Warby Parker holding grand opening event Saturday at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Warby Parker will celebrate its arrival at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this week with a special grand opening event this Saturday, October 18, 2025. The eyewear boutique will be open from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Saturday. This is Warby Parker's second Bethesda location; the first is located at Bethesda Row. Look for Warby Parker on Level 1 of the mall, across from Vineyard Vines in the Nordstrom wing.

Ice rink under construction at The Square at Rockville (Photos)

It's almost that time again at The Square at Rockville in Rockville Town Center. Time to strap on a pair of ice skates and glide into the holiday season. The ice rink is under construction in the Town Square. While the plunge in temperatures has been well-timed for the debut of the rink, property owner Morguard reports that the official opening date of the rink for 2025 will be Sunday, October 19. 

Leech Woods Haunted Trail opens Friday in Damascus

Halloween season is officially underway, and that means it's time to track down local haunted attractions. One of the highest-rated is right here in Montgomery County in one of our greatest towns, Damascus: Leech Woods Haunted Trail at 11201 Bethesda Church Road, and it opens this Friday, October 3, 2025. The trail and hayride have gotten high marks for creativity, originality, scare factor, and the pace of entry to ensure that you get your own experience on the trail, rather than crashing into the adventurers ahead of you. Past survivors also praise the high quality of the food and drinks that are for sale in the village from which you will depart - you've got to fortify yourself for the terrors ahead.

Make sure to read the FAQ on the website for important information regarding accessibility, clothing and shoe requirements, and parking and weather advisories. You can also buy tickets on there, of course. Also, if you are a traditional hayride fanatic, be forewarned that the separate Haunted Hayride attraction is not simply a standard hayride. You will explore the haunted Leech cemetery on foot, in between your rides out and back from that burial plot. There are fire pits in the village over which you can keep warm, and/or heat up s'mores from kits you can buy. In past years, there have been fortune tellers, merch to immortalize your survival, carnival games, axe throwing, and more in that spooky yet quaint village area. And there are plenty of "characters" to keep you diverted while you wait to enter the trail.

The founders of this attraction have wisely grounded the haunts in a chilling story inspired by the original inhabitants of the property, the Leech family, who met a grisly demise at the hands of truly demented people...or something else...during the brutal Maryland winter of 1804. Suffice it to say, there's enough negative energy on-site to overload your ghost radar and EMF meter. No wonder so many who have survived their trek on the Leech Woods Haunted Trail have reported getting quite a scare in their 5-star Yelp, and 4.7-star Google reviews.

Nextdoor removes Rockville Charlie Kirk prayer vigil post

Nextdoor has removed a post informing users about Montgomery County-area prayer vigils being held for Charlie Kirk, the leader of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, who was assassinated last week in Utah. It included one taking place in Rockville on September 20. The Nextdoor user who posted it sent me a few screen shots of their post, which did not include any political statements, much less any offensive language. Some time later, the user was informed that their post had been hidden, and will ultimately be removed altogether, because a post about a timely event taking place in Rockville is supposedly a "non-local topic outside of a group."

The user has appealed the removal of the post. In contrast, comments promoting violence against Kirk that were posted in response to the vigil announcement have been allowed to remain on Nextdoor.

Charlie Kirk vigil to be held in Rockville on September 20

A vigil will be held for Charlie Kirk in Montgomery County this coming Saturday, September 20, 2025. The event will be held in Rockville at the Courthouse Square park, located at the corner of E. Jefferson Street and W. Montgomery Avenue in Rockville Town Center, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Saturday. There will be tributes to Kirk, prayers, and speakers. Kirk, the founder of the conservative political organization Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10 while speaking at the launch of TPUSA's latest college campus tour in Utah.

Ba Le bánh mì sandwich shop opening September 25 in Rockville (Photos)

Ba Le, a bánh mì sandwich shop, will open September 25, 2025 in Rockville. A banner announcing the grand opening has been placed above the storefront. The Vietnamese restaurant is located at 765-FG Rockville Pike, in the Ritchie Center shopping center. You can get a sneak peek at the menu in the photos below. They've also added a "Fresh Baked Bread" sign in the window, as each of these world-famous Vietnamese sandwiches start with a fresh-baked French baguette sliced lengthwise, before it is filled with the ingredients of your choice. I notice they will have touchscreens for ordering inside, also pictured at bottom.

