By Caryn R. Sagal
The days are getting shorter, but Montgomery County’s burgeoning arts scene has plenty to keep us energized throughout the autumn season. Here are Fall Favorites!
Key takeaways
- The bigger picture: Montgomery County’s fall arts scene is packed with events running through December, spanning festivals, concerts, theater and comedy for a wide range of interests.
- More details: Highlights include family-friendly outdoor events like Taste of Bethesda and The Great Pumpkin Race, bigger-name performances like Alton Brown and Coco’s live-to-film concert, and theater productions ranging from August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” to Synetic Theater’s gothic “Sleepy Hollow.”
- Why this helps: With events spanning free festivals to ticketed concerts and plays starting around $15-$50, there’s a wide range of options to fit different budgets and interests throughout the season.
Art & Festivals
Now through Dec. 27
Pour: The Art of Flow Art Show
Montgomery Art Association (MAA) presents this juried art show Windridge Vineyard. A single word with many possibilities, Pour invites artists to explore ideas of movement, emergence, abundance, and expression. Free admission to view this exhibit; wine glasses, bottles and food options are available for purchase. montgomeryart.org
Oct. 3
Taste of Bethesda
Now in its 33rd year, this renowned food and music festival in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle will feature four stages of live musical performances and a dedicated children’s area with facepainting and arts and crafts. The lively atmosphere is perfect for families, foodies and music lovers alike. Free admission: food tickets are 5 for $10. bethesda.org
Oct. 3
The Great Pumpkin Race
Visit North Creek Community Center for this unique side-by-side, single-elimination race featuring handcrafted, custom-decorated pumpkin race cars in a madcap, dramatic explosion of creative ingenuity. The race caps off the Fall Festival events, which include live music, food and children’s activities. montgomeryvillage.com/events/pumpkin-race-fall-festival
Oct. 4
2026 Takoma Park Street Festival
Explore 185-plus vendor booths, live music from 18 local bands, plus food trucks and more. Takoma Park’s unique shops, restaurants and cafes are all open and welcoming visitors. Rain or shine. Free. mainstreettakoma.org
Oct. 8-22
Noir City
The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center will be jumping with an exciting program of crime and mystery films featuring…musicians! Witness Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr. and Doris Day performing with film noir favorites including Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Ida Lupino, Rita Hayworth and Kirk Douglas. Individual tickets are $15; all access pass is $200. silver.afi.com
Oct. 25
Silver Spring Fall-O-Ween 2026
Local artisans will flock to Veterans Plaza with unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade fall-inspired creations, including Halloween décor, jewelry and candles, plus Halloween-themed sweets like cupcakes, cookies, and other seasonal goodies, and plenty of savory options. Festivities also include the Kids and Pets Halloween Costume Parade and additional entertainment. Rain or shine. Free. visitmontgomery.com
Nov. 8-Dec. 13
Afterglow
MAA partners with the Goldman Gallery at the Bender JCC on this exhibition and sale. Afterglow explores what remains after a moment of intensity—how light, color and atmosphere continue to shift and resonate. Artists are encouraged to move beyond literal interpretations and consider how energy is carried through a work—whether through color, contrast, surface or composition. Free. montgomeryart.org
Nov. 12-15
AFI Silver Classic Film Weekend
The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center presents an immersive lineup of stunning new restorations, big-screen rarities, silent films with live musical accompaniment, 35mm prints and astonishing pre-Code pictures. Festival guests and film scholars will introduce each film. This year’s series is co-curated by author, archivist and film historian David Pierce. All silent films are co-presented as part of the 2026 Silent Cinema Showcase (Oct. 23–Nov. 15). Individual tickets are $15; all access pass is $200. silver.afi.com
Comedy & Performing Arts
Oct. 4
Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood: Asking for Trouble
Get ready for an evening of sidesplitting laughter as the dynamic duo from TV’s Whose Line Is It Anyway? takes the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore in a one-night-only uproarious live show. Armed with their lightning-fast wits, Mochrie and Sherwood will transform the audience’s suggestions into an unpredictable evening of non-stop comedy gold. Don’t miss a wild rollercoaster ride of hilarity, where two improv legends prove they are still the best in the business. Tickets start at $28. strathmore.org
