7 things to do in Montgomery County this week, including a comedy festival and St. Patrick’s Day parties

Need a laugh? There’s a series of curated standup shows coming to Montgomery County this weekend.

SPRUNG! Comedy Festival is in its fourth year, bringing 10 shows and four comedy classes featuring 45 mostly local comedians to Silver Spring’s Black Box Theatre through Sunday.

Themed shows include a queer special, an all-Native group, Law & Order Comedy (featuring a lineup of attorneys, law enforcement and “former criminals”), a show performed entirely in Spanish and a Baltimore Takeover, bringing Charm City to the DMV.

“The vibe is putting interesting, different, quirky shows with themed lineups onstage, trying to represent the diversity of Silver Spring,” founder Kim Levone said.

Levone founded Improbable Comedy 14 years ago to produce live standup shows in and around Montgomery County. In 2022, she launched a smaller-scale version of the SPRUNG! festival.

“We really loved doing it in Silver Spring,” Levone said. “We really want to bring people out and invest in the local community.”

In addition to shows, SPRUNG! offers comedy classes and discounts at local restaurant partners: All Set, Manny & Olga’s Pizza, Silver Branch Brewing, Roaming Rooster, McGinty’s Public House, Commas Food Hall and Dave & Busters. New this year is a “clean” comedy show that serves as a fundraiser and food drive for Manna Food.

“There’s no question that this is a rough time in the world,” Levone said. “I know there’s this angle, which is like, ‘the world is burning, you should come to comedy.’ But it just feels very good to go and laugh. It’s like going to a spa but for your humor muscle.”

Ticket prices for individual shows range from $17-$59 (use the promo code SPRUNG10 for a discount).

Here are more things to do around Montgomery County.

Escape into a book with a bestselling author

Thursday, 7 p.m.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Quinn, who has penned historical novels such as “The Alice Network” and “The Briar Club,” is joining Montgomery County Public Libraries for a virtual conversation. She’ll chat about her latest novel, “The Astral Library,” about a world in which readers can physically jump into books. Fans can submit questions to the Maryland-based author when they register.

Registration is free.

St. Patrick’s Day festivities

Days and times vary.

Whether your ideal St. Patrick’s Day involves family-friendly activities, spending time outside or knocking back a few holiday-themed drinks, there’s a range of ways to celebrate.

• St. Patrick’s Day parade at Grand Corner Avenue in Rio Gaithersburg (Saturday at 10 a.m., entry is free)
• Finnegan’s Wake pub brunch, live performances and street festival in Rockville (Saturday and Tuesday, times vary)
• In Search of the Gold scavenger hunt at Meadowside Nature Center in Rockville (Saturday from 11 a.m.-noon, registration is $7 per child, free for adult chaperones)
• Montgomery Parks’ Acoustics and Ales series at North Four Corners Local Park in Silver Spring (Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., entry is free with food and local beers available for purchase)
• St. Patrick’s Day crafting at the Gaithersburg Community Museum (Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., entry is free)
• A special St. Patrick’s Day menu at Fialova in Bethesda (Saturday through Tuesday, menu items range from $11-$30)
• Skate and Create skating and crafting session at the Wheaton Ice Arena (Monday from 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., $5 ticket covers admission for one child age 3-5 and one parent, along with skate rentals. Registration not required.)
• Leprechaun hunt at Maydale Nature Classroom in Colesville (Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 a.m., $7 for children 3-5)
• Live music at The Limerick Pub in Wheaton (11:30 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., entry is free)

Hike on a new trail

Friday, 1-2:30 p.m.

Experienced hikers can join a local park naturalist to explore an off-site hike at the Rachel Carson Conservation Park. Participants must be at least 55 years old and be comfortable hiking about two miles on trails that may be rocky or steep.

Registration is $10.

AFI film festival

Friday, 7 p.m., through March 26

Ahead of the Academy Awards this weekend, join the kickoff to AFI Silver’s New African Film Festival to catch the U.K.’s 2026 Oscars international feature film entry. “My Father’s Shadow” is about a father and his sons in Lagos navigating Nigeria’s 1993 military coup. Though it didn’t make the short list of nominees, the film became Nigeria’s first to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival. Over the next two weeks, the theater and cultural center will be playing a wide variety of movies by African filmmakers.

Tickets to individual films are $15 each.

Meet the Easter Bunny

Friday, 2 p.m.

Spring has arrived early at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The Easter Bunny hops into town beginning Friday and will stay through April 4 (the Saturday before Easter) for fun and festive photo ops for your kids.

Photo packages range from $20 to $60. Time slots must be booked in advance.

An art exhibit all about tea

Open through April 22

Strathmore’s Mansion Galleries just unveiled its 2026 annual juried exhibition: “Steeped,” a vast exhibit that spills the tea (sorry) on the cultural, historical and emotional traditions behind tea. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Strathmore’s afternoon tea program, “Steeped” features 110 selected works by 78 mostly local artists and is juried by Baltimore-based woodworker Darryl Patterson and Kensington gallerist Adah Rose Bitterbaum.

Entry is free.