Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Pete Piringer, spokesman for the county fire and rescue service, said there was “pretty significant damage” throughout the Wheaton/Glenmont and Wheaton Woods neighborhoods. Many streets were closed, he said.

Trees and branches fell in many other parts of the county, too, from Poolesville to Bethesda to Silver Spring. Service was interrupted for a time on Metro’s Red Line after a tree fell across tracks in the Rockville area. Stranded boaters were rescued from the Potomac shore in the upper part of Montgomery.

The storms swept across the region from the west, on an afternoon when the temperature touched 96 degrees in Washington for the second consecutive day. The reading is the highest made for Washington so far this year.

The heat came as a blanket of moist air covered the area through most of the day Friday, discouraging outdoor activity, preventing the evaporation of perspiration and, particularly significant, providing fuel for the creation, growth and development of thunderstorms.

At two consecutive hours late Friday afternoon, it seemed clear that the atmosphere could hold little more moisture. At 4 p.m., the heat index noted that the “feels like” temperature was 108 degrees. The dew point had reached a fairly insufferable 76 degrees.

Being outdoors gave the sense that the atmosphere had reached a peak of steamy sultriness, amassing almost all the water vapor it could possibly hold. Something, it seemed, would have to break.

But in the next hour, it seemed that the air around us was defying nature and loading up with even more moisture.

The sun beat down. It all gave a sense that after the moderate weather we had enjoyed, the true Washington, D.C. summertime was asserting itself.

The dew point had inched up a notch to an even more oppressive 77. The heat index said Washington felt like it was 109 degrees. The skies turned darker. In some spots, they seemed an unnatural pale yellow or perhaps even green.

It was not long before the storms struck.

ROCKVILLE, MD — Independence Day is quickly approaching, which means it's time to fire up that barbecue and find out what Fourth of July fireworks and festivities are going on in and around Rockville for 2023.

We gathered up all the fireworks shows, parades and festivals happening in and around Rockville so you can start planning now.

Here's what's in store this July 4 in and around Rockville:

Independence Day

When: July 4, 7-10 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Rockvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Where: Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park in King Farm, 1800 Piccard Drive, Rockville

Rockville’s Independence Day Celebration will take place 7-10 p.m., on July 4, at Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park in King Farm. Enjoy live music by Under the Covers and a 20-minute fireworks display.

Germantown Glory

Germantown Glory, one of Montgomery County’s free Independence Day celebrations, will take place on Tuesday, July 4, at 7 pm and fireworks begin at 9:15 pm, at South Germantown Recreational Park at 18041 Central Park Circle in Boyds. No alcohol or pets are permitted.

Takoma Park 2023 4th of July Parade

When: July 4, 10-11:30 a.m.

Where: Carroll, Ethan Allen, Maple and Ritchie Avenues.

The theme of this year's Takoma Park Independence Day Parade is Celebrating Democracy in Tacoma Park. Congressman Jamie Raskin will be the parade's grand marshal.

Independence Day Celebration

When: July 4, 9 a.m.

Where: Apple Ridge recreation Area, 10101 Apple Ridge Road, Montgomery Village, Maryland

A parade will feature fire engines, classic cars, mascots, music and more. Parade registration is 9 a.m., followed by judging at 9:30 a.m., and a 10 a.m. start. The day continues with carnival rides, games, a petting zoo, pony rides, festival foods, free concerts and more.

Baltimore's 4th of July Celebration

When: July 4, 7-10 p.m.

Where: Baltimore's Inner Harbor

The U.S. Navy Band begins playing at 7 p.m., at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater at Pratt and Light Street. The performance will be followed by a fireworks display, which can best be viewed from Federal Hill, Harbor East, Fells Point, and Canton.

Washington, DC Fourth of July Celebration

When: July 4

Where: Around National Mall, Washington, DC

There will be various events for Fourth of July in DC, including the National Independence Day Parade from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. along Constitution Avenue NW from 7th Street NW to 17th Street NW with marching bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military units, giant balloons, equestrian, drill teams and more. A Capitol Fourth Concert is a free event held on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol at 8 p.m. and will be livestreamed. Fireworks will be held starting at 9:09 p.m., launched from both sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

A massive e-commerce fulfillment center, similar to Amazon’s robotics facility near Richmond Raceway, is in the works for a site in northeastern Goochland County about two miles west of Wyndham and Short Pump.

