Summer at Carpe Diem Arts: The Heartbeat and Glue of Silver Spring’s Culture

Carpe Diem Arts has spent a decade building creative confidence in Silver Spring's children. Now it is time for the city's biggest festivals to join the movement.

Who Carpe Diem Is

Carpe Diem Arts is a Silver Spring-based nonprofit that believes arts and community are the same thing. For over a decade, they have been building bridges across generations and cultures through the visual, literary, and performing arts. Their mission: inspire creative self-expression, empower individuals, and strengthen communities through shared arts experiences.

Their programs are not passive. They are immersive. French and Spanish immersion camps with ukulele, songwriting, arts and crafts, playwriting, international folk dancing, and cooking. Youth ArtBeat programs for elementary, middle, and high schoolers. African drumming, dance, storytelling, theater, bookmaking, loom weaving, journaling, and harmony-singing.

This is not babysitting. This is building.

What Carpe Diem Solves

Here is the thing about working families in the DMV. Summer is a gap. School is out. Childcare is expensive. For new Americans, young parents, and low-to-moderate-income families, the options are often limited.

Carpe Diem fills that gap. They create safe, enriching, culturally resonant spaces for children during the hours when working parents need them most. They build confidence. They develop self-worth. They give kids a chance to shine in their own time.

But they cannot do it alone. And they should not have to.

Summer Camp at Carpe Diem Arts (Photo courtesy of Carpe Diem Arts)

The Coincidence (And the Bridge)

It may be a coincidence that Carpe Diem is located in Silver Spring—a city consistently ranked among the most generous in the United States. A place where neighbors show up for neighbors, not because they have to, but because that is what they do.

It may also be a coincidence that Veterans Plaza—just blocks from Carpe Diem's home—hosts some of the most successful annual events produced by cultural organizations in the area. No less than five of the biggest festivals in the DMV are held right there: the World Heritage Festival, the International Food & Craft Festival, Pride in the Plaza, the Caribbean-American Heritage Festival, and the Hey Cousin Culture Fest.

Coincidence or not, these two facts—a generous city and a thriving festival hub—have not yet found each other. That is the bridge we are here to build.

A Stage at Veterans Plaza

If you have ever been to a festival at Veterans Plaza, you know the energy. Thousands of people. Music. Food. Art. Community.

Now imagine if those festivals did more than entertain. Imagine if they actively lifted up the next generation of artists, right there on that same stage.

That is the vision. And it is closer than you might think.

Carpe Diem is not new to Veterans Plaza. They celebrated their 10th anniversary there just this past May. The evening featured a vibrant showcase of local artists, guest speakers, and a community contra dance that filled the Civic Building with energy. They already belong in that space. The next step is simply sharing the stage.

What Collaboration Could Look Like

Festival organizers could dedicate performance slots to Carpe Diem children. A ukulele ensemble, a global percussion group, a theater troupe—sharing their talents with massive plaza crowds. Not as a warm-up act. As a centerpiece.

They could invite Carpe Diem instructors and youth leaders to run the family and children's tents at existing heritage festivals, blending their immersive methods with the festival's cultural theme. A drumming workshop here. A storytelling circle there. A hands-on visual arts station where kids can paint, weave, or create.

They could create cross-generational mentorship pipelines—older youth from plaza leadership organizations mentoring younger Carpe Diem campers in event production, sound tech, or community organizing.

The Glow Effect

When festival producers lift up Carpe Diem children, they project something powerful: unified, deep-rooted community support. They show that their festival is not just about celebration—it is about cultivation.

And when festival audiences witness the immediate, joyful impact of local arts funding, something shifts. Hearts open. The "glow" effect happens.

This is Silver Spring's generosity at its best. Not just writing checks. Transforming into active, creative collaboration. Moving from isolated cultural celebrations to a deeply interconnected community where established festival organizers actively champion local youth arts.

Ukes on the Move - photo opp with Munit Mesfin (Photo courtesy of Carpe Diem Arts)

An Invitation

This is not an announcement of a partnership. It is an invitation to build one.

If you are a festival organizer at Veterans Plaza—whether you represent an African heritage group, a youth-led nonprofit, or a multicultural organization—connect with Carpe Diem Arts.

If you are a parent, a neighbor, or someone who believes that every child deserves a chance to shine—show up. Attend a festival. Watch a performance. Donate an instrument. Sponsor a scholarship.

If you are looking for a way to help, Carpe Diem is always seeking volunteers to strengthen and grow their programs. They welcome MCPS students seeking SSL hours. Contact them at info@carpediemarts.org or visit their Volunteer page to learn more.

And if you are Carpe Diem—keep doing what you are doing. The community is watching. The community is grateful. And the community is ready to meet you on that stage.

See more photos from Carpe Diem's programs in action here.

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