The Good Week | August 13, 2026

Once again, our little corner of the world is showing some range. Whether you’re in the mood to get outside, go dancing, give back, try something creative, or just do something a little different, Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville & nearby have plenty to choose from this week.

And if learning mahjong has been sitting on your “maybe I should finally figure this out” list, we have you covered there, too. Our new local Mahjong Guide breaks down the classes, social play, regular groups, and pop-ups around the community so you can find the right place to start.

So pick your mood, pick your adventure, and live a little more locally.

Have a friend who’s always looking for something new to do nearby? Send this issue their way.

✨ THIS ISSUE’S TOP PICK

Know someone who’d like The Good Week? Forward this their way.

✉️ Got this from a friend? Sign up free here.

Art, music, performances, and a few reasons to spend the evening out.

Montgomery Parks is bringing Baltimore singer-songwriter Enslow to Cabin John for a free outdoor tribute concert centered on hits from “the world’s biggest pop star.”

Local artist Enslow blends modern pop with indie and 1970s influences and was named Baltimore Magazine’s Best Band in Baltimore for 2024. For this show, she’ll put her own spin on the songs at the heart of the tribute.

El Jefe Woodfired Pizza will be on site, along with beer from Waredaca Brewing Company. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and settle in for the evening. Free
👉 Learn more about the Parks Summer Concert Series

Montgomery Parks is bringing a full lineup of local stand-up comedians to Cabin John Regional Park for a free outdoor comedy night produced with Improbable Comedy.

The evening starts with food trucks and local craft drinks, followed by a 7 pm show featuring Justin Um, Shelley Kim, Jenny Questell, Dom Grayer, Sandi Benton, and Jack Coleman. Shelley Kim has been featured by Washingtonian, PBS, CBS, and The Washington Post, while several others on the lineup regularly perform at venues and comedy showcases around the region.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and make an evening of it. The show is intended for ages 17 and up. Free; no registration required.
👉 Learn more about the All-Star Comedy Show

Vinyl Day returns with a full day built around record culture, DJs, live music, and hands-on ways to listen, learn, and join in.

The lineup moves from Brazilian drumming and Rock en Español to K-pop, hip-hop history, and cumbia on the mainstage, while the library fills with a vinyl sale, listening lounge, sound experiments, art with VisArts, trivia, silent discos, and more.

It’s free, drop-in, and easy to make your own — stay for one set, browse the records, or spend the afternoon moving between performances and activities. Free
👉 Learn more about Vinyl Day 2026

Composer and conductor Steve Hackman leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in an orchestral reimagining of Taylor Swift’s music.

The program brings songs from across Swift’s catalog into full symphonic arrangements, pairing the familiarity of her music with the scale and texture of a live orchestra. Friendship bracelets are encouraged. $31+
👉 Get tickets for Taylor Swift: The Symphony Era

Food experiences, tastings, and classes that make the week revolve around something delicious

A guided tasting puts craft beer and pizza side by side to explore what makes certain pairings work.

Silver Branch brewer Alex will lead the evening, pairing a curated flight of beers with several pizzas from Mosaic Pizza and talking through flavor, brewing, and pairing techniques along the way.

The ticket includes the beer flight, multiple pizza pairings, and the guided tasting experience. $66.
👉 Get tickets for Hops & Slices

Hands-on classes and social activities where you can learn something new or step a little outside your comfort zone.

Paint Brains brings its Painting Faces series to 7 Locks Brewing for a free, two-hour portrait session built around a live model and a shared creative space.

There’s no formal instruction, so the focus is less on following a lesson and more on practicing, experimenting, and creating alongside other local artists and art-curious neighbors. Work in whatever medium feels right — drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, or something else — while the model holds a single pose throughout the session with regular breaks.

Bring a compact art setup if you have one; a small supply of paper, clipboards, and colored pencils will also be available. All experience levels are welcome, and tipping the model is encouraged. Free
👉 Reserve a spot for Painting Faces

Build a fiber collage from the ground up using burlap, colorful threads, and a mix of stitching techniques.

Participants will cut and layer pieces of burlap, then add texture and color with embroidery to create a finished piece of their own. No experience is needed, and all materials are included.

The workshop is hosted by the Gaithersburg Artist Collective at Artists on Market, its juried gallery and community arts space in Kentlands. The Collective is a program of the Kentlands Community Foundation. $40
👉 Register for the Fiber Collage workshop

Talk Tiles To Me brings its annual Play for Purple fundraiser to BabyCat Brewery for an evening of mahjong supporting the Alzheimer’s community.

Players can settle in for two hours of independent play, with 100% of donations benefiting Team Talk Tiles To Me For A Cure and its participation in the Northern Virginia Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

This event is for players who already know the game, and no instruction will be provided. Bring your current NMJL card.
👉 Sign up for Play for Purple

Have you ever wanted to try glassmaking but weren't sure where to start? This one-night workshop is the low-pressure entry point. Working with resident artist Michele Rubin, you'll layer colorful glass enamels into a freeform design and fuse it into a glass tile you keep. No experience needed, all supplies included, ages 14+.

It kicks off the Art Glass Center's new Wednesday evening series, with a different glass technique explored each week, so if this one hooks you, there's more where it came from. $135, $132 for members
👉 Register for the Enamel Tiles Workshop

Move your body, get outside, and stay active this week.

YogaSix Potomac is teaming up with Girls on the Run Montgomery County for a one-hour class that pairs movement with a good cause.

