The University of Maryland in College Park is more than an institution of higher learning. It is also one of our most visited attractions in the county. And, with its abundance of quality event, education, and meeting venues, it is consistently in demand by meeting planners in search of something different.

For 2016, UMD has been nominated for the "Best of Unique Venues Awards" in the categories of (A) Best Venue for Youth/Sports Camps, and (B) Best Suburban/Rural Venue.

Voting is open to all and we need your help. Please visit the Best of Unique Venues Voting Ballot to place your vote and support our UMD family. The ballot is open until July 29th and the process is remarkably simple, only takes a minute. VOTE NOW!   

The 36-acre Riverdale Park Station is rapidly taking shape. When completed, the complex will include 150k sf of retail, 119 townhouses, 850 residential units, and an office building. It will also have the county's first Whole Foods and Hyatt Place. 

The signature dine spot for the project will be  Burtons Grill . Burtons is a Massachusetts-based chain with 11 locations in the Northeastern corridor. The Burtons at RTC will be their first in Maryland.  

Burtons' menus cover all the bases - from crisp salads, hearty sandwiches and juicy burgers, to aged beef served with seasone d butters and sauces. 

They specialize in sourcing local ingredients whenever possible. And, with their scratch kitchen concept, they are able to customize menu offerings to meet your dietary needs or wants.

He's a runner like no other, and he hails from Prince George's County. Oscar Peyton of Accokeek will compete in the 2016 Masters Outdoor Championships being held July 14-17 in Grand Rapids. 

Peyton, 63,  won both the 100 and 200 at the World Outdoor Masters Championships in 2011. In 2013 he ran an amazing 7.52 seconds in the 60 indoors to set a world standard. And, last year he ran an American outdoor record of 24.14 seconds in the 200. Both marks still stand. Peyton will compete in the 100 and 200 (60-64 age bracket) in Grand Rapids .

But, Peyton will not be alone. Also competing is Laurence Hooker, 53, from Upper Marlboro. Hooker (50-54 bracket) will run in the 100m and 200m events. And, both Hooker and Peyton received "Athlete of the Year Honors" in 2015. Run free PGC...age is nothing but a number!

DID YOU KNOW? The USA Indoor Masters Track & Field Championships will be returning to Prince George's March 16-18, 2018, at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover. Mark your calendar. 

The Clarice has announce the 2016-2017 Season, an incredible array of art & performance. Located at the University of Maryland, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is one of the area's premiere performing arts venues. 

It all begins with the NextNOW Fest that  kicks off the season on September 9 & 10. Experience two days of nonstop music, theatre and dance performances and immersive, technology-driven installations by artists from around campus and the country.

Throughout the season, there are over 200 performances including ground-breaking theatre, spectacular dance, the Maryland Gospel Choir, the Jerusalem Quartet, Maryland Opera Studio, the annual Kaleidoscope of Bands Concert, Grammy-nominated trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, and much more.

This little dine delight started as a "hole-in-the-wall" in Northeast DC in '90s. Then, in 2012, they gravitated to Takoma Park's Takoma Station. They've now set their sights on adding a sister location, in Prince George's County, in 2016.

Horace & Dickies Seafood Restaurant will be coming to 5601 Allentown Road in Suitland, taking residence in an existing 1,782 sf building on Allentown. At last word, H&D was maneuvering the permit process to bring the building to code, so they've made no official announcement on open date. Late summer, early fall is a possibility.  

For the dedicated food finders out there, you may recall H&D featured in a 2009 episode of TravelChannel's "Man Vs. Food". Host Adam Richman took on the signature "Jumbo Fish Sandwich" filled with what appear to be an entire school of fried whitefish fillets (six to be exact on eight slices of bread). In gluttonous fashion, Richman conquered the behemoth and said afterwards "just perfection.  Every element works together. The fish by itself is incredible. You add in the crunch of the coleslaw, the sweetness of the cabbage, the tartness of the tartar sauce, and that creaminess. It is absolutely out of this world."