Junction Bistro, Bar & Bakery closed at The Collection on Aug. 28, and the Hunter's Hound next door also closed. Their replacements are announced but don't have opening dates yet. In the meantime, the busiest part of Friendship Heights this October is a few addresses on the DC side of Wisconsin Avenue: a sidewalk in front of a Pepco substation, a gallery at 5221, and a space on the Metro level of Chevy Chase Pavilion.
That split is the clearest way to plan the next eight weeks. The Maryland side is in a quiet stretch between dining tenants. The DC side has more going on than it usually does in fall, and most of it is free, outdoors, or in a space you wouldn't have pegged as a venue.
The 5200 Block Became the Weekend Anchor
The Sunday Commons Market sets up on the sidewalk in front of 5210 Wisconsin Avenue NW, at Harrison Street, outside the Pepco Harrison Substation. It runs every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Nov. 22, with one skip on Nov. 15. The market started in 2025. Trishtan LLC produces it with support from the Friendship Heights Alliance. You'll find prepared food, baked goods, produce, flowers and live music. Vendor names go up on the market's Instagram and can change week to week.
Across the street, artist Robin Bell's Milk Tree, a light and video installation and gallery at 5221 Wisconsin, is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18. Those are the same hours as the market, so both Sundays put the two on the same block at the same time.
The Nov. 15 skip happens because the Holiday Edition Friendship Heights Makers Market takes over the 5200 block on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., between Jenifer and Garrison streets. The listing promises dozens of creative vendors, prepared food and neighborhood businesses. The 2026 vendor list isn't out yet.
The Pavilion's Metro Level Is Doing Double Duty
Chevy Chase Pavilion at 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW has two programs running this season.
The Living Dead opens Oct. 8 and runs through Nov. 8 in a space on the Pavilion's Metro level, steps from the Friendship Heights station. It's a new play by Maryland playwright Bob Bartlett, a Helen Hayes Award winner. Bartlett takes Ben and Barbra from George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead and writes a new story around them, set against the racial and political climate of late-1960s America. Marvin Brown directs, with Bru Aju as Ben and Camille Pivetta as Barbra. Bartlett says not to expect stage blood or costume zombies. He calls it "low-tech claustrophobia and, frankly, darkness." The details:
- Thursdays through Sundays, with evening shows and weekend matinees
- About 85 minutes, no intermission
- $40 including fees, advance online purchase required, limited seating
- Garage parking on site
Bartlett's recent horror productions were staged at Congressional Cemetery. Pavilion owner Clarion Partners has been working with the Friendship Heights Alliance on pop-ups, galleries and cultural programs for the past four years. Natalie Avery, the Alliance's executive director, says creative groups are drawn to the neighborhood by its location, Metro access and community of art lovers.
The Pavilion Pop-Up at the same address opened Present Imperfection: Part Two on Sept. 19, and it's on view through Jan. 28, 2027. It also hosts evening sessions from 6 to 8 p.m.: an archive-stories photo workshop on Thursday, Oct. 15, a pet-photography lab on Nov. 5, a portrait lab on Dec. 17, and a closing gathering on Jan. 28.
So the Pavilion's programming runs past New Year's, well after The Collection's new restaurants are scheduled to open.
One Weekend Stacks Everything
Saturday, Oct. 17 and Sunday, Oct. 18 is the densest stretch of the fall. Ch/Art's 7th Annual Art Walk runs both days from noon to 5 p.m. It's free and happens rain or shine, with 86 local artists showing work in 35 homes and studios on both the DC and Maryland sides of Chevy Chase.
Sunday the 18th piles more on top:
- 10 a.m. Sunday Commons opens at 5210 Wisconsin, and Milk Tree opens across the street at 5221.
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pumpkin painting at the market, with pumpkins from Fajardo's Produce, treats from Tatakua, and DJ Keren on music.
- Noon to 5 p.m. The Art Walk's second day.
- Weekend matinee of The Living Dead at the Pavilion. Check the ticket site for exact times.
All four are on the DC side of the corridor or start there.
