Chevy Chase will host its first Art All Night festival Saturday, Sept. 12, bringing six hours of free performances and visual arts to Connecticut Avenue.
The event runs from 4 to 10 p.m. inside businesses, on sidewalks and in vacant spaces along Connecticut Avenue from Livingston Street to Chevy Chase Circle. It marks the neighborhood's debut in the citywide festival, which spans all eight wards of D.C.
"Visitors can explore live music, musical theater, improv, puppetry, comedy, pottery, art galleries and local vendors," Anna Claire Walker, interim executive director of District Bridges, told Bethesda Magazine.
District Bridges organizes Art All Night with funding from the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development. Two glowing pedicabs will shuttle attendees free between the Chevy Chase and Van Ness Main Street events.
Art All Night falls the same Saturday as the Bethesda Row Arts Festival, giving residents a full day of arts programming on both sides of the neighborhood.
Padel club lands near Westbard Square
Padel Social, a new padel club at 5455 Westbard Ave., was scheduled to open its permanent location in August across the street from the Westbard Square development. Founded by husband-and-wife duo Jake Weinstock, 54, and Leanne Mos, 54, of Washington, D.C., the club features three lighted outdoor courts, a pro shop with grab-and-go food and drinks, and a social area with a gazebo and outdoor seating.
Padel (pronounced pah-DEL) is a mix of tennis and squash played in doubles on a court enclosed by glass and metal mesh walls. According to Mos, the sport first grew in popularity in Spain and Latin America but has been catching on worldwide. The couple hosted a pop-up with temporary courts near the current site in the summer of 2025 before committing to the permanent location.
The courts are open year-round but not covered. Players can book sessions through the Playtomic app or sign up for memberships for discounts on court time and pro shop purchases. Padel Social also offers clinics, private lessons, racquet rentals and demos for beginners.
A 20-year morning tradition
At Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Bethesda, every school day starts at 7:30 a.m. on the front steps. The eighth-grade class joins teachers and Interim Principal David Long to greet each arriving student by name, with songs and the occasional dance party.
Long started the tradition more than 20 years ago to help ease one child's school anxiety.
It stuck.
Eighth graders also help parents carry books and supplies into the building and sing "Happy Birthday" to classmates. "We see you" has become the pre-K-through-8 school's unofficial motto, Long said.
Upcoming events
- Art All Night Chevy Chase: Saturday, Sept. 12, 4–10 p.m., Connecticut Avenue from Livingston Street to Chevy Chase Circle. Free.
- Bethesda Row Arts Festival: Saturday and Saturday, Sept. 12–13, Bethesda Row. Free admission.