Codenamed “Project Rocky,” the proposed distribution facility would fill 60 acres of a 105-acre site at and around 1990 Ashland Road, between the Martin Marietta and Luck Stone quarries in the county’s Rockville area.

Behind the project is California-based Panattoni Development Co., whose industrial developments include the Virginia I-95 distribution complex that includes an Amazon distribution center.

The Rockville facility, described by county staff as both a fulfillment center and a distribution center, would be similar to “Project Speedway,” the 2.6-million-square-foot facility that Hillwood Enterprises is developing for Amazon north of the raceway.

Despite details suggesting another Amazon facility, the end-user for Project Rocky is officially under wraps.

At a Goochland Planning Commission meeting this month, local Roth Jackson attorney Andy Condlin, who’s representing Panattoni on the project, described the Rockville facility as similar to Project Speedway but said “the ultimate user obviously can change.”

Noting sensitivities involved with an economic development project, Condlin said, “That is something that they’re trying to keep very close to the vest, as far as who that particular user is. But it’s a worldwide user that has a lot of known processes that Panattoni has worked with in the past.”

An aerial view shows the multistory building and parking areas with one of the two nearby quarries visible in the distance.

Responding to speakers in the meeting who questioned the project’s transparency in light of the codename, Condlin said Panattoni had been presented as the developer in a community meeting on the proposal that was held in May.

“This is not a question of trying to figure out who it is,” Condlin said.

Panattoni is seeking to rezone the land from agricultural to industrial use. It’s also applying for a conditional-use permit, which would allow a building height of up to 120 feet.

The center would be built off a 650,000-square-foot footprint, the same footprint as the raceway facility, which Amazon refers to as its RIC4 fulfillment center. The Rockville facility would likewise be a multistory building with an atrium-style interior with robotics on upper floors. The five-story RIC4 is 100 feet at its highest point.

The Rockville facility would include 55 loading docks, 414 trailer parking spaces and 1,720 employee parking spaces, according to county documents. The building and parking would be set back from Ashland Road with landscape buffering, a retention pond and sound walls installed.

A county staff report states the investment in the site “would be well over $500 million.”

The center would employ about 1,000 workers across two shifts and operate 24-7. Peak truck traffic would occur in overnight hours, between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., and the majority of traffic from trucks and employees is expected to come from Interstate 64 via the Ashland Road interchange.

A site plan shows how the building and parking would be set back from Ashland Road on the site.

The project would add traffic signals at the interchange and at its entrance off Ashland Road. The interchange signal, at the I-64 eastbound ramps, is described in the report as a short-term solution in lieu of a planned “diverging diamond” interchange there.

The design, preferred by the Virginia Department of Transportation, reduces signalization frequency by routing traffic temporarily to opposite sides of the road. The $17 million project, which recently secured VDOT funding, is scheduled for design by the end of 2023 and construction in 2028, county planning staff said.

Driveways for nearby Luck Stone facilities would also be relocated as part of the project.

Several residents of the nearby Parkside Village subdivision, an age-restricted community about a mile from the project site, said in a public hearing that the fulfillment center would contribute to traffic and road quality woes.

“There is no doubt that residents of Parkside Village, a 55-and-up community, will experience gridlock,” resident Margaret Levet told the commission. She also questioned why Panattoni is applying for the approvals under an LLC called PDC TN/FL LPIV.

“Why the code talk?” Levet asked. “Who exactly is seeking to erect a fulfillment center on this parcel? The lack of transparency inspires skepticism and leads me to believe that the applicant and county and state government understand that many of us who will be impacted by this proposal will not see this as a positive.”

Condlin noted the “PDC” in the LLC’s name are initials for Panattoni Development Co. Jo Ann Hunter, Goochland’s deputy county administrator for community and economic development, also mentioned the sensitivities involved in such projects when a commissioner inquired about the LLC name.

Amazon’s new robotics fulfillment center, also called Project Speedway and RIC4. (BizSense file photo)

“This is an economic development project, so the applicant does not want to share their name at this time,” Hunter said, adding that it has similar facilities elsewhere in Virginia and in Delaware and Nashville, Tennessee.

