February 25, 2026 |  | ⛺ Glen Echo's Yurt Era Is Ending | | Good morning, Bethesdan! Whitman girls basketball is 20-0 this season. At this point, opposing teams should just check the schedule and pencil in the L. In today's Bethesda Loop, - Glen Echo's beloved yurts face demolition - Play In A Day comes to Imagination Stage - Live music is back at Babycat Brewery Let's Loop. | | 🏛️ Glen Echo Parks' Yurts Are Coming Down. Here's What You Need to Know. |  NPS / Kelsey Graczyk | The National Park Service has a plan on the table that would bring the biggest changes to Glen Echo Park in 25 years. And they want to hear from you before March 16. The park's six pottery yurts, in place since 1972, would be demolished along with the kiln yard and the restroom near the Carousel. In their place: new climate-controlled buildings, ADA-accessible pathways, a second pedestrian bridge over Minnehaha Creek, stormwater upgrades, and dedicated space for the park's Civil Rights history, including the 1960 protests that helped desegregate the amusement park. The yurts were never meant to be permanent. Only one has running water. None have climate control. Pottery classes consistently fill with waitlists, and supporters say a purpose-built facility would expand capacity. But 118 public comments given last winter split nearly down the middle. Critics say the yurts are part of what makes Glen Echo feel like Glen Echo. The pottery community itself is divided. And dancers who use the Spanish Ballroom worry that park upgrades could push out the social dances that have defined the space for decades. None of the park's "contributing historic" structures would be touched. The comment period closes March 16, 2026. Review the plan and weigh in here. |
| | 🚰 The Potomac River may reopen soon, but the Riverkeeper says proceed carefully. DC Health could lift recreational advisories as early as March 2, but Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks warns that 243 million gallons of sewage doesn't just disappear, with algae blooms and fish kills still possible through late summer. Read the latest [WTOP ] | | 🏀 Whitman girls are simply undefeated. The Walt Whitman Vikings punched their county title with a 67-59 win over Richard Montgomery, improving to a school-record 20-0 and heading into the MPSSAA regional playoffs with a first-round bye. Read the recap [Montgomery Community Media] | | 🎭 Tom Stoppard comes to town. The British Players open their three-weekend double bill of Tom Stoppard's 'The Real Inspector Hound' and 'Fifteen Minute Hamlet' tonight at Kensington Town Hall, a gleefully absurd evening where Agatha Christie meets Shakespeare at warp speed. Grab tickets | | 🖼️ Affordable art debuts Saturday in Friendship Heights. Transformer Gallery's 'A Distinct Terroir' lands at the Pavilion Pop-Up this Saturday with 300-plus FlatFile artworks priced at $500 or under and a free artist reception from 2 to 4 pm. See the exhibition details | | ✍️ Local Writer's Showcase names its 2026 winners. The Bethesda Urban Partnership picked its Local Writer's Showcase winners, including Chevy Chase's Tara Prakash in poetry and Kensington's Kristin O'Keefe and Bethesda's Joy Einstein in essays, with free public readings on March 13 and 18. See the full winners list | | 🃏 A sleight-of-hand show dazzles Bethesda. WTOP gave a glowing review to an intimate magic show at a Bethesda venue, calling the close-up sleight-of-hand performance a standout. Read WTOP's review [WTOP] | | 🎵 Bach to Rock plays Pizzeria Da Marco. Bach to Rock Bethesda hosts its first-ever band showcase this Saturday at noon at Pizzeria Da Marco on Woodmont Ave, free and open to all ages. Get the details | | 🌿 Montgomery Parks recruits volunteers for Earth Month. Montgomery Parks is recruiting individuals and groups to organize park cleanups this April and hosting Weed Warrior workdays this weekend at Sligo Creek, Reddy Branch, and Rock Creek Regional Park. Sign up to volunteer | | 🍜 Last call for Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week. Savor Bethesda Restaurant Week runs through Sunday, March 1, with lunches and dinners at $10, $20, and $35 price points across downtown spots covering everything from ramen to Ukrainian cuisine. See participating restaurants |
