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Come out to the second Kentlands Day Festival and you'll be doing more than having fun. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Kentlands Community Foundation and Rachel Carson Elementary School.

The free festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 in the parking lot surrounded by Potomac Pizza, Bally's and My Gym.

The Kentlands Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has served the greater Gaithersburg area for the past 17 years through its cultural arts, educational and outreach programs.

Proceeds from a silent auction at the children's carnival will benefit Rachel Carson Elementary School.

Both organizations will provide volunteers at the festival.

The City of Gaithersburg also provides substantial support to Kentlands Day and is a Platinum Event Sponsor.

The event drew 10,000 people last year and more than 100 community businesses participated, led by the Kentlands Market Square Merchants. This year is expected to be bigger and all are welcome.

"Kentlands Day is a way for us to say thank you to our community for supporting us in good times and in bad times, and for us to show the community what we have to offer," said Adam Greenberg, president of Potomac Pizza and the lead organizer for Kentlands Market Square. "Kentlands is a wonderful community and deserves a wonderful day to celebrate."

The Kentlands Community Foundation was established in 1993 to serve as an educational resource on the landmark New Urbanist community, while supporting local arts and cultural programs and providing opportunities for volunteerism and community outreach.

The Kentlands Day parade will start at 10 a.m., and a car show is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with awards at 3 p.m.

Ongoing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be the business fair, Taste of Kentlands, children's fair, Rachel Carson Elementary School PTA Spring Fair Silent Auction, main stage entertainment and children's entertainment.

For information on entering the car show, marching in the parade, providing a silent auction item or anything else related to Kentlands Day, contact event organizers at 301-591-3899 or by emailing info@kentlandsday.com.

The event website also has

registration information at www.kentlandsday.com.

Art for art's sake

Joseph Craig English, a Washington Grove printmaker and sculptor, will join many of the best artists in the country at the seventh annual Bethesda Fine Arts Festival on May 8 and 9.

As soon as he was able to hold a brush, English was encouraged to paint. He was introduced to silkscreen printmaking by his 10th grade art teacher and fell in love with the intense color and flat finish of the inks. By 1972 he had begun printing.

English has participated in the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival since its inception in 2004.

The festival will feature 140 contemporary artists who will their original art and crafts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 8 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 9 in downtown Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle along Norfolk and Auburn avenues, six blocks from the Bethesda Metro Station. Free parking is available on Auburn Avenue.

The festival also will include live entertainment, a children's activity area and food from downtown Bethesda restaurants including Mamma Lucia, Union Jack's, Ben & Jerry's and more.

With 20,000 attendees per weekend, the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival has become one of the premier events organized and managed by the Bethesda Urban Partnership.

For information, visit www.bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660.

Build a house for Mother's Day

Habitat for Humanity invites women to come out on Mother's Day and help a family in need of adequate housing to put their hammer where their heart is.

During National Women Build Week, May 1 to 9, Lowe's and Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, Md., Inc. are looking for local women volunteers to work on HFH-MC's construction site. No construction or home improvement experience necessary.

The Mother's Day timeframe was selected for its significance to many volunteers. Families with children make up a staggering number of those who need adequate housing: More than 12 million children —one in six — live in poverty housing in the U.S. alone.

To date, female volunteers have built about 1,700 Habitat houses nationwide.

"We are very proud to be announcing our first official Women Build home. It is exciting that our third annual Women Build Week will be in support of our first Women Build home" said Jessica Reid, HFH-MC Director of Volunteer and Family Services.

HFH-MC Women Build Week events include build days on May 1, 5, 6 and 7, and a Lowe's clinic on May 4.

A networking event is scheduled for May 27 at BlackFinn restaurant in Bethesda. Women Build participants are encouraged to attend the networking event and share their Women Build Week experiences.

To volunteer or donate to this project, please call 301-990-0014 Ex.t 18, e-mail molly.martin@habitat-mc.org or visit http://habitat-mc.org/events/women_build.html

Get your skate on

Test your skateboard skills at the Gaithersburg Skate Park 2010 Spring Skate Fest, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 22. All proceeds made by the City of Gaithersburg will be given to the Dolores Swoyer Summer Camp Scholarship Fund.

Contestants can choose from three events: beginner, intermediate or advanced skateboard. Judging will be based on style, consistency and technical presentation. Participants may not enter multiple events. Practice time will be allotted before each event. Each participant will receive two one-minute runs through the course and scores will be tallied after each run, with the best score being used.

All skaters must sign a Gaithersburg Skate Park Liability Wavier and skaters younger than 18 must have the waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Local skate shops and teams including Convoy, Charmcity & Vu will being judging, performing demos and selling merchandise at the event. Slice of Olde Towne will have food available for purchase onsite. There will be a prize drawing and a chance to win items donated by DC101, including video games, DVDs and a drum head autographed by Fall Out Boy.

Registration for competitors who have an annual membership to the Skate Park is $5; nonmember registration is $10. Entrants may sign up and pay in advance or on the day of event.

Space is limited, and registrations will be processed first-come, first-served basis. There is no admission fee for spectators. The skate park is at 510 South Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg.

For more information please call Maura Dinwiddie at 301-258-6350 ext. 168 or email skatepark@gaithersburgmd.gov.

Items appropriate for this column should be sent to Nathan Carrick, The Gaithersburg Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877; faxed to 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to ncarrick@gazette.net. Deadline is Thursday at 5 p.m. for consideration for the following week. Items are subject to editing and used on a space-available basis.