Silver Spring Arts And Entertainment: What Do You Want To See?

SILVER SPRING, MD — What kind of entertainment is most important to you?

Movies? Theaters? Art? Food?

Let the Silver Spring Arts and Entertainment District know as it reapplies to serve as a designated entertainment district in Maryland. The application process is required every decade, and the district is distributing a survey to get a better idea of what residents are looking for.

The survey ranges from questions about what kinds of arts are most interesting to people, to questions about the existing array of entertainment options.

"Prior to the pandemic, Silver Spring would host festivals almost every weekend from April through October," said Elizabeth Gallauresi of the Silver Spring Arts & Entertainment District in an email to Patch last week. "We don't expect to have quite so many this year, but 2022 is shaping up to be a good outdoor festival and events season in Silver Spring."

The survey also asks residents to rank certain qualities of the Downtown, including the quality of sidewalks, parking, safety and walkability.

A public hearing was held Monday night for residents to share their opinions. Bethesda is also going through the renewal process. The point of designating a district is to give arts and entertainment businesses and qualifying resident artists tax and other financial benefits, the county said.

For Silver Spring, rebuilding after the loss of entertainment spaces during the pandemic will be a priority.

"Going through redesignation as we come out of a pandemic means that a lot of our efforts this next year will be geared toward helping the venues, organizations, and businesses attract residents and tourism back into their spaces," Gallauresi said in the email.