Bethesda Loop

February 23, 2026

🏊 Walter Johnson Makes a State Splash

Good morning, Bethesdan!

Both the US men's and women's hockey teams beat Canada for the gold medal. In overtime. In the same week. Somebody better check on Canada.

In today's Bethesda Loop,

- Walter Johnson swimmers take state gold

- Clown Cabaret: Groove is in the heart

- RENT in concert at Strathmore

Let's Loop.

🗞️ The Local Lowdown

🏊 Walter Johnson swimmers take state gold. The WJ boys' swim and dive team claimed the Maryland state championship, adding another trophy to their already well-stocked cabinet. See the winning team photo

🚰 DC Water holds Bethesda sewage meeting this Thursday. DC Water CEO David L. Gadis will host a community meeting this Thursday, February 26 at 7 p.m. at Walt Whitman High School to update residents on the Potomac Interceptor sewage crisis response. Get the meeting details [WUSA9]

🏗️ GEICO site plans take shape at community meeting. EYA's Friendship Commons vision calls for 520 homes across 26 acres, including garage townhomes, two condo buildings, a 250-unit apartment building, and a 40-foot promenade along Willard Avenue. Get the details

🔧 KID Museum opens spring after-school registration. Six-week maker sessions for Pre-K through 8th grade start March 10 at Davis Library and Bethesda Metro Center, covering screen-free coding, toymaking, and a 10-week prototyping challenge. Register now

🎵 Spring break music camps return to Bach to Rock. Bach to Rock is now enrolling kids for spring break music camps, with options ranging from Rock Band and DJ Camp to Glee Club and recording arts for ages Pre-K through teen. See the schedule

🧠 Tuesday trivia nights arrive at BT's Bethesda. BT's Bethesda now hosts J Street Trivia every Tuesday at 7 p.m., with prizes for top teams and a shot at a $1,000 tournament championship. See the details

✍️ The Writer's Center goes all in on getting published. This Saturday, more than 25 panelists cover everything from querying agents to small presses and debut-book survival tips at this all-day conference at the Writer's Center. Register now

🖥️ County Council takes on data centers Tuesday. Two measures hit public hearing February 24 at 1:30 p.m., one creating zoning restrictions on where data centers can go and another launching a task force to study their countywide impact. Details and sign-up here

⛳ Junior golf league tees up for spring. MCG Academy's Spring 2026 Junior League is open for registration, with scramble matches for ages 10-17 on weekday evenings across seven MoCo courses starting May 7. Register now

🎨 Last call for Bethesda Painting Awards entries. Applications close Thursday for downtown Bethesda's annual juried painting competition, which awards $10,000 for Best in Show and a June exhibition at Gallery B for up to eight finalists. Apply now

🗓️ The Social Calendar

Support the Loop by mentioning it when you attend.

Mon · Feb 23

Historical Fiction Book Club: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

7pm · Wonderland Books Bethesda

Wonderland Books leads a discussion of Kate Quinn's McCarthy-era tale of female friendships and buried secrets inside a D.C. boardinghouse, where every resident has something to hide. Reserve your spot

Clown Cabaret: Groove is in the heart

8pm-9:30pm · The Writer's Center

Eight local variety performers - including Paolo Garbanzo, Mark Lohr, and Goose Money Productions - road-test brand-new acts on a live audience in an anything-goes cabaret, where even the performers don't know exactly what will happen (recommended for ages 12 and up).

Tue · Feb 24

AARP Smart Driver Course

10:30am · Oasis at Macy's Home Store

AARP's classroom refresher for drivers 50+ walks through current traffic laws and defensive driving tactics that could lower your accident risk and your auto insurance premium. Register in link

Foreign film showing: Fatimetu

1:30pm · Chevy Chase Library

Pedro Pérez Rosado's award-winning drama stars Best Actress-winner Nadhira Mohamed in her remarkable debut as a Sahrawi woman caught between a refugee camp in Algeria and her memories of Spain, screened in Arabic and Spanish with English subtitles (ages 18+).

Wed · Feb 25

Latte with a Cop

8:30am-10am · La Gelatteria

Bethesda police officers set up shop at La Gelatteria for casual, off-the-clock conversation over coffee (no agenda, just neighbors talking).

Max's Mic Night

6pm · Max's Best Ice Cream

Max's Best Ice Cream and Best Buddies host an inclusive karaoke night with fan-favorite scoops and a $25 gift card raffle on the line.

Thu · Feb 26

GBCC Women's Networking Group

4pm · Pink Moon

The Greater Bethesda Chamber's women's networking group meets at Pink Moon for its regular roundtable on running a business, growing a career, and getting real advice from people who've been there. RSVP in link

Jeopardy: Black History Edition

4:45pm · Davis Library

Davis Library hosts a team-based Black History Month Jeopardy tournament for middle and high schoolers, with prizes on the line and snacks on the table. Sign up in link

The Life and Legacy of Reverend Josiah Henson

6pm · Connie Morella Library

The Josiah Henson Museum and Park presents a talk on the Montgomery County-connected abolitionist whose 1849 autobiography inspired Uncle Tom's Cabin and whose North Bethesda plantation site is now a museum and park just up the road.

Fri · Feb 27

Imagination Stage and Omnium Circus present: Community Arts Resource Fair

6pm · Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage and Omnium Circus host a hands-on arts fair built for Disabled artists, families, and anyone curious, with circus skills stations, movement workshops, and local arts org meetups. RSVP required

👉 See every Bethesda event on our full calendar 👈

🎷 Live & Local-ish Music

Mon

Wolf's Every Monday Blues Show & Sit-In Jam
Hank Dietles · 7pm

Irish Inn Mates
The Irish Inn · 7pm

Tue

Dan Hovey
Hank Dietles · 5:30pm

Swing 5 Jazz
Hank Dietles · 7:15pm

Wed

Bill Baker Band
Hank Dietles · 5:30pm

Inn House Band
The Irish Inn · 6pm

AIR: Cyrus Mackey: Flamenco Reimagined
The Mansion at Strathmore · 7:30pm · TIX