Schedule

Events are free to attend and held at 7 p.m. unless otherwise stated.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

A Century of Civic Leadership: The League of Women’s Voters

Every election season, a voter’s guide from the League of Women Voters arrives in the mail and helps us make informed choices at the polls. But the League is much more than its guides. In Montgomery County, the League of Women Voters has played an important role in major issues of our time — Civil Rights, Voting Rights, Fair Housing, and more. The organization has led efforts to research and prepare studies that have shaped local political decisions for decades.

Elaine Apter of the League of Women Voters will discuss the organization’s history and its impact on Montgomery County.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

NIST in Your Neighborhood: 125 Years of Research for the Nation

As our nation commemorates the 250^th anniversary of its founding this year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has its own significant milestone to celebrate. NIST was founded in 1901, 125 years ago. From enabling the first blind landing of an aircraft to ensuring the accuracy of DNA forensics, NIST has a long history of driving innovation and helping Americans succeed. Join Jennifer Huergo, director of NIST Public Affairs, as she traces through the organization's timeline, from its humble beginnings as the National Bureau of Standards with less than 25 employees in Washington, DC, to its current role as a staple for American innovation just down the street.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Becoming Americans 1774

In late spring 1774, ten men from lower Frederick County (later Montgomery County) met at Hungerford’s Tavern in Rockville to sign historic resolves boycotting trade with Britain in response to its retaliation against Boston for the Tea Party. This talk explores their actions in the larger Revolutionary War context. Speaker Sandra Heiler is Treasurer of Montgomery Preservation, Inc., and a Chapter Historian for the DAR and Daughters of 1812.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Ten Days in September 1956

A documentary retelling pivotal events at Poolesville High School during desegregation in 1956. The film explores the town’s history through newspaper reports and interviews with historians. Director and producer Joey Geerheng will host a Q&A following the screening.
250^th Theme: Unfinished Revolutions; We the People; Doing History

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

FreedomWalk2026: My Walk on the Underground Railroad

Anthony Cohen recounts his 800-mile journey from Maryland to Canada (May 4–July 4, 2026). He shares the inspiration behind the trek, along with images of people and places encountered, commemorating the 250^th anniversary of Montgomery County and the nation.
250^th Theme: Doing History; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Elevating Indigenous Voices in the Maryland State Archives

Maria Day discusses the Indigenous Archive Project for Maryland’s Eastern Shore, developed to fill gaps in Native American community archives and record contemporary lifeways and history of Tribal communities in the Delmarva region.
250^th Theme: Doing History; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Immigration Archives

Maria Sprehn, Ph.D., and Sarah Hedlund explore how Montgomery County evolved into one of the most diverse counties in the U.S. through 200 years of immigration stories, oral histories, archival documents, census data, and more. Stories include immigrants from Ukraine, Latvia, El Salvador, India, Palestine, China, Congo, and others.
250^th Theme: Doing History; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Latino Dining in Gaithersburg

Speaker: Maria Sprehn, Ph.D.
250^th Theme: We the People; Power of Place