City Offices and Facilities will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024, in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
Takoma Park Elections Will Take Place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
The scheduling of demolition and construction timelines are pending weather.
Category for general news items.
Join Mary Travaglini, Sustainable Landscapes Manager for the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, to learn about healthy soils and tips for maintaining your lawn without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
The event is free and open to all.
Register here
Date: Monday, March 16, 2020
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location
7500 Maple Avenue
Azalea Room 2nd Floor
Takoma Park, MD 20912
UPDATE: Consistent with the actions of the State of Maryland and Montgomery County, City of Takoma Park facilities, including City offices, the Library and the Takoma Park Recreation Center, will be closed to the public from 7:00 pm Friday, March 13, 2020, through Sunday, March 29, 2020. Therefore, the SYEP Youth Interest Mtg tonight has been postponed. We are looking at ways to share the information virtually and will keep those registered informed. Thank you for your interest and for understanding.
Youth Summer Employment Program Interest Meeting
Ages 16-21
Friday, March 13, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – POSTPONED
Takoma Park Community Center
Azalea Room
Is your teen in need of a summer job? The City of Takoma Park is pleased to announce the return of the City’s Youth Summer Employment Program (SYEP). Parents and teens come to the Interest Meeting and learn about this 8-week program which will run from the end of June to mid-August. The purpose of the Youth Summer Employment Program is to provide young people with a summer-long adventure that is more than just a job, but a true learning experience. There are a limited number of meaningful employment opportunities available this year. Click here to register for the Interest Workshop. For information, please call the Recreation Department at 301-891-7290.
Participants must be Takoma Park residents and must attend this meeting in order to be eligible to apply for the summer program.
You are invited to join the City of Takoma Park for the annual Arbor Day celebration and tree seedling give-a-way on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Takoma Park Library grounds.
The City’s Arbor Day event and seedling give away will take place on Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (weather permitting) near the main entrance of the Takoma Park Library at 101 Philadelphia Ave.
If you have a story about a mature tree that grew from a Takoma Park Arbor Day seedling, please share it with the City’s Urban Forest Manager at janvz@ takomaparkmd.gov
We hope to see you there!
There will be a Little Free Library Public Art Project Reception 
before the City Council meeting. The five new Little Free Library boxes feature portraits of groundbreaking female authors and activists painted by local artists, Samantha Contrino and Katie Macyshyn. The boxes will be installed in various areas of Takoma Park.
Location: Takoma Park Community Center
Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Time: 6:00pm
Mr. Jon Children’s Music Concert
Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1 pm
Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium
7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, MD
Mr. Jon performs energetic music for the entire family that is all about fun, dancing, and laughter! He has won a Parents’ Choice Award for his music and attracted loyal audiences across the D.C. area. The concert is free with a $10 suggested donation for adults and $5 for kids. No tickets or reservations are required.
Singer-songwriter Jon Lewis has released three albums that have become top sellers on cdbaby.com. Sometimes playing solo or in a group, he plays more than 100 shows a year for kids across the country. To hear some of his music, go to mrjonmusic.com.
This concert was organized by the City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts cultural series. For more info about all of our upcoming events, sign up for our weekly e-newsletter.
By City Manager Suzanne Ludlow
As a Sanctuary City, Takoma Park is committed to serving the public good, preserving public safety and being supportive of the members of our community, regardless of place of birth or nationality or any other demographic category.
On this Valentine’s Day (and stated birthday of Frederick Douglass), it is disappointing to hear of plans to deploy Border Patrol officers to certain Sanctuary Cities. Takoma Park has not been identified as one of the Sanctuary Cities that is being targeted. Nevertheless, we know that these plans cause anxiety.
There are resources available on line regarding the rights of people during immigration raids. One resource is Know Your Rights: Learn How To Protect Yourself and Your Family
During times of anxiety, it’s important to remind our community to not be afraid of interacting with City staff, including members of the Takoma Park Police Department. Our City staff care and are here to serve.
We have been a Sanctuary City for over 30 years and we are a City that stands together.
Overlooked Films from the Civil Rights Movement
Free Film Screening
Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 pm
Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Md.
The civil rights movement is a long ongoing struggle with a fascinating history and some neglected stories. Please join us for a free screening of vintage films that shed light on the heroic pursuit of social justice and racial equality. Local filmmaker and film historian Richard Hall will lead this screening of three short documentaries in one of our Takoma Park Arts events celebrating Black History Month.
Filmed in 1963 by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, We’ll Never Turn Back features interviews with Fanny Lou Hamer, a 20 year-old Julian Bond, and black farmers in Mississippi who were harassed when they tried to register to vote.
A Time for Freedom documents the 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom where Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks spoke at the Lincoln Memorial, six years before King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. In 1977, the U.S. government produced The Time Has Come, narrated by actor James Earl Jones, featuring interviews with prominent black elected officials, including a young John Lewis.
The Takoma Park Arts cultural series organizes free concerts, theater, poetry readings, art exhibitions, and more. To learn more about all of our upcoming events, please sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/arts-and-humanities/arts-newsletter-sign-up/
Image: Still from We’ll Never Turn Back
CALL FOR ARTISTS FOR MURAL IN TAKOMA PARK
Complete Call: muralcall.takomaparkmd.gov
Application Form: muralform.takomaparkmd.gov
Budget: Up to $25,000
Deadline: March 2, 2020
The City of Takoma Park is seeking submissions from artists for a mural covering sections of a concrete retaining wall stretching three blocks along Lincoln Avenue in Takoma Park, Md. Artists must submit a cover letter, 3-5 sketches or mock-ups of their design, and a summary of prior public art projects. The theme of the design is up to the artist or artist team but should reflect the historical, cultural, or environmental character of Takoma Park in some way. Bids will be accepted up to $25,000.
Artists do not need to be Takoma Park residents, and there is no fee to apply. Please review the full Call for Entries at muralcall.takomaparkmd.gov before applying using the online submission form at muralform.takomaparkmd.gov. Please share the news with your artist friends!
A Night of Guitar Music with Yasmin Williams
8 pm on Friday, Feb. 7
Free concert with $10 suggested donation
Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Md.
Have you ever heard a guitar played with a bow, lap tapping, or alternate tunings? In this free concert, local acoustic finger-style guitarist Yasmin Williams expands the possibilities for guitar in a night of captivating music. She will perform songs from her debut album Unwind along with covers of instrumental classics.
NPR Music says Yasmin’s music “transcends the standard idea of what a guitarist should do.” U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly said, “If only we could supplant gun violence in America with the beauty of Yasmin’s music.” To hear some of her music, go to www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com.
The City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts cultural series series organized this concert which celebrates Black History Month. For news about all of our upcoming events, please sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/arts-and-humanities/arts-newsletter-sign-up/
From Slavery to Freedom: A Black Union Soldier’s Life Story
Free Lecture at 7:30 pm on Thursday, Feb. 6
Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Md.
In an engaging lecture, Dianne Cross will share the remarkable life story of her great-great-grandfather Sgt. Isaac Hall who earned his freedom from slavery fighting in the Union Army during the Civil War. Starting with only his name, a portrait, and some oral family history, Dianne spent years researching his background to weave a compelling story of his life as one of more than 200,000 black soldiers who fought for freedom during the Civil War while facing discrimination and low pay in segregated units.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Rutgers University, Dianne worked for 31 years for Lockheed Martin (now L-3 Communication System). She is retired now and lives with her husband in Laurel, Md.
The City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts cultural series series organized this event which celebrates Black History Month. For news about our upcoming events, please sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at https://takomaparkmd.gov/initiatives/arts-and-humanities/arts-newsletter-sign-up/
