I seem to find myself in the Kentlands area a lot lately but my 1st time visiting the Art Barn…read more My Cousin was debuting his new Independent Film and, of course, I am going to support. The building used to be a stable that has beautifully renovated. It definitely has farmhouse touches with the wood, faux pocket doors and rustic touches. There is a reception area on the main floor where there was coffee(I love it already!) and refreshments. There is accessible parking out front and an elevator for those who may need it to get to the theater upstairs. The theater is small and intimate with 99 seats. I wanted to take pictures of the theater, but they were doing panel discussions and I just didn't feel comfortable snapping pictures during such a thoughtful process. As I understand it, they also provide services to the community around art in the form Of classes, discussions and even camps for the kids. So yes. . . Gaithersburg has begun to grow on me even though I live in Southern Maryland. I live over an hour away but I didn't mind the drive. I would definitely come back again.

Rather ironic I'm getting around to reviewing Gaithersburg Arts Barn on September 24, 2026, the…read morefirst day of the Manhattan Shorts Film Festival. Representing the 4th quarter of 2021 in my scrapbook series is Gaithersburg Art Barn. The only times I was ever here was for the Manhattan Shorts Film Fest. I first attended on Friday, October 1, 2021. Then, Wednesday, September 28, 2022. And finally, Friday, October 4, 2024. I attended the Manhattan Shorts Film Fest on Friday, October 3, 2025, but Arts Barn was being remodeled so was in a temporary location. My friend invited a group to the Manhattan Shorts in October 2021, and wow I was impressed with all the short films. The venue itself is nice, historic looking building. The theater is relatively small that goes back fairly deep. Manhattan shorts is popular and does sell out. In September 2022, I went on a date here. I had met her months back, but coordinated a date for this. Date was alright, films were great again, and it was a 1st & only date situation. I'm not sure why I didn't go in 2023. Maybe it was off my radar or had other things going on. In October 2024, my girlfriend & I attended on the Friday night. We both really enjoyed the movies. In October 2025, it was in the temporary venue, which had worse vantage points for seeing the movie screen, which made me appreciate the Arts Barn. 2026 scenario has been much worse in general. I had considered going tomorrow Friday, 9/25/26, but the tickets were sold out. Thursday was not convenient as I am going to be in Rockville for something on Friday and have other plans on Saturday. My friend had texted me about trading for a different days tickets; I mentioned to her how I was concerned about my dad was in the hospital but had interest in general. By the time, I looked into it Friday was sold out. So, I figured this year wasn't meant to be. Hopefully, I'll go again in 2027, and my health (cancer) situation is much better (along with my dad's health) and better year next year in general.

This was an interesting experience. First time hearing about this event. It was quite busy on the…read morefirst day and loud. We went right at opening and was able to get parking on the lawn, which was managed by police and volunteers. Outside has tents for frappes and some desserts. The main hall has seating and vendors all around. Walking through the hallway leads to the main kitchen area where there are two lines - one for actual food and the one in the back just for desserts. Both can take a while. If you're there with two people, I would split up here. Finding seating is the next problem as it rained during this time. But it cleared up and most people took it to go. The live music was loud, but you wanted that because of how many people were there and talking. They do serve alcohol on premises and they had a "Bar" corner. Fun experience for the area and while you're driving around, you see some nice houses.

The weekend before the St. Katherine's Greek festival in Falls Church was the St. George in…read moreBethesda, which is a bit of a drive but worth going to Maryland as it's always well organized and a lot to do/see/eat. They have multiple outdoor areas with tents for food options like the coffee (frappe) and it can be customized according to your liking. There's Loumoumades which were well cooked, fried so it's crispy enough and also enough honey/syrup. There's other food too when you go inside and we managed to catch the dance performance at the stage. This church hall also has a flea market and multiple vendors. And there's a large area/section towards the back where there are pastries and other goodies to buy like Greek pasta, candy, coffee bags, etc. Even though the lines can seem long, they actually do move pretty quick. There was also pistachio ice cream this year with the Greek sour cherry spread on top reminiscent of what I'd enjoy when I travel to Greece. The parking lot does tend to fill up pretty quick so folks can do street parking, and they have volunteered directing crowds as well.

On Friday , I visited the Stathmore to see Ledisi and it was a 10/10. Experience. From the…read morefriendliness of staff, ease of picking up tickets at will call, the food options, and the stunning venue , I was so impressed. I love how if you park on the 4th floor, you can take the bridge right into the venue. I can't wait to go back!

Great music hall. It is nice to have this while the Kennedy Center is closed. The decor is very…read morenice and most shows are quite affordable.

Went to Blackrock for the first time this past Sunday for a birthday party. Great venue space for…read moreanything really. The theme was Alice in wonderland so the decor was very colorful and worked out beautifully. The food vendors were wonderful too. We had fresh oysters and a variety of sandwiches and dessert pastries.

I came here for a memorial celebration of Prince's birthday, and it was a really good time. Parking…read morewas surprisingly easy, especially with so many other guests in attendance. I was able to park directly in front of the entrance and walk right in. The setup was really nice--plenty of tables and a huge area for dancing. The DJ was spinning not only the hits but also deep cuts and some previously unreleased versions of his songs. Behind her, a projector played clips from Prince's past performances, which added a great visual vibe to the night. There was a small cash bar offering Prince-themed cocktails, plus beer and wine. The staff were fantastic and even popped in a few times to dance and celebrate with us. The venue itself was absolutely gorgeous--cool and comfortable despite all the dancing. I never imagined this would be such a great place to host or attend a party, but I'd definitely come to another event here.

The best Greek Festival in town. I didn't feel like cooking and saw this big Greek Festival sign…read moreand pulled in. Was I ever surprised. Not only did I get my dinner, I found advice from Aunt Voula, wine and music. For a great time head to the Greek Festival.

