Make The Most Of Maryland's Fall Foliage And Festivals

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Four Montgomery County parks offer picturesque views of the changing leaves.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — When it comes to fall beauty, Montgomery County has plenty to offer. From the beauty of changing leaves to a number of festivals, you won't want to miss this fall's many activities.

Pop over to Rock Creek Regional Park for your first scenic views of changing leaves. The 1,800-acre park is made up of two lakes, 13 miles of trails in woodland areas and lake shores. Embrace the views on foot, while cycling or from a boat.

The C&O Canal and Great Falls provides trails, including the popular Billy Goat trail, which all offer spectacular views and a quiet place to spend an afternoon outdoors with friends and family.

Brookside Gardens is an award-winning display of public gardens. The 50-acre space sits within Wheaton Regional park, amid the backdrop of the Azalea Garden, the Butterfly Garden, the Children's Garden, the Rose Garden, the Japanese Style Garden and the Woodland Walk. Don't miss this year's Glory of Fall Walking Tour.

The Seneca Creek State park is the ideal spot for adventurous hikers looking for a challenge. From Oct. 14-21, park staff will provide fall foliage pontoon tours, relaxing 45-minute boat rides with views of the park's changing colors.

Bring your furry friend to Black Hill Regional Park to take in more than 2,000 acres of outdoor recreation. With a variety of trails and views of Little Seneca lake and wooded forests, this park is mustn't be missed.

The Takoma Park Street Festival was voted one of the top three neighborhood festivals by Washington City Paper readers in its 2017 Best of D.C. rankings. The festival entertains visitors with local artists, photography, pottery, crafts and more, including performances by 18 bands across three stages.

Taste of Bethesda's food and wine festival will be held Oct. 6, just three blocks from the Bethesda Metro Stop. The event includes 60 participating restaurants and five stages of live entertainment. Each year the free festival draws more than 40,000 attendees.

If you're interested in Montgomery County's agricultural past, mark your calendar for the Harvest Festival at Montgomery Parks' Agricultural History Farm Park. Also held Saturday, Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., this year’s event will teach the public about how MoCo farms and communities helped support the war effort during World War I. Admission is $15 per car.

What fall festival list wouldn’t be complete without an Oktoberfest? The City of Gaithersburg's Oktoberfest, in its 27th year, covers Kentlands Village Green, the grounds of Kentlands Mansion, Main Street and Market Square. Guests can revel in family-friendly activities, artisans, beer and wine tasting and delicious food.

Oktoberfest is held Oct. 14 from noon to 5 p.m.

Bask in all things pumpkin at Germantown's Butler's Orchard. The orchard hosts an annual pumpkin festival, a celebration of the fall harvest starting Sept. 29 and running every weekend through October.

The festival includes hayrides, a twisted corn maze, playground, corn box, spider web straw maze, corn hole game, giant slides and a pumpkin coach ride. There will also be food, including fall favorites like cider, caramel apples, apple cider donuts, kettle corn and Maryland’s own pit beef.

For more information on Montgomery County's fall offerings, go to VisitMontgomery. The website is the official tourism marketing organization for Montgomery County, Maryland.

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