The Good Week | September 10, 2026

Some people went shopping in Bethesda last week and came home with a photo with Jon Bernthal. That is an unusually good shopping trip.

That trip is hard to top, but there’s plenty more to look forward to: Bethesda Row is welcoming nearly 200 artists, then hosting Soirée on The Lane, with shopping, workshops, and live music. Add a French market in Potomac and a few discoveries nearby, and “want to come with me?” practically writes itself.

Pick something that makes you curious. Invite someone who makes it more fun. Celebrity cameos remain a bonus.

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

Spend the day exploring several of the Agricultural Reserve’s most captivating historic properties, including Valhalla, Montevideo, the Seneca Quarry Master House, Oakland Farm, and Woodstock Farm. Some stops include access inside the homes, while others open their grounds and outbuildings.

Presented by the Historic Medley District, the day begins with a historical overview and continues as a self-guided driving tour, with property owners on hand to share the stories of their homes. Proceeds support the organization’s local preservation work. $33.85.
👉 Get tickets for the Historic Ag Reserve Properties Tour

Nearly 200 artists will line the streets of Bethesda Row with original painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, sculpture, glass, fiber art and more. The two-day festival offers a chance to meet the artists, learn about their techniques and purchase work directly from them.

Recognized by Art Fair Sourcebook as one of the country’s top 30 fine art shows, the Bethesda Row Arts Festival draws more than 30,000 visitors each year. Free.
👉 Explore the Bethesda Row Arts Festival and participating artists

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

Let someone else handle the cooking this year. Mon Ami Gabi's multi-course Rosh Hashanah menu features challah with apples and honey, chopped liver, house made gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, a choice of beef or seared Atlantic salmon, and flourless chocolate cake. Dine in, or preorder carryout and celebrate around your own table. Shana Tova to all who celebrate!
Dine-in menu: $64.95 per adult.
👉 Reserve your table

The food stands alone hint at the scale of this three-day festival, with separate stops for shawarma, manakeesh, falafel, gyros, and homemade pastries, along with hummus, stuffed grape leaves, tabbouleh, grilled meats, and other Middle Eastern favorites.

Between plates, browse vendor booths and handmade goods, visit the religious gift shop, take a church tour, and enjoy Mediterranean music and entertainment. Hours are Friday from 5–9 pm, Saturday from noon–10 pm, and Sunday from noon–4 pm. Free admission and parking.
👉 Plan your visit to the Mediterranean Festival

Rockville Beerworks is bringing back its Oktoberfest celebration with a Märzen lager brewed for the occasion, German-inspired food from an outdoor tent, and live music from Prost! German Rock Band.

The day also brings games, stein-hoisting competitions, and plenty of time in the biergarten. Lederhosen and dirndls are welcome but entirely optional. Prepaid packages start at $44.52 for five tokens; a commemorative mug and five-token package is $65.87.
👉 See the Oktoberfest details and ticket options

See how locally grown grains become bourbon, rye, vodka, gin, and seasonal liqueurs at Song Dog Farm Distillery in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. The one-hour experience includes a full distillery tour followed by a guided tasting of Song Dog’s Maryland-made spirits.

The $10 reservation fee becomes a $10 credit toward your first bottle purchase, making this an especially good excuse to linger in the tasting room or out on the farm. $10.
👉 Book a tour and tasting at Song Dog Farm Distillery

Turn your morning coffee into something more impressive during a hands-on latte art class at Simona Cafe. Learn how to steam milk properly, balance espresso, milk, and foam, and recognize the right temperature.

The class covers two foundational designs—hearts and tulips—plus techniques you can adapt for a home espresso machine. You’ll also have time to practice your pours with guidance. Few tickets remain. $108.55.
👉 Reserve a place in the latte art class

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

Bring a favorite photo of your pet or another animal and learn how to turn it into a black-and-white portrait using fusible glass powder. Instructors at Weisser Glass Studio will demonstrate how to build realistic details, shading, and texture with this unusual medium.

No drawing or glass experience is needed, and the studio will provide guidance on selecting a suitable photograph before class. All supplies are included. $149.
👉 Check availability for the Powdered Pet Portraits workshop

Pressed flowers, glitter, metallic flakes, and other tiny treasures become a collection of three to five resin charms in this beginner-friendly workshop led by Lavender Sage.

Choose how to finish your creations, from earrings and necklaces to keychains, bracelets, and bag charms. UV resin means everything cures during class, so you can take your finished pieces home that afternoon. All materials are included, and only 10 spots are available. $32.17.
👉 Reserve a spot in the resin charm workshop

Second Story Books is hosting two open reading nights for local writers ready to share a few pages with an audience. Participants can sign up for a six- to eight-minute slot and read fiction, poetry, a work in progress, a comedy sketch, a screenplay excerpt or nonfiction.

You do not have to be a writer to attend. Stop by the Rockville warehouse to listen and support the people creating stories close to home. Reader sign-up begins 15 minutes before each event.
👉 See the Open Reading Night details

Bring up to three photographs, letters, quilts, or other family treasures for a one-on-one review with a preservation specialist. A community expo also offers digitization activities, quilting demonstrations, and workshops on preserving family and local history.

Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Glenstone Museum, and the Juneteenth Scotland Foundation. Free; registration is encouraged for reviews, and the expo welcomes drop-ins.
👉 Reserve a review for Hometown Treasures

Maryland native plants replace numbered balls in this garden-inspired round of bingo, and the winners take home living additions for their yards. Between calls, learn what makes the plants of the Piedmont region distinctive and how they can help support a backyard habitat.

No deep gardening knowledge required. Just bring a little luck and perhaps room for a new plant. $10.
👉 Register for Native Plant Bingo

This two-day class gives beginning and returning woodworkers a grounding in the skills behind a well-made project. Learn how to create different types of joints using hand and power tools while making a piece to take home.

The course also covers how to choose lumber, sharpen tools, understand different types of wood, and finish a project properly. All tools and materials are included. $390.
👉 Register for Fundamentals of Woodworking

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

Goldenrods and purple asters take center stage during a leisurely walk through the park with Montgomery Parks Master Naturalists. Along the way, they’ll identify the flowers still blooming and share what’s happening in the landscape as summer gives way to fall.

The walk follows natural-surface trails with some steep inclines and is part of a three-date series, though each outing can be booked separately. Space is limited. $7.
👉 Register for the Fall Wildflower Walk

Nature Forward invites you to slow down and notice what you might otherwise miss. Instructors will introduce a simple nature-journaling approach using words, pictures, and numbers to record the details of the changing season.

No artistic experience is needed. Bring a journal with blank pages and a pen or pencil, then settle in for a slower, more curious look at the natural world. $12 for Nature Forward members; $16 for nonmembers, plus a $1 registration fee.
👉 Register for Nature Forward’s Nature Journaling workshop

This morning series takes a gentle approach to yoga, combining poses and simple movement with breathing exercises, mindfulness, and deep relaxation. The emphasis is on easing stress, improving circulation, and feeling more grounded in everyday life.

No previous yoga experience is needed, and the setting inside Girls Who Paint Studio gives the class a more intimate feel than a traditional fitness studio. Bring a yoga mat and two blankets. $180 for the six-week series.
👉 Book the Yoga for Women series

Earlier picks still ahead — and still worth catching.

🛶 Beginner Kayak Tours on the Potomac — Saturdays, Sept. 12, 19 and 26, at 9 am or 2 pm — Learn the basics while exploring a serene stretch of the Potomac near Pennyfield Lock.

🌲 Fall Forest Bathing — Sat, Sept. 12, 10 am–noon — Slow down and reconnect with nature during a guided sensory experience at Locust Grove Nature Center.

🛍️ Twinbrook Quarter Makers Market — Sat, Sept. 12, noon–5 pm — Shop fashion, baked goods, original art, vintage pieces and other finds from local makers.

🎨 Polymer Clay Switch Plate Workshop — Sat, Sept. 12, 3–5 pm — Create whimsical switch and outlet covers from colorful polymer clay at the Arts Barn.

🎨 Small Press Expo — Sat–Sun, Sept. 12–13 — Meet 450 independent cartoonists, browse original work and explore creative programs in North Bethesda.

🧘 YogaSix Potomac’s First Birthday Bash — Sat, Sept. 19, 10–11 am — Celebrate with free yoga on the lawn, local vendors, a DJ, retail specials and cake.

🐝 Getting Started With Beekeeping — Sat, Sept. 19, 11 am–12:30 pm — Learn what it takes to establish and care for a backyard honeybee hive.

🚪 Doormat Workshop — Sun, Sept. 27, 10:30 am–12:30 pm — Choose a playful design and paint a custom coir doormat at Locally Crafted Workshop.

😂 Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood at Strathmore — Sun, Oct. 4, 4 pm — The stars of Whose Line Is It Anyway? bring their completely improvised comedy show to North Bethesda.

🏊 Fall Swimming at Old Farm Pool — Through Nov. 2 — Keep swimming with coached Masters practices or flexible lap-swimming and water-walking sessions.

💛 Main Street Volunteer Crew — Ongoing — Volunteer alongside Main Street members at social events, creative programs and community gatherings in Rockville.

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

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