Over the Line, Halloween Is Registration-Only
The Village of Friendship Heights is running a separate set of Halloween events at its Community Center, 4433 South Park Ave. All of them require advance registration:
- Oct. 24, noon to 1 p.m. A Halloween concert by Ensemble Mosaic
- Oct. 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m. A children's Halloween party for kids 10 and under. Walk-ins aren't accepted.
- Oct. 31, noon to 1 p.m. A "not-so-scary" Halloween concert by pianist Fred Moyer
The Alliance's events on Wisconsin Avenue are open sidewalk gatherings. The Village's calendar is booked ahead. If any of the three is on your list, sign up now.
The Collection's Reset, and Who's Behind It
The two vacancies at 5471 Wisconsin Ave. are spoken for. Metropolitan Hospitality Group, a restaurant group from Falls Church, Virginia, is opening Open Road and a new concept called Cove in the spaces Junction and the Hunter's Hound left. CCLC, the firm formerly known as The Chevy Chase Land Company, owns The Collection and announced the deal. MHG runs more than a dozen restaurants, mostly in Northern Virginia and D.C., including CIRCA, El Bebe, Trio Grill, SALT, Heirloom and Locket. These will be its first restaurants in Maryland.
Open Road serves American food with what the release calls a "nautical twist." Its menu at other locations covers wings, pizza, burgers, steak frites, fish tacos, grain bowls and fajitas. This will be its first Maryland location. Cove is an all-day café and wine bar, and MHG hasn't released its menu or hours. MHG President Matthew Carlin said the group had been thinking about Maryland, and the Friendship Heights–Chevy Chase area "stood out." He called it "an established community with a strong sense of place, excellent connectivity."
One storefront over, Le Creuset opened at 5481 Wisconsin Ave. on Aug. 28, the same day Junction closed. Its grand-opening celebration ran Sept. 10 to 13.
Two more openings are coming a little south at The Shops at Wisconsin Place. Here's where things stood in early October:
| Business | Address | Status in early October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Open Road | 5471 Wisconsin Ave. | Q4 2026 target, no date announced |
| Cove | 5471 Wisconsin Ave. | Q4 2026 target, menu and hours not released |
| Kneads Bakeshop | 5330G Western Ave., former Peet's | "Coming Soon" signage, no date |
| Toastique | 1510-C Wisconsin Ave. | "Coming Soon" sign, fall opening expected, no date |
Kneads is a Baltimore bakery and café. Toastique's shop will be its first in Montgomery County. The fourth quarter started Oct. 1, so all four are now in their announced windows. None has committed to a date publicly.
The Hunter's Hound's exact last day isn't settled in the coverage. Bethesda Magazine put its farewell within the month before Sept. 10. MoCo Show reported a scheduled final day of Thursday, Sept. 3.
Getting There Got Easier in September
Red Line service between North Bethesda and Friendship Heights was suspended for nine weeks starting July 6 and fully resumed on Monday, Sept. 7. The temporary Wisconsin Avenue bus lanes and the park-and-ride at the former Lord & Taylor were set to be removed or closed.
The timing works out. The Living Dead's venue is promoted as steps from the Friendship Heights station, and the first full fall calendar since the trains came back runs mostly within a few blocks of it.
If you'd rather head up Connecticut Avenue, two spots opened earlier this year. Sarah's Handmade Ice Cream & Treats opened at 8551 Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, MD on April 4 with 40 small-batch flavors. Wheelhouse opened at 5714 Connecticut Ave. NW on June 10, serving Chesapeake seafood, a raw bar and weekend brunch on its patio.
Until The Collection posts opening dates, the dates you can count on in Friendship Heights are all on the DC side: Sundays at 5210 Wisconsin through Nov. 22, Thursdays through Sundays at the Pavilion through Nov. 8, and the Makers Market on Nov. 14.
Curious how a busier Wisconsin Avenue might affect the blocks around it? At Branches Realty, we keep an eye on what's opening and closing on both sides of the line. Talk to a Local Broker, and we'll walk you through what these new tenants could mean for your street.
