VI-KINGS BRING THE 60s TO LIFE AT BETHESDA BLUES AND JAZZ JANUARY 10

Local band The VI-Kings will bring the sounds of 1960s rock and roll to the stage at Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club on Saturday, January 10, at 8:00 PM. This will be a dance night, taking full advantage of the historic building's custom-designed dance floor.

The band is coming off of successful recent gigs at Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle, and Clyde's of Chevy Chase. Among the VI-Kings is one of Bethesda's most prominent real estate agents, bassist Matthew Maury. Another member who might be a familiar face to Bethesda diners and bar patrons is guitarist/vocalist Sean Chyun.

Tickets will be $15, and are on sale now.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AT ANGLO DUTCH POOLS AND TOYS IN BETHESDA THIS SATURDAY

After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday. One of many popular small businesses in the Westwood Shopping Center on Westbard Avenue is Anglo Dutch Pools and Toys. It's one of only 2 Bethesda small businesses named Neighborhood Champions this year by American Express (the other is Creative Parties, LTD), and they'll be hosting a special event this Saturday, November 29, from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

There will be fun for both kids and adults. For kids, balloon virtuoso James Creel will entertain from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and after that there will be craft activities, and all Playmobil sets will be 15% off. Adults, and more specifically women, may like the fact that all shoppers on Saturday will receive a Rebecca Minkoff-designed American Express tote bag.

Anglo Dutch Pools and Toys

5460 Westbard Avenue

(in the Westwood Shopping Center)

(301) 951-0636

GALLERY AT THE GALLERY: WENTWORTH GALLERY ART SALE AT THE GALLERY BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Downtown Bethesda residents had the chance to browse more than 100 fine art pieces in the Sky Lounge at the Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower yesterday. Wentworth Gallery, located in Westfield Montgomery Mall, hauled over a large part of their collection, and invited residents and the public to view paintings by Peter Max, Michael Cartellone, Elena Bond, and more. If you missed the show, you can stop by Wentworth Gallery at the mall, and still get the sale prices currently offered. They are located on the upper level, outside of Nordstrom.

This was one of my favorites,
"New York Nights," by
Elena Bond - $4150

Remember Michael Cartellone's
4-piece "David" from the
Wentworth exhibit earlier
this year?

TOUR WILLETT BRANCH STREAM THIS SATURDAY IN BETHESDA

The Willett Branch Stream and I go way back - back to my very first day in Bethesda, just days after I was born. If you're new to Bethesda, or just want to learn more about some of the natural resources hidden away around here, you can join the Little Falls Watershed Alliance for a stream walk this Saturday, from 10:00 AM to noon, along the Willett Branch.

While the waters of this stream once flowed in a wider, natural path - and helped to power a mill in the vicinity of today's Little Falls Parkway - Willett Branch is mostly a channelized storm sewer today, running through concrete. A potential daylighting of tunneled sections, and a naturalization of the stream to its original state, are two potential outcomes of the Westbard Sector Plan rewrite currently underway.

See how it is currently this Saturday, in a walk alongside the creek's path starting at the Westwood Center II parking lot, at 5110 Ridgefield Road. The truly adventurous can make a return trip through the stream itself, although you'll want waterproof boots for that. Bring a flashlight, as well, for the return trip. While the entire tour will be on pavement, there is a steep grade to enter and exit the concrete creek bed. A round trip will be less than a mile.

The LFWA is hosting the walk to raise more awareness of the stream's fragile and contaminated state, and to advocate for improvements and a linear Willett Branch Park to be part of the Westbard Sector Plan recommendations. I'd like to see the beleaguered Willett Branch get the same protection in any future redevelopment in the Westbard area as Ten Mile Creek received in Clarksburg earlier this year.

ART SALE AT GALLERY BETHESDA THURSDAY

This Thursday, November 20, from 1:00 to 8:00 PM, Wentworth Gallery will be hosting a pop-up art sale in the Sky Lounge at the Gallery Bethesda luxury apartment tower. Over 200 international artists will be represented with original paintings and limited-edition prints. The event is open to the public, and a chance for downtown apartment dwellers to tap into the vast Wentworth collection of fine art without leaving the neighborhood. 

Can't attend? You'll find Wentworth Gallery every other day in Westfield Montgomery Mall on the upper level, just outside of Nordstrom. They're currently having a sale with savings of 20-75% off.

Gallery Bethesda

4800 Auburn Avenue

(there is a Bethesda

Circulator stop nearby)

ITALIAN PIG ROAST AT PIAZZA BEER GARDEN MONDAY

Piazza Beer Garden is heading indoors at parent restaurant Cesco Osteria in Bethesda tomorrow, for an Italian Pig Roast. A full porchetta pig roast will be prepared and carved by the chef-owner of Cesco himself, and an array of side dishes will be available. Beer and wine lovers will find the special very limited release Port City Long Black Veil black IPA, and gold-medal winner Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager among several local brews, and some of the chef's hand-selected red wine pairings.

Click here to order tickets for $35 (and see the full menu), or pay $45 at the door when the event begins at 7:00 PM Monday.