Jaws 50th Anniversary screening at Regal Rockville Center this Saturday

Jaws, the summer blockbuster that created the summer blockbuster, turned 50 this year. To celebrate, many theaters around the country are bringing the Steven Spielberg classic back to the big screen. Regal Cinemas Rockville Center at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue will be screening the film this Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 1:00 PM. Tickets are limited, and available online. I'm not sure I understand why many of these screenings have been scheduled for the fall, though; Jaws was and is very much a summer movie.

Montgomery Mall to celebrate the arrival of fall with Fall Fest September 20

Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda is welcoming the fall equinox with a Fall Fest celebration on September 20, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The event will feature a "vibrant" artisan market, craft activities, and dance. There will be dance performances, and attendees can participate in interactive salsa lessons. Over 30 local arts and crafts vendors will be spotlighted in the artisan market. Many mall businesses will offer fall season specials and experiences during the Fall Fest hours. The event is free, and you can RSVP online.

MWBC Shop Local to host opening party 4-8 PM today at The Square in Rockville

MWBC Shop Local at 36-D Maryland Avenue at The Square in Rockville will host an Opening Party today, August 1, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There will be a "sip and shop experience," face painting, and giveaways every hour. Attendees will also have a chance to meet the six local artisans whose products are sold at the store. A retail storefront initiative of the Maryland Women's Business Center designed to provide an incubator opportunity for local artisans and small-scale manufacturers, MWBC Shop Local provides program participants with mentoring, practical experience, and access to capital. Once open, the store's operating hours will be 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sundays.

Jurassic World Rebirth specials at AMC Montgomery 16 cineplex in Bethesda

AMC Theatres continues to be the top cineplex chain to see blockbuster movies at. They've been on a roll since before the pandemic, when they offered cocktails and free collectibles for moviegoers screening Spider-Man: Far from Home in 2019. Starting today, July 2, 2025, the AMC Montgomery 16 theater at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda will enhance your Jurassic World Rebirth cinema experience with a free InGen ID badge and lanyard (while supplies last with ticket purchase), a dino-size Sriracha Bavarian Legend Pretzel, and a Menacing Mix cocktail made with tropical fruit, Kraken spiced rum and a "gold dusted dehydrated pineapple slice" garnish.

Wegmans opening today in Rockville (Photos)

A nearly decade-long odyssey comes to an end today at the new Twinbrook Quarter development at the northeast corner of Rockville Pike and Halpine Road. Wegmans will open its long-awaited grocery store at 1590 Rockville Pike at 9:00 AM this morning. The store includes a Market Cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. Wegmans has so far donated over $21,000 to community causes, including So What Else and $1000 scholarships to 5 graduating seniors from Richard Montgomery and Rockville High Schools.

Flip Circus comes to town tonight through June 24 in Bethesda

The circus is coming to town tonight. Flip Circus has set up its tent in the parking lot at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, and promises to "keep the amazing American circus tradition alive." Family friendly shows are scheduled daily through June 24, 2025. The legendary Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus folded up like a card table in 2017, under pressure from radical blowhards like the Montgomery County Council, who banned circus animals from performing in the County that same year. Infamously, Discovery Communications was stolen away from Silver Spring by New York City and Knoxville through secret negotiations that took place the very week the Council spent debating circus animals. Heckuva job, Brownie! But the struggle sessions in MoCo and elsewhere that brought down Ringling Bros. created a vacuum that was filled by troupes like Flip Circus.

Flip Circus is more intimate in scale than Ringling Bros. The County Council will be delighted to know that there are no elephants, tigers, or other exotic beasts in the Flip Circus show. Acrobatics, magic tricks, aerialists, clowns, and other traditional hallmarks of a circus remain, however. Tickets are available online - or at the box office, if they haven't sold out - and the air-conditioned tent includes a concessions stand. Beware that if a clown car pulls up at the mall, and 11 jokers emerge, that's just the County Council and not part of the show.