Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee

2025 Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk

/ Anna White
Photo by Jay Mallin

Begun in 2018, the Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk is an annual family-friendly local community event that weaves together neighborhoods once divided by racial segregation and fittingly takes place during Montgomery County’s Remembrance and Reconciliation Month.  All are welcome!  Come join us in shining our lights in the darkness, promoting unity over division, remembering the past and taking steps toward a brighter future.

WHEN: Saturday, November 8, 2025 at 5:00pm.

  • Gather: 5:00-5:15 pm
  • Short Program & Lantern Walk: 5:15-6:00 pm
  • Community Reception: 6:00-7:30 pm

WHERE: Rosemary Hills Elementary School parking lot, just below intersection of Talbot Ave. and Lanier Dr. Address: 2111 Porter Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910

The route will start and end at the same place, crossing over the new Talbot Avenue Bridge twice and going around the two blocks closest to it, one in North Woodside and one in Lyttonsville. To view the route, click here and scroll down.

BRING: Warm clothing, comfortable walking shoes, and a lantern

RSVP: CLICK HERE

For more detailed event information and updates: see event webpage.

The Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk is organized by the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee and co-sponsored by the Lyttonsville Civic Association, North Woodside Citizens’ Association, and Rosemary Hills Neighbors’ Association.

Talbot Avenue Bridge Meet & Greet

/ Anna White

All are welcome to the Talbot Avenue Bridge Community Meet & Greet, the day after Juneteenth!

As we approach the longest day of the year, join us on the new Talbot Avenue Bridge to enjoy light refreshments, informal socializing with neighbors, watching passing trains, and more.

What: Talbot Avenue Bridge Meet & Greet
When: NEW DATE! Friday June 20, 7:00 pm – sunset
Note: Original date was Juneteenth; due to likely stormy weather that evening, we’ve decided to go with the rain date.
Where: Pedestrian sidewalk on new Talbot Avenue Bridge
Event will be very casual. No program and no speakers. We’ll provide some chairs, napkins, and cups. And we’ll have chalk, bubbles, and coloring pages for kids. 

Feel free to bring (optional): Savory snack, sweet treat or drink to share; musical instrument to play; or an extra chair.

For more information: Visit the Talbot Avenue Bridge website, or email talbotavenuebridgecommittee@gmail.com

Organized by: The Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee. Cosponsored by: Lyttonsville Civic Association, North Woodside Citizens’ Association, Rosemary Hills Neighbors’ Association

We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Photos: 2024 Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk

/ Anna White
Civic association representatives and children of Lyttonsville, North Woodside, and Rosemary Hills participate in the lighting of the community Unity Lantern at the commencement of the 7th Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk on November 16, 2024. Photo by Lilian Pintea

Thanks to all who came out to the 7th Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk in mid-November!

Organized by the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee and co-sponsored by the North Woodside Citizens’ Association, Lyttonsville Civic Association, and Rosemary Hills Neighbors’ Association, this year’s Lantern Walk was the first to cross the completed new Talbot Avenue Bridge. It also honored the memory of lifelong Lyttonsville resident and civic leader Charlotte Coffield.  Check out photos and videos at these links:

Banner created by North Woodside Roots & Shoots group. Photo by Jay Mallin

Special thanks to all the North Woodside neighbors who contributed their time, energy, resources, and talents to the event.

For more event details and a full list of acknowledgements see bit.ly/TABLanternWalk.

2024 Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk

/ Anna White

Mark your calendars for the 2024 Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk on Saturday, November 16 at 5:00pm!

As many of you know, this is an annual family-friendly community event that weaves together neighborhoods once divided by racial segregation and fittingly takes place during Montgomery County’s “Remembrance and Reconciliation” Month.

The event is organized by the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee and co-sponsored by the Lyttonsville Civic Association, North Woodside Citizens’ Association, and Rosemary Hills Neighbors’ Association.

This year, for the first time, the Lantern Walk will cross the fully completed new Talbot Avenue Bridge. We will also be honoring the memory of lifelong Lyttonsville resident and longtime civic leader Charlotte Coffield.

Start location: Parking lot of Rosemary Hills Elementary School, just below intersection of Talbot Ave. and Lanier Dr. (Lyttonsville side of bridge). Lantern Walk will start and end here and be immediately followed by a community reception in the all-purpose room of Rosemary Hills Elementary School.

For more information and updates about the event go to: bit.ly/TABLanternWalk

We hope you will be able to join us for an evening filled with light, love, and community!

3rd Annual Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk

/ Anna White
Two North Woodside residents light their lantern candles before the commencement of the 3rd Annual Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk on November 14, 2020.


As darkness fell, North Woodside, Lyttonsville, and Rosemary Hills neighbors walked—carrying lanterns, ringing bells, and listening to a recording of This Little Light of Mine—along the mile route from one side of the Talbot Avenue Bridge construction site in North Woodside to the other in Lyttonsville, neighborhoods once divided by racial segregation. Lifelong Lyttonsville resident Charlotte Coffield came out and waved as the procession passed by, and David Cox, NWCA President, and Pat Tyson (Lyttonsvillle) joined those who shared eloquent remarks at the end.

For more photos and details, click here.

Event organized by the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee.

2nd Annual Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk

/ Anna White

The historic Talbot Avenue Bridge has been demolished and the new one is yet to be built, so the 2nd Annual Lantern Walk honored the legacy of the Bridge connecting adjoining neighborhoods, while not actually crossing over it.

On Saturday, November 9, 2019, neighbors from Lyttonsville, North Woodside, and Rosemary Hills and friends gathered at dusk behind the Coffield Community Center for a few remarks and lighting of lanterns. As darkness fell, they carried their lights in a procession around the Rosemary Hills-Lyttonsville Local Park, returning to where they started for light refreshments and hot beverages. See below for a gallery of photos taken by Jay Mallin.

Many thanks to North Woodside’s local community artist extraordinaire, Bertie LoPiccolo, for leading a lantern-making workshop at the Coffield Community Center earlier in the day. Both events were organized by the Talbot Avenue Bridge Committee.

See photos of last year’s inaugural Talbot Avenue Bridge Lantern Walk and Lantern-Making Workshop here.