| | Support the Loop by mentioning it when you attend. | | | | Walter Johnson Used Book Sale 9am-4pm · WJ Cafeteria The WJ All-School Booster Club's annual sale brings over 40,000 donated books and DVDs, spanning fiction, nonfiction, children's, and young adult titles, with a $10 early-access hour for first dibs. | Indoor Dog Adoption Event 1pm-3pm · Wag N Wash FOACAS Rescue, a Potomac-based animal advocacy group, brings dogs of all sizes, ages, and breeds for an afternoon of meet-and-greets that could end with a new family member (Rescheduled from 2/22) | Bethesda Girlies: Mahj and Mimosas 1pm · Beth's The Bethesda Girlies group hosts an afternoon of mahjong paired with mimosas, a low-key way to pick up the game or sharpen your tiles alongside fellow players. | Parkinson's Revolution DC 2026 1:30pm · Soul Cycle Spin for a cause alongside the Parkinson's Foundation community in an indoor cycling ride - in-person or virtual - followed by the Sweat Social, a post-ride gathering with light refreshments open to riders, friends, family, and the PD community. Register in link | Play In A Day 8pm · Imagination Stage Six professional D.C.-area theatre companies each have exactly 24 hours to write, rehearse, and perform an original ten-minute play built around the same surprise themes and the results are as chaotic and genuinely impressive as you'd hope. Tickets in link |
| | Storytime with Kari Lavelle - Butt or Face? Volume 4: Ador-A-Butts 10:30am · Wonderland Books Bethesda Award-winning children's author Kari Lavelle reads from the latest in her animal-guessing series, where kids study close-up photos and decide: are they looking at a face or a butt? | Mansion Wedding Open House 11am · Strathmore Strathmore throws open the doors of its historic mansion so engaged couples can walk the actual ceremony and reception spaces, ask the events team real questions, and picture their wedding day with some architectural grandeur as the backdrop. | Sahara Dance Spring Hafla Featuring Marta Korzun 4pm · Bacchus Of Lebanon Sahara Dance showcases its developing choreography students in an intimate performance, then brings in acclaimed belly dance artist Marta Korzun for a close-up set you rarely get outside a major stage. Tickets in link |
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| 👉 See every Bethesda event on our full calendar 👈 |  | Hudson Hudson is an 8 month old, 11 pound Frenchy (French Bulldog) , black and white and beautiful and sweet. He likes other dogs, people of all ages, children, car rides , toys and cuddling. He is neutered, fully vetted, microchipped and lovely. This small boy is an adorable gem! |
| | | Fri | Jonathan Sloane
Clyde's of Chevy Chase · 5:30pm | The Poor Ellen Smith Band
Hanke Dietle's · 5:30pm | Evan Crowell
Babycat Brewery Bethesda · 7pm | SK Jazz
Sala Thai · 7pm | Blondie Meets Talking Heads
Tommy Joe's · 7pm | Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Strathmore · 7:30pm · TIX | Late as Usual
Rock Creek Mansion · 8pm | Kingpin ft. Keith Grimes
Hank Dietle's · 9pm | My Chemical Bromance
Caddies on Cordell · 9:30pm | Free Flowing Musical Experience
Clyde's of Chevy Chase · 10pm |
| | Sat | Bach To Rock Bethesda Band Showcase
Pizzeria Da Marco · 12pm | Johnny No Shoes
Babycat Brewery Bethesda · 2pm | Brian Bergeron
Babycat Brewery Kensington · 2pm | The Big Howdy Band
Alfio's La Trattoria · 7pm | Fat Nave ft. The Don Z Scheme
The Alley at Bethesda Boards · 7pm | Tom Blood & The Late As Usual Band
Tommy Joe's · 7pm | In Gratitude: A Tribute To Earth, Wind & Fire
Bethesda Theater · 8pm | Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: The Rite of Spring
Strathmore · 8pm · TIX | Paul Salfi Trio
The Hunters Hound · 8pm | Sarah Borges Band featuring Eric Ambel w/Ruthie Logsdon & Arch Alcantara
Hank Dietle's · 9pm · TIX | Joe Falero's Band
On St. Elmo · 9pm | Rev 6
Caddies on Cordell · 9:30pm | My Chemical Bromance
Caddies on Cordell · 9:30pm | King Moon Racer
Clyde's of Chevy Chase · 10pm |
| | Sun | Cathy Ponton King Band
Hank Dietle's · 2pm | Annapolis Symphony Orchestra: Echoes of Heritage w/Olga Kern
The Music Center at Strathmore · 3pm · TIX | Seán Heely, Kevin Elam & Ellen Gira
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church · 4pm · TIX | Brooks Tegler
The Irish Inn · 4:30pm | Sunny Mondays
Bach to Rock Bethesda · 5pm | Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys
Hank Dietle's · 6pm · TIX | Open Mic hosted by Jon Mann & Charlie Bryant
The Hunters Hound · 7:15pm |
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| *Dates & times subject to change | Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here |   | Thanks for reading! Colin & Jonathan Your neighbors at the Loop |
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