Part of Girls on the Run’s 2026 Sweat Series, the session is designed to be energizing, approachable, and open to all levels. Every registration supports Girls on the Run Montgomery County, helping provide programming, financial aid, and running shoes so more girls can participate regardless of cost.
👉 Register for the YogaSix Potomac x Girls on the Run Sweat Series event

If you've been meaning to find your people for a running habit, this is a friendly place to start. The group runs a 5K loop alternating between Harris Teeter/NIH and Chopt/Capital Crescent Trail, and they mean it when they say all paces welcome. This crew runs a relaxed 9–11 minute pace and splits into faster and slower groups when the crowd is big enough.
👉 Join the Bethesda/Rockville Run Club

Take a one-mile walk through downtown Rockville while tracing how the city changed from the colonial era through the 19th century.

Peerless Rockville will lead the tour through some of the city’s earliest streets, with stories about life in 1776, the transition from Montgomery Courthouse to Rockville, and the people and places that shaped the growing town.

The tour begins at City Hall and continues toward Rockville Town Center. $10–$17.85
👉 Get tickets for Walk the Streets of Early Rockville

Lululemon Bethesda Row is welcoming Barry’s to the neighborhood with a free morning workout and launch event.

Known for its high-energy “Red Room” classes that combine cardio and strength training, Barry’s has built a devoted following in cities around the world. For this Bethesda event, Coach Kay will lead a 60-minute bootcamp-style workout, with a mix of sweat-inducing movement and strength work designed to give attendees a taste of the Barry’s experience.

The morning also includes lululemon fit support, co-branded giveaways, and other launch-week activations. Bring a mat and water bottle. Free; advance registration required.
👉 Reserve a spot for the Barry’s launch workout

Earlier picks still ahead — and still worth catching.

🎨 Silver Branch Rockville Beerworks: Neon Paint & Sip — Thu, Aug. 13, 7–9 pm — Create a neon-inspired painting during a guided Paint & Sip, with all supplies and one drink included.

🎶 Olney Theatre Center: Songs of Carly Simon & James Taylor — Aug. 13–16 — Settle in for a celebration of the songs and complicated musical legacy of the singer-songwriter duo.

🎭 Round House Theatre: Inside the Making of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — Tue, Aug. 18 — Get an advance look at the creative decisions shaping Round House’s upcoming production.

🀄 Crak Bam Mahj: Tournament Prep — Sat, Aug. 22, 10:30 am–1:30 pm — Learn the rules, timing, scoring, and etiquette that make tournament play different from a casual game.

🎤 Olney Theatre Center: Space Oddity — The Ultimate David Bowie Experience — Fri, Aug. 28 — Catch a costumed, multimedia tribute tracing Bowie’s music, reinvention, and unmistakable stage presence.

🐦 Locust Grove Nature Center: Morning Tweets and Tea — Fri, Sept. 4 — Try a relaxed introduction to birding, with binoculars available to borrow and tea included.

🎤 Olney Theatre Center: Almost Queen — Sat, Sept. 5 — Sing along to Queen favorites during a high-energy tribute packed with harmonies and detailed costumes.

🎃 Glassworks Studio: DIY Pumpkin Workshop — Sun, Sept. 6, 9 am–12 pm — Create a pair of blown-glass pumpkins while learning introductory glassblowing techniques.

📚 DabbleLab: Plot Twisted — Thu, Sept. 10, 6–8 pm — Discuss Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke while making a story-inspired craft.

🎶 Olney Theatre Center: TUSK — The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute — Thu, Sept. 10 — Hear Fleetwood Mac favorites and deeper cuts from a touring tribute band that has played together for more than a decade.

🎶 Olney Theatre Center: Better Off Dead — Sat, Sept. 12 — Close out Olney Outdoors with a Grateful Dead tribute built around a different set and experience each night.

🍽️ Josiah Henson Museum and Park: Foodie Fridays — History in the Kitchen — Fri, Sept. 18, 6:30–8:30 pm — Explore local history through the recipes, cookbooks, and food traditions that shaped Montgomery County.

🌙 C&O Canal Trust: Park After Dark — Sat, Sept. 19, 6–9 pm — Spend an evening at Great Falls Tavern with cocktails, live bluegrass, dinner, a silent auction, and after-dark activities along the canal.

🐴 Congressional Polo Club: Habitat for Humanity Polo Classic — Sat, Sept. 26, 2–5:30 pm — Make an afternoon of polo matches, a divot stomp, local vendors, tailgating, and a good cause.

🧘 Kensington Cabin Local Park: Midday Reset Yoga — Mondays beginning Sept. 28 — Pair gentle movement with yoga nidra during a four-week midday series.

If you stop by any of this week’s spots, let them know you heard about it in The Good Week.

If something landed well—or if we missed a place you think deserves attention—tell us at [email protected].

If you’re a local business interested in advertising or sponsoring a future issue, reach out to [email protected].

And if you know someone who’d appreciate a little local intel on Thursdays, forward this along.

See you next week.

✉️ Got this from a friend? Sign up here.

If this landed somewhere other than your primary inbox — spam, junk, Promotions — drag it over and add our address to your contacts. It's the easiest way to make sure The Good Week finds you every Thursday.

We double-check details, but plans change — confirm before you head out. All outings, reservations, and purchases are at your discretion; The Good Week isn’t responsible for any changes, cancellations, or experiences once you arrive.

View past issues of The Good Week.

© 2026 The Good Week. All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced without permission.