Hi there!

It's the 8th edition of The Little Loop Newsletter by Clovie, and the Tuesday send continues to be my favorite day of the week. The Little Loop has been gaining new subscribers each week, and I love hearing from you via email, Instagram and texts on how you're loving TLL. Keep on forwarding this your friends who need help making kids plans!

I'm still recovering from a week away in Long Beach Island, New Jersey in a jam packed house of 17 family members. The little cousins had the best time, and its always worth hearing their laughs, stomps across the floor, and tiny conversations. Plus we make more family inside jokes, have endless rosé, game nights, and morning donuts, reminding us why we do this trip every year. But I'll say I'm happy to be typing this out in my own bed now, with some peace and quiet. Speaking of beds...our 3 year old is now in a toddler bed. More on that next week.

TLDR: It's the last real weekend of summer before school takes the calendar back, so we packed it with send-offs. The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair closes Saturday, the Park Potomac Ice Cream Social doubles as a back-to-school backpack drive, and the Library of Congress National Book Festival takes over downtown DC. Add farm ice cream at Deere Valley Farms and Creamery, and a cool-down at Wegmans Wonderplace inside the Smithsonian, plus another Clovie update per usual.

Growing Clovie

We are less than 50 Instagram followers away from 2,000! And we've only been live for less than 3 months. Let's get this to 2K, just in time for an editorial press piece on Clovie, coming out next week.

Just Show Up

No tickets, no plan. Just go.

​Deere Valley Farms (Dickerson)
​Saturday and Sunday · Ice cream window 12pm to 8pm · Free to visit · Dickerson​
This one is on the Maryland Ice Cream Trail and, unlike most of the trail, it's in Montgomery County, out in the Agricultural Reserve near Sugarloaf. The draw is cow-to-cone soft serve from a walk-up window, with flavors that change weekly and the usual milkshakes, floats, and sundaes, plus a year-round farm market and picnic tables outside. It is a country drive to get there, so make an afternoon of it and pair it with an easy stop at Sugarloaf Mountain on the way.

​Wegmans Wonderplace at the National Museum of American History (Washington, DC)
​Saturday and Sunday · 10am to 4pm · Free · National Mall, DC​
A hands-on play space built just for the newborn to age 6 crowd, tucked inside the museum: a kid-size Julia Child kitchen, a tugboat to captain, blocks, and owls hiding in a mini Smithsonian castle. It's free, air-conditioned, and open both weekend days, which makes it a soft landing on a hot afternoon on the Mall. The space is small and gets popular, so on busy weekend days entry runs in timed 30-minute sessions, and going early usually means walking right in.

On the Calendar

Times and dates worth planning around.

​Montgomery County Agricultural Fair (Gaithersburg)
​Through Saturday Aug 22 · Kids 11 and under free, adults $18 · 501 Perry Parkway​
This is your last call. The county's biggest summer tradition wraps up Saturday, so if you have not made it out to the barns, the rides, and the funnel cakes yet, this is the weekend. Go on the earlier side for the animal barns when it is calmer and cooler for the under 8 crowd, and buy adult tickets online to save a few dollars.

​Park Potomac Ice Cream Social & Backpack Drive (Potomac)
​Saturday Aug 22 · 11am to 2pm · Free, donate a backpack and school supplies · Park Potomac​
Part block party, part back-to-school drive, and one of the most toddler-friendly things on this list. Expect a bounce house, face painting, the Vienna Singing Princesses, shaved ice, The Great Zucchini and more. Bring a backpack or some school supplies to donate for Interfaith Works on your way in.

​Library of Congress National Book Festival (Washington, DC)
​Saturday Aug 22 · Free, register for tickets · Walter E. Washington Convention Center · Mount Vernon​
The Library of Congress turns the downtown convention center into a giant day of books, and the part for young kids is the best-kept secret. Head for the Story District (Hall D) and the children's stages, where authors read aloud alongside hands-on activities and a STEM zone. Tickets are free but you do need to register in advance, and it is an easy Metro ride if you want to skip the parking hunt.

Loved this one? Forward it to a friend who is always asking what to do this weekend.
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Less Planning. More Playing.

Carole
Founder, Clovie