Oct. 10
Cirque Kalabante: WOW (World of Word)
Montgomery College’s CU Cultural Arts Center provides a stage where ancestral African wisdom captivates the audience. Separated by a symbolic line, one group shares its knowledge through powerful storytelling, hypnotic songs and ritual initiation, while the other receives and learns — sometimes with fear, sometimes in resistance. Double Dutch skipping, bungee straps and rope-based contortion turn into pathways of communication, pulsing with dialogue. Tickets start at $35. tix.com/ticket-sales/MCLIVEARTS/7088
Oct. 15
Gravity & Other Myths presents Ten Thousand Hours
Hailed as one of the world’s leading contemporary circus companies, Gravity & Other Myths reveals the grit, grace and trust required to defy gravity. In this astonishing acrobatic performance at the Music Center at Strathmore, the Aussie company examines the discipline required for mastery. Built on years of sweat and relentless refinement, the program highlights the strength, timing and collective effort that makes such precision possible. Tickets start at $28. strathmore.org
Oct. 26
An Evening with Alton Brown
Best known for creating and hosting groundbreaking television such as Good Eats, Iron Chef America, Cutthroat Kitchen and Food Network Star, Alton Brown has also built one of the most successful culinary touring franchises ever, performing live in more than 300 cities for well over half a million fans. Stirring up some twists on his greatest hits,” and “spicing things up with new demonstrations, music and slightly scaled-down mayhem, he’ll take the stage at the Music Center at Strathmore for a show that is equal part humor, science, food and heart. Tickets start at $28. strathmore.org
Oct. 31
Halloween Magic Fun at The Writer’s Center
Magic Duel Comedy Show is a must-see for anyone who loves magic, comedy or just a good time. Award-winning magicians and first-rate snarkists Mark Phillips and Bubble Magician Meadow Perry face off in this 90-minute display of mind-bending illusions, hilarious jokes and engaging audience participation. You’ll gasp in amazement at their magic, laugh at their witty banter and cheer as they battle it out for the win. Tickets start at $30. tickets.themagicduel.com
Nov. 15
Jason Schuster and Phil Medina
Don’t miss the return of this dynamic duo at Give a Hoot Comedy Club. Phil has headlined across the country, entertained U.S. troops, and was featured at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival, on Hulu’s West Coast Comedy and Not Your Average Comedy. He also recently lent his voice to multiple characters—including Fernando Palomo—in the Disney+ series O11CE: The New Generation. Baltimore-born Jason is a nationally touring stand-up comedian known for his high-energy style, sharp wit and spot-on impressions. Blending quick punchlines with relatable storytelling and dynamic character work, he brings a versatile and engaging voice that connects with audiences everywhere. Tickets start at $22.25. giveahootcomedy.com
Concerts
Oct. 3
DJ Shadow Celebrates 30 Years of Endtroducing
Enjoy a live performance at The Fillmore Silver Spring of DJ Shadow’s landmark album, Endtroducing…Mostly instrumental and entirely sample-based, the album fused an astonishing variety of fragments—of Metallica, Björk, Giorgio Moroder, Meredith Monk, Funkadelic and even private press high school band recordings. Tickets start $59.50. fillmoresilverspring.com
Oct. 9
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Presents Disco Inferno: A 70’s Celebration
The Music Center at Strathmore will become a disco palace, bringing ‘70s glitter and groove to life. Become a dancing queen at this high-energy feel-good Pops concert featuring Broadway vocalists, a live disco band and nonstop hits from such icons as ABBA, Bee Gees, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor and Barry Manilow. Tickets start at $31. my.bsomusic.org
Oct. 30
Charo
Only a handful of entertainers are known by one name, and Charo is one of them! The pop culture icon who has entertained millions during her stellar 50-year career brings her fiery musicianship, dazzling showmanship and joyful “Cuchi-Cuchi” spirit to Montgomery College’s CU Cultural Arts Center. Don’t miss this unforgettable night of world-class guitar, laughter and electrifying Latin rhythms. Tickets start at $35. tix.com/ticket-sales/MCLIVEARTS/7088
Oct. 31-Nov. 1
Coco Live-to-Film Concert
