Woman's Club of Chevy Chase Community Art Show & Sale this weekend, April 4-6

The Woman's Club of Chevy Chase is gearing up to host its 49th Annual Community Art Show and Sale, a three-day event celebrating local artistic talent, this weekend, April 4-6, 2025 at the clubhouse, which is located at 7931 Connecticut Avenue. Free parking is ample, and located behind the club, off of Dunlop Street. The show will feature over 450 pieces of artwork from more than 130 community artists.

This weekend's exhibition will showcase a diverse range of mediums, with judged categories including Oil, Acrylic, Pastel, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Prints & Drawings, Photography, Smalls, and Other Media, which encompasses 2-D works in materials like glass, wood, metal, and paper. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase artwork using cash, check, or credit card.

The annual event not only provides a platform for local artists but also supports scholarships for aspiring art school students.

The art show will be open to the public, free of charge, during the following hours:

April 4: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

April 5: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

April 6: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

For more information, visit wcccmaryland.org/art-show.

Stage opens at Westbard Square in Bethesda (Photos)

The stage has opened to the public on The Green at Westbard Square in Bethesda. It has overhead lighting for after-dark performances. However, the stage is currently occupied by four chairs and a few small tables. The stage is expected to make its official event debut at a grand opening celebration on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 2025, from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM both days. Makers Market at the Square will include live music and family-friendly activities.

Grocery stores take aim at antiquated Montgomery County liquor laws again

Several grocery chains in Montgomery County are once again enlisting customers in the struggle to overturn the antiquated liquor laws that prevent them from selling beer and wine in Maryland. Signage paid for by the Consumer Freedom Coalition prompts customers to contact their legislators in Annapolis to support bills that would allow grocery stores to sell beer and wine, but not liquor. However, once again, the machine is prevailing in the state capital, and those bills appear unlikely to pass during this session.

The effort had the support of Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who was eager to back a popular cause to distract from the new taxes and fees in the FY-2026 state budget, but was opposed by powerful Democrats on committees that first had to approve the bills to move them to the floor for a wider vote. Harris Teeter was the loudest advocate for the change during the administration of previous Governor Larry Hogan, but the campaign stalled when the pandemic hit, and liquor law changes became focused on assisting bars and restaurants by allowing take-out cocktails, for example. Safeway has joined Harris Teeter in the 2025 push for the bills. Yet neither major corporation has been able to influence enough Maryland Democrats to sign on to supermarket sales, and those same Democrats have yet to pay a price at the ballot box for their continued defiance of the popular will on the matter.

Rosetta Italian Bakery to open in Bethesda

Rosetta Italian Bakery is coming to downtown Bethesda. It will be located at 4901-A Fairmont Avenue, in the space vacated by Pitango Gelato last September. Rosetta, or michetta, is an Italian white bread roll often used for sandwiches. The bakery chain was founded in 2015 with the vision of becoming "an official ambassador of the Italian art of baking." Customers in the bakery's communal dining area will be able to watch bakers at work in the kitchen, with authentic ingredients imported fresh from Italy, through a large observation window.

The Rosetta menu includes focaccia, sandwiches on a variety of breads, pizza, desserts, and coffee. It also has seasonal holiday items for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter. The chain currently has locations in Florida, Georgia, New York, and New Jersey.

Two 2025 Bethesda trends are reflected in Rosetta's planned expansion here. First, an unusual number of bakery cafes have opened, or are opening in the near future, in downtown Bethesda. Rosetta will have one advantage, in that most of the competitors are French bakeries. Secondly, Rosetta has a partnership with the Best Buddies organization, like Max's Best Ice Cream, which will be opening about a block away from the bakery this summer. Construction on Rosetta Italian Bakery is expected to commence before the end of spring.