When it comes to things to do each week, there’s no place quite like Montgomery County. The region is a hub for activities of all sorts, from art exhibits and theater to craft fairs, food festivals and inventive workshops. Yet with all the happenings across the area, it can be a challenge to figure out exactly what to do. To get started, here are our top picks for the week.

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Friday and Saturday: The Long Branch Festival

8746 Flower Ave., Silver Spring
Sept. 13, 5-9 p.m.; Sept.14, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

This neighborhood festival brings the community together to celebrate its diversity through a zumba class, live music, a science show and more. Attendance is free with food, drink and goods for purchase.

Saturday: Colores art exhibit opening reception

Blackrock Center for the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown
Sept. 14, 4-7 p.m.

The viewing of this art exhibit of local Latino artists is from Sept. 7 through Nov. 3, but the opening reception is on Sept. 14. Enjoy appetizers, a cash bar and networking opportunities with a free ticket.

Saturday: Armenian Cultural Night

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville
Sept. 14, 6 p.m.

The Armenian Youth Center of Greater Washington Inc. will celebrate Armenian heritage through folk dance and song. Tickets start at $75 for non-members.

Sunday: Ride for the Reserve

Sugarloaf Citizens Association, 20900 Martinsburg Road, Dickerson
Sept. 15, 8 a.m.

The Montgomery County Farm Tour is a bike ride around Montgomery County and/or a picnic at Linden Farm. Bike ride lengths span up to 62 miles. Tickets start at $17.96 and help support Montgomery County’s rural economy. 

The whole weekend: The Washington Ukrainian Festival

St. Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, 15100 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring
Sept. 13, 5-8 p.m.; Sept. 14, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sept. 15, 11 a.m. – dusk

This three-day festival features Ukrainian food, performances, children’s activities and a Kozak beer garden. Friday is free admission, Saturday and Sunday together costs $20 and Sunday alone costs $15. Those under the age of 21 receive free admission, and a portion of proceeds provides humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

And one event worth the trip: In the Streets in Frederick, MD

Downtown Frederick, MD
Sept. 14, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Take a trip up to the historic downtown of Frederick, MD, for its In the Streets Festival. The streets shut down and the businesses open up for a day of food, music, vendors and fun. Before businesses hit the streets, you can partake in the Market Street Mile race. Afterward, check out the Up The Creek Party for ages 21 and up or the family-friendly Great Frederick Fair.

For more events this fall, check out our September and October calendar of events.

Aquí está qué hacer en el Condado de Montgomery esta semana

Muy pronto.

Looking for more things to do around Montgomery County this week? Our arts and culture section spotlights the latest and greatest things to do in the region. Plus, take a peek at our family and education content for happenings impacting you and your family.

For foodies, our food and drink vertical has everything you need to know about openings, closing and the hottest spots to eat throughout the community. You won’t want to miss any of it!

Please call ahead or check online to confirm events for potential cancelations and updates.

The post Here’s what to do in Montgomery County this week appeared first on MoCo360.

Silver Spring resident Jian Li found he’d landed more than a huge fish when he reeled in a 38-pound yellowedge grouper while on a charter boat off Ocean City last week—he’d also landed a record-setting catch. 

The 43-inch fish caught Aug. 27 by Li, who fishes as a hobby, set the first record in Maryland for the heaviest yellowedge grouper in the Atlantic division, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 

“When he pulled it up, we [were] really excited,” recalled Xicheng Zou, Li’s friend who was also on the boat. “Everyone dreams [of catching] a big fish.” 

Zou said that Li, a native of China who was unavailable to speak to MoCo360 on Wednesday, goes fishing three or four times a year, and this was the first time he reeled in a fish of that size. 

“The reason it got a state record was because of its remarkable size, and it was only 10 pounds under the world record,” Erik Zlokovitz, who works in recreational fisheries outreach for the DNR, told MoCo360 on Wednesday. 

Li’s catch was just 10.6 pounds lighter than the 48.6-pound yellowedge grouper that holds the International Game Fish Association world record, according to the DNR. That fish was caught off Dauphin Island, Alabama, in June 2012. 

Zou and Li were two of four anglers who headed out Aug. 27 on the Tiderunner, a charter boat operated by Capt. Chase Eberle. 

After an unsuccessful attempt at fishing offshore for mahi mahi, the fishermen tried “deep dropping,” or fishing in deep ocean waters, at Poorman’s Canyon off Ocean City. They sank false albacore strip baits attached to heavy sinkers 420 feet down to search for large bottom fish, according to the DNR. 

All four hooked large fish, but only Li was able to reel in a catch, according to the DNR. Zlokovitz noted that yellowedge groupers are more typically found between the waters of North Carolina and Brazil, but that anglers have been catching more yellowedge in the canyons off of Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey due to the use of the deep-drop fishing technique. 

After docking, the anglers took photos with Li’s record-breaking fish. According to a DNR press release from Wednesday, Sunset Marina staff in Ocean City weighed the grouper on a certified scale and DNR biologist Gary Tyler confirmed the species.

The post Reel story: Silver Spring man lands record-setting catch appeared first on MoCo360.