The Silver Spring Penguin

Nobody loves a Thanksgiving parade more than the guys in the Penguin mail room. The thing is, their concept of a parade is what everyone else considers a prison riot.

It’s not that things get dangerous — surely, the MCPD SWAT team can handle the mail room guys with adequate backup. My concern is for the collateral damage they can cause. Those guys really shouldn’t be around large balloons, but because a jury of their peers voted to acquit them of recent charges, there’s nothing I can do to keep them away.

Be thankful for the American judicial system, then see what’s going on this weekend in Silver Spring:

Friday

8:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) presents the Tony Award-winning play “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”. Tickets are $18 to $20 each; parking is free.

8:00 p.m. Happenstance Theatre presents Don Nigro’s faerie tales “Three Fantasies”. This event takes place at the Montgomery College performing arts center (7995 Georgia Ave); tickets are $20 each.

8:00 p.m. The Forum Theatre Co. presents Tony Kushner’s award-winning drama “Angels in America: Perestroika”. This event takes place at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd); tickets are $25 each.

Saturday

9:00 a.m. FreshFarm Markets brings local farmers and food vendors to the downtown area until 1:00 p.m. This week’s market takes place at the Gateway parking lot, in front of Panera Bread (8541 Georgia Ave). There is no admission fee.

9:30 a.m. Montgomery County holds its annual Thanksgiving parade until 12:00 p.m. Its route starts on Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue, travels north on Georgia to Ellsworth Drive, then turns east on Ellsworth to end at Fenton Street. This free event is open to the public.

The parade affects the following transportation routes:

• Northbound Georgia Avenue closes Saturday at 7:00 a.m. between East-West Highway and Colesville Road, and reopens at 1:00 p.m. In previous years, the southbound lanes carried alternating north- and southbound traffic. Expect the same this year.
• Free parking is available during the parade at county-owned garages throughout the central business district. However, the garage on Silver Spring Avenue at Fenton Street, and a surface lot on Colesville Road at Georgia Avenue, will be closed.
• Metrobus routes F4 and Z8 will bypass stops on Fenton Street between Wayne Avenue and Colesville Road.

2:00 p.m. Happenstance Theatre presents Don Nigro’s faerie tales “Three Fantasies”. This event takes place at the Montgomery College performing arts center (7995 Georgia Ave); tickets are $20 each.

2:00 p.m. The Forum Theatre Co. presents Tony Kushner’s award-winning drama “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”. This event takes place at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd); tickets are $25 each.

8:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) presents the Tony Award-winning play “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”. Tickets are $18 to $20 each; parking is free.

8:00 p.m. Happenstance Theatre again presents Don Nigro’s faerie tales “Three Fantasies”. This event takes place at the Montgomery College performing arts center (7995 Georgia Ave); tickets are $20 each.

8:00 p.m. The Forum Theatre Co. presents Tony Kushner’s award-winning drama “Angels in America: Perestroika”. This event takes place at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd); tickets are $25 each.

Sunday

2:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) presents the Tony Award-winning play “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”. Tickets are $18 to $20 each; parking is free.

2:00 p.m. Happenstance Theatre presents Don Nigro’s faerie tales “Three Fantasies”. This event takes place at the Montgomery College performing arts center (7995 Georgia Ave); tickets are $20 each.

2:00 p.m. The Forum Theatre Co. presents Tony Kushner’s award-winning drama “Angels in America: Perestroika”. This event takes place at the Round House Theatre (8641 Colesville Rd); tickets are $25 each.