Served as a wedding planner for a 200 person wedding at this venue. Overall I was very pleased with…read morethe venue staff and the facilities. The space is beautiful but a little outdated in some areas. The best thing about this space is that all necessary components are on site: ceremony space, full industrial catering/kitchen space, bridal and groom space, reception area, and main rental elements (tables + chairs). The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, but the space manager is a bit strict. The venue also has interesting rules about who can do what in the space, and well as strike down policies. Planner tip - if you bride can afford it, hire a cleaning service to support with breakdown.

Networking event. More than 250 people showed up. Nice food and nice event overall for sure. In…read morepartnership with the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, FSC First, the Prince George's County Chamber of Commerce, and the Bi-County Business Roundtable. My first time here. Very progressive venue.

They have a variety of party rooms for rent to host a variety of total numbers of guests.read more

I have been a customer of Owen Brown Interfaith Center for more than a decade now. What keeps me…read morecoming back is the affordable pricing, convenient location, professional staff, and cleanliness of the venue. The staff has continuously been friendly, flexible, and helpful. I would recommend them to anyone looking to host a business seminar or training event. Aaron Burt Coalition International

We recently held a Celebration of Life Service at Claret Hall for a wonderful woman who sadly…read morepassed last year. We started working with the team at Claret Hall, Renee, Jennifer, Hope and Eudene back in January. In our planning and requests, Claret Hall did a wonderful job in working with us on our different requests. The service was everything we had hoped it to be. Everyone was comfortable and all of our asks and needs were met. I highly recommend Claret Hall for any occasion, you won't be disappointed.

I came on board as the event planner for a H.S. graduation party after this venue had already been…read morebooked. If I had been involved from the beginning, I would not have chosen Claret Hall. While we were able to pull off a beautiful event, it was in spite of the venue -- not because of it. Dated Look & Layout Challenges Claret Hall's interior leans towards modest and practical. The mirrored walls in the main hall add a dated look, along with the wood floors, and a layout that's more "community center". Despite this, the staff carries themselves as if this is some grand, modern ballroom with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. Let's be clear -- it's not. The lobby has several design limitations: a brown beat up leather sofa that can't be removed because they "have nowhere to store it," and a built-in desk with a counter that takes up valuable space. There's a fireplace in the lobby with exit doors on both sides, and nothing is allowed near or in front of them (something we were reminded of multiple times), including while inflating balloons. If you're hoping to create a dramatic or welcoming entry moment, prepare to work around all of this. The catering/banquet room also had scuffed walls in clear need of a paint refresh. The main event room layout wasn't very functional either, because my design included a large balloon display and DJ booth, I had to carefully measure and adjust to avoid blocking yet another fire exit door. Inflexible Rules & Overbearing Oversight We had planned a mocktail bar setup for the grad on the outdoor patio. However, we were later told that we'd have to go through an entirely separate entity (and pay additional fees) just to use the patio for a "bar" that was NON-ALCOHOLIC, because it's technically not owned by Claret Hall. We ended up relocating the mocktail bar indoors. Additionally, we were told that we could not use any of their high top 32" round tables on the patio. During one of the walkthroughs, their staff member with the British accent, Ms. Eudene, used a very no nonsense tone, was borderline rude and not collaborative. The morning after our final walk-through, I called to ask for the fireplace measurements I had forgotten to take. The woman on the phone said a church event was happening and someone would have to call me back the next day. When I asked, "Isn't there a yellow measuring tape right there on the desk?" she paused, begrudgingly put me on hold, and minutes later returned with the measurements--but with an annoyed tone. It was unnecessarily difficult and honestly, lazy. If you're sitting right there, how does a church service stop you from walking four feet to measure a fireplace? She wasn't involved in the service! On the event day, all my vendors and helpers arrived on time! Granted, we were 30 minutes early, but the building was completely empty -- no church service or event in progress as we had been told there would be. Still, the staffer on duty would not let anyone in even 15 minutes early, citing liability and the contract terms. While I understand the policy, it was frustrating in the moment, especially with no one else in the building, balloon vendors outside with balloons, furniture vendors standing outside waiting, and a tight setup schedule. To top it off, as we were packing up at the end of the night; already actively cleaning and breaking down, the same staffer came over to me with a printed checklist, pointing out everything that needed to be done. I was beyond annoyed. Not exactly the energy you want at the end of a very long day. Final Thoughts Claret Hall is fine for modest events with low design needs. It is not ideal for creative designers who need a blank slate, creative freedom, or flexibility. Be prepared to design around fire exits, some immovable furniture, and strict staff oversight. It is also worth noting that a church regularly holds its services at Claret Hall, which can impact availability. I wouldn't personally book it again.

I've attended several weddings and events here and I love this venue for a wedding reception! The…read moreMoxley Garden is very picturesque - I did a professional photoshoot there years ago and the photographer was so impressed with the space! I'm also a proud terp alum so this is my old stomping grounds. I look forward to hanging out here every year for Homecoming! My name is on the Frann and Eric Francis Lifetime Membership Wall (engraved in 2017). On my occasional walks around campus, I stop by for a selfie with Testudo!

