From Bethesda Magazine: 5 activities we can’t get enough of in Montgomery County

Afternoon tea, community gardening and woodworking are just three on the list

By Staff

May 5, 2026 3:00 p.m. | Updated: May 3, 2026 5:40 p.m.

Still Growing Strong

HarvestShare is a blossoming nonprofit that collects fresh, locally grown produce from community gardens, farmers markets and even backyard vegetable patches, and donates it to food pantries in Montgomery County. Individuals can drop off surplus fruits, vegetables and herbs they’ve grown at more than 20 HarvestShare collection sites in the county. The volunteer-run nonprofit has its own Giving Garden in Potomac, where fresh food is harvested and sent to Nourishing Bethesda, a local pantry, and it partners with Montgomery Parks’ community garden plots to donate produce. Its homegrown efforts, which have also included outreach events, such as a Seed Share & Food Gardening Expo, earned a citation from the Montgomery County Council in May 2025.

Cat Kahn, 63, of Rockville, the founder and executive director of HarvestShare, started the organization in 2020 as a response to an increase in food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The nurse practitioner and master gardener says HarvestShare surpassed its initial target to donate 1,000 pounds of locally grown food in the first year with 9,000 pounds donated. HarvestShare reported a total of 59 tons of local produce donated as of 2025. This growing season, Kahn urges residents with green thumbs to think beyond the garden gate and donate via HarvestShare. “Plant that extra row,” Kahn says. “Instead of just being extra, it could be purposefully grown.”

For a list of drop-off sites, visit harvestsharemd.org

Woodworking — Photo credit: White Flint Creations

If You Build It

Brendan Gregory, 44, of Olney, has owned White Flint Auto Repair in North Bethesda for 16 years. Across from the auto shop is a venture dedicated to Gregory’s other passion: woodworking.

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Gregory opened White Flint Creations in October 2024. The 4,000-square-foot workshop offers craftspeople the tools to bring their projects to life, including numerous workbenches, a selection of hand tools, two table saws, a metal shop and a finishing room. “I love creating, I love building. I do a lot of it with my three kids, and I wanted to attract a community of makers and builders,” Gregory says.

White Flint Creations has subscriptions that cost $236 to $316 per month to use the space for woodworking and metalworking projects (bring your own materials). Staff are on-site to assist with projects, and a lounge and kitchen offer spaces where members can socialize.

11810 Coakley Circle, Rockville, whiteflintcreations.com

Hello Betty desserts — Photo credit: Courtesy Hello Betty

Sweet Tea

Perhaps best known for its outdoor boat-shaped bar, Hello Betty cruised into a fancy foray in February: afternoon tea. The restaurant in Canopy by Hilton at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose has a window-filled room that is now decked out in cascading blooms. Tables are set with floral china and whimsical touches, such as a small vase that stands on a bent silver spoon. The room holds 24 and seatings are Thursday through Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Nine small bites—mini-sandwiches, a buttery scone, tiny quiche, a pint-size doughnut—are served alongside a little teapot with your choice of more than a dozen loose-leaf teas. It’s a lovely outing for special occasions—or any time you need a little indulgence.

Mahjong Madness

Molly Hugo, 46, is looking to bring mahjong fever to more players in the area. In the six years she has played the tabletop tile game, Hugo says she has watched mahjong evolve into a cultural phenomenon. “Mahjong is more than a game. It creates and fosters community,” Hugo says. The Potomac resident recognized a need for instruction and facilitation for players desiring community, and she was inspired to start MoCoMahjong, her mahjong instruction business where clients can schedule lessons or book mahjong events, with a studio space in Bethesda.

On select dates, players can join an open play session for $25. There are also classes offered with levels starting at “learning to play” and up to “master.” While grounded in American mahjong, the space includes Chinese and Hong Kong styles of the game (Wright Patterson is coming soon). Keep an eye out for the mahjong bar, which will allow players to mix and match their mahjong set of racks, mats and tiles. “[When] the tiles start shuffling, the rest of the world just fades away,” Hugo says. “I wanted to have a place that people could gather, play and share.”

4334 Montgomery Ave., Bethesda, @mocomahjong on Instagram

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The Lucky Penny thrift — Photo credit: Benjamin Abergel

Thrifty Gifting

The Lucky Penny is a new gift shop that opened in the Potomac Village Shopping Center in February. The boutique offers a mix of vintage, used and new home decor items ranging from glassware to cookbooks. It gets its name from a moniker owner Danielle Hutt (pictured left) gave her daughter, Kate, 17, in honor of her knack for finding coins on the street.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Hutt, 52, has lived in Potomac for the past 10 years. Her upbringing and eye for refinishing furniture keep her grounded in her pricing and offerings, she says, placing importance on having something for everyone. Her least expensive items are $1 bags of stones for kids to spend their allowance on. The Lucky Penny welcomes customers with a sign that reads, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” To sum up what she hopes customers will find in her cozy shop, Hutt says, “the perfect gift.”

9812 Falls Road, Potomac, 240-232-2941, theluckypenny1.com

This appears in the May/June 2026 issue of Bethesda Magazine.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine