The Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District produce year-round events to delight downtown residents, visitors and guests!
Interested in VOLUNTEERING? We need fun, upbeat people to help us produce great events!
Special Events
Special Events
Special Events
Bethesda Urban Partnership produces year-round events to delight downtown residents, visitors and guests.
Bethesda Film Fest
April 4-5, 2025
Bethesda Film Fest celebrates the work of local and regional documentary filmmakers, screening five selected films.
Local Writer’s Showcase
March 13-14, 2025
This event celebrates the literary arts with renowned authors, journalists and poets, as well as contests for local writers.
Summer Concert Series
May – September
Live music rocks downtown Bethesda May through September on Friday evenings on Norfolk Avenue.
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival
May 10 – 11, 2025
The Bethesda Fine Arts Festival is a two-day art fair featuring 130 booths of fine art and fine craft along with the best local bands in the region.
Bethesda Painting Awards Exhibit
June 6 – June 29, 2025
The Bethesda Painting Awards is a juried competition that awards $14,000 to regional painters. The finalists’ artwork is featured in a group exhibition.
Parks, Party, Play!
June, July, September & October
Enjoy live music and food, beer and wine by Bethesda restaurants while partaking in fun happenings from Yappy Hour to Climbing Walls and S’Mores.
Bethesda Outdoor Movies
July 26, August 1, August 8, 2025
The Bethesda Outdoor Movies features five nights of blockbuster hits under the stars at the corner of Norfolk & Auburn Avenues.
The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards Exhibit
September 4 – 28, 2025
The Trawick Prize is a juried art competition honoring regional artists across all mediums. Finalists are featured in a group exhibition and $14,000 is awarded to the winners.
Taste of Bethesda
October 4, 2025
Taste of Bethesda, held the first Saturday in October, is a renowned food and music festival featuring more than 50 delicious Bethesda area restaurants. Taste also features four stages of musical and cultural entertainment.
Bethesda’s Winter Wonderland
December 6, 2025
Winter Wonderland features holiday festivities for families including a professional choral concert, Live ice sculpting, holiday performances from local schools and more.
Volunteer
We need fun, upbeat people to help us produce great events! While the Bethesda Urban Partnership staff administers the day-to-day planning of our events, volunteers play an important role in the success of the organization. Over the course of the year, more than 200 volunteers participate in BUP events, and we’re always looking for more help!
General volunteers duties include:
- Event set up and tear down
- Staffing Information tents
- Selling tickets
- Assisting guests with parking and navigating the event site
- Assisting event participants staff their tents
All volunteers must be at least 16 years old and volunteers under 18 years old must have a parent fill out and sign a Youth Volunteer Form (please contact the volunteer coordinator).
Taste of Bethesda on Saturday, October 4, 2025
Set-Up Team – 7am-10am
The set-up team assists with placing tablecloths on all event tables, hanging signs, assisting restaurants with set-up and sets up drink tents.
Festival Volunteers – 10:30am-1:30pm or 1:30pm-4pm
Assist with a variety of jobs including but not limited to: selling drinks from drink tickets, helping to manage parking garages, passing out materials and other duties as assigned.
Check back soon for the sign up form.
Bethesda Fine Arts Festival May 10 & 11, 2025
Set-up Team – The set-up team assists with distributing artist signs, setting out table cloths, etc.
Saturday, May 10, 8-11am
Booth Volunteers – The artists have a long weekend and appreciate the help of volunteers who can offer them a 15 minute break away from their booth. We ask that booth volunteers mind artists’ tents while they take a brief bathroom or lunch break. This is important as many of the artists travel alone and have no one to watch their space when they need a break. Additionally, we may ask booth volunteers to pass out water to artists.
Saturday, May 10, 11am-1pm; 1-3pm; 3-5pm
Sunday, May 11, 11am-1pm; 1-3pm; 3-5pm