Kenwood Club fireworks 2026

Expectations have been set super-high for the official July 4 fireworks in Washington, D.C. this year, which are expected to set records for length of display and number of fireworks deployed. We shall see. But the best fireworks in the DMV have historically been those of the Kenwood Golf and Country Club at 5601 River Road in Bethesda (Chevy Chase, officially). The club and its property are private, so don't trespass on their property. But the fireworks can be seen from nearby church and retail parking lots such as the Fourth Presbyterian Church, which has been the most-popular viewing spot in past years, as it is directly across the street. If you are lucky enough to have a backyard in line-of-sight to the club, or an apartment or condo facing the club's direction, it's also a chance to play Jay Gatsby and have a spectacular fireworks display to cap off your Independence Day party.

This year's Kenwood fireworks are scheduled for tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Expect the show to start around 9:30 PM. The fireworks will be very loud, so you may want to consider having hearing protection like earplugs on hand. If you are in the vicinity and have a dog, make sure the animal is indoors before the show starts. Should inclement weather occur, Kenwood has scheduled a rain date for July 1, 2026.

WMATA restores Bethesda Metro station pylon

WMATA has restored the Bethesda Metro station pylon sign on the Woodmont Avenue side of the Bethesda Metro Center. The iconic monolith was stripped down to its skeletal inner framework about a week ago. What's different about the restored pylon? You'll notice the red stripe that was missing from the pylon installed in August 2025 has been added back below the "M" and above "Bethesda Station." It has retained the new circular "RD" badge from last year's version.

El Pike Diamante reopens in Bethesda

El Pike Diamante reopened Friday night after a brief closure, in which the restaurant was locked out of the premises by the landlord. Whatever the dispute was appears to have been resolved, and the no-trespassing and warnings-to-locksmiths signs have been removed from the windows. The listing advertising the space as available for "immediate" lease remains active, however. This is the first time since I started this blog that I've seen a business reopen after being locked out, so this is one for the record books in Bethesda. El Pike Diamante is located at 4906 St. Elmo Avenue in downtown Bethesda.

Pike El Diamante, Smoke BBQ buildings marketed for lease in Bethesda [UPDATED]

UPDATE - 7:39 PM: The CEO of Pike El Diamante provided the following statement:

"Pike El Diamante is not closed and will be operating as usual. We value the support we have received throughout these two years and look forward to continue serving the community.

If you're looking for a great way to spend your evening, join us tonight 06/26/2026 starting at 6:00 PM for our $7 Margaritas special. We'd be delighted to welcome you in for great food, drinks, and hospitality.

Mario Terrazas

CEO

Pike El Diamante"

Original story:

One restaurant has closed in downtown Bethesda, and the future of a second is undetermined. Pike El Diamante has shut down at 4906 St. Elmo Avenue. The property owner has posted signs warning the business ownership or other parties not to attempt to gain entry to the building, in which the contents of the restaurant remain under lock and key. An online listing indicates the space is available for lease immediately.

Also being marketed as available for "immediate" lease is the building at 4858 Cordell Avenue. That is currently home to Smoke BBQ, which is still open for business at last check. Both properties have not had much difficulty attracting tenants, as both are highly visible storefronts in the Woodmont Triangle with lots of lunch and after-work foot traffic.

Ullico relocates HQ from Silver Spring to Bethesda

Ullico has relocated its corporate headquarters from Silver Spring to downtown Bethesda. Its offices have officially relocated to Avocet Tower at 7373 Wisconsin Avenue. The insurance firm has leased 30,333-square-feet of space at the tower, and their logo signage has just been affixed to the building facade (although I like to see these at the top of the building and lit up at night). 

The move continues two trends: Where Montgomery County has failed to attract a single new major corporate headquarters in over 25 years, some companies remain committed to the County, and relocate within its borders. Marriott International and Choice Hotels are other examples; both are progressive liberal corporations (though the former didn't start off that way!), and align politically with the County Council even if it costs their firms significant revenue at the bottom line. 

A second trend is the in-county poaching phenomenon we've seen with new Class A office space. While big names like Intelsat famously passed on a brand-new trophy office building at 4500 East-West Highway, new buildings in downtown Bethesda and at Pike & Rose have lured away companies already in Montgomery County in significant numbers. In fact, Ullico joins Arlington Capital Partners and DiamondRock Hospitality Company in moving to Avocet Tower from buildings within sight of it, a remarkable 78,864 SF coup by Beacon Capital Partners and their leasing representative, Transwestern.

Tower crane erected at Westbard Square in Bethesda

A tower crane has been assembled at the Westbard Square development in Bethesda. It will assist with construction of a new 200-unit apartment building, which is the final phase of redevelopment on the former Westwood Shopping Center site at 5400 Westbard Avenue. The stack-and-pack style building will have ground floor retail space, and above-ground structured parking. Greystar is the developer, and the building was designed by MV+A Architects. A mid-2027 delivery is expected for the project.

Police respond to assault at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this past Saturday night, June 20, 2026. The assault was reported at the mall at 8:21 PM Saturday. This was the fifth assault recorded at the popular retail center so far this year. Last year saw a total of 12 assaults reported at the property. County police officers were visibly on patrol inside the mall this past weekend.