Kensington's Holiday Season Now Runs Through Its Newest Storefronts

Kensington's holiday calendar used to have one center, the Town's lighting ceremonies. This year a good share of it happens inside shops that opened or reopened this fall. A costume store back after nearly three years, a vintage gallery the Town calls a new addition, an upcycling studio opening its doors and a record shop on Fawcett Street fill the five weeks before the Town's own lightings. Read in order, the dates show where this year's season is happening.

Gene's Costumes Came Back on Connecticut Avenue

The first sign came on October 1. Gene's Costumes at 10636 Connecticut Avenue reopened its retail floor nearly three years after a January 2024 basement fire closed the store, as The MoCo Show reported. The shop has been in business for more than 30 years. It is one of the few full-service costume rental and retail stores left in the D.C. area, with costumes, accessories and wigs.

The store's own announcement was candid: "Retail area is ready. Rentals will be a work in progress. Let's give it a try! Come see us!!" Regular hours, per MyMCMedia, are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Halloween has passed, but a store full of wigs and accessories is useful for holiday parties too.

The same stretch of Connecticut Avenue picked up another new business this fall. My Allure Nail Spa opened September 10 at 10619 Connecticut Avenue, at the corner of Plyers Mill Road, according to the Town's October 2026 Journal. Kensington Volunteer Fire Department Station 5 is also on Connecticut Avenue, at 10620, and that's where the season's first event happens.

The First Saturday Belongs to Station 5

This Saturday, November 7, KVFD holds its Open House & Craft Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Station 5. It's the earliest date on the Town's events calendar this season, and it starts a five-week run in which almost every week has a reason to be in town on foot. Station 5 comes back on December 5, when KVFD has Breakfast with Santa on the calendar starting at 8:30 a.m.

Fawcett Street and Metropolitan Avenue Pick Up the Middle of November

The middle of the season moves to Metropolitan Avenue and Fawcett Street, where three of its events sit at street numbers only a few apart.

Metro Vintage Market & Gallery at 10417 Metropolitan Avenue is the first stop. The Town describes it as a new addition to Kensington retail and a place to find table accents. On Thursday, November 12, KTown Ladies hosts a pre-holiday Sip & Shop there from 7 to 9 p.m., with refreshments and light fare. Table accents in the second week of November line up with the season. That's about when people start planning Thanksgiving and holiday tables.

Two days later, MakerHive opens at 10419 Fawcett Street. MakerHive calls itself a creative upcycling studio. It provides the supplies, workspace, guidance and cleanup, and visitors do the making. Its grand opening runs November 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and drop-in. Visitors pick an upcycled base, decorate it with reclaimed materials and take the finished piece home. The MoCo Show reports the activities are for ages 5 and up, and children under 16 need an adult with them. Advance registration is available, and walk-ins are welcome. Beyond opening weekend, the studio advertises workshops, private events and sponsorships that support local charity.

The studio was founded by Vanessa, an educator and longtime maker. Its supplies come from thrift stores, salvage centers and community donations, and they are cleaned and sorted before anyone uses them. The donation request is where MakerHive ties into the season. Along with clean plastic bottle caps and small toy pieces, it asks for holiday decorations, including artificial Christmas trees, wreaths and ornaments. The wreath that won't make it onto the door this year has a place to go before the boxes come down from the attic.

The day after Thanksgiving goes back to Fawcett Street. Love People Records at 10429 Fawcett Street holds a Black Friday Record Store Day on November 27 from noon to 6 p.m. The noon start leaves the morning free for anyone sleeping off Thanksgiving dinner.

December 4 Is the Night the Town and the Row Overlap

Everything above leads to the first weekend of December. That's when the Town's events and the shops' events land on the same evening.

The sixth annual Light Up KTown runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4, at Howard Avenue Park, 3701 Howard Avenue. The listed organizers include the Town, SW7 and KTown Ladies. At 7 p.m., while the lighting is still going, Kensington Antique Row opens its Holiday Open House, which runs until 9 p.m. with refreshments. The two overlap by half an hour, so one evening can cover both:

1. Arrive at Howard Avenue Park by 6:30 p.m. for Light Up KTown.
2. Walk over to Antique Row as the lighting wraps up around 7:30 p.m.
3. Take your time with the shops until the open house closes at 9 p.m.

The next two evenings move to Town Hall at 3710 Mitchell Street. The Menorah Lighting is Saturday, December 5, from 6 to 7 p.m. The Christmas Tree Lighting is Sunday, December 6, at the same hour. With Breakfast with Santa on the morning of the 5th, the town has something scheduled on all three days of that weekend.

The Season on One Page

What Stays on Its Usual Schedule

The Kensington Farmers' Market runs every Saturday year-round from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Historic Train Station, 3701 Howard Avenue. The Town lists it for Saturday, November 28, as its usual weekly market. The market shares an address with Howard Avenue Park, so the Saturday-morning stop and the December 4 lighting happen in the same place.

Noyes Library at 10237 Carroll Place won't be part of this season. It closed May 21 for renovation, and Montgomery County Public Libraries projects a reopening in fall 2027.

So the dates people will remember from this season include a costume shop's first holiday season back, a gallery's Sip & Shop, a free weekend at a new studio and Black Friday at a record store, alongside the Town's three lighting nights.

If you're thinking about how Kensington's newest storefronts are changing the feel of a particular street, or what that could mean for a home a few blocks from Howard Avenue, I'm always glad to talk it through. Catherine Triantis can share what she's seeing around town this season. Let's Connect.