Piazza Beer Garden

7401 Woodmont Avenue

BETHESDA VETERANS DAY COMMEMORATION (PHOTOS)

The annual dedication of wreaths on Veterans Day at downtown Bethesda's Veterans Park Tuesday saw several community groups and organizations once again represented in the park. Groups participating included the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, and Bethesda Urban Partnership.

Veterans Park neighbor
Bethesda Scooters and Boards
joined in the patriotic display

NEXT PHASE GROUP EX GYM HOLDING OPEN HOUSE TODAY, GIVING AWAY FREE PASSES

Stop by the new Next Phase Group Ex Gym today in Bethesda to tour the facility, and you might score a free class pass. Next Phase Group Ex is a classes-only gym located on the Plaza level of The Metropolitan/Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center building at 7610 Old Georgetown Road.

Next Phase doesn't have membership fees, so take the classes you want without obligation. Classes and disciplines include Zumba, cardio, yoga, "Burn and Firm," and "Hard Core." They also have special programs for golf players, youth and teens.

ARCLIGHT CINEMAS BETHESDA OPENS TODAY (VIDEO)

Today is the official grand opening of the new 16-screen Arclight Cinemas at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. You may have attended already during the cineplex's "soft opening" over the last couple of weeks. If so, please post a comment on your experience below.

If you haven't gone, it's not too late to order tickets. Curious about what ArcLight has to offer compared to other theaters within driving distance? Watch my video review for a preview of the ArcLight experience, and hear about the concept and dining options directly from ArcLight employees themselves. See the largest-screen auditorium, learn some technical specs, and hear about the brand's selling points - like no advertising before the movie!

Interstellar is the big movie there this weekend, as well as Big Hero 6 - which is not a sequel, despite the title.

HALLOWEEN BASHES AT UNION JACK'S, HARP & FIDDLE IN BETHESDA

Two downtown Bethesda bars are among those hoping partiers will choose to haunt their buildings this Halloween. 

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle is promising a High Score Halloween, with a live (as opposed to undead) DJ, light show, and an ominously vague-sounding "Special Visual Presentation." Admission is free, and you can win cash prizes in their costume contest. There will also be drink specials, as you can see in the photo at top.

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle

4844 Cordell Avenue

Meanwhile, the annual Nightmare on St. Elmo Street (actually Avenue, for GPS purposes) Halloween bash returns to Union Jack's Bethesda. The costume contest there has a travel grand prize, with a winner's choice of destinations: Las Vegas, New Orleans or New York City. There will also be other cash and prizes at stake for costume-sporting patrons. Halloween is this Friday, so start making plans now.

Union Jack's Bethesda

4915 St. Elmo Avenue

GALLERY BETHESDA OKTOBERFEST (PHOTOS)

Despite a few last minute changes due to Montgomery County's antiquated liquor laws, the Gallery Bethesda had a good turnout for its first Oktoberfest celebration yesterday. Guests enjoyed food and beer catered by Woodmont Triangle neighbor 4935 Bar & Kitchen in the building's well-appointed lobby and cyberlounge. Outside, music was supplied by DJ Maxi and attendees played cornhole on the Gallery's outdoor green space, which was decorated with a fall harvest theme.

Fall decorations on the plaza

4935 Bar and Kitchen's chef
and owner, Ashish Alfred, at
the bar in the Gallery's cyberlounge

Gallery Bethesda property manager
Manuel Majano and DJ Maxi behind
the turntables

Bethesda start-up Spotluck was
there to promote its new app
that gives new deals on downtown
Bethesda restaurants every day

A cornhole game underway

Maybe this will become
an annual event

Hay bales on the plaza

New grass added this week

Spotluck was at the party inside,
too, with a human demonstration
of how the app works

Fun at the photo/video booth

4935 Bar and Kitchen is
at 4935 Cordell Avenue

These signs reminded attendees
that beer drinking had to be
limited to the indoors

While the beer-related changes did not spoil the fun of the event, I do mention them because I was not even aware of these particular regulations. And because these should be a topic in the current discussion about the county's and state's outdated liquor laws, and how they are stifling local business and creative events that are vital to our downtown areas.

You may recall the original plan was for an outdoor biergarten, and a German beer list to be supplied by Gallery Bethesda's own convenience store, Aria Beer Wine & Deli. But citing yet more regulations, the County said the beer would have to be consumed inside the building only. And County regulators said the building could not buy beer from its own convenience store, for an event on its own private property!

This is what I mean when I say that liquor "reform" in the county can't just be about a few issues particular politicians want to change. We hear a lot about the need for public gathering space in downtown Bethesda, and here the county's own outdated rules prevented the public from enjoying an outdoor beer garden setting, on just such a gathering space in the Woodmont Triangle. Clearly these two regulations should be added to the list of those needing review and change.

BETHESDA ROW ARTS FESTIVAL 2014 PHOTO GALLERY

Artists took over Bethesda Row this past weekend, for the annual Bethesda Row Arts Festival. Art displays, music and food from both nearby restaurants and guest vendors combined with sunny - if cooler - weather for another successful festival. Ford had a product showcase at the event, which was fitting, as the carmaker once had a dealership on Elm Street where part of Bethesda Row is today.