Family Fun this Weekend in Montgomery County

• Olde Town Market

Where/When:  City Hall, 31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Why to go:  This market features food, artist and crafters, local businesses, flea market items and more!

Pricing: FREE 

• Montgomery County Heritage Days

When/Where:  June 23 & 24, 2012, Heritage Days are being celebrated at multiple times and in 33 locations.

Why to Go: Each year, on the last weekend of June, Heritage Montgomery hosts its signature event – the annual Heritage Days Celebration.  This two-day, free-of-charge, county-wide festival offers visitors an opportunity to sample numerous sites representing the history, culture, and natural beauty of Montgomery County.

Pricing: FREE

HERITAGE DAYS LOCATIONS/DETAILS:

1. Glen Echo Park  Saturday and Sunday

7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo     (301-634-2222)

A special musical performance on Saturday by the 229th Army Brass Quintet. Enjoy a patriotic military concert in the Spanish Ballroom starting at 1:00 PM. On Sunday, Washington Revels Heritage Voices and Roustabout Band will present period music at 1:00 PM Also meet Anna Maria Weems, a young enslaved girl who escaped to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Special craft activities for children on Sunday.

2. Clara Barton National Historic Site  Saturday and Sunday

5801 Oxford Road, Glen Echo      (301-320-1410)

Visit the home of the “Angel of the Battlefield” and founder of the American Red Cross. This Victorian-style historic house was Clara Barton’s home during the last 15 years of her life. 

3. Josiah Henson Special Park  Sunday only

11420 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda        (301-650-4373)

Enjoy guided tours of the Riley farm where Reverend Josiah Henson was enslaved from 1795 to 1830. Henson’s 1849 autobiography inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Explore an archaeology dig and make your own set of marbles to take home. Tours begin every half hour from noon to 3:00PM. Park at the Shriver Aquatic Center at 5900 Executive Boulevard, North Bethesda. 

4. Historic Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station  Saturday and Sunday

8100 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring       (301-495-4915)

Tour the restored 1945 National Register B&O station with model railroads for kids of all ages. Try your hand at the “Switcher” module and consult with the “Ask a Member Train Clinic.” Watch HO model kit-building demonstrations and learn about railroad safety. Refreshments.  Opens at 10:00 AM on Saturday

5. Smithville Rosenwald School Museum and Education Center  Saturday only

811 East Randolph Road, Silver Spring       (301-879-3700)

Tour the restored historical school for African American children. Watch a historical film about the school, participate in lectures, and meet with alumnae of the school.

Gaithersburg/Rockville

6.  American Latvian Museum  Saturday and Sunday

400 Hurley Avenue, Rockville         (301-340-1914)
Exhibits on Latvian history, costumes, coins and jewelry. Hands-on activities for all ages include silversmithing and decorating Easter eggs with onionskin dye. Latvian music performed on the Kokle, folk songs by Sudrabavots, vocal ensemble and refreshments. Latvian handicrafts, and books for sale. 

7.  Beall-Dawson House and Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine  Saturday and Sunday

103 West Montgomery Avenue, Rockville      (301-762-1492)

Take a tour of the Federal-style Beall-Dawson House and see the exhibit Civil War in Montgomery County, which examines life during the conflict and the war’s lasting impacts. The unique Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine’s collection includes books, instruments and tools of the period. Dr. Stonestreet will be in his office on Saturday tending a wounded Civil War soldier. Take a look at his buggy parked nearby.

8. Gaithersburg Community Museum  Saturday only

S. Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg          (301-258-6160)

Visit the restored 1884 B&O Railroad Station complex, site of the Community Museum, History Park and rolling stock. Participate in “Train Day at the Museum” presented by Bantrak T Trak Division. Visitors can view the model train display and tour a caboose filled with local train history. See the 1918 steam locomotive, general mercantile store, as well as interactive displays of a bank and schoolroom. Opens at 10:00 AM

9.  Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory  Saturday only

100 Desellum Avenue, Gaithersburg       (301-258-6160)

Tour the restored building and newly opened History Park. The building and its surrounding property were built by Rockville astronomer Edwin Smith. This site played an important role in efforts of scientists to determine the “wobble of the earth”.

10.  Red Brick Courthouse  Saturday only

29 Courthouse Square, Rockville      (301-762-0096)

Guided tours of the Red Brick Courthouse at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 PM. Designated a historic building, the Courthouse is a symbol and architectural monument of old Rockville.

11. Pleasant View Historical Society  Saturday only

11810 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg    (301-926-1798)

Tour the historic church, school and cemetery at 12:00 Noon. Join “Kinderman” from 1:00 – 2:30 PM as he educates, entertains and inspires the imaginations of children and parents through an interactive experience. Gospel music performed by the Lyles Singers and the Royal Harmonies start at 2:30 PM.

