Congratulations, fellow Potomac residents! We've officially dethroned Los Angeles as America's worst traffic city, according to Consumer Affairs' latest study.

Our average commute now clocks in at a championship 33.4 minutes (the nation's longest), with 6.5 hours of daily gridlock that adds up to roughly 71 days per year spent contemplating life choices in traffic.

The silver lining? We rank in the bottom 10 for fatal crashes, proving that while we may move slowly, we're at least doing it safely.

The study credits our newfound supremacy partly to federal return-to-office mandates where everyone is begrudgingly returning to their desks after years of Zoom meetings in pajama bottoms.

🏫 Jim Neill set to retire after decade leading Landon School; Dr. Andrew “Andy” Martire, Princeton football alum & Gilman graduate, becomes seventh head starting July 2026.

🌟 Nando's Mandela Day food drive delivered 2,000 pounds of food to Jackson's Pantry, honoring beloved Bullis student Jackson Buckner who died unexpectedly in 2023. (Bethesda Today)

🍑 Howard County follows Montgomery's lead, considering $5,000 fines for commercial house parties after Columbia neighbors endured weeknight "Sex on the Peach" pool parties. (Baltimore Banner)

👩‍🌾 Montgomery County's Farm Tour returns this weekend with 27 farms offering fresh produce and tractor rides. Check our comprehensive guide for the best nearby stops.

Gallery Talk: Intersections. 2-3pm @ American University Museum
David Douglas’s large-scale mixed media works blend drawing, painting, and photography to explore memory, place, and what makes a location meaningful through contemplative landscapes and interior scenes. 🖼

Pet Connect Rescue Volunteer + Foster Happy Hour. 5-7pm @ Old Angler’s Inn
Meet fellow animal lovers while learning about volunteer and foster opportunities with Pet Connect Rescue over drinks in support of saving lives. 🐶

Friday Night Salsa. 6-9pm @ Pike District Pop-Up Park
All Out Danza's Víctor transforms the park into suburban Havana with free Latin dance lessons, outdoor dance parties, food trucks, and craft cocktails for grown-ups. 💃

Foodie Fridays: Connecting Distribution & Food Recovery. 6:30-8:30pm @ Josiah Henson Museum
Learn how Community Food Rescue, Farm to Food Bank, and Nourish Now connect fresh produce to those who need it while addressing food insecurity and reducing waste. $15/$20 for food & drink, register in link 🍽

The Let Go: 5Rhythms Friday Night. 8-10pm @ Carderock Springs Swim & Tennis Club
Ann Kite leads this high-energy movement meditation where you dance through five therapeutic rhythms—no steps to learn, just pure embodied release from the week's accumulated stress. $30, register in link, wear comfortable clothes 🕺

Montgomery County Farm Tour & Harvest Sale. July 26-27 @ Participating Farms
Self-guided driving tour of 27 farms, orchards, breweries and wineries offering free walking tours, fresh produce shopping, wine tastings, pony rides, and behind-the-scenes agricultural experiences. Check our Guide in the top story for more details 👩‍🌾

The Big Flea Market. July 26-27 @ Dulles Expo Center
The Mid-Atlantic's largest indoor antiques and collectibles market offers treasure hunting for everything from fine antiques to vintage clothing across hundreds of dealer booths. Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm🪙

On the Wing Along the Canal. 8-10:30am @ Carderock Recreation Area
Expert naturalists lead morning searches for birds and dragonflies along diverse Canal habitats—from Potomac waters to rocky cliffs—sharing identification tips for both feathered and winged creatures. $33-$46, register in link, bring binoculars 🐦

Politics & Prose Sidewalk Sale. 9am-6pm @ Politics & Prose Conn Ave
DC's premier independent bookstore offers discounted books, totes, and literary goodies in an outdoor sale perfect for browsing while supporting local literary culture. While supplies last 📚

Cartwheel Clinic. 1:30-3:00pm @ My Gym Potomac
Perfect those playground-envy skills as coaches teach cartwheels, round-offs, and tumbling fundamentals with individual attention in this focused, high-energy gymnastics clinic. $40, register in link, best for 4-8yrs 🤸

College Admission Seminar: “Ultimate Blueprint to Acceptance”. 2-4pm @ C2 Education of Potomac
Insider tips on how admissions offices evaluate applications, key factors to stand out, and SAT/ACT importance. Free, register in link 🧑‍🎓

Bad Art Contest. 3:30-5pm @ Potomac Library
Teen competition for ages 11-18 challenges participants to create the most spectacularly awful artistic masterpieces using provided materials, with community voting and prizes for the “worst” creations. Register in link 🎨

Inova Blood Drive.11am-3pm @ Beth Sholom Congregation
Community blood drive to support Inova's network of 24 area hospitals with critical blood supply needs. Schedule appointment in link, bring ID & arrive well-hydrated ⚕

Allen Carroll: Telling Stories with Maps. 5pm @ Politics & Prose
Former National Geographic chief cartographer and founder of ArcGIS StoryMaps presents his guide to transforming place-based data into compelling multimedia narratives combining interactive maps, photos, and text. First come, first serve seating 📕