The Good Week | September 17, 2026

Since starting The Good Week, we’ve shared more than 200 distinct venues, and we’re still finding more events, places, and things to do in Bethesda, Potomac, and nearby than we ever imagined.

Each issue is meant to be a peek at the best of local living: shining a light on local venues, uncovering the unexpected, and highlighting special experiences happening close to home.

You’ll find a mix of things you can do this weekend and events you’ll want to plan ahead for, giving you time to get tickets, rally your friends, and put something fun on the calendar.

So pick something that catches your eye and go see a little more of what’s happening close to home.

✨ THIS ISSUE’S TOP PICK

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

Join a worldwide celebration of the Moon at Observatory Park, home to Gaithersburg’s historic Latitude Observatory. Look through telescopes and binoculars, learn how the Earth is mapped with the USGS and Maryland Society of Surveyors, and spend an evening doing a little skywatching close to home.

Bring a blanket or folding chair if you’d like, and skip the bright flashlight so everyone’s night vision stays intact. Registration required.
👉 Register for International Observe the Moon Night

A night built for Dolly Parton fans: Bethesda Theater pairs a curated pre-show music tribute from DJ Lance Reynolds with a big-screen showing of 9 to 5, the 1980 comedy starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin.

Come for the songs, stay for the movie, and consider it a very good reason to revisit one of Dolly’s most iconic eras. Tickets $10 plus fees; $20 food and beverage minimum per person.👉 Get tickets for Celebrating Dolly Parton: 9 to 5

Take a closer look at the art woven into downtown Rockville on a guided walking tour with the city’s Arts and Culture Program. Starting at “The Spirit of Rockville” in Courthouse Square Park, the tour continues through The Square with stops at public artworks along the way. Registration required. Free.
👉 Register for the 10 am tour or 2 pm tour

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

Shake up the middle of the week with a complimentary cocktail class at The Lady Vintner. Come learn a little mixology, then stay for a drink and make a night of it at the woman-owned wine bar. Classes can fill up, so arriving early is a good idea. Free.
👉 See what’s happening at The Lady Vintner

Traditional Armenian dishes, home-baked desserts, and specialty foods fill three days at Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church. Come with a friend and an appetite, explore a few new flavors, and take something home for later. Future you appreciates dessert, too. Dine in or carry out. Preorders close Friday, September 18, at noon.
👉 Festival details and preorder information

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

This is much more than a theatre class. Get an insider’s look at how Les Misérables moves from page to stage, with direct access to the artists shaping the production. Over four weeks, you’ll hear how choices around set, costume, lighting, music, and performance come together to create the final show.

Then comes the really cool part: participants are invited into the production process itself, including a tech rehearsal, the final dress rehearsal on October 29, and opening night on November 5. If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens before the curtain goes up, this is a rare chance to see it firsthand. $300.
👉 Get your Backstage Pass to Les Misérables

Spend an afternoon exploring Latine heritage through writing, music, memory, nature, and storytelling. Choose from three creative writing workshops exploring poetry and nature, music as a writing prompt, or the body as an archive of memory.

The workshops are followed by a panel conversation on where our stories live and how those influences shape creative work, plus a reception for attendees. You can register for a workshop or attend the panel and reception on their own. Registration required. Free.
👉 Register for Latine Heritage Through a Literary Lens

Always wondered what it would be like to climb outside? Potomac Mountain Club is setting aside a morning specifically for brand-new and newer outdoor climbers to give it a try at Carderock. No experience is necessary, and harnesses, helmets, and belayers are provided.

This isn’t one of the club’s regular climbing days. It’s designed as an easy entry point for people who are curious but haven’t quite made the leap outdoors yet. Registration required. Free.
👉 Register for New Climbers Day

A little love in the mailbox still has its advantages over a text. Tucked into the woods of Carderock Springs, FiberArt.STUDIO is hosting four lunchtime gatherings for empty nesters to make handmade cards, compare notes, and get to know other parents in the same chapter.

Instructor Anja Caldwell, a former architect from a family of textile makers, provides the materials and plenty of stamps to get you started. No experience needed. Bring your lunch and turn a little time for yourself into something lovely to send. $179 for the four-session series, materials included.
👉 Register for Card Making for Empty Nesters

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

If you’ve ever thought you were “too slow” for a run club, this one was made with you in mind. MoCo Slow Runners welcomes every pace, including run/walkers and beginners, with a promise that someone will stay with the back of the pack.

Tuesday’s 45-minute run heads out along Rock Creek Trail, with everyone running whatever pace feels right. Come solo if you’d like; the club encourages members to arrive a little early and stick around afterward to socialize. Free.
👉 Join the MoCo Slow Runners Tuesday run

Start the morning with a free [solidcore] workout led by lululemon Ambassador Kimberly and Coach Zimzuo. The class is designed for all levels, with a little social time built in and cakes from Lala waiting afterward as a reward. Bring a mat and water. Free.
👉 Reserve a spot for the [solidcore] workout

See what’s growing close to home on a guided tour of Kensington Sanctuary, an urban farm, apiary, and ecosystem restoration project filled with hundreds of locally native plant and mushroom species. Learn about edible and medicinal native plants, how to garden with them, and the role they play in a healthier local ecosystem.

Hosted by Community Food Forest Collective. Exact location shared after registration. $10.
👉 Sign up for the sanctuary tour

Run or walk a 2.5K, 5K, or 10K along the scenic trails at Carderock while supporting mental health awareness and wellness. The morning continues with live music, yoga and mindfulness activities, wellness vendors, giveaways, prizes, and free food.

Hosted by the Nathaniel H. Pickett II Foundation, registration includes a medal and access to the day’s activities. Registration required.
👉 Register for Jog N' Jam for Mental Health

Earlier picks still ahead — and still worth catching.

🧳 Hometown Treasures — Fri–Sat, Sept. 18–19 — Bring family photographs, letters, quilts, and other keepsakes for preservation advice, digitization activities, demonstrations, and workshops in Potomac.

🌿 Native Plant Bingo — Fri, Sept. 18, 6–8 pm — Play bingo with Maryland native plants and learn how they can support backyard habitats at Meadowside Nature Center.

💙 Barre3 x Beyond Yoga: Moving Together for Suicide Prevention — Sat, Sept. 19, 9–10 am — Take a donation-based barre3 class at Westfield Montgomery benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

🧘 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.

🛍️ Soirée on The Lane — Sat, Sept. 19, 11 am–3 pm — Explore workshops, live music, shopping offers, giveaways, and other fall activities throughout Bethesda Row.

📖 Open Reading Night at Second Story Books — Thu, Sept. 24, 7–8 pm — Hear local writers share fiction, poetry, works in progress, comedy, screenplays, and nonfiction in Rockville.

🙌 Volunteer at Taste of Bethesda — Sat, Oct. 3, shifts from 7 am–4 pm — Help with setup, restaurant teams, drink tents, visitor information, and other roles at one of Bethesda’s biggest annual events.

😂 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.

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

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].

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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