“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson Happy New Year! 2012 is starting off with a bang, and there are plenty of things to do with the family already. Here are our picks for you and your family to enjoy this weekend in and around Gaithersburg. Story Time at Whole Foods, Friday, Jan. 6: Whole Foods will be hosting a story time in their kid's cafe area. Bring your favorite stuffed animal and blanket to sit on. Snacks will be served directly following the story. Books will be geared towards children ages 2-6 years old. …

“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” -Author Unknown It’s the last weekend of 2011. We do hope you are celebrating and enjoying the holidays with friends and family. Here are our picks for you and your family to enjoy this weekend in and around Gaithersburg. Happy New Year!!! Winter Light Festival, Friday, Dec. 30, Saturday, Dec. 31 and Sunday, Jan. 1: This is the last weekend to catch the City of Gaithersburg’s Winter Lights Festival - a 3.5 mile drive through the enchanted setting of Seneca Creek State Park takes you past more than 380 illuminated …

“May the Christmas (holiday) season fill your home with joy, your heart with love and your life with laughter” -Marjorie Holmes  Even with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there are still plenty of local plays, light displays, concerts and more for you and your family to do this weekend. Here are our picks for you and your family to enjoy this “Holiday” weekend in and around Gaithersburg. Winter Light Festival, Friday, Dec. 23 and Saturday, Dec. 24: 16th Annual City of Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival - a 3.5 mile drive through the enchanted setting of Seneca Creek State Park takes …

“And finally Winter, with its bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow.” -Roy Bean Here are our picks for you and your family to enjoy this weekend in and around Gaithersburg. Holiday with the Shelter Dogs, Friday, Dec. 9: You can help the Montgomery County Humane Society volunteer dog walkers by making wish list donations through December 20 in anticipation of a special Holiday with the Shelter Dogs. Preferred items include new blankets, bones (not rawhide), toys, and anything else on the list -- you may add your donations to the decorated box in the shelter lobby or …

“I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.” - Fred Rogers   Here are our picks for you and your family to enjoy this weekend in and around Gaithersburg. Christmas Bazaar, Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3: Buy Christmas baked goods, wreaths, homemade gifts of all kinds and enjoy homemade hot soups and sandwiches at St. Bartholomew's annual Festival.  Don't forget to put a bid on …

“Freedom is never free” ~Author Unknown Today is Veteran’s Day. Veterans Day honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made to keep our country free. Thank you to all the men and women who have served or are serving in our Armed Forces. Here are our best “fall” bets for you and your family, in and around Gaithersburg…. Family Movie Night with showing of "RIO", Friday, Nov. 11: Come watch “RIO”, for free, at New Hope Presbyterian Church at 7:00p.m.RIO is about a macaw named Blu, who meets Jewel, and takes off on an adventure to Rio de …

"How silently they tumble down and come to rest upon the ground to lay a carpet, rich and rare, beneath the trees without a care, content to sleep, their work well done, colors gleaming in the sun. At other times, they wildly fly until they nearly reach the sky. Twisting, turning through the air till all the trees stand stark and bare. Exhausted, drop to earth below to wait, like children, for the snow."    - Elsie N. Brady It’s November; can you believe it? The first snow – “Snowtober”- fell last week. And we are sure you have already begun to hear and see the holiday commercials. Can you …

“'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world” - William Shakespeare Goblins, ghosts, pumpkins, candy, scary movies, voices whisper in the trees…yep, you guessed it – Halloween is here (on Monday). Lucky for you a lot of local organizations have Halloween family activities all weekend long. Here are our best “fall” bets for you and your family, in and around Gaithersburg…. Fall Festival, Friday, Oct. 28, Saturday, Oct. 29, Sunday Oct. 30 and Monday, Oct. 31: Sinister Crops invites families to their fall festival, which …

Well despite the rain, the transition from warm to cold is happening. The leaves are changing colors; stores everywhere have the latest Halloween costumes and you are seeing more and more people wearing jackets & sweatshirts. And have you noticed that a warm breeze - that somehow still seems to give you goose bumps - has arrived. What do you call this time of year, autumn or fall? Interesting fact from Wikipedia.org: “The word autumn comes from the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalized to the original Latin word autumnus. There are rare examples of its …

The good news is that cold front has moved out of the area and they are calling for 70-degree weather this weekend. So grab the kids and get ready for a fun weekend. Here are our best bets for this weekend for you and your family, in and around Gaithersburg… 20th Anniversary Celebration of Oktoberfest at the Kentlands, Sunday, Oct. 9: Amid horse-drawn wagon rides and pumpkin painting, festival-goers can enjoy authentic Bavarian food and beer and lively performances. New to the festival this year will be an outdoor wine tasting and a children’s puppet show, held indoors at Kentlands Mansion.  …