Hunter also noted the site is within an area of the county identified as its industrial corridor. In addition to the quarries, surrounding properties include the Rockville Commerce Industrial Park, home to Midnight Brewery and other businesses.

The project site consists of four parcels owned by successor trustees for Nancy Bailey and James Nuckols Jr. The county has assessed the parcels at $6 million collectively.

It’s unclear whether Panattoni has the property under contract. Reached Monday, Condlin said he could not comment on the project.

Panattoni is working with engineering firms Bowman, which drew up the conceptual plan; Kimley-Horn, which produced a transportation analysis; and Ceso, which handled the landscaping plan.

The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning and permit requests, which now go to the Board of Supervisors. The board is scheduled to make a final decision at its Aug. 2 meeting.

$15 / Month

$98 / Year

Corporate Packages

TERMS OF SERVICE:

ALL MEMBERSHIPS RENEW AUTOMATICALLY. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR A 1 YEAR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL AT THE RATE IN EFFECT AT THAT TIME UNLESS YOU CANCEL YOUR MEMBERSHIP BY LOGGING IN OR BY CONTACTING [email protected].

ALL CHARGES FOR MONTHLY OR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS ARE NONREFUNDABLE.

EACH MEMBERSHIP WILL ONLY FUNCTION ON UP TO 3 MACHINES. ACCOUNTS ABUSING THAT LIMIT WILL BE DISCONTINUED.

FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]

Already a Member? Sign in

Email Address Password Lost Password?

Return to Homepage

Traditional dim sum covers a gamut of dishes, most famously dumplings stuffed with everything from pork to shrimp to dried scallops. More adventurous diners can indulge in gelatinous chicken or duck feet, first fried and then saturated in a savory sweet sauce. Pork ribs in black bean sauce or custard tarts are more entry-level fare. Rolling carts are known to dispense everything from garlicky yu choy to beef chow fun, too.

Indoor dining restrictions put into place during the COVID-19 crisis have pushed some restaurants, such as Da Hong Pao in Logan Circle, to temporarily close. But that doesn’t mean that dim sum has gone away. All the a la carte goodness has translated to carryout and can still be consumed around in Maryland and Virginia every day of the week. Here are some best bets in the area, from Rockville and Wheaton down to Falls Church and Springfield.

D.C. allows indoor dining at 25 percent capacity. Many restaurants offer outdoor seating, but this should not be taken as endorsement for dining out, as there are still safety concerns. The Washington Post is tracking coronavirus cases and deaths in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. More information can be found at coronavirus.dc.gov. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.

Read More

Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Silver Fountain offers the standard dim sum fare every day of the week for takeout. Special dishes include roast duck with sweet rice in lotus leaves, and steamed Chinese sausage buns.

There’s not the same demand to jostle for prime seating on the mezzanine level of Far East, which has been owned by founder Shing Wai Wong’s family since 1974. Regulars who don’t want to dine inside can place a takeout order for hearty sticky rice in lotus leaves, or rice noodle crepes stuffed with a crisp savory cruller (youtiao).

Operating since 1973, China Garden co-owner Chris Zhu and business partner George Cheung relocated the restaurant from Rosslyn to Rockville in 2019. Pick up adorable cream custard-filled, pig-shaped buns, beautifully blistered Portuguese custard tarts, and savory pan-fried scallop dumplings Wednesdays to Sundays.

This daily dim sum restaurant from the former owners of Chinatown’s Eat First offers some unique bites in the form of pan-fried water chestnut cakes, and Jell-O with goji berries. The restaurant is currently offering only carryout. Order online here.

Owner Andrew Quach took over the reins from Wheaton dim sum stalwart Good Fortune, keeping the same chefs, but rebranding and refreshing the interiors. The streamlined carryout menu features perennial favorites har gow, shu mai, and steamed BBQ pork buns. A dim sum menu is available from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week (closed Tuesday). Order online here.

Hidden away in Wheaton Mall, this dim sum favorite from owner Janet Yu serves bacon rolls with minced shrimp, and scallop and watercress dumplings. Dim sum is served all day, every day, for takeaway only. Be sure to add the adorable custard-filled, carrot-shaped buns. Order online here.

