Most park facilities are open; families can enjoy a host of weekend activities (many are free or affordably priced) including a winter skating show at Wheaton Ice Arena and a Family Day open house at Black Hill Visitors Center.
SILVER SPRING, MD – Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is offering a variety of programs and activities during the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Most park facilities are open during the weekend and on the holiday. Brookside Gardens Visitors Center and the Park Permits Office are closed on Monday, January 20.
With schools closed Monday, January 20 and Tuesday, January 21, students ages 6 – 12 can participate in Park Play Days from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (for $40 a day) featuring an array of activities from ice skating and tennis to arts and crafts and team games and sports. Park Play Days are held at Wheaton Ice Arena and Cabin John Ice. Details and registration information are available at www.ParkPASS.org (Course #s 257849, 257850 for Wheaton; and Course #s 257852 and 257853 for Cabin John).
Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Programs and Activities
A sampling of programs and activities offered during the holiday weekend are listed below; a complete list of Montgomery Parks’ offerings is available online at www.ParkPASS.org and in the Montgomery County Guide, available at www.MontgomeryParks.org/guide.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Mom’s Time Out: Natural Hand Treatments 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Brookside Nature Center 1400 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 Admission: $15 www.ParkPASS.org (Course #253902)Moms are invited to create their own relaxing hand treatments using natural ingredients. Children are welcome too and will be treated to a separate hour of fun while moms are pampered.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Winter Birding at Black Hill (Ages 15 & up) 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Black Hill Visitors Center 20926 Lake Ridge Dr. Boyds, MD 20841 Admission: $12 www.ParkPASS.org (Course #257157)
Learn about the many types of birds that spend time in Black Hill Regional Park including ducks, tundra swans from Canada, and bald eagles. Participants will also visit other observation areas. Spotting scope provided.
Alien Invaders (Ages 8 and up) 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Meadowside Nature Center 5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville, MD 20855 Free www.ParkPASS.org (Course #254802Help remove invasive non-native plants to give native plants room to grow. Student Service Learning hours are approved for this project.
Raptor Experiences at Meadowside Nature Center 5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville, MD 20855 Both raptor programs are free, no registration required. Both programs meet at the Raptor Walkway behind the Nature Center. 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Vulture Enrichment: Come see Meadowside’s resident vulture play with her food in a weekly vulture enrichment session. 12 noon – 12:30 p.m. Raptor Lunchtime and Talk: Observe Meadowside’s resident raptors during their feeding time and learn some of the stories about the raptors on exhibit. Chalk Play 1 – 2 p.m. Meadowside Nature Center 5100 Meadowside Lane Rockville, MD 20855 Free, no registration required.
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. by sharing your dreams through colorful sidewalk chalk drawings in the Meadowside Nature Center parking lot. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Winter Skating Show 2014 6:15 – 8:15 p.m. Wheaton Ice Arena 11711 Orebaugh Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 Free www.WheatonIceArena.com
Come see Wheaton Ice Arena’s skating stars make magic on ice! Bring the family and friends and cheer on your favorite skaters.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Cozy Winter Nature Tales: Winter Weather (Ages 3 – 6) 3 – 3:30 p.m. Brookside Nature Center 1400 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 Free www.ParkPASS.org (Course #252457)
Children will be treated to an exciting story about winter in the cozy comfort of the nature center, learning about the wonders of the winter weather like snowflakes and ice.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Family Day at the Visitor Center 1 – 4 p.m. Black Hill Visitor Center 20926 Lake Ridge Dr. Boyds, MD 20841 Free www.ParkPASS.org (Course #257158)
School is off, bring the family to the Visitor Center for an afternoon of nature fun, including learning how to use the popular nature boxes, taking short nature hikes and hands-on activities and games.
About The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 35,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 418 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.MontgomeryParks.org