55th Annual Greek Festival of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church of DC is my 7th…read morelocal Greek festival that I visited and reviewed. It was A-OK. The litmus test of the cost of beer ($5 for Mythos) passed (not $7 like DC). Unfortunately, a half of the fun is opening the bottle and having it there, but at this festival it had to be poured in the plastic cup by the bar personnel. The food was good. The Greek Ladies have prepared their authentic Greek fare using recipes passed down from generation to generation and producing a menu of Greek favorites like, Moussaka, Pastitsio, Manestra, and Spanakopita as well as succulent Greek pastries such as, Baklava, Galaktobouriko, Diples and Kourambiethes. Unfortunately, the cost was sometimes not justified - $4 for a small hand of the french fries is a lot - even it is "for the church." The picture shows two portions of french fries that I combined in one. The Greek sausages did not meet my expectations - yes, they were lemony and a lot of spice in them but the consistency was too soft and the final mix of taste was not impressive. Not much choice in the deserts department but the credit goes to cook for the excellent Galaktobouriko and Kataifi desserts. There was not any entertainment program going on for 60 minutes I spent there and that was a big downside, where on the other festival you have either bigger market (Bethesda) or non-stop entertainment (Annapolis). The average crowd was mostly retirees but never the less more diverse then at many other festivals. There is no entrance fee and the parking is free.

We use to really enjoy coming to this annual event but it's progressively gone downhill. A lot of…read moremarketing and seldom do the food vendors display the ticket costs until you ask. Fun with small children for maybe a couple hours. Huge increase in Latino and Asian foods, be careful a couple of the dishes were so bad we threw most away. Also the cost for what you get continues to climb. My 2 pics were 4 tickets each which converts to $8 apiece? Yikes.

Bad service and mediocre food. Disappointing, nothing homemade or special about it. Just average…read morechicken and French fries. I seriously think Popeyes is better

Went here for the Villa Rosa Festival Italiano (Italian Festival) Sunday September 13th. It was…read moresimply awesome! I'm a quarter Italian and I love that part of my heritage, so naturally I loved this festival. There were food stands (all with great prices), beer and wine at $2 and $3 respectively, games for kids, pony rides, live Italian music (the band was very good), and more good cheer than you can handle. It was a great day! My whole family had a great time.

I was a patient of Villa Rosa in 2017 and this place was and is a hell hole. They let me sit in…read moresoiled diapers for 2-6 hours. CNA/GNA's ranged from good to bad. The administration and doctors proved to be incompetent. I was not satisfied with my poor and dangerous care, but feared for the older patients who had dementia or other mind altering diseases that left them unable to speak on their care or unaware of their poor conditions. Things were se grossly wrong I reported them to the State, Ombudsmen and hired an attorney. It took (3) weeks for a doctor to put simple order in for cold compress for my thigh. After (3) weeks of reminding I was given a rubber glove filled with ice! Another doctor tried to tell me that I was permitted to bear weight on my left leg/pelvis. I told she was incorrect that the doctor said (4) more weeks and not until he confirmed it with his next visit. When she brought me the order it did say weight bearing, but it was for my damn right wrist from another ortho doctor. How dangerous and incompetent. This doctor could have cause grave physical bodily damage to my pelvis and set me back weeks and months causing repaired surgery. THEY DESERVE NO STARS AND SHOULD BE CLOSED!

The Olney Theatre…read more What an absolute gem of an institution nestled in Olney, Maryland. It's a shame it took me this long to discover such a local treasure. A couple of friends and I attended a performance of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to this wonderful theater. The Roberts Mainstage seats just over 400 patrons, creating an intimate atmosphere where every seat feels surprisingly close to the action. I purchased our tickets rather late, so we ended up in the last row of the mezzanine. Fortunately, the theater's thoughtful design meant we still had an excellent view of the stage. We could clearly see the actors' expressions, and their powerful vocals carried beautifully throughout the venue. The theater also offers an on-site concession counter with a selection of beverages, cocktails, and snacks. Although I didn't take advantage of it, I liked the option to preorder drinks for intermission and appreciated that beverages are permitted inside the theater during the performance. The production itself was outstanding. The set design, costumes, and musical performances were all beautifully executed. The talented cast delivered exceptional performances, supported by a small orchestra tucked into the pit that added richness and energy to the entire production. The entrance to the Roberts Mainstage is located off the rear parking lot, just a short walk from the parking area. There are a few outdoor tables and chairs, making it a pleasant place to relax before the show. Inside, the lobby is bright, welcoming, and well maintained, although it is relatively compact and can become crowded before sold-out performances and during intermission. The theater is accessible, with elevators and designated wheelchair seating. However, navigating the lobby during busy times could be challenging, so arriving a little early may make for a more relaxed experience. We attended a weekday matinee and had a wonderful afternoon. Between the quality of the production, the intimate setting, and the welcoming atmosphere, I can certainly see why Olney Theatre has earned such a loyal following. I look forward to returning for many of their upcoming performances throughout the year.

Came here to see the musical - A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder…read more On the day we visited, the theater was showing 2 different performances at the same time (different shows and different rooms). I made sure to get there early. They do have a lobby area with a few seats located near Roberts Mainstage. There is also an area where you can purchase snacks and drinks - I did not check to see what they had specifically as we had eaten elsewhere before the show. The tickets show a QR code and as we entered the theater, someone scanned our tickets. As we entered, I saw there were ushers available to guide us to our seats - so helpful. We sat in the Orchestra section and the seats were amazing. I liked that we were able to see the musicians play in front of the stage - at times they were part of the show as well (so cool). The musical was great. As each person sang, I heard their words clearly. It was a great performance overall and the local actors were excellent. Can't wait to go back to see another show in this theater.