🥟 Michelin-recommended Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings opens today at Montgomery Mall with pork, crab, truffle, and abalone xiao long bao on the menu. Check out their menu

🍂 Dov and Company just dropped their October event calendar with pumpkin and candle decorating, mosaic and suncatcher workshops, plus sweet pop-ups all month. Browse the full calendar

⛸️ Disney on Ice’s new “Jump In!” glides into the DMV Oct 9–13 with 50+ Disney characters, plus debuts from Moana 2 and Inside Out 2. Get tickets

📜 ICYMI New Maryland laws kick in today including tiered camera speeding tickets, harsher reckless driving penalties, at-home cannabis grows, and new landlord notice rules. Read the full list [WTOP]

🚶‍♀️ MDOT launches “In Motion” Step Challenge for Walktober, tracking Marylanders steps to ID sidewalk and trail needs while setting future walking goals. Rewards and challenges for best performing county coming soon. Help MoCo win by using their Step Calculator

⛳ Potomac native Davis Lamb clinched his 2026 Korn Ferry Tour card and local bragging rights after a stellar PGA TOUR Americas season. Read the full story [MGSA]

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Spots are limited for this fall season. Book today and give your neighbors porch envy tomorrow.

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*This section is sponsored by a friend of the Loop

LEAD Fest Fall Carnival | Oct 1–5 @ Westfield Montgomery Mall
Rides, funnel cakes, carnival games, and neon lights fill the malls lot in a nostalgia that feels lifted straight from a summer boardwalk. Tickets in link, Weds-Fri is 5pm-close, Sat & Sun is 3pm-close 🎡

Zumba: Women’s Breast Cancer Month | 7–8pm @ Rio Lakefront Boardwalk Stage
Dance it out with instructor Sandra Ali in a high-energy Zumba session honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month, building strength, joy, and community by the water. Free, reservation required in link. 🎀

Mahjong Night with The Charleston Coach | 7–9pm @ Whelan’s Pub
Hosted by The Charleston Coach, this spirited Mahjong evening blends strategy, laughter, and friendly rivalry over pints and pub fare. Reserve spot online. 🀄

Board Game Speed Dating (20’s & 30’s) | 6–8pm @ Pinstripes Bethesda
Mix matchmaking with Meeples as you rotate through quick game rounds, meet new singles, then submit your matches for potential sparks or friendships. Tickets in link 🎲

Countryside Artisans Fall Studio Tour | Oct 3–5 @ Various locations in Montgomery’s Countryside
Wind through backroads to visit working studios of painters, potters, glassblowers, jewelers, and fiber artists, with Maryland farmland as your gallery walls. Studios open 10am-5pm each day 🎨

Romanian Food Festival | Oct 3–5 @ St. Andrew Romanian Orthodox Church
Feast your way through mititei, sarmale, live folk music, dance performances, artisan stalls, and cultural exhibits in a joyous Romanian celebration. Fri 4-7pm; Sat & Sun 11am-7pm 🥟

Bike Donation Drive | 7am–2pm @ Montgomery County Council Office Building
Clear space and give new life to unused bikes, supporting Rockville Bike Hub’s work to repair and donate to low-income MoCo residents. No helmets; checks accepted. 🚲

Morning Tweets & Tea: Spooky Birds | 9–10am @ Locust Grove Nature Center
Sip tea then learn beginner birding skills by scanning Cabin John’s trees for owls, vultures, and other “spooky” October birds on a guided beginner walk. Free; bring binoculars; register in link 🦉

The Life of a Showgirl Album Release Party | 5-7pm @ District Dabble Lab
Celebrate with treats, crafts, shopping pop-ups, and Swiftie-themed fun at this all-ages album drop party. Snack and drink included; book your spot in link ✨

Fun Fridays Outdoors | 5–7pm @ Cabin John Village Green
Family fun to kick off the weekend: kids burn energy before bedtime with free My Gym games and activities on the lawn. Bring a blanket or chair; sign up in link🌳

Full Moon Fridays | 6:30–8pm @ Locust Grove Nature Center
Hike by moonlight then gather for a campfire with s’mores, as naturalists guide you through forest trails lit by lunar glow. BYO hotdogs welcome; register in link 🌕

Jurassic Park in Concert | 7:30pm @ Strathmore Music Center
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) performs John Williams’ pulse-pounding score live as Spielberg’s dinosaurs thunder across the screen in HD for a cinematic symphony spectacle. Tickets in link 🦖

Moonlight Hike | 8:15–10:15pm @ C&O Canal Towpath
Join the Capitol Hiking Club on to stroll four easy miles by moonlight along the canal towpath. Register in link and meet at Old Anglers, bring flashlight + water 🌙

Frankie’s Pop-Up | Oct 4-13 @ Bethesda Row
LA/Chicago boutique Frankie’s on the Park lands in Bethesda with trendy tween-to-teen fashion, daily activations, and fall must-haves. 🛍️

Cabin John Kids Run | 9am-12pm @ Cabin John Regional Park
Montgomery County Road Runners Club Youth Series, kids and teens up to 17 are invited to race ¼-mile, ½-mile, or 1-mile fun runs through the woods. Register in link 🏃‍♀️

Taste of Bethesda | 11am–4pm @ Woodmont Triangle
Stroll through Bethesda’s big foodie event and sample dishes from over 40 restaurants while enjoying live music on four stages, kids’ activities, and more. Free entry; food tickets sold on-site. 🍴

Haute Halloween Bash | 8pm–midnight @ Old Angler’s Inn
Slip into your most spellbinding costume and join a moonlit evening of cocktails, firelit dance by New Century Dance Company, auctions and connection to benefit women battling cancer 🎃

Not Dead Yet! John Cleese & The Holy Grail at 50 | 7:30pm @ Music Center at Strathmore
Celebrate 50 years of Monty Python’s The Holy Grail with a special screening followed by live conversation and audience Q&A with John Cleese. Tickets in link 🎬

Saree Run | 8am–11am @ Great Falls Park
Presented by the Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington Women’s Group, this spirited 5K welcomes sarees, sneakers, or slacks to support breast cancer awareness. Open to all and kids run free with adult. Register in link🏃‍♀️

Volunteer Day | 10am–12pm @ Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary
Join Rockville Vegans for hands-on work including cleaning, bedding and animal care at Rosie’s sanctuary. RSVP in link and sign liability waiver ahead 🐾

PIKEtoberfest | 12–4pm @ Pike & Rose
Raise a glass at North Bethesda’s fall block party with live music, a beer garden, artisan market, and a kid zone brimming with games. Free but RSVP in link for gift card giveaway 🍺

Share the Loop with your neighbor who insists “just one sarmale” is impossible.

-Potomac Loop Team