The Square in Rockville Town Center lists one upcoming event on its calendar: the Rockville Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 36 Maryland Ave. This year's tree lighting also launches something new, the Gibbs Street Holiday Market, which The Square describes as "new this year." At 7:30 that same night, Rockville Civic Ballet opens its run of "The Nutcracker" at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre.
So the city's three biggest holiday draws all land on one evening. For the rest of the season, Town Center runs on one thing, and it has been open since the start of November: the ice rink at 131 Gibbs St.
The rink is the season, and Dec. 4 is the exception
The City of Rockville announced on Nov. 1 that the rink was open. At 7,200 square feet and 120 feet long, the city calls it the largest outdoor rink in Montgomery County, and it has been a Town Center winter fixture for more than a decade.
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | Noon–10 p.m. |
| Friday | Noon–11 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10 a.m.–11 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Holidays and days school is out | Opens early, stays late; most days 10 a.m.–11 p.m. |
Booking ahead saves a dollar per person. At the ticket window it's $13 for adults 13 and older and $12 for children 12 and younger. Online reservations cost $12 for adults and $11 for children and seniors. Skate rentals are $6, and each ticket covers up to two hours on the ice. Reservations and lesson details are on rockvilleiceskating.com.
That two-hour window matters on Dec. 4, when the rink is part of the tree-lighting program. A weeknight in late November with a reserved time slot is a different trip from skating under a freshly lit tree with a crowd waiting.
What actually happens at The Square on Dec. 4
The Square's event page says the evening is free to attend, with $10 event parking. Here's the program:
- Live music and performances by local dance and chorus groups.
- Skating at The Square's rink under the tree lights.
- Free photos with Santa at 33 Maryland Ave., Unit G. The Square suggests bringing a letter to Santa.
- The Gibbs Street Holiday Market, which The Square introduced this year for gift shopping.
- A Toys for Tots drive. Bring a new, unwrapped toy and you're entered in a raffle.
The city notes that members of the Rockville Mayor and Council attend the tree lighting. The Square is owned and managed by Morguard Management Company.
The market is the one piece The Square labels as new. This year, gift shopping on Gibbs Street is part of the evening too, and The Square's listing ties the market to the Dec. 4 event. If you've been putting off a gift list, this is the evening Town Center has set aside for it.
The Nutcracker splits the same evening
This is where Dec. 4 gets crowded. The tree lighting runs 6 to 9 p.m. at Town Center. Opening night of Rockville Civic Ballet's "The Nutcracker" runs 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 603 Edmonston Drive. Doing both means catching the first stretch of the tree lighting and heading to the theater before curtain.
The ballet has eight performances, so opening night isn't your only shot:
- Evenings at 7:30 p.m.: Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12
- Matinees at 2 p.m.: Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13
Eleanor Simpson and Erin Kwong direct the production. Tickets went on sale Oct. 27: $17 for adults and $13 for seniors 60 and over and children 12 and under, plus a 50-cent processing fee per ticket. All sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges. Because tickets can't be exchanged, it's worth picking your date before you buy. A family that wants the full tree lighting on Friday can book the Saturday, Dec. 5 matinee and get both events without rushing.
The theater has one more show before the Nutcracker. Rockville Musical Theatre's "Caroline, or Change" has its final performances at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 and 14 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 15. Tickets are $26, or $23 for students and seniors.
Gibbs Street's storefronts are changing hands this fall
The holiday market's name points to the block where Town Center has seen the most turnover this fall. The MoCo Show reported that Nature by Trejok, a boutique that has spent six years at 130 Gibbs St., Unit B, is moving a few doors down to Unit D at the same address. The move began Oct. 30. According to the outlet's follow-up report, the boutique's new spot is near the Trader Joe's parking lot. If you're gift shopping on Dec. 4, that's where to find it.
Three more tenants are planned nearby:
- Club Pilates is planned for 130-B Gibbs St., the boutique's former space, according to The MoCo Show. It will offer reformer-based Pilates classes, with options from single classes to monthly memberships.
- iSMASH is planned for 36-C Maryland Ave., where The MoCo Show reported signage going up in September.
- Huntington Learning Center is planned for 36-F Maryland Ave., per The MoCo Show.
None of these is a restaurant, and that sets this fall apart from the dining-driven changes in our August look at where Rockville's new restaurants clustered. On Maryland Avenue and Gibbs Street, the new arrivals are places you visit on a schedule: a class time, an appointment. The tree lighting and the market are the occasions when The Square fills up all at once.
The rest of the city's November and December calendar
Rockville's civic calendar shapes the weeks around Dec. 4 too, and a few of these dates come up before the tree lighting does.
| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| Nov. 13–15 | Final performances of "Caroline, or Change" at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre |
| Mon., Nov. 16 | Food donations due for the city's Holiday Drive |
| Thu., Nov. 26 and Fri., Nov. 27 | City Hall, Glenview Mansion and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office closed; city-owned meters free |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Thursday trash, recycling and yard-waste pickup moves to this day |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Tree lighting and Gibbs Street Holiday Market, 6–9 p.m.; Nutcracker opens at 7:30 p.m. |
| Dec. 5–13 | Remaining Nutcracker performances |
| Mon., Dec. 14 | Toy and book donations due for the Holiday Drive |
The Holiday Drive aims to serve more than 900 Rockville families this year, and the city is asking for both donations and volunteers. Toy and book donations are due Dec. 14, ten days after the tree lighting. Whatever you pick up for the Toys for Tots raffle at The Square on Dec. 4, there's still time afterward to shop for the city's drive as well. The city's November hours notice has the full list of closures and collection changes for Thanksgiving week.
Between now and Dec. 4, the rink is the main reason to spend an evening at Town Center. Reserving a slot online is the cheapest way in. On Dec. 4 itself, budget $10 for parking, bring a new toy, and decide ahead of time whether you're staying for the tree or leaving for the 7:30 Nutcracker curtain on Edmonston Drive.
If you'd like to talk through life around Rockville Town Center, or anything else on your mind about the area, Anthony C Ford is easy to reach and happy to share what he knows. Contact Anthony Anytime.
