good life

art. festivals. culture. day trips. hidden gems. good life

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

YOU’LL FIND PLENTY OF space for a quiet walk, a good place for the kids to play, and the chance to see more than 160 species of birds at Rockville’s RedGate Park, a former 131-acre golf course that is now a public park.

It’s easy to spot vestiges of the golf course that closed in late 2018—from the former clubhouse to the concrete signs marking the holes and the rough outlines of fairways now sprouting grasses that sway in the breeze. But where golfers once roamed, the gentle hills now provide new options for fun. Kids can dig away in the sand traps. Paved paths that golf carts used to traverse are perfect for rambling walks or even for younger cyclists to improve their skills on the flatter stretches. And the broad mowed lawns are ideal for picnicking.

Birders describe the park as “heaven” for spotting species that range from great blue herons and wood ducks, which enjoy the large pond, to yellow-billed cuckoos and great horned owls. Climb the stairs to the wooden deck of the former clubhouse to watch as birds of prey, including a variety of hawks and even bald eagles, swoop by overhead.

RedGate Park, 14500 Avery Road, Rockville, open from sunrise to sunset daily, redgatepark.org.

FUN ON THE FARM

KIDS CAN INTERACT WITH kids—the

goat kind—in the petting zoo area of Clark’s Elioak Farm in Ellicott City. They’ll also see pigs, cows, horses, chickens, rabbits, sheep and even an emu.

Other creatures, including the Three Little Pigs, the Three Bears and a green lute-playing dragon, show up as painted sculptures around the farm, which is home to nearly 100 fairy tale and nursery rhyme attractions originally from the old Enchanted Forest. That amusement park operated in Ellicott City from 1955 until the early 1990s. At Clark’s, kids can shoot down a slide inside the Old Woman in the Shoe’s house, and wander through the Enchanted Pine Tree Forest’s shady grove of trees, where they can spot Little Red Riding Hood and Little Boy Blue, among others. There’s also a Fairy Forest, where a path lined with diminutive model dwellings made of logs, stones, leaves, pinecones and other bits and pieces leads through a wooded glen.

Little ones can ride a pony or hop aboard the Cow Train, a tractor pulling cars painted in a black and white Holstein pattern through a bumpy field. The Enchanted Express miniature train takes passengers around the property.

A pick-your-own pumpkin patch with hayrides and costume parades is planned from mid-September through October. The season ends with a pumpkin chucking weekend Nov. 6-7, when participants can launch pumpkins into the field with a wooden catapult.

Clark’s Elioak Farm is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday through Nov. 7. Admission is $8, free for infants younger than 1 year; additional fees for some attractions. 10500 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, 410-730-4049, clarklandfarm.com. n

—Stephanie Siegel Burke

good life BEST BETS

Our picks for things to see and do in September and October

BY STEPHANIE SIEGEL BURKE

Sept. 10 BACK TO THE FUTURE

Latin American folk music meets futuristic electronica in Sofia Rei’s songs. A trip to Chile’s Elqui Valley inspired the latest album by the songwriter, who is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but now based in New York City, where she is also a professor at New York University. The beauty of the valley’s landscape, the words of poet Gabriela Mistral (who was born there) and the traditions of the people and musicians Rei met on her journey all contributed to the jazz-infused world music she creates using vocal loops and ambient and soul music influences. 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., $144 or $176 per table, seats up to four, Patio Stage, Strathmore, strathmore.org

Sept. 8 through Oct. 2 CREATIVE COMPETITION

Now in its 19th year, The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards perennially brings exciting and thought-provoking works of art to Bethesda’s Gallery B for the Trawick Prize Exhibition. Past finalists have created mixed media pieces, video art, large-scale sculptures, and site-specific installations that have incorporated the gallery’s walls and windows. The juried contest is open to artists in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and the grand prize is $10,000. Artwork by this year’s finalists will be on display.

Sept. 2- 4 FAMILY MATTERS

National Players, an ensemble based at Olney Theatre, presents A Raisin in the Sun. The play, which debuted in 1959, tells the story of a Black family on Chicago’s South Side and the clash among family members over how to improve their financial situation and achieve their dreams. In addition to nightly shows, the group will perform a matinee of the production on Sept. 4 during SummerFest, an event marking the end of Olney’s outdoor season. SummerFest is a free, all-day open house featuring performances, tours, workshops, a used costume sale and food trucks.

7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, pay what you can, Olney Theatre Center, olneytheatre.org

Oct. 2 A MOVABLE FEAST

Whether it’s pizza, sushi, tacos or dumplings you crave, chances are you can get it at Taste of Bethesda. The long-running food festival returns this year after a COVID-19 hiatus. During the event, streets in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle are closed to traffic and lined with tents where dozens of downtown Bethesda eateries offer selections from their menus. Along with the bites, the festival presents five stages of live entertainment, including cultural dance performances and music by local bands.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Woodmont Triangle, free admission, food/drink tickets are four for $5, bethesda.org

BEST BETS

Oct. 9-10 ART MART

Casual browsers and serious buyers flock to the Bethesda Row Arts Festival. The event—typically one of the largest outdoor art shows in the area—will bring together nearly 130 artists and artisans from around the country to show and sell their creations. The festival is juried, and prizes are awarded. But with so much art on display in so many artistic disciplines, including painting, ceramics, metal, glass, wood, fiber, jewelry, digital art and sculpture, the real winners are the crowds of art lovers who get to experience it all.

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, free, Bethesda Row, bethesdarowarts.org

Oct. 9 BEATBOX AND BEYOND

Christylez Bacon takes beatboxing to the next level. Using just his mouth, lips, tongue and voice, the Grammy-nominated rapper and musician mimics drums, drum machines, turntables and other percussive sounds to create complex rhythms. A former teacher, Bacon is also an engaging storyteller and has performed for school groups around the D.C. region. During this free, family-friendly performance, expect to hear dazzling beatboxing demonstrations, rhymes about growing up in Southeast D.C., and freestyle improvisations using crowd participation. The concert is part of Strathmore’s Bloom community events series, an outreach effort to increase access to the arts in the eastern part of Montgomery County.

5 p.m., free, RSVP required, Good Hope Neighborhood Recreation Center, Silver Spring, strathmore.org

Oct. 10 IT’S A FALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Is your idea of an October festival more beer and bratwurst, or apple cider and pumpkins? Gaithersburg’s family-friendly Oktoberfest has it all. The event features Bavarian music and dancers, traditional festival fare and a beer garden offering drinks from local microbreweries and Maryland wineries. It also celebrates all things fall with professional pumpkin carvers, apple cider pressing demonstrations and horse-drawn wagon rides. Kids can paint pumpkins and make crafts, while live bands and community groups perform on four stages.

Noon to 5 p.m., Kentlands Mansion, Kentlands Village Green, Main Street and Market Square, free admission, small fees for some activities, gaithersburgmd.gov n