"October 1 reopening!! After nearly 3 years we are able to reopen! Retail area is ready. Rentals will be a work in progress. Let's give it a try! Come see us!!" That was the announcement from Gene's Costumes at 10636 Connecticut Avenue, as reported by The MoCo Show.
The store has been in business for more than 30 years and is one of the few full-service costume rental and retail shops left in the D.C. area. It closed in January 2024 after Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire in its basement. Nobody was hurt, but the doors stayed shut for close to three Halloweens.
The shop's return says something about how October works in Kensington. The town doesn't have one big Halloween event that anchors the season. As of early October, the Town of Kensington calendar listing for October 31 shows the regular Saturday farmers market and a brewery's anniversary party. The rest of the month comes from a costume shop, a civic association, a library branch, a courtyard music series and a few new kitchens. The season depends on independents, so it matters when one of them comes back.
What Gene's Has Ready, and What It Doesn't Yet
According to MyMCMedia, the shop is stocked for the season. Costume cleaning and restoration are still underway, though. The retail floor is open, and The MoCo Show reports that the rental side is still a work in progress.
Regular hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the final two weeks before Halloween, the shop plans to extend hours until 9 p.m.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Regular Saturday hours end at 4 p.m., and the reports describe the 9 p.m. extension only as covering "the final two weeks." For a last-minute wig or accessory, the weekday evenings in the second half of October look like the safer bet. Calling ahead before driving over on the 31st is wise.
The costume is the first step. Where you wear it depends almost entirely on events organized by people who aren't the Town.
Where the Costumes Go: A Parade at Puller Park and a Party on Kensington Parkway
The most traditional event this year belongs to the Kensington Estates Civic Association. Its Fall 2026 newsletter lists a Halloween Party & Parade at Puller Park on Sunday, October 25. The newsletter gives no start time, so check with KECA closer to the date.
On Halloween, the day runs on overlapping schedules. Read in order, they make a full Saturday:
| Time | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Kensington Farmers' Market | Historic Train Station, 3701 Howard Avenue |
| 11 to 11:30 a.m. | Halloween-edition family storytime | Kensington Park Library |
| Noon to 11:55 p.m. | BabyCat's 4th Halloween-iversary Party | BabyCat Brewery, 10241 Kensington Parkway |
The farmers market's October 31 listing describes the usual weekly market and seasonal produce. It mentions no Halloween programming. The market runs every Saturday year-round, so the 31st is simply a regular market day that happens to fall on Halloween.
BabyCat Brewery is turning four and celebrating with an all-day party. The Town's listing promises live music from Stringtown and Vinyl Fever, costume contests and food. The party runs until 11:55 p.m., which makes it the only evening event on the Town's October 31 calendar.
Families with young children have one more short-drive option. Montgomery Parks runs Halloween Eye Spy Trains at Wheaton Regional Park on October weekends from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a special event on November 1. It's in Wheaton, not Kensington.
Noyes Children's Library won't host anything this year. The Town's June journal reported that it closed in late May for a renovation expected to take about a year. That's why Kensington Park Library is carrying the Halloween storytime.
The Weeks Before Halloween Follow the Same Pattern
The rest of October looks the same. The Town calendar collects the listings, and most of the events are put on by local businesses and groups.
Saturday, October 10 is the busiest single day on the calendar:
- The farmers market opens at 9 a.m. at the Historic Train Station.
- A KHS Summer Concert Series performance runs from 10 to 11 a.m. at Howard Avenue Park, which shares the 3701 Howard Avenue address.
- The free KTown Chess Festival runs from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at Flinn Park, 10227 Kensington Parkway.
Sunday, October 11: The Words Out Loud Poetry Reading runs from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Modena Reserve, 10540 Metropolitan Avenue.
Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24: GIGS Courtyard at 3762 Howard Avenue has two nights in a row. GIGS Rumble IV: Hendrix vs. Clapton runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on the 23rd. Dewey Night X runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on the 24th. The KECA parade at Puller Park is the next day, which makes the weekend of the 23rd through the 25th the fullest stretch of the month.
The month started the same way. On October 3, the 10th annual Kensington Car Show put nearly 100 classic cars along Antique Row and inside Kensington Service Center at 3794 Howard Avenue. Bethesda Magazine reported that the show grew out of owner Mario Bruno's lifelong passion for cars. Admission is free, and this year's proceeds go to the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department. As with the costume shop and the brewery party, a local business owner built the event and the whole town benefits.
New Places to Eat Between Events
The independents are also adding to the town's places to eat this fall, and the new options matter on a long Saturday.
Deli-Café opened on Monday, October 5, at 4222-D Howard Avenue, according to East MoCo. The blog describes it as family-owned and reports hours of 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. It's closed on weekends. The space was formerly Bamboo Café, per The MoCo Show's September preview. Because of those hours, Deli-Café works for a weekday breakfast before a Gene's run. It won't be open on Halloween Saturday.
Mezeh Mediterranean Grill held its grand opening on August 27 at 10619 Connecticut Avenue. It serves fast-casual bowls, wraps and salads on the same stretch of Connecticut Avenue as Gene's, per The MoCo Show.
Breads Unlimited & Pizza at 10303 Kensington Parkway and Marathon Deli & Grill at 10619 Connecticut Avenue were both welcomed as new businesses in May, according to the Town's June journal. Breads Unlimited sells bakery items, sandwiches and pizza, per The MoCo Show. It's on the same stretch of Kensington Parkway as BabyCat and Flinn Park.
On Antique Row, ARC Rug Gallery by Kami, formerly ABC Rug Outlet, has moved to 4208 Howard Avenue, on the same street as the new Deli-Café.
A Halloween-Week Plan Built From the Listings
Put together, the listings suggest an order for the week:
- Weeknights in the final two weeks before Halloween: Visit Gene's Costumes during its extended evening hours.
- Friday, October 23, or Saturday, October 24: Spend an evening at GIGS Courtyard on Howard Avenue.
- Sunday, October 25: Go to the KECA Halloween Party & Parade at Puller Park, after confirming the start time with the civic association.
- Saturday, October 31: Start at the market at the train station from 9 a.m., go to storytime at Kensington Park Library at 11, and finish at BabyCat any time after noon.
Every stop on that list is run by a shop, a neighbor group or a library branch. Gene's spent nearly three years closed after the fire, and this month its retail floor is open again in time for the parade at Puller Park and the costume contests at BabyCat.
Jen Goroff follows Kensington's storefronts as closely as its streets: which shops have returned, which kitchens just opened, and where neighbors gather each fall. If you'd like to talk about how this part of Montgomery County is changing, with a calm, clear and local perspective, Let's Connect.
