music, dance and comedy. The highlight was a man dressed as a women who made a lot of people laugh and was followed with the punchline siren in the background. Very happy and very safe event with at least half dozen police cars around (not sure if they were looking for MS-13 gang members). I liked that many folks spoke to me in Spanish so I felt like a (tall) Salvadorian for a moment and that made me happy. Eating at the very large communal tables was added bonus as you get to interact with others. One thing was very different - the organizer combines Salvadoran festival with Latin Health fair so there was a lot of free health clinic (small buses and tents) for people who may not have insurance like I do so that was very good for them.

11/27/25 6:45 PM LOCATION: Montgomery County Fairgrounds…read more Parking was free. We've been to two Lumino Cities: the dinosaur one and the Winter One today. Substantially larger than the dinosaur one, this walk through was a feast for the eyes. There were many areas throughout that had cute picture opportunities . It started out as an Alice in Wonderland theme, then Pandas and even Dinosaurs. Other than the change in theme, there's no particular set of directions that suggest a particular order. Of course we went on a day that was blustery cold, so we booked it to the hot chocolate area. We were a group of adults that would've enjoyed more if we weren't freezing cold and we brought some kids. I think watching children's responses to everything ..would've made it more fun for us. We completed it in an 1 hr 20 mins. The crowds were much smaller so it was easier for us to get all the photo shots we wanted and without waiting in long lines. The ticketed time was 6:45 pm perhaps to control the crowds, but you're allowed to walk around for as long as you'd like.. With family and friends, it'll still be memorable.

Welcome to the Light Show!…read more I recently had the most incredible experience at LuminoCity with my son and I couldn't wait to share all the details with you! From the moment I stepped onto the Fairgrounds I was taken away by the set up. It's not a huge light show, but the way they have it set up you won't be disappointed. Each area has a different theme. My Son liked the Jungle theme and I liked the Sweets/Dessert part the best. There's so many photo opportunities and Social Media worthy moments (if you're into that lol) Now, let's talk about the star of the show - the food! It's a must that both my son and I get Funnel Cake whenever it's available, lol... they had several food trucks. We also tried the Cheese Fries, Crab Dip Fries, and Corn Dogs. The Fry portions are BIG. You could share or just eat that and be stuffed! The only down side for me was the drive. But I would do it again!!

HTH is the nickname for this 3-day festival that is held once a year during Memorial Day Weekend…read more Food - vendors from RTS and some neighboring restaurants - you need a ticket to get any of these tastes (all are between 1 to 5 tickets). You have to purchase the tickets at Ticket Booths, but they do accept cash & credit. Music - I am always discovering music at this festival and I love live music. Some performers I have become fans of since seeing them perform live at this festival: Shane Gamble - 2013. John Brown's Body - 2014. Taller Tales - today 2019. I also come back to listen to regulars like Jah Works (reggae) and Chopteeth Band (Afrofunk) - both always puts on a show whenever they perform. There is even a beach for the kids (sand and all), a kids area, and other non-food vendors. They also have a parade on Memorial Day as well. All of this make up this festival, so it is worth checking out each year. Tips: ** Bring a chair although it is not required and some stages provide chairs. ** I think the event is rain or shine as I have watched a performance in the rain. ** Get a HTH mug as a souvenir. ** Have fun.

I felt like I am going to a meeting of some secret society when I went to Latvian Christmas Bazaar…read morebecause it was not advertised except on the Latvian Lutheran church web site. That feeling grew stronger when I saw that there is no visible sign outside of the building about the bazaar inside the building. I saw all the people using one particular not-specially marked door so I followed the suit. All that changed when I entered the building seeing the children begging the parents to buy them Latvian chocolates and elderly people moving without any hesitation, exactly knowing where they are going. That was confirmed when one couple told me that this bazaar is their 47th Latvian bazaar in the row. I understand that sentiment of no advertising, the banquet hall is just a perfect size for the local Latvian community and more people could mean longer lines and less comfort. The market was very nice - cool shirts and stuff by ethnografix; traditional clothing, jewelry and Christmas decorations and lot of food to buy and take home. The kitchen and 6 Latvian ladies in it seemed very well organized. People nicely stood in the line and moved quickly to get Latvian winter food. I was reminded that the ethnic festivals offers only what was available at that time in the country of origins (no strawberries in Fall). They also have plenty of available free juice and water and the utensils were made of metal (it is almost always convenient plastic). The sausages were tasty and offer variation in taste; sauerkraut was almost sweet and I loved it; potato salad was made with eggs. The cakes were even better - both, cranberry and mocha cakes were great choices and any restaurant would be a proud proprietor to have them. There were moist and sweet but not too sweet - perfect. Latvian Christmas Bazaar was successful venture, enhancing my desire to visit Latvia one day and experience Latvian rich culture even more.