Friday, June 16, 2017

Bethesda UP summer concert series a smash with new beer and wine sales (Photos)

Bethesda Urban Partnership had a record turnout for the relaunch of its Summer Concert Series at Veterans Park last night. While the series has been underway for a few weeks, last night's show was the first to feature beer and wine sales from local businesses.

The park was fenced off, and there was a significant police and event staff presence, to comply with Montgomery County liquor regulations. Judging by the size of the crowd, people clearly want adult beverages with their outdoor concerts.
Rocklands Farm Winery tent
Last night's featured brewery was Rock Bottom (which is a block down Norfolk from the park), and the featured winery was Rocklands Farm Winery of Poolesville. Rocklands will be back next week, while next week's beer will be provided by another nearby restaurant, Tapp'd Bethesda. The concerts are on Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 PM through July.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad I saw this yesterday walking home.

Anonymous said...

Who pays for that "significant" police presence? On- or off-duty officers? Because while car smash-and-grabs and outright thefts skyrocket in my 20817 neighborhood, I'd quite frankly rather have officers helping here than babysitting BUP's weekly party.

Am I Your Little Hobo? said...

Looks like they didn't let you in?

Anonymous said...

Greasy hamburgers make greasy ponytails

Terp Grad said...

Thanks for the report. I hadn't heard about this event!

Anonymous said...

The Christopher residents are against these events and drinking.

Anonymous said...

I was there one week before (when it was still a dry event) and it was really packed then too. The weather was lovely, and it looked just about as full as in your photos.

It highlights the problem about a lack of open outdoor performing space in Bethesda. Both Silver Spring (Veteran's Park) and Rockville (Town Square) have them. Veteran's Park in Bethesda is tiny and people had to keep walking through the dance area to get to Jetty's and BGR.

They should reconfigure Freeland Park (between library and Giant on Arlington Road) to serve this purpose, or do that with the Farm Women's Market.

Friends of Woodmont Triangle said...

I love our neighborhood!

Anonymous said...

12:04 PM, 2:25 PM = Man-Baby from Westbard

Anonymous said...

Another in Robert Dyer's series of disastrously wrong "restaurant closing" stories:

http://eastmoco.blogspot.com/2017/06/kaldis-social-house-closing-in-silver.html?m=1#comment-form

Anonymous said...

It's not true that Bethesda Magazine never cites Robert Dyer:

"An inaccurate blog post by local blogger Robert Dyer suggested the popular destination would be closing after it listed several of its furniture and kitchen items on an auction website. The items, which include tables, shelves and chairs with legs that need to be fixed, are old pieces that the shop is replacing, Haile said. The auction closes Monday."

Anonymous said...

Would you let him in? If not, why?

Robert Dyer said...

9:25/10:09: The restaurant itself announced it was closing online. They are the ones who posted inaccurate information, if indeed they are remaining open. Interesting that neither website mentions the online auction ad that clearly states the coffee shop is closing. Why would they exclude that critical detail in their articles?

Anonymous said...

Why didn't you just contact the owner, as BB and SotS did? You could have saved yourself a lot of embarrassment.

Robert Dyer said...

6:01: I'm not embarrassed at all. The business embarrassed themselves posting an announcement they were closing. Why would you contact the owner if he just posted online his business is closing?

"BB and SotS" also embarrassed themselves by covering up that the owner had posted an announcement he was closing ONLINE, in their rush to trash me for the owner's mistake, and/or obfuscation of his intentions.

Anna Van Horn said...

"Why would you contact the owner if he just posted online his business is closing?"

To get, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story

Robert Dyer said...

7:13: It might help your claim that you're not the troll to not predictably take the anti-Robert Dyer side of the argument yet again. Why not bash the owner for posting an announcement he's closing online, and then "backpedaling" hours later?

Anonymous said...

Robert, sometimes it is more gracious to admit ya just made a little mistake. Bethesda Beat reported correct on this and Tastee Diner. Everyone makes mistakes, a simple, "hey, I'm human and got this slightly wrong," goes a long way.

Don't put blame on others. Just own it. We all make mistakes. Even you.

Anonymous said...

I'll provide Robert's possible reply...the slightly failing Magazine got it wrong. Despite Marriott saying they've reached no deal to purchase the Diner, I'm right. $7 million is he agreed upon price. Even though Marriott is the rumored buyer, I probably know more."

Anonymous said...

Remember how Dyer claimed that Smashburger was closing in January 2015? But instead their lease was renewed? And renewed again in January 2016?