Former embassy chef Peter Chang’s flagship operation resides in Bethesda, where fans of his family’s restaurants can find pastry chef Lisa Chang’s famous, puffy scallion bubble pancake on a brief dim sum menu that includes duck rolls and lacy pan-fried skirt dumplings stuffed with shrimp. Dine in or order takeout online here. Delivery is available through third-party apps. — Gabe Hiatt

This new Tysons Corner restaurant, which opened in September 2020, is the sister restaurant to China Garden. Check out the photogenic gold dust-brushed purple golden yolk buns, which get their color from taro, as well as lacy crisp fried taro dumplings. Order online here.

Erik Bruner-Yang’s Taiwanese and Cambodian cafe on H Street NE has paused its dim sum brunch service, but there are still all kinds of small plates to order for indoor dining, outdoor dining, or takeout. The all-day menu (noon to 10 p.m.) includes steamed bao full of pork or mushroom and leeks, crystal shrimp dumplings, sourdough scallion pancakes, fried dough sticks with soy milk, vegetable gyoza, and a gruyere dumplings with Chinese beef chili. — Gabe Hiatt

This Falls Church staple showcases the seafood that owner Wayne Lam imports wholesale. Check out har gow (shrimp dumpling in rice flour skins) and salt and pepper shrimp. Currently there is limited indoor dining, but dim sum is available for takeout as well.

In addition to dumplings, char siu, and rice noodle-wrapped goodies, Mark’s Duck House serves its specialty roast duck and crispy skinned roasted suckling pig during dim sum on the weekends. For something harder to find, try the shrimp-stuffed bitter melon.

This Chinese seafood restaurant in Falls Church serves a wide variety of dim sum dishes every day, including hard-to-find items such as Malaysia cake and a white sponge cake. There is limited indoor seating due to COVID restrictions, and orders are taken and then delivered via cart.

This Franconia restaurant sticks to the standards on its brief dim sum menu. But it will be sure to satisfy a jonesing for har gow, stuffed eggplant, and black bean spare ribs. Order online here.

This Springfield dim sum spot sticks to the standards — shu mai, sesame balls, and pan-fried turnip cakes all make an appearance. The restaurant is currently takeout only.

Silver Fountain offers the standard dim sum fare every day of the week for takeout. Special dishes include roast duck with sweet rice in lotus leaves, and steamed Chinese sausage buns.

There’s not the same demand to jostle for prime seating on the mezzanine level of Far East, which has been owned by founder Shing Wai Wong’s family since 1974. Regulars who don’t want to dine inside can place a takeout order for hearty sticky rice in lotus leaves, or rice noodle crepes stuffed with a crisp savory cruller (youtiao).

Operating since 1973, China Garden co-owner Chris Zhu and business partner George Cheung relocated the restaurant from Rosslyn to Rockville in 2019. Pick up adorable cream custard-filled, pig-shaped buns, beautifully blistered Portuguese custard tarts, and savory pan-fried scallop dumplings Wednesdays to Sundays.

This daily dim sum restaurant from the former owners of Chinatown’s Eat First offers some unique bites in the form of pan-fried water chestnut cakes, and Jell-O with goji berries. The restaurant is currently offering only carryout. Order online here.

Owner Andrew Quach took over the reins from Wheaton dim sum stalwart Good Fortune, keeping the same chefs, but rebranding and refreshing the interiors. The streamlined carryout menu features perennial favorites har gow, shu mai, and steamed BBQ pork buns. A dim sum menu is available from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week (closed Tuesday). Order online here.

Hidden away in Wheaton Mall, this dim sum favorite from owner Janet Yu serves bacon rolls with minced shrimp, and scallop and watercress dumplings. Dim sum is served all day, every day, for takeaway only. Be sure to add the adorable custard-filled, carrot-shaped buns. Order online here.

Former embassy chef Peter Chang’s flagship operation resides in Bethesda, where fans of his family’s restaurants can find pastry chef Lisa Chang’s famous, puffy scallion bubble pancake on a brief dim sum menu that includes duck rolls and lacy pan-fried skirt dumplings stuffed with shrimp. Dine in or order takeout online here. Delivery is available through third-party apps. — Gabe Hiatt

This new Tysons Corner restaurant, which opened in September 2020, is the sister restaurant to China Garden. Check out the photogenic gold dust-brushed purple golden yolk buns, which get their color from taro, as well as lacy crisp fried taro dumplings. Order online here.

