The Montgomery County Planning Department will host the “Damascus Placemaking Festival” on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 19-20, which will address the UpCounty community’s future. It will be a free, two-day event that will take place along one block of Main Street in Damascus.
The festival will be open from 1-6 p.m., on Oct. 19 and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Oct. 20.
The festival is the culmination of a collaborative, short-term special planning initiative to bring together local businesses, residents, visitors and civic groups to temporarily reimagine a portion of Main Street in Damascus. Community members are working with the project team and community partners to bring ideas for Main Street to life.
The two-day celebration will include local food, music, arts and engagement activities in a place for residents to gather with their community. The initiative will help create a clear vision for a vibrant and welcoming Main Street that embraces and celebrates the community’s small-town charm.
The Damascus Placemaking Festival is modeled on the White Flint Placemaking Festival that took place in 2018, the Burtonsville Placemaking Festival in 2019 and the Fairland and Briggs Chaney Placemaking Festival in 2022. These events have each attracted 1,000 to 3,000 people over a weekend.
The design concepts for the Damascus festival were created based on input from the community through an online questionnaire and at the project’s kickoff meeting in June. The concepts and a summary of the feedback are available on the project’s website.
“These design concepts demonstrate how Main Street has the potential to be a vibrant community destination in the heart of Damascus,” said project lead Audrey Vogel. “We are excited to bring the community’s ideas to life as part this fun and family-friendly festival that aims to inspire long-term improvements to public spaces while maintaining Damascus’ small-town character.”
Planners are seeking the community’s help to bring these concepts to life during the community-led build of the festival in the days leading up to the event. Volunteers may be asked to help paint a temporary mural installation, construct benches or art sculptures, and assist with festival operations, such as set up, clean up, and parking management. Interested parties can sign up for volunteer days using the online form. Student Service Learning (SSL) hours will be available for students.
To learn more about the Damascus Placemaking Festival please visit the project’s website and sign up for our e-letter to receive updates.
