Community picnics and barbecues in Silver Spring, Maryland

Takoma-Piney Branch Park is a 17.4-acre local park located at 2 Darwin Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland. This popular tourist attraction is adjacent to Piney Branch Elementary School and offers a variety of amenities for visitors to enjoy. The park recently underwent renovations and now features a new picnic pavilion, basketball courts, two playgrounds, a skate park, a soccer field, a softball field, and a sand volleyball court. Additionally, there are improved entrances with public artwork, an enhanced parking lot with accessible parking, and a looped path around the park for walking and jogging. The park also has natural surface trails, pedestrian connections, and a ramp for easy access to the picnic pavilion. Takoma-Piney Branch Park received a generous donation from The Steve Francis Foundation, which helped fund the renovations. The picnic pavilion is dedicated to the memory of Steve's late mother, Brenda Wilson Bryant, while the basketball court pays tribute to Tony Langley, the long-time president of the Takoma Park Boys and Girls Club.

Calverton-Galway Local Park, located at 3039 Fairland Road in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a popular tourist attraction for visitors of all ages. This 61.2 acre park offers a variety of recreational activities, including a playground, softball and cricket fields, pickleball and tennis courts, and baseball fields. The picnic area features shelters, making it the perfect spot for gatherings and barbecues. One unique feature of this park is the Lee Family Cemetery, which dates back to the 19th century. Descendants of the Lee family have worked to preserve this historic site, which holds the remains of Sarah Lee and her husband Peter, among others. Sarah Lee was a former slave who became one of the few African American property owners in Montgomery County after the Civil War.