UPDATED: Taste of Bethesda canceled for October 1, 2022

UPDATE - 7:56 PM September 30, 2022: Taste of Bethesda has been canceled, due to the forecast rains associated with Hurricane Ian. It will not be rescheduled for this year.

Taste of Bethesda, the biggest annual public event held in downtown Bethesda, returns next Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the Woodmont Triangle. The event will be held along Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues. Admission is free, and Taste Tickets are sold in bundles of 4 for $5. Ticket sales end at 3:30 PM.

What's new for this year? You can order beer and wine from any restaurant offering it at the event (you still have to be 21 or older). And there are several new restaurants in downtown Bethesda that will be participating for the first time. They include Chaia Tacos, CHIKO, Corella Café and Lounge, Hawkers Asian Street Fare, Oishii Ramen and Tea Bar, Paris in Town, Seventh State and Tacombi. 

There will also be live entertainment on five stages. That will be free, as well.

Bethesda Urban Partnership is the organizer of the event, and they have a full list of participating restaurants and menus, and a live music schedule on their website. The Taste of Bethesda is held three blocks from the Bethesda Metro station, and you can ride the free Bethesda Circulator bus to the event location. Parking will be free in public garages in downtown Bethesda the day of the event.

Photos courtesy Bethesda Urban Partnership

Strong-arm robbery in Bethesda parking lot

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a strong-arm robbery in Bethesda early yesterday afternoon. The robbery was reported in a commercial parking lot in the 5100 block of River Road at 1:10 PM.

What's inside the abandoned Sears at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda (Photos)

The Sears store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda closed almost four years ago. A redevelopment project that would include the footprint of the shuttered department store appears to have been put on hold, while the mall's owner attempts to find a buyer for the property. So what's going on in there? Surprisingly, a sneak peek around the entrance barricades reveals a space that still looks very much like a Sears store, and not filled with dust and cobwebs. 

Vehicles arrive at Koons Lincoln of Bethesda (Photos)

Things are really starting to move at the future Koons Lincoln of Bethesda dealership at 7315 Wisconsin Avenue. On Tuesday, artwork was being hung inside. Yesterday, the actual SUVs arrived and were driven into the showroom. An employee was working inside late last night, suggesting they are making final preparations for opening.

This kind of urban showroom makes a lot of sense for Lincoln. They don't have that large of a vehicle line, much like Tesla, so they can fit in a small space. A few of the most popular trim levels can be parked nearby for test drive purposes. For a brand like Ford or Chevy, this is not possible, beyond the small segment of buyers willing to spend five figures without inspecting or driving the vehicle first.

Signage installed at Bond Vet in Bethesda

The sign is up at Bond Vet at 7025 Arlington Road at Bethesda Row. "A new kind of pet clinic and animal hospital," the New York-based veterinary practice is now expanding into the Washington, D.C. region. Bond Vet will also offer telehealth and surgical services for pets. There's no opening date announced yet, but it is expected to open this fall.

Koons Lincoln of Bethesda shows its artistic side (Photos)

The refined and sophisticated target audience of the future Koons Lincoln of Bethesda auto dealership at 7315 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda is reflected in the interior design and decor of the showroom. Here's a sneak peek at some of the art pieces going up on the walls inside the space. The showroom is specially designed to encourage window shopping for the brand's line of SUVs, and is intended to resemble a "glass display case."

Another sign of rising crime in Bethesda (Photos)

Bethesda residents are seeing some unusual things as the crime spike of the last two years continues to plague Montgomery County. County police have established a "resource room" at Westfield Montgomery Mall after 9 people were assaulted there over the summer, a new Trader Joe's added deployable window coverings at the front of the store, and as of last night, cars are physically blocking all of the exits at EuroMotorcars in Bethesda during the overnight hours.

According to Montgomery County police, four vehicles were stolen from the dealership on one night in late August. Stealing cars from Montgomery County dealerships has been a trend during this crime wave. The most hard-hit area so far has been on MD 355, between Wintergreen Plaza and Derwood.

New Marriott International HQ makes Bethesda opening official with ribbon-cutting (Photos)

Marriott International made its relocation from North Bethesda to downtown Bethesda official yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Former CEO J.W. "Bill" Marriott himself wielded the gold-handled pair of scissors, flanked by Marriott Board Chairman David Marriott (left) and current CEO Tony Capuano (right). The 21-story, 785,000-square-foot, LEEDv4 Gold-certified building, and accompanying Marriott Bethesda Downtown hotel, are the culmination of six years of planning and execution by the hospitality giant, which now supports over 8000 hotels worldwide.