Celebrate el Día de los Muertos at the Music Center at Strathmore. AMP presents a screening of Disney-Pixar’s complete film with Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Michael Giacchino’s musical score performed live by the 20-member Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México. Tickets start at $28. strathmore.org
Nov. 13
The War And Treaty
Don’t miss this Grammy-nominated Americana duo blending soul, gospel, country and blues live at The Fillmore Silver Spring. The husband-and-wife artists are on a headlining fall tour supporting their new album The Story of Michael and Tanya. Standing room only event with reserved seating in the balcony. Tickets start at $34. fillmoresilverspring.com
Nov. 18
Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime – The Final Chapter
Multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Geoff Tate is best known for his 30+ years as the creative and driving force behind the progressive metal band Queensryche. Witness rock history at the Fillmore Silver Spring, as he performs their seminal Operation: Mindcrime album from start to finish, bringing the epic tale of revolution, betrayal and redemption to life one last time. General admission standing room only show with reserved seating in the balcony. Tickets start at $45. fillmoresilverspring.com
Dec. 3
Bonobo – Distance In Static Live North American Tour
BRIT and Grammy-nominated (seven times) artist, Bonobo visits The Fillmore Silver Spring on what he proclaims may be hist last tour in this format. His renowned live show — built around a full live-band, guest vocalists and immersive visuals – has set the blueprint for how an electronic musician can translate their records into the live arena. General admission standing room only show with reserved seating in the balcony. Tickets start at $52. fillmoresilverspring.com
Theater & Dance
Now through Oct. 11
August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Set in 1920s Chicago and pulsing with rousing blues music, wry comedy and poetic insight, August Wilson’s acclaimed play follows trailblazing singer Ma Rainey and her band during a fraught recording session. As conflicts flare over art, power and control, the struggle between the musicians and studio executives grows to a shattering finale. Visit the Round House Theatre for this “genuine American masterpiece” (Chicago Reader). Tickets start at $53. roundhousetheatre.org
Oct. 7-Nov. 1
Synetic Theater’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’
This adaptation of Sleepy Hollow at Olney Theatre pulls together all the elements that made Synetic famous: gothic horror, iconic characters and imagery, and an emphasis on the surreal. The production explores and deconstructs the ideas of legend and myth, illuminating the story of a terrifying and well-known villain in a way that only Synetic’s physical lexicon can. Tickets start at $42. olneytheatre.org
Oct. 21-25
Love’s the Thang
Montgomery College’s Performing Arts Series presents this a blend of Shakespearean love scenes paired with foundational Black music, spoken word, and poetry. It’s the ultimate Shakespearean love remix that tries to define the thing that even Shakespeare could never quite wrap his head around…love. Tickets start at $5 for students and $10 for non-students. tix.com/ticket-sales/MCLIVEARTS/7088
Nov. 6-8
Funeral for a Gangster
In partnership with A Taste For Murder Productions, Glenview Mansion becomes the site of a mob funeral and a missing fortune! Step into 1926 and join the secret sendoff for mob boss Vito “The Gut” Marzetti at Ruby’s Place, the city’s hottest speakeasy. The family’s in mourning—sort of. Vito’s widow is hunting for his hidden fortune, and the guests might be the key to unlocking his final, deadly secret. If you come dressed in a Roaring Twenties-themed costume, you may win a prize! Tickets start at $35. fscottfitzgerald.showare.com
Nov. 18
Grand Kyiv Ballet presents “The Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights”
Tchaikovsky’s iconic score opens the door to an entirely reimagined world. Vivid light design, illuminated costume and world-class dancers from around the globe transform the classic ballet into a mesmerizing contemporary visual experience at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre. Tickets start at $44. fscottfitzgerald.showare.com
Nov. 18-Dec. 27
Cult of Love
This darkly funny family drama set during the holidays balances humor and discomfort while exploring the tensions that surface when families gather. Leslye Headland’s “stormy, compassionate, [and] cuttingly observant” (TimeOut NY) play interrogates the complexity of family loyalty, the power of religion, and what it truly means to love one another. Tickets start at $45. roundhousetheatre.org
Caryn R. Sagal is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
