"Last call has been given" as Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle closes in Bethesda

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle closed at the end of September, as expected. But the owner left a personal message on the door for loyal patrons. Montgomery County pandemic restrictions on live music and the Bethesda Streetery were cited as the factors that sealed the fate of the longtime downtown Bethesda Irish pub. An incredible run, but what a sad end for a landmark fixture in the community, and for the musicians and employees who made it what it was.

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle closing in Bethesda

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle, a downtown Bethesda institution for over three decades, is closing, the owners told ABC 7 News this morning. Rumors had been circulating for weeks that the end of August might be it for the Irish pub. The owners told John Gonzalez of ABC 7 that Montgomery County coronavirus restrictions, especially a ban on live music, were devastating to business.

They also said that the Bethesda Streetery, street closures for the purposes of outdoor dining on some roadways, actually hurt their business because they were on the perimeter. Downtown bars were already suffering from the collapse of nightlife before the pandemic even hit, after the County Council's "nighttime economy task force" initiative ended up tanking nightlife in downtown Bethesda. The County government's liquor monopoly, and rising taxes, have also reduced the already-slim profit margins for bars and restaurants.

Coronavirus souvenir t-shirts at Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle in Bethesda

You survived the coronavirus (so far), and all you got was this wacky t-shirt. Now you can show your grandkids something more than your cloth bank robber mask when you tell them how you lived through the great Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 (if you do). Far Cough t-shirts are now available at Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle at 4844 Cordell Avenue in downtown Bethesda. For dog lovers, they have Fur Cough apparel, as well.

Montgomery County Executive drops by as Bethesda resumes outdoor dining

Outdoor dining is back in downtown Bethesda after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich determined it was safe to allow under the current coronavirus statistics. Elrich himself ventured to Bethesda last night, enjoying chicken wings at downtown institution Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle. The executive went partly to get the wings, but also partly to encourage anxious residents to venture out themselves to support local businesses. Many are still staying home, letting others be the guinea pigs to discover if the virus is receding for the summer or not.

Some restaurants lack patio space, and are being severely squeezed even further financially being unable to seat many outside. In some cases, like Gringos & Mariachis, restaurateurs can solve the problem themselves. Gringos will use the patio of Alatri Bros., which is under the same ownership. Others aren't so lucky, and are turning to Montgomery County, which has proposed closing streets to create more outdoor dining space.

Saphire reopened its popular rear deck. Tommy Joe's has a rooftop deck, where they are focusing on table seating instead of barstool seats, to facilitate better social distancing. The temperature will be even warmer today.

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle reopens after employee tests positive for coronavirus

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle has reopened in downtown Bethesda, after an employee tested positive for coronavirus on May 9. The restaurant and bar was cleared to reopen sooner, the ownership said, but they decided to remain closed longer to await test results on all of the other employees. Those test results have now all come back negative. Flanagan's said the establishment has been disinfected and sanitized with bleach using CDC guidelines. Harp & Fiddle is located at 4844 Cordell Avenue.

Cordell Avenue closure today in Bethesda

A portion of Cordell Avenue will be closed between Norfolk and Woodmont Avenues today from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM. The closure is for the 2nd annual Armed Forces Fundraiser at Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle, which will include a street fair from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM outside the bar.

Fair warning to residents of Triangle Towers and The Palisades - a "21 gun salute" by American Legion Post 86 is part of the event. I haven't heard any details on what vehicular access residents of those two buildings will have from the Cordell Avenue side of their properties - if any - during the closure. There will be no street parking along the affected stretch of Cordell during the closure.

Proceeds from the event will go to the USO and Warrior Canine Connection.

Harp & Fiddle

4844 Cordell Avenue

HARP & FIDDLE HOSTING ARMED FORCES APPRECIATION FESTIVAL OCT. 4 IN BETHESDA

Flanagan's Harp & Fiddle is hosting an Armed Forces Appreciation Street Festival next Saturday, October 4, benefitting the Fisher House Foundation and the Semper Fi Fund.

From noon to 7:00 PM on Cordell Avenue, you can enjoy live music, food, beer, raffles, games and Irish dancers, all for a good cause. There will also be face painting, arts and crafts and a silent auction.

Live performers include some familiar regulars at the Irish pub, such as Sean Chyun, Mary Ann Redmond, The Morrison Brothers and the 19th Street Band.

Harp & Fiddle

4844 Cordell Avenue

FLANAGAN'S HARP AND FIDDLE CLOSED FOR 2 NIGHTS, EXPECTED TO REOPEN TODAY

What's going on at Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle on Cordell Avenue? The Bethesda Irish bar has been closed the last two nights, with signs posted promising it would reopen for lunch as usual the next day each time. World Cup "improvements" were cited on both signs as the reason for the closure. Another sign last night appeared to redirect people coming to the establishment for a previously-scheduled event. I guess we'll find out later today.

BETHESDA BAR ASKING PATRONS TO SOLVE A MURDER MYSTERY IN SEPTEMBER

DISPLACED THEATER

COMPANY PROMISES

"A WHOLE NEW

CRIME SCENE IN

BETHESDA"

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Whodunnit?  That's what Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle is hoping Bethesda barhoppers can answer.

Every Friday and Saturday, beginning September 14, the popular Bethesda pub will host a murder mystery dinner theatre production.  If this sounds like the shows you may have heard of, or attended, at the Blair Mansion, well... these are those shows.

Blair Mansion has closed, and the theatre company behind the mysteries is now decamping to downtown Bethesda.  And promising to bring "fear, mayhem and mystery" with them.  Come to think of it, that kind of sums up the parking experience in downtown Bethesda...

Shows will be held in the private dining room at Flanagan's.  Dinner will be served at 6:30 PM, and the show will start at 7:30.   The first show will be "Drop Dead, Gorgeous!," and a new show will be introduced every six weeks.  Organizers say the material is rated "PG-13" as an advisory to family patrons.

This is a new phenomenon for Bethesda; I can't recall a murder mystery dinner theatre here in my lifetime.

Tickets will be $47.50 each, and include the show, a buffet dinner, and taxes.  Beverages and gratuities will cost extra.  Order tickets online or by calling 443-422-3810.

The tickets are a little pricey, in my opinion, but you are getting dinner.  And it's definitely something new and different you can't find in DC, Clarendon, Rockville or Silver Spring.

Flanagan's Harp and Fiddle, 4844 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda.