The Good Week | July 30, 2026

This summer has flown by, but there's still time to soak up everything Potomac, Bethesda, and nearby have to offer. We love uncovering all the ways to live a little more locally right in our own backyard, and this week that includes a new guide to nearby markets — one more way to support our local neighbors.

There's still plenty of good week left this summer. Send this issue to the friend who's always asking "what should we do this weekend?" 💛

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Catch the latest installment of Westbard Square's Summer Concert Series, with live music on the square. Free and open to the public — bring a chair or blanket and settle in for an evening of tunes to close out July.
👉 Details for Westbard Square Summer Concert Series

Historian Robert K. Brigham spent decades studying the work of a renowned Marine combat photographer before discovering the man was his biological father.

Hear Brigham share the extraordinary story behind his memoir, This Is a True War Story: My Improbable History with Vietnam, and the connections between war, photography, family, and foster care.

The free event is part of Amy Kaslow Gallery’s America at 250 programming. Advance registration is requested.
👉 RSVP for the K/NOW Dialogue

The Black Art Today Foundation presents Convergence, an exhibition exploring creative intersections where distinct artistic voices and mediums collide — moving beyond solitary creation to show how different styles and philosophies elevate one another. Themes include The Shared Canvas, Harmony in Discord, Stylistic Collisions, and The Space Between.

Gallery hours: Fridays, 11am–3pm; Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–5pm. Note the extended hours on Friday, July 31 (1–8pm) if you're looking for a good last chance to catch it.
👉 Learn more about Convergence

Historian Susan Cooke Soderberg discusses My Name Is Not Tom, her biography of Josiah Henson, who escaped slavery and became a minister, abolitionist, and Underground Railroad leader.

Drawing on new primary-source research, the book looks beyond the familiar story connecting Henson to Uncle Tom’s Cabin to explore the fuller complexity of his life and evolving views.

Seating is limited. Advance registration is required.
👉 Register for the book talk

Bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen returns to Wonderland Books to launch The Women in White, a thriller blending a decades-old disappearance with unsettling paranormal elements. The story moves between 1964, when four university students vanished during parapsychology experiments, and the present day, where a newly divorced woman takes a caretaker job with an elderly widow who's spent decades cut off from the modern world.

Pekkanen will discuss the novel's intertwined timelines, hidden histories, and the question of whether certain abilities are intuition, extrasensory perception, or something harder to explain.
👉 Learn more and purchase your book

Hear "Red Red Wine," the reggae-pop hit that became one of the defining songs of the 1980s, along with "Food for Thought," "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You," and more as UB40 brings its Unstoppable Tour to Strathmore.

Featuring founding members — James Brown, Robin Campbell, Earl Falconer, and Norman Hassan — this event marks their fifth consecutive year touring North America. The full-band performance spans more than four decades of the group's Caribbean-influenced pop, soul, and reggae sound, and comes on the heels of a new album released this summer.

Tickets are $28–$98. Separate VIP experiences are also available.
👉 Get tickets for UB40

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

Three rounds of music bingo hosted by DJ Dre, spinning throwback hits from the '80s, '90s, and 2000s across R&B, pop, and hip-hop. Straight bingo (five in a row wins), with three lucky winners taking home prizes each round.

Tickets are $40 and include hot appetizers, game participation, tax, and gratuity. Cash bar available for drinks.
👉 Buy tickets

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

Create a bright, dimensional lemon artwork during this beginner-friendly mixed-media workshop. You'll paint and blend an acrylic background on a 12-by-16-inch canvas, then paint, assemble, and attach raised lemons for a sculptural finish.

Maryland artist Adria Aghasi, founder of Artella Creative Club, leads the workshop with her sister, Aida. Adria studied painting in Iran and holds a master's degree in animation directing.

All materials are included, along with coffee, tea, and a light snack. No painting experience is required. Ages 16 and older. Registration is $65.75.
👉 Register for the 3D Lemon Canvas workshop

Get hands-on experience creating your own pair of blown glass pumpkins in this one-day workshop. You'll work directly with instructor Paul Swartwood to shape your pumpkins in colors of your choice, with demonstrations along the way covering studio equipment, technique, and safety.

Wear cotton clothing and closed-toed shoes. Supplies and safety equipment included. Minimum age 15.

Registration opens August 5 at 10am. Tuition $160 ($157 for members).
👉Register for the Discover Glassblowing workshop

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

Grab a hat and sunscreen and spend a relaxing summer morning learning to kayak. Certified instructors cover the basics — paddling, entering and exiting the kayak, and a few core strokes — before you launch onto Lake Needwood to practice on your own or paddle around looking for wildlife.

Kayak rental and a life jacket are included. Paddlers must be comfortable handling a single-person kayak solo once on the water. $50.
👉 Register for Introduction to Kayaking

Earlier picks still ahead — and still worth catching.

💪 Cabin John Village: Pvolve Outdoor Community Class — Thu, July 30, 9:30–10:30 am — Try Pvolve’s low-impact functional movement method during a free outdoor class in Potomac.

🎭 Ovations Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show — July 31–Aug. 9 — Follow Brad and Janet into the strange, campy world of Dr. Frank-N-Furter at The Harriet.

🧵 Strathmore: Connecting with Nature: Contemporary Art Quilts — Through Fri, July 31 — Explore contemporary textile art inspired by the natural world.

🎭 Montgomery College: Anything Goes — Through Sun, Aug. 2 — See Cole Porter’s classic musical with a pre-show reception and intermission dessert.

🎭 Round House Theatre: ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly — Through Sun, Aug. 2 — Enjoy puppets, live music, physical comedy, and medieval spectacle.

🚲 Bike Rockville: Tuesday Evening Bike Ride — Tue, Aug. 4, 6:30 pm — Explore Rockville during a casual, approximately one-hour group ride.

🦙 Sugarloaf Studios: Pottery With Alpacas — Tuesdays, Aug. 4, 11, 18 + 25, 6–8 pm — Take a four-week ceramics class on a Poolesville microfarm.

📷 Photoworks: Fall and Winter Photography Classes — Registration opens Wed, Aug. 5 — Choose from beginner-friendly photography workshops, multiweek courses, and online classes.

💛 Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council Board — Applications due Fri, Aug. 7 — Apply to help guide local arts grantmaking, planning, and cultural initiatives.

🧘 Lake Needwood: Sunset Yoga — Monday evenings through Aug. 10, 7–8 pm — Join a free, beginner-friendly yoga class beside the lake.

🌿 7 Locks Brewing: Bonsai Bar — Tue, Aug. 11, 6:30 pm — Pot and trim a dwarf jade bonsai while learning how to care for it.

🎶 Strathmore: Free Lawn Concerts — Wednesdays through Aug. 12, 7:30 pm — Bring a blanket for free outdoor performances spanning multiple musical genres.

🌌 Woodend Sanctuary: Summer Night Sky — Fri, Aug. 14, 8:30–10 pm — Learn to navigate the night sky and observe celestial objects through a telescope.

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

🎨 Jennifer Lynn Beaudet: Color Theory & Painting Fundamentals — Wednesdays, Sept. 16–Oct. 21, 10 am–12:30 pm — Build your color-mixing and painting skills during a six-week class in Kensington.

🎤 Strathmore: Alex Edelman — Wed–Thu, Nov. 4–5, 8 pm — See the Tony- and Emmy-winning comedian’s new storytelling show.

🍅 Cabin John Village: Norman’s Farm Market Pop-Up — Wednesdays through Nov. 4, 4–6:30 pm — Shop locally grown fruits and vegetables from Norman’s Farm.

🌻 Cabin John Village Farmers Market — Sundays, 9 am–1 pm — Browse fresh produce, artisan goods, and locally made finds in Potomac.

💛 Bethesda Urban Partnership: Volunteer Opportunities — Ongoing — Help with setup, guest assistance, information tents, and other needs at downtown Bethesda events.

🎭 Round House Theatre: 50 for 50 — Throughout the 2026–2027 season — Take part in free experiences celebrating the theater’s 50th anniversary.

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].

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

See you next week.

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