Fairs, books, a fiesta, Italian ice and more!!! Here are our best bets for this weekend for you & your family, in and around Gaithersburg… Great Frederick Fair, Friday September 23 through Saturday, September 24: Missed the Montgomery County Fair or just love to go to them? Well the Great Frederick Fair starts on Friday and will be open through Saturday, September 24. 5 to 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16; 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 through Saturday, Sept. 24. Experience all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of good old country fair. $7 admission for adults ages 11 and up. St. Rose …

The weather channel is predicting a mixture of sun and clouds, with mostly cloudy on Saturday. But don’t worry; we have plenty of options for you and your family this weekend, including the 30th Annual Celebrate Gaithersburg. Here are our best bets for this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg… 30th Annual Celebrate Gaithersburg, Sunday, September 18: Community street festival with live entertainment, amusements, beer garden, arts and crafts.  Also featuring: “Gaithersburg Top Talent” music and dance competition “Taste of Gaithersburg” with local restaurants “Green Zone” with resources and …

“Rain, rain, go away; Come again another day” Our best bets (despite the rain) for your family this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg…. Irish Dance Studio Open House, Friday, September 9: Stop by the Duffy School of Irish Dance studio on Friday, September 9 to meet the instructors, see the studio, and have some ice cream!  Bring your children for a free demonstration and mini-lesson. Hog Days of Summer, Friday, September 2: Famous Dave’s “Hog Days of Summer!” is back. It is the hottest four weeks of the season BBQ event. With your purchase of any entree, you can add: Famous Buck-a-Bone Ribs…

“No great achievement is possible without persistent work” - Bertrand Russell It’s Labor Day Weekend! If you’re not familiar with the history of Labor Day, you may wonder what it's all about. Some see it as a way to celebrate the end of summer. Sports-minded individuals say it marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. Yet this day is actually dedicated to most of you reading this – you, the American worker, and your achievements. Here are our best bets for your family this “Labor Day” weekend, in and around Gaithersburg… Summer Concert Series at the Rio, Friday, September 2…

For most of us, we experienced our first earthquake this week when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Metro area, and now we are preparing for nasty weather. Also, this weekend children will be preparing for school. Classes start in Montgomery County on Monday. Who knows what this weekend’s weather has in store for us? Hurricane Irene, a very dangerous hurricane, is heading towards the East Coast this weekend. Despite the weather, here are our best bets for your family this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg…. Free Doggy Ice Cream for National Dog Day at Best Friends, Friday, August 26: …

It’s back to school time in less than two weeks. Montgomery County Public Schools will reopen for the 2011-2012 school year on Monday, August 29. So this weekend is the perfect time for back-to-school shopping because it is “Shop Maryland Week” – the State’s Tax Free Shopping Days. That means qualifying apparel and footwear $100 or less are exempt from the Maryland 6 percent sales tax. “Tax Free Week” ends on August 20. For more information: Call (800) MD-TAXES or e-mail shopmaryland@comp.state.md.us. But don’t forget to soak up (what is left) of the summer rays. Here are the best bets for …

Summer, summer, summertime! Sun drenched days & starlit nights….let’s celebrate summer. Here are our best bets for your family, “to celebrate”, this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg…. Toy Story 3, Friday, August 5: Grab the family and a blanket and head on over to Malcolm King Park for a free viewing on Toy Story 3. First Friday at the Rio, Friday, August 5: Live Music, Family Fun, Merchant Open Houses and more! Musical entertainment by Midnight Sun. Comedy & Magic Society Performance, Friday, August 5 & Saturday, August 6: Astounding magic and sleight of hand with interactive theatre and …

This weekend marks the last weekend in July; where has the summer gone? Here are our best bets for your family this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg….   Fridays at the Farm: Family Crab & Barbeque Feast, Friday, July 29: Fun for the entire family: horseshoes, miniature golf & playground. Buffet features: steamed spiced #1 crabs, steamed spiced shrimp, Smokey Glen Farm famous BBQ chicken & spare ribs. “SOUL SURFER" Free Movie Showing, Friday, July 29: Free, exclusive showing of the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a teen surfing champion who overcomes the odds after a shark attack. This …

This weekend we will celebrate Montgomery County's agricultural heritage through the 22nd Annual Farm Tour & Harvest Sale. It’s a great family weekend: spend the day in the country petting farm animals or have lunch by a pond. Purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants and more, but remember to stay hydrated. Here are our “HOT” bets for your family this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg…. Shakespeare in the Park, Friday, July 22 & Saturday, July 23: The City of Gaithersburg and the Maryland Shakespeare Festival proudly present Shakespeare on the lawn and under the stars with two …

It looks like we will be humidity free this weekend. And the Gaithersburg Patch has its best bets for your family this weekend, in and around Gaithersburg….   AMC Loews IMAX Theater Grand Opening, Friday, July 15: Join 94.7 Fresh FM at RIO/Washingtonian Center as we celebrate the opening of the AMC Loews IMAX theater as well as the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.  Meet morning show hosts Tommy McFly and Kelly Collis for music, games and prizes, including broomstick races and a costume contest hosted by the station personalities and lots of AMC/IMAX prizes including …