I can't believe how uncaring this response is and does not even address the key issues- - the…read moredeceptive contract, the extra fees sprung on at the last minute, the total lack of flexibility, and overally rudeness, uncaring, money grubbing, and the so-called "organizer" dissappearing the day of. This snarky, snotty, curt response is more infuriating than the poor customer service. Thank you for the feedback. As you recall the policy states that the dates are first come first serve basis, June weekends are extremely popular and unfortunately it booked prior to you confirming, we are glad we were able to offer you a discount, which we typically never do, in order to offer you a positive experience. Also our wedding pricing does include time for a rehearsal, our other pricing does not. We do strive to offer excellent customer service and we do receive many, many reviews reflecting how we have done this. We are sorry you did not feel the same level of service.

Space was used to host a Repast/Celebration Meal / Reception. There is space upstairs and…read moredownstairs. Space was beautifully transformed. Parking was limited, depending on the size of your party.

Needed the space for a repast and they were available. Very accommodating and budget friendly. The…read moredownside was the place was not setup for service. We had to carry chairs up stairs to set the table. Secondly, we spoke about the bathroom being cleaned and it was not. Aside from those things I'm rating this highly because, the owner was professional accommodating and responsive. He sounds like a young man in business and I would want to give him the chance to improve upon rather than tear down. Respectfully.

Great place to hosts events. There's also a Farmers Style Market during Spring/Summer!read more

I've seen the Silver Spring Civic Building during my visits to the area, yet being inside was a…read morefirst. The great hall & ballroom hosted the 16th Annual Gap Buster's Inc. Gala presenting a fanfare to the African culture with the backdrop of the building's ecofriendly & urban architectural design. In both areas I crossed paths with some of the Hospitality, A/V & Catering teams who were interactively busy & pleasant. GapBuster is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit & minority-founded educational organization dedicated to empowering the community through education benefiting their students/mentees in aiming to close the educational performance gap. The gala featured Keynote Speaker Kojo Yankah, former Member of the Ghana Parliament & founder of the African University College of Communications. Other special guets included Pat Lawson-Muse of NBC News 4, Congressman Jamie Raskin & Montgomery County Council At-Large Candidate Hoan Dang. The notable guest of the evening in which I had the esteemed honor in meeting, was King Peggy (Nana Amuah-Afenyi VI - born Peggielene Bartels), the first woman King & Reigning Chief of Tantum in Ghana. I didn't venture around the entire space, however on my way out I quickly spanned the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery (former First Lady of MoCo) that supports the arts & humanities. The portico to the plaza is a popular space for concerts, famer's market, festivals, live entertainment...I saw light advertisement for the upcoming seasonal ice skating rink & annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival which is held in front of the building. There's a parking garage across the street on Ellsworth Drive if you can't find street parking. I saw many people parking in the Whole Foods parking lot...not suggesting, just to note. From the Silver Spring Metro Rail Station - Red Line, it's a very casual 15 minute walk.

This GMU "alum" and former Fairfax resident had no idea this community center existed until this…read moreweekend. My colleague, mentor and friend's book launch and masterclass was debuted here and what an event it was!! This community center was the perfect venue to launch such a spectacular book. There is ample parking, spacious rooms, and a great location to host any event. Please checkout the book "I Forgive You" ... it can change your perspective on human interconnectedness and interpersonal relationships! If someone wronged you and is shutting you out as punishment, this is their internal traumas showing in physical form... if communication isn't an option just forgive them. "There is psychological and emotional freedom in forgiveness."

My 2nd time revisiting for 2 separate events. Outside is…read moreclean, plenty parking, located not too far from D.C. Close to major highways. Inside is clean as well, staff present at the front desk. Room that the event took place in was spacious, good lighting, good seating with 2 huge projector screens on the walls. Overall a good experience.

I attended a wedding here as a guest in September 2019. Therefore, this review is purely from a…read moreguest experience standpoint--I can't speak to pricing or customer service. The wedding wasn't big; there were about 60 guests + a wedding party of 10 or so. I felt there was sufficient capacity for this sized wedding, but anything bigger and the place would have felt claustrophobic. The manor is very charming and obviously historic, with creaky floors. The weather was favorable that day for an outdoor wedding in the garden behind the house. Since the manor is made up of a couple smaller rooms and then 1 large dining room, I imagine the wedding would have been moved to the dining room if it had rained. I believe the bride and groom used the in-house catering, including hors d'œuvres passed around for about an hour between the wedding ceremony and dinner. My favorite hors d'œuvres were the mini grilled cheese sandwiches served with cups of tomato soup. They also passed around sweet potato pancakes, chicken skewers, and shrimp skewers. The sweet potato pancakes were really sweet--more of a dessert than the others. When they opened the dining room for dinner, each table was set up with a starter salad and a bread basket. The dinner consisted of 3 stations: one with grilled salmon served with rice and grilled vegetables, one with gourmet pasta bar, and one with short ribs. The guests were directed to the buffet/stations on a table-by-table basis. The pasta bar in particular got backed up since it was made-to-order, so I wound up getting the ribs and salmon and then going back to the pasta bar once it cleared up. My favorite was the salmon, since it was filling without being too heavy, but I did enjoy the pasta bar, which had a good selection of vegetable toppings. The manor was well-maintained, and the unisex bathrooms were clean and well-supplied. However, there were only 2 of them, so there was inevitably a constant line in the hour or so following dinner. The bride and groom had informed us there were 30 parking spaces at the manor as well as plenty of free street parking nearby. Since the manor is located in a largely residential area, the street parking was pretty easy. Overall, from a guest's point-of-view, this was a really lovely place to hold a relatively simple small-to-medium-sized wedding.

Visited for an outdoor wedding. Spacious, outdoors and indoors. Grounds well kept. About 50-100…read morepeople at the wedding I attended. Adequate parking.