Employees standing behind company leaders at the ribbon-cutting held logo signs representing the firm's many lodging brands, from Courtyard by Marriott business hotels to its highest-end luxury nameplates. A host of elected officials were also on hand, including Maryland Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Councilmembers Andrew Friedson and Evan Glass, Congressman Jamie Raskin and Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson.

While the new HQ holds many amenities for employees, it also has some innovative spaces designed to keep the company on the cutting edge of hospitality trends. Room27 is a design lab space where the firm can test every aspect of hotel design from bedsheets and carpets to technology and service, including a 4400 square foot test kitchen and bar where the latest culinary and beverage trends can be tested and refined in-house. Thirteen rooms in the hotel next door are dubbed "Floor57," where active testing of these innovations can then be carried out in a real world setting.

“Unveiling our new global headquarters is an exceptional way to celebrate our 95 years of culture and innovation,” David Marriott said in a statement Monday. “This campus honors our storied history and roots in the local community, while showcasing Marriott’s exciting next chapter of growth as we remain dedicated to our purpose of connecting people through the power of travel.”

“We are thrilled to be welcoming associates to our new headquarters,” Capuano said. “The campus has been designed to better connect our global workforce in support of our hotels and teams around the world. Empowering associates and accelerating innovation were our key priorities and central in every decision we made to deliver a compelling environment for associates to work, learn and thrive.”

The grand opening of the international headquarters was a truly worldwide affair. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan marked the opening by presenting a citation to the company at its J.W. Marriott hotel in Seoul, Korea, where the governor is on an economic development and trade mission. Back here in Bethesda, Lt. Gov. Rutherford presented the citation in-person to Capuano at the ceremony.

“Marriott has called Maryland home since 1955 and their new state-of-the-art headquarters in Bethesda ensures that Marriott will continue to call Maryland home for generations to come,” Hogan said. “We take great pride in Marriott as a Maryland institution that is a powerful economic engine and committed community partner. The new headquarters is the perfect place for Marriott to continue its work as the world’s largest hospitality company.”

Photos courtesy Marriott International (top)/Office of the Governor (bottom)

Bethesda Metro station escalator-to-stairs conversion update (Photos)

The wraps are off, and a wider staircase is now taking form where the plaza-to-bus-bays escalator was at the Bethesda Metro station. Half of this staircase is the stairway that was always parallel to that escalator, and the other side has been constructed in the space left behind when the escalator was ripped out earlier this year. WMATA was up against a Thursday deadline to complete this project, but has now extended the delivery date to December 31. But with the significant progress that has been made over the last two weeks, it looks like they'll be done much earlier.

Paella Fest begins at Spanish Diner at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Spanish Diner launched its annual Paella Fest at Bethesda Row last night with live entertainment by flamenco guitarist Miguelito and dancer Mariana Gatto on the Woodmont Avenue Streatery. Chef Daniel Lugo prepared five types of paella in the giant pans familiar to those who have attended this event, or the annual Taste of Bethesda. The celebration continues for two weeks, with a special menu (see below). Tomorrow, September 20, is World Paella Day, and the place to mark the occasion is Spanish Diner at 7271 Woodmont Avenue, at Bethesda Row!

Victim robbed at knifepoint in downtown Bethesda

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a robbery in downtown Bethesda Saturday night, September 17, 2022. The robbery was reported in the 7600 block of Old Georgetown Road at 9:01 PM. That is by the Metropolitan apartments. A knife was employed in the robbery.

Assault at Bethesda gas station

Montgomery County police responded to a report of a 2nd-degree assault at a gas station in Bethesda Friday evening, September 16, 2022. The assault was reported at a gas station in the 10300 block of Old Georgetown Road at 6:03 PM.

Bethesda apartment building to dogs: "Get off my lawn!"

The ultimate purpose of the low, green rolling hills outside of the new 8001 Woodmont apartments in downtown Bethesda has not been stated. One might imagine it as a gathering space for summer evening concerts, lunch hour picnics, or programmed events. But so far, the modest mounds' highest purpose has largely been as a public restroom and exercise area for neighborhood dogs. Not exactly the type of surface most people would want to sit on, or have their child crawling around on.

Now the building management is taking action. On Saturday, signs appeared on the grassy area that say, "PLEASE PROTECT OUR PLANTS - NO PETS ALLOWED." Residents of the building are allowed to have up to two pets, and pay a $50 "pet rent" each month for each pet. Pit Bulls, Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Dobermans, Chows, Catahoulas, Great Danes, St. Bernards, Akitas, Wolf Hybrids or any hybrid of these breeds are not allowed.