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by Judith Hruz
Editor
One of the community’s most popular events will return April 10 after a several-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 41st annual Community Night, hosted by the Olney Chamber of Commerce and featuring Montgomery County’s longest running business expo, a family expo, the Taste & Toast of Olney and more, will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, 17301 Old Vic Blvd.
More than 100 local businesses, non-profit groups, community organizations, county agencies, restaurants and beverage producers will be in the spotlight.
Community Night was last held in 2019 due to COVID-19. It is also the first time it is being held in the spring; it had been held in October.
In the past, the event has drawn crowds of 3,000 to 5,000 people.
“Community Night is a celebration of all things Olney,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Terri Hogan. “It brings together the businesses, the restaurants, the non-profit organizations and the residents. We have such a variety of businesses here, including many home-based businesses, and this is a great opportunity for all of them to get out in front of the community.”
Andriana Weinstein, co-owner of Open Road Trailer Services and event chairwoman, agrees.
“Community night is a wonderful showcase of our local businesses in a way that represents what Olney is all about; family, fun and the relationships we create in our town,” she said.
Weinstein added that the event offers “a fun and easy way to check out some of the best of what our area has to offer.”
She also stressed the importance of supporting local businesses.
“By shopping locally, we put our money into businesses that put it back into our community and make Olney such a great place to live and work,” she said.
Community Night helps the chamber to fulfill its mission of supporting, promoting and representing the business interests of its members and to strengthen the local business economy, chamber officials said. This is first revenue-generating event that the chamber has held in more than three years.
The event will feature giveaways and interactive activities, including a moon bounce, a dance party, photo booth, tightrope walk, games and more.
New attractions this year include the For 3 Sisters’ pink fire engine and an interactive Fire Safety House that teaches fire prevention and survival skills. It’s living room, kitchen and bedroom allow participants to practice exiting techniques in a simulated smoke-filled environment, how to check the door for heat, and instruction on the “stop, drop, and roll” technique to extinguish clothing fires.
Taste & Toast of Olney will feature several local restaurants as well as food trucks, offering a variety of menu choices for the whole family.
Participating food vendors include Mamma Lucia, Passion Bakery, Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A, Kung Fu Tea and Grubbing Hard, IC Dream, Kona Ice and Flipside Gastro.
And for the first time a beer, wine and spirits garden will feature offerings from Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company, Waredaca Brewing Company, The Olney Winery and Twin Valley Distillers. Beverages will be sold for consumption at the event and to take home.
Local students will present dance performances and martial arts demonstrations in the Performing Arts Center.
The raffles and silent auction include a variety of items, ranging from gift cards to a 55-inch Samsung Smart television.
Brooke Grove Retirement Village, Olney Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Open Road Trailer Services, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and Stein Sperling Bennett De Jong Driscoll PC are this year’s Community Night Gold Sponsors.
Admission is free, but those who attend are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for Olney HELP and used eyeglasses to be collected by the Olney Lions. Check for event updates on the Olney Chamber’s website at www.olneymd.org and on Facebook and Instagram.