Erik Bruner-Yang’s Taiwanese and Cambodian cafe on H Street NE has paused its dim sum brunch service, but there are still all kinds of small plates to order for indoor dining, outdoor dining, or takeout. The all-day menu (noon to 10 p.m.) includes steamed bao full of pork or mushroom and leeks, crystal shrimp dumplings, sourdough scallion pancakes, fried dough sticks with soy milk, vegetable gyoza, and a gruyere dumplings with Chinese beef chili. — Gabe Hiatt

This Falls Church staple showcases the seafood that owner Wayne Lam imports wholesale. Check out har gow (shrimp dumpling in rice flour skins) and salt and pepper shrimp. Currently there is limited indoor dining, but dim sum is available for takeout as well.

In addition to dumplings, char siu, and rice noodle-wrapped goodies, Mark’s Duck House serves its specialty roast duck and crispy skinned roasted suckling pig during dim sum on the weekends. For something harder to find, try the shrimp-stuffed bitter melon.

This Chinese seafood restaurant in Falls Church serves a wide variety of dim sum dishes every day, including hard-to-find items such as Malaysia cake and a white sponge cake. There is limited indoor seating due to COVID restrictions, and orders are taken and then delivered via cart.

This Franconia restaurant sticks to the standards on its brief dim sum menu. But it will be sure to satisfy a jonesing for har gow, stuffed eggplant, and black bean spare ribs. Order online here.

This Springfield dim sum spot sticks to the standards — shu mai, sesame balls, and pan-fried turnip cakes all make an appearance. The restaurant is currently takeout only.

GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — After a lengthy discourse with the public, the Goochland Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to move forward with plans to allow a 250,000-square-foot e-commerce center to be built at a site along Ashland Road, near Rockville’s Truck Supply Co.

Codenamed “Project Rocky”, the proposal was discussed for hours Tuesday night, when members of the community took to the stand to voice their concerns to the Goochland County Board of Supervisors.

In a 5-0 vote, the board ultimately decided to rezone the land and continue with the project, despite public opposition.

Among issues addressed, many residents worried the existence of a large-scale fulfillment center would strip the county of its rural identity.

Neil Spoonhower — the chairman of the board — discussed the role that industrial expansion could play in helping to maintain the county’s rural reputation. He noted that by building up industrial zones, the community can maintain enough revenue to leave residential zones with minimal impact. The chairperson added that the center would bring about 1,000 jobs to Goochland.

“To keep the county rural, a great strategy is growing the commercial in targeted areas,” Spoonhower said. “Such as our industrial areas.”

Many community members fear the e-commerce center could increase traffic on roads that are already busy. Spoonhower, though, said part of the project is amending infrastructure — and expanding those roads.

“We have gotten commitments from the Governor’s Office, the Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Commerce that they are in support and will be helping us find the funding to make the ideal solution become a reality,” Spoonhower said. “We will need our state and federal representatives to help us in the time frame we need.”

The topic of accessibility to public safety resources represented a common concern as well. One woman at the meeting said she’s scared increased traffic in the area would prevent first responders from answering calls in a timely manner. The board says it plans to expand emergency services in the area in question, in part to combat this very problem.

Spoonhower emphasized the importance of collaboration between the community and representatives on the board. He said adjustments can be made to better serve the majority of Goochland.

“Nothing is certain these days until shovels go in the ground,” Spoonhower said. “But, we are cautiously optimistic that this is moving forward.”

The plot of land that the proposal concerns stretches about 100 acres, but the building itself will cover 650,000 square feet. The chairman said this would be the largest-scale development the community has seen since Motorola years ago.

Spoonhower said a company approached the county about putting a fulfillment center in, as it is a prime location for moving goods. It is close to Interstates 64 and 95.

“It’s not costing the county anything,” Spoonhower said, adding, “It’s projected to be about a $500 million project.”

The building will be a “middle-mile center”, meaning goods will be brought from different ports near the area before being repackaged and delivered to people’s houses.

Citizens in attendance at Tuesday night’s meeting voiced additional concerns over the center’s potential noise and disruption. Spoonhower said the noise will only be about 55 decibels. He said, however, the environmental impact is decided by the state based on environmental regulations.

Even though many Goochland County residents are opposed to this project, Spoonhower told 8News he is happy to see the community engaging in these conversations.