Three Neighborhoods Come Together for the Wheaton-Glenmont Festival

Three civic associations are coming together to put on an event centered around theirs community this Saturday, with hopes that it will be the start of many conversations.

The Greater Glenmont, Connecticut Avenue Estates, and the Glenmont Forest Civic Associations are hosting the Wheaton-Glenmont summer festival this Saturday at from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We've been planning this since October of last year, " said Amanda Bernhardt, secretary of the Greater Glenmont Civic Association. 

The civic associations found out through Montgomery Housing Partnership, that Neighborworks America were offering grants for community outreach events. Representatives from the community attended a workshop in Louisville, KY, and received a $2,000 grant.

With that grant, and some in-kind donations from local businesses, there'll be a variety of events and foods available, including the classic moon bounce and other games and sports, plus raffle prizes. 

"In our particular area, there's a great deal of diversity, not just racial diversity but age, and ethnicities." Bernhardt said. "We've noticed a fragmentation, and we feel like it's given rise to some tensions, so we thought the festival would be a good way for folks to get together, relax and have kids their kids play together."

County services and nonprofits will hand out information, and the three civic associations are hoping to create a little interactive civic pride: They'll be two big writing boards where residents can share their own thoughts: One labeled "Take Pride" for what they like about the community and another labeled "Take Action" for what they can do to help the neighborhood.

Festival organizers are expecting a few hundred people for Saturday's event.