Holiday Makers Market at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg December 8-10

Rio Lakefront will host a Holiday Makers Market at 30 Grand Corner Avenue from December 8 through 10, 2023. The indoor market will be open from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM on December 8, 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM  on December 9, and 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM on December 10. Handmade products that will make excellent and unique holiday gifts from more than 50 local artisans. The show is organized by Locally Crafted.

Christmas decorations hit the shelves at Walmart in Germantown (Photos)

Halloween isn't even here yet, and Walmart in Germantown is already gearing up for Christmas. A selection of Christmas decor is now on display. Santa, gnomes, nutcrackers, Mrs. Claus, reindeer, the Grinch, Buddy the Elf...the gang's all here.

Junction Station brings nostalgia to Rio Lakefront for the holidays

Junction Station, a pop-up shop featuring tinplate toys and trains from the 1920s to 1950s, is bringing a train horn blast of nostalgia to Rio Lakefront for the holiday season. A large window display at its storefront at 201 Boardwalk Place shows off many of the railroad, vehicle and aircraft items for sale. It also gives shoutouts on buildings and signs to various tenants of the Peterson Cos. retail development. A nice reward for window shoppers making their way down the street, which has no small amount of retro aesthetic itself.

Rio Fire Lounge construction update

Work continues on the new Fire Lounge at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. The pressure on retail centers and restaurants to provide outdoor spaces has only increased with the new restrictions handed down on indoor dining and shopping by Maryland and Montgomery County in recent days.

Rio Lakefront Christmas decorations in Gaithersburg (Video+Photos)

Here's a look at the Christmas decorations at Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg. With animated, color-changing lights, the retail center takes full advantage of the reflective lake surface at night. There's a Rio logo minus the "i," which is meant to be filled in by you for an Instagram moment.

Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival tickets go on sale for 2020

A safe, socially-distanced activity for the holiday season will be driving through the annual Gaithersburg Winter Lights Festival. The 3.5 mile drive through the light display is located in Seneca Creek State Park at 11950 Clopper Road. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Winter Lights Enchanted Evenings (S’more Lights, Wine Under the Lights, Run Under the Lights, Leashes n’ Lights) will not take place this year.

Tickets are now available to purchase online.

Hogan follows Trump in creating new Christmas Eve holiday

Days after President Donald Trump surprised federal workers with a new holiday designation for Christmas Eve, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan provided the same Christmas Eve bonus to state workers. Today, December 24, 2019, is now an official state holiday. Maryland state government agencies and offices will be closed today in observance of Christmas Eve.

“I am declaring Christmas Eve a state holiday this year to give our dedicated employees more time to spend with their families and loved ones,” Hogan said in a statement. “We hope that our hardworking state workers, and all Marylanders, have a merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season.”

Interesting trivia: The last president to give federal workers a full holiday on Christmas Eve was Franklin Delano Roosevelt.