Taste of Bethesda 2018 may have had biggest turnout yet (Photos)

Despite cloudy skies yesterday, warm weather and a lack of precipitation allowed for a tremendous turnout at the Taste of Bethesda. Just by my measurement, crowds remained heavy up through the last hour of the annual street festival, the biggest event in Bethesda.

Montgomery County Council At-Large
candidate Robert Dyer and County Executive candidate
Robin Ficker greeted voters, while most other
candidates skipped the event this year

The Taste of Bethesda is also a traditional stop for Montgomery County candidates for political office. With possibly the biggest crowd ever at the event, it was surprising that most candidates - unlike other years - failed to show up. I was there from around 1:00 to the end at 4:00, and the only candidates I saw during that time were myself and County Executive candidate Robin Ficker.

Kenwood fireworks 2018 set for Sunday, July 1

via GIPHY
The best fireworks display in the D.C. area will once again be presented by the Kenwood Golf and Country Club in Bethesda. This year's Kenwood fireworks will be held on Sunday, July 1, 2018. The event at the private club is for members only. However, the fireworks are visible some distance around the club, and usually begin after 9:00 PM.

Nearby residents - and those nearby or in downtown Bethesda with apartment balconies facing the club - know the drill by now: Plan a backyard party modest or grand, and then gain the cachet of The Great Gatsby himself when an expensive fireworks display suddenly erupts in the sky above, and caps off the evening.

CLICK HERE to find out how you can
vote for REAL change in Montgomery County
in this year's election

Savvy Bethesdans (a.k.a. readers of this blog) who aren't part of the landed class can still partake of the fireworks - if they know where to go. The smart spot is in the church parking lot across River Road from the club, where those-in-the-know converge on foot or by car.

I haven't bothered to go into D.C. or out to Rockville for fireworks since Kenwood began their fireworks displays over a decade ago. The Kenwood display is superior, and gets better each year, and it certainly did in 2016.

Impress your friends, avoid getting your pocket picked or purse snatched downtown (or by the crooked Montgomery County Council!), and take in the best fireworks in the D.C. area. Gracious toast and "I'm Gatsby" line are optional.

Kenwood cherry blossoms emerging for 2018

The exclusive Kenwood neighborhood provides so much for those who can't even afford to live there - the area's best Independence Day fireworks, a pleasant stroll along its portion of the Capital Crescent Trail, and perhaps most famously, the annual blooming of its cherry blossoms. Those blossoms are just beginning to emerge for the season, despite the gloomy weather. Expect vehicle and pedestrian traffic to increase in the Chevy Chase neighborhood between downtown Bethesda and Westbard.

CLICK HERE to change the
Planning Board to work for
the People