Fall Fun For All

Fret not over the fast-fading summer; the Montgomery Village Foundation is set to put some fun into your fall.

Registration is underway for the foundation’s fall recreation lineup—a bevy of classes and programs offering something for most everyone, be they the exuberant (Zumba, ballet, belly dancing) or the more contemplative (Tai chi, knitting, aromatherapy).

The Fall Recreation Guide has the details on a lineup loaded with activities for the retired or elderly—mostly via the increasingly popular Seniors in Action! program (p. 13). Another promising newcomer is futsol—soccer’s scaled-down cousin—which made a well-received debut earlier this year with a six-team league for adults (p. 12). MVF’s rec staff hopes to spark some teen interest by reaching out to high schools and middle schools.

Most activities start the second week of September and run up to the holidays. To score a spot in the more popular programs—i.e., karate, senior dance and creative preschool—be sure to register within the next week or so.

And what would fall in the Village be without a little free-market haggling, a festival and a frightfully good time?

The schedule has long-time favorites like the Halloween Spooktacular (p. 2) and builds onto new ventures like the Fall Festival (p. 6). Hundreds amassed at North Creek Community Center for last year’s inaugural Fall Festival, an afternoon of good food, lively tunes and—who could forget?—70 adorably adorned gourds rolling their way to glory. It wasn’t long before the Village’s first-ever "Great Pumpkin Race" devolved into cheating—wink, wink—not of the nefarious sort, but solely for drama’s sake.

"If you cheat—and we ‘cheat’ with a smile—we smash that pumpkin. With a giant mallet. And it’s hilarious," said said Ed Callas, the foundation’s recreation program manager.

With the race as its centerpiece, this year’s Fall Festival will include a live band, food vendors, kids’ games, a hayride and a scarecrow-making contest. The foundation has already lined up a pair of corporate sponsors and will be adding moon bounces and more tables for vendors and community groups to the Oct. 15 celebration.

"Really, the intent of this festival is to be the Village’s signature event," Callas said. "Over time, my vision is that it’s going to grow every year. It’s growing a little bit this year. Where I want it to go [in the future] is to essentially shut down the road and have a block party with artists and vendors. I think we’re going to get there."

Here are some other fall highlights:

Seniors’ Stay-cation

The Montgomery Village Foundation is partnering with Gaithersburg and Rockville to throw the first "Adventure Island Picnic" at Bohrer Park Community Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 31, a summer-ending shindig of swimming and mini-golf catered by Smokey Glen and set to the doo-wop stylings of Chyp and Andrea.

Trash Into Treasure

Get your haggle on Sept. 17 while deciding what’s a keepsake and what’s a throwaway at the Fall Flea Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the North Creek parking lot. Vendor spots are $25 ($30 for non-Village residents). Call 301-948-0110 for more information.

Trash Into (Much Smaller) Trash

Be certain that your sensitive info doesn’t fall into the wrong hands secure shredding by Office Paper Systems, Inc. 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 24 in the North Creek parking lot.

Our Favorite Night of Fright

Montgomery Village goes all-out every Halloween, but this year ups the ante even more. Entries for the Halloween poster contest and short story contest are due by Oct. 20. The Halloween Spooktacular promises a special night for kids aged 3 to 9. This year’s party—from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Lake Marion Community Center—will feature a costume parade and awards for the scariest, funniest, prettiest and most creative outfits. Then, on All Hallow’s Eve (Oct. 30), the Montgomery Village Community Band performs its annual Halloween concert at 2:30 p.m. at Lake Marion.

Home(made) for the Holidays

Get in the season’s spirit at the annual Holiday Craft Bazaar, where dozens of vendors will exclusively be selling handmade goods. Doors open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 12 at Lake Marion. Vendor spots cost $30 ($35 for non-Village residents). For more information, email Emily Fields at efields@mvf.org or call her at 301-948-0110 ext. 2361.