And remember how when they did close in January 2017, Dyer tried to argue that this was proof that his 2015 story was correct?

Anonymous said...

"the anti-Robert Dyer side of the argument"

The truth is the truth. Deal with it, and don't personalize everything to such a ridiculous level.

Robert Dyer said...

Whoa, whoa, whoa - Bethesda Beef was dead wrong on Tastee Diner, and plagiarized my scoop to boot. Then the Post gave them credit for my scoop, while also citing my $7M figure without crediting me as the source for that figure. There's not a scrap of evidence that my story is incorrect on Tastee Diner. The owner stopped talking, and the manager now told the Post she thought it will happen. Hysterical that you fall hook, line and sinker for the Marriott and Tastee public posturing on a deal they can't talk about anytime soon. Big Time Real Estate 101.

I didn't get it wrong on Kaldi's either; Kaldi's got it wrong by announcing they were closing online, then claiming they weren't hours later. "Don't put blame on others," when you announce you are closing!

I freely admitted at the time to making one mistake in 10 years, when two stores had the same name pronunciation and one of them was opening a new location. The horror!

As the leading source and pioneer of hyperlocal news in Montgomery County, I get that everybody's gunning for me, and the knives come out quickly.

Robert Dyer said...

8:17: More lies. I didn't "claim" anything - I reported that another web site stated they were closing. In fact, they should have closed, but the landlord was unable to find another tenant at the price desired for two years, and Smashburger was allowed to stay. I heard from people who toured the space during that time, and it was listed as "for lease" online.

8:20: Kaldi's online auction announcement that they were urgently closing isn't the truth? They posted it; deal with it.

Anonymous said...

I've never seen anything like this. Hes sounding like a lunatic...totally incapable of admitting when he's wrong. This, in my opinion, is the biggest reason Dyer will never, ever, ever win any elected office and remain a joke candidate.

Anonymous said...

Coffee shop posts auction saying they're "urgently closing". Dyer reports it.

Dyer's has a source with info on Tastee Diner being pursued by Marriott and he reports it. The Post didn't dispute anything Dyer reported here. As Dyer said, they even used his dollar amount.

The old, legacy media is still having a problem adjusting to the new reality that they aren't the only sources of news and information in 2017. Classic disruptive innovation theory at work and none of this surprises anyone who has studied that :)

Anonymous said...

Source of the Spring is "old, legacy media"?

Really,

Anonymous said...

I'm glad we have Dyer reporting on East MoCo, Rockville. Those areas would be a news desert without his reporting.

Robert Dyer said...

9:24: Are you "incapable of admitting" the coffee shop posted an announcement it was closing online? The business was wrong, not me. A joke candidate is Hans Riemer, who needs illegal campaign mailers using a civic association's funds, tens of thousands of dollars from Wall Street crooks and pioneers in outsourcing, and the cemetery precincts to come in strong to win. Sad!

Anna Van Horn said...

Take your jabs at me, it apparently makes you feel better to slam someone and you're always eager to make it me.

I've said before.
You don't listen to understand, you listen to reply.

It baffles me that you'd find out some new and/or unusual info about a place and not want to get the while story by picking up the phone and asking. Even me, someone who despises calling people, would make that call. The investigator in me would want the rest of the story. Furthermore, why would I "bash the owner" before knowing more? Why would anyone?



Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.

Anna Van Horn said...

*whole*

Robert Dyer said...

There was an official announcement from the business that they were closing. They chose to post it. They need to take responsibility for their actions. Don't try to shift the blame to me.

Anonymous said...

Aaron Van Horn is clearly having a bad father's day. Hope his day gets better!
Don't hate so much- it's not healthy.

Anna Van Horn said...

The ones doing the hating are Robert Dyer and his bootlickers.

I'll keep enjoying being real while the rest of you play your little sycophant games.

12:08, thanks for your concern. I had a lovely father's day remembering my dad and enjoying the things we used to do together: Sunday crossword, watching NASCAR and golf, and deciding it was too hot to grill out. Just like old times.

Robert Dyer said...

The bully calling the victim a "hater." Continuing your bid to be the Kathy Griffin of Montgomery County.

Anna Van Horn said...

I fail to see where there is all this hate you mention in my 7:13 or 9:29 posts.

Enlighten me. I thought the paul harvey comment was both a funny and pertinent answer to your question, since you've mention him and his classic line in the past.

At 9:29 I gave you my take on why I said it.

Robert, where in that do you see hate?