Shark Week 2016: Making Terror Fun

Image: The Fintastic Shark mural will decorate the Discovery Communications building through July 5 (photo by Charlie Archambault).

Silver Spring, MD — The celebration of underwater terror and teeth known as Shark Week begins Sunday, June 26, and Discovery Communications is celebrating the return of its popular TV documentary series with a summer festival and other events.

TheShark Week Family Fun Fest will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday in downtown Silver Spring. Area residents and visitors will be treated to a face painter, a balloon artist, shark fin hat and other giveaways, and music from the funk reggae band Eight Ohms. And they'll be greeted by Chompie Jr., the official mascot of Shark Week.

Chompie Jr. has been spreading Shark Week cheer around the Washington, D.C., area, visiting local tourist spots and unsuspecting offices. And a contest s being held for fans to submit pictures posing with their fintastic friend for the ultimate Shark Week prize pack. To enter, use #ChompieGram and #contest on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Shark Week kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, June 26, on the Discovery Channel with "Tiger Beach," a documentary program about tiger sharks in the Bahamas. It's the first of 16 one-hour shows over eight nights, through Sunday, July 3.

Other shows include "Jaws of the Deep," "Air Jaws: Night Stalker," and "Nuclear Sharks," about the reef sharks that live at Bikini Atoll, the Pacific island where nuclear weapons were tested during the Cold War.

• For the full Shark Week TV schedule, please click here.

Voters Pick Winning Shark Mural

For the second year, Discovery Communications asked local residents how it should decorate its Silver Spring headquarters to celebrate Shark Week. A survey was released with three proposed murals for the south façade of the building along Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue (facing the Metro station): the “Toothy Grin,” “I Heart Shark” and “Fintastic Shark."

After roughly 1,000 people voted during the week of June 6-10, the winner was ... Fintastic Shark. The mural was installed Monday. A time lapse video demonstrates the art installation and a close-up video shows the finished product. The Fintastic Shark will be up and lit at night through Tuesday, July 5.