by JESSEKA KADYLAK

Since 1998, Maryland’s Silver Spring has endured an ongoing transformation with the opening of more restaurants, shops and entertainment options as part of its revitalization plan for its downtown area.

The newest addition in the making is the Live Nation music venue – The Fillmore. The Fillmore will be located on Colesville Road between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street across from the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center.

The old J.C. Penney building will be transformed into the home of the Fillmore. The facade of the defunct store will be preserved while the rest will be integrated into a new look.

“We might take elements of the building” in San Francisco, which is the location of the original Fillmore, Live Nation’s Ted Mankin said.

The venue will bring live music into the mix of other recent additions such as the Round House Theatre, Moby Dick House of Kabobs, Cold Stone Creamery, Whole Foods Market and other restaurants and shops.

While waiting for creation of the Fillmore, which is slated to begin in 2008 according to the Montgomery County office of Public Information, take advantage of other entertainment opportunities Silver Spring has to offer.

With Halloween around the corner, AFI Silver is readying up the Halloween Screams! film series, which takes place Oct. 26-31. The series will feature one viewing of “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror,” and multiple showings of “The Wicker Man” and the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

And if classic horror films aren’t enough to stir the Halloween spirits, head to Silver Spring for the Third Annual Halloween Spooktacular on Oct. 27. This family-fun event will feature free trick-or-treating, pumpkin decoration, arts and crafts, entertainment and more.