Festival of Lights Art and Craft Fair

December 2

Greenbelt’s annual Festival of Lights Juried Art and Craft Fair takes place on the first weekend in December in the Greenbelt Community Center. The fair features dozens of local artists specializing in a variety of crafts, from painting to photography, fabric art, pottery, jewelry…

Banner for this year’s Art and Craft Fair in front of the Greenbelt Community Center

Holiday Tree Lighting

November 30

Each year a tree lighting ceremony in front of the Community Center kicks off the Festival of Lights, Greenbelt’s celebration of the holiday season. The Greenbelt Concert Band performs and Santa arrives on Greenbelt Fire Department’s antique pumper.

Chris Cherry of the Greenbelt Recreation Department is tonight’s master of ceremonies.

Greenbelt Pumpkin Walk

October 27

Greenbelt’s annual pumpkin walk takes place on the Saturday night before Halloween. More than one hundred candle lit pumpkins are placed in the North Woods, and families come to walk the trail and enjoy the scene.

The pumpkin walk takes place at the North Woods Tract of the Greenbelt Forest Preserve. This sign is by the unpaved access road to Northway Fields.

Zombie Chase

October 27

Greenbelt’s Pumpkin Festival has been happening every year around Halloween for more than twenty years. The festival includes a pumpkin carving party and an evening pumpkin walk. This year, for the first time, a zombie chase was added and took place at Northway Fields. People could sign up as either zombies or runners.

A runner checks in and signs a release form. The zombies have arrived earlier and are hiding in the woods.

Utopia Film Festival Opening Program

October 13

Greenbelt’s Utopia Film Festival has been held every October since 2005. Independent films that reflect the spirit of the community and locally produced films are emphasized. This year’s 8th Annual Utopia Film Festival opened on October 13 with a program that celebrates Greenbelt’s 75th anniversary.

Greenbelt Theater

Franklin Park International Festival

September 29

On Saturday, September 29, Franklin Park in Greenbelt West held the first of three fall international festivals. There were vendors, games, music, and food.

Labor Day Festival: People

August 31 — September 3

During the four-day Labor Day Festival, I walked around the fairground and asked to take photos of fair goers.

Friday

Labor Day Festival: Booths

August 31 – September 3

Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival is unique in that instead of simply renting out booths to the highest bidders, who may have little to do with the town, the food and carnival midway booths are sponsored by local organizations and are often staffed by their members. These organizations can then sell food to raise fund or hand out information to make their activities better known.

Volunteering at the Labor Festival’s information booth on opening night (Friday) are from left Neel Lakshman, Sumit Dalsania, Kevin Pham, and Adekunle Awojinrin. All four are seniors at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, and their shift is from 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Labor Day Festival: Monday Highlights

September 3

This is the fourth and last day of Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival. It started with a parade and ended when the amusement rides were trucked away.

9:46 a.m. Empty chairs by Crescent Road along the parade route

Labor Day Festival: Sunday Highlights

September 2

Another busy day at Greenbelt’s Labor Day Festival.

12:32 p.m. Greg May leads a circus show on stage.