On Saturday, September 24th at 10AM, the Burtonsville community kicked off their 25th annual Burtonsville Day event with the parade. Many groups, friends, and families came out to celebrate Burtonsville.

A variety of groups marched down Old Columbia Pike to their end point at Marilyn J. Praisner Recreational Center. These groups included the Elite dance studios; the Woodland Horse Center; Paint Branch NJROTC; Blake, Springbrook, and Paint Branch marching bands; political candidates; and the Paint Branch Key Club, which collected donations for child vaccines.

As people watched the exciting event, pamphlets and candy were given out to the crowd, while music filled the air. After the parade, the festivities continued with a live band, bean bag tosses, moon bounces, food stands, arts and crafts, and many other vendors.  A Henna stand was set up for amazing hand designs, and jewelry, clothing, antiques and many other items were for sale  at other  stands.  The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community sold food and gave out “Muslims for peace” flyers.

The Paint Branch Key Club collected donations to raise money for the Eliminate Project, which provides vaccines for babies with tetanus.

 Key Club member Amani Mamodesene said, “It feels nice helping out the community and getting vaccine donations for the kids.”

But the fun didn’t end. There were also book stands set up by Montgomery County Public Libraries, a stand set up by the Capital Park Police, who spoke to many children, and chances to win different prizes. A first-timer to the festival was Phoebe Korang, who said, “ This event was awesome! I got so much candy and prizes. I can’t wait until next year.”

Burtonsville Day was an exciting, eventful day full of fun and laughs.  Different cultures were able to share a piece of their background, and many people and groups came out to celebrate the community which led to amazing festivities  and memories.