Category Archives: Special Events

Entertainment, Essential DC, Special Events, The Features
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Harvest Moon at the Textile Museum

Harvest Moon at Otsukimi event. Photo credit: LMorris.

The Japanese traditionally enjoy Otsukimi (moon-viewing) on the night of the full moon in autumn. Centuries ago, Otsukimi was introduced to Japan from China, though as it spread throughout the land it was modified to include native Japanese products. The Japanese typically make offerings to the moon of autumn fruits and vegetables, odango (rice dumplings) and susuki (Japanese pampas grass) to give thanks for the year’s harvest.

Approximately 125 people attended this year’s event, hosted by the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC and the Textile Museum earlier this month. Perfectly clear skies, comfortably cool temperatures, and an atmosphere of serene enjoyment were to be had in the Textile Museum’s lovely moonlit garden. Contributing to the ambience were calming traditional Japanese tunes of koto (Japanese stringed musical instruments), including an homage to the “round, round moon.” Continue reading →

Downtown, Special Events, The District, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: November 2011

Photo courtesy National Geographic

For November, the folks at the National Geographic Museum have put together some great programs before the holidays, including photographers, authors, and speakers. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets to an November program, simply list the two events you’d like to attend in comments before 2pm Friday, October 28. Make sure you use a legitimate email address and your first name. We’ll contact two winners (as determined by random.org) Friday afternoon.

If you’re interested in attending one of these events, visit NatGeo’s website or their box office (800-647-5463), located at 17th and M Street, NW. Keep in mind that parking in NatGeo’s underground lot is free for any programs beginning after 6 pm.

Lost Gold of the Dark Ages: The Mystery of the Saxon Hoard ($20)
Nov 1, 7:30 pm

In July 2009, amateur treasure hunters searching with metal detectors on a Staffordshire farm made an amazing discovery: hundreds of precious gold and silver objects from the seventh century. The trove of treasures and battlefield items remains England’s most important Anglo-Saxon archaeological find—a time capsule revealing new stories from when Germanic invaders were laying modern England’s ethnic foundations. Join us for a screening of the New National Geographic Channel film Secrets of the Lost Gold, followed by a panel discussion including Caroline Alexander, author of the new Nat Geo