Brookeville/Olney/Sandy Spring

12.  Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park  Saturday only

3610 Brookeville Road, Olney     301-650-4373

Built as one of three cabins housing African American tenants during the late 1800s, Oakley Cabin became part of a large African American roadside community. Bring the family and enjoy guided tours, demonstrations of 19th-century crafts, and a special musical performance by Music on the Rise featuring string band folk music throughout the day. Park at Longwood Local Park, 19300 Georgia Avenue, Olney. Shuttle service will be provided.

13. Brookeville One-Room Schoolhouse  Sunday only

10 North Street, Brookeville         (301-570-4465)
This 1860’s wood-frame schoolhouse was in continuous use until the early 1920s and is one of the few remaining schools of the era. Restored by the Town of Brookeville, it now displays photographs of early students and the restoration process. A school marm in period costume will be on site with her lessons for a little bit of living history.

14.  Olney Theatre Center  Saturday only 

2001 Sandy Spring Road, Olney     (301-924-4485)
Have a fun family day at this cultural campus that dates back to 1939. Enjoy performances by local community groups, watch snippets of theatrical productions and participate in other ongoing entertainment. Cotton candy, refreshments, and a variety of games for children of all ages. Food for sale.

15.  Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery  Saturday only

18524 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring     (301-774-4066)

Step back in time and tour the restored cross-section of a slave clipper ship, the Arts Pavilion and slave log cabin. View art and artifacts in the Great Hall.Washington Revels Jubilee Voices will perform traditional African American and Civil War songs at 12:00 Noon.  Meet historical persona Anna Maria Weems, an enslaved girl from Rockville who escaped to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Food will be available for sale. Opens at 11:00 AM. 

16.   Underground Railroad Trail

16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring       (301-650-4373)
Join volunteer “conductors” on guided hikes along a simulated Underground Railroad trail. The 2-mile natural surface trail winds through fields, woods and across streams to the historic Sandy Spring. Learn various techniques that freedom seekers used to elude pursuers. Listen to true, fascinating and heartbreaking stories along the way. The 90-minute hikes begin at 9:00 AM 10:00 AM, and 11:00 AM. Appropriate for ages 8 and up. Special Hours: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM    

Germantown/Boyds/Clarksburg

17.  King Barn Dairy MOOseum
18028 Central Park Circle, Boyds       (301-704-3047)

Come see models of life-sized dairy cows and the King Farm family home and watch a movie on dairy farming today. Exhibit and demonstration of milking equipment and butter-making. Family activities include milking a model cow, live animals presented by 4-H, a puppet show and crafts for children.  Saturday only: Balloon Man making hats for children from 12:00 to 2:00 PM; ice cream tasting from 12:00 to 3:00 PM. Sunday only: Meet a Montgomery County Farm Family. Opens Saturday at 10:00 AM.

18.   The Button Farm Living History Center  Saturday only

16820 Black Rock Road, Germantown    (301-916-7090)

Visit a living history farm depicting 1850’s plantation life. Tour the heirloom garden, Civil War era barn, reconstructed plantation quarters and slave cemetery. Living history re-enactors and interpreters will be on hand providing demonstrations.

19.   DC/RC Radio Control Club at the South Germantown Park  Saturday only
16200 Schaeffer Road, Boyds     (301-717-1980)
Enjoy watching all types of model aircraft flying throughout the day, along with special demonstrations. Souvenirs for children.

20.  Boyds Negro School  Saturday and Sunday
19510 White Ground Road, Boyds         (301-461-4646)
This one-room school, heated only with a pot-bellied stove, served as the only public school for African Americans in the Boyds area from 1895 – 1936. Watch a video, Boyds Negro School: Historic Lives.  Learn how to play marbles, make button jewelry and write by dipping a pen into an inkwell.

21.  Hyattstown Mill Arts Project  Saturday and Sunday
14920 Hyattstown Mill Road, Hyattstown     (301-874-2452)

View a multi-media art exposition titled “Invasive” in the Mill gallery. The show by regional artists presents imaginative interpretations of environmental concerns.  Hike the surrounding parkland and identify “alien species”. Leaf printing activity for children and MUSIC on both days featuring “Shortbread”, “The Trio”, and other musical performances. Saturday Night Song Circle from 7:30 to midnight. Opens at 10:00 AM both days. 

22.  Clarksburg Day  Saturday only 

Frederick Road, Downtown Clarksburg      (301-916-3899)

Celebrate the 260th anniversary of the town with fun festivities in the Historic District. See family heirlooms, multi-generational genealogies, and the tombstone of Clarksburg founder, John Clark. Take a free Trolley Car tour to the Historic 1909 Clarksburg Elementary School, Dowden’s Ordinary, and other historic buildings. Stop at the Clarksburg Animal Hospital for a pet show at 12:00 Noon. Moonbounce, clowns and more. Enjoy live music by the Jimmy Purdum Band from 12:00 to 1:30 PM at the historic Town Trading Post. Food available for sale.

23. Damascus Heritage Museum  Saturday only

9701 Main Street, Damascus (On the grounds of the Library/Senior Center)       (301-253-1811)

Visit this local history museum and learn the art of making apple butter. View the exhibit, “From the Attics of Damascus” to see long forgotten pieces of our heritage. Special entertainment for children includes old-fashioned games and crafts. 

C&O Canal/Poolesvile/Western Montgomery County

24.  Blockhouse Point Civil War Experience  Saturday only
15000 River Road, Potomac       (301-840-5848)
Walk in the footsteps of Civil War Union soldiers and see the remains of an 1862 outpost camp and blockhouse used to guard the Potomac River crossing from Confederate attack. The two-mile guided hikes, along an easy to moderate natural surface trail, begin at 12 Noon, 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Meet at the parking area of the Callithea Horse Farm across from Signal Tree Lane.

25.  Seneca Aqueduct-Lock and Riley's Lockhouse  Saturday only
River Road and Riley’s Lock Road, Poolesville    (301-983-0825)
The C&O Canal Association will give tours of the aqueduct. Learn about the historic and scenic lock house and listen to an interpreter give detailed information and handouts on the C&O National Historical Park and the C&O Canal Association.  

26.  Seneca Schoolhouse Museum  Saturday and Sunday
16800 River Road, Poolesville   (301-972-8588)
Enjoy a “Back-in-Time” visit to this 19th-century one-room schoolhouse. An 1880s school will be in session with a costumed teacher. Enjoy activities, games and refreshments.

27.  Historic St. Paul Community Church  Saturday only
14730 Sugarland Lane, Poolesville      (301-717-9304)
Tour the historic 1893 church and cemetery and see artifacts and historical documents. At 2:30 PM meet Netie Branison Johnson the daughter-in-law of former slave Philip Johnson who was a midwife and matriarch of the community and lived from 1833 to 1968. At 3:15 PM, Jubilee Voices will explore the music of African American slavery and the Underground Railroad. 

28.  Whites Ferry  Saturday and Sunday
24801 Whites Ferry Road, Poolesville 
A unique cable ferry crossing the Potomac every 20 minutes, a short distance downriver from Whites Ford where J.E.B. Stuart’s cavalry crossed in the Civil War. Foot traffic will be provided free rides on the ferry.

29.   Warren Church and Historic Site  Saturday only

22625 Whites Ferry Road, Martinsburg        (301-972-7263)
This unique African American historic group of buildings dates back to the 1860s with the church and original one-room schoolhouse are still in use. Exhibits and photographs of the site, descendants and community will be displayed. View restoration plans fo the Loving Charity Hall and take a tour of the site at 1:30 PM. Craft activities for children. The gospel music at 12:30 PM.

30.  Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard  Saturday and Sunday

18125 Comus Road, Dickerson        (301-605-0130)
Come tour Montgomery County’s only vineyard/winery. The 85-acre farm includes a restored red barn, silo and windmill and abuts the scenic Sugarloaf Mountain – a Registered National Landmark. Tour the fermentation and barrel rooms. Taste the local wines for a small charge. Last tour at 5:30 PM. Open till 6:00 PM both days. 

31.  John Poole House and General Store  Saturday and Sunday
19923 Fisher Avenue, Poolesville       (301-972-8588)
Tour the 1793 log cabin that used to be the General Store and Trading Post and is the oldest building in Poolesville. Civil War artifacts will be on display and crafters will be on site. Crafts for children and refreshment. 

32.  Poolesville Museum  Saturday and Sunday
19933 Fisher Ave, Poolesville      (301-972-8588)
See the ornate and early 20th-century bank vault with decorative painting in this recently restored 1907 building, an iconic historic structure at the center of Poolesville. View the photo contest exhibit of the Ag Reserve and see the winning entry. Watch the video, Life in a War Zone: Montgomery County during the Civil War. 

33.  Edwards Ferry and Lockhouse 25 Saturday only

River Road and Edwards Ferry Road, Poolesville      (301-972-3452)

Look for way-finding directional signs along Whites Ferry Road

Learn the importance of this site during the Civil War as told by costumed historians and local residents. Listen to Civil War music performed by Doug Jimerson dressed in period attire. Take a tour of the beautifully restored circa 1840 Lockhouse 25 offered by the Canal Quarters and hear an interpreter explain its history. Information on local hiking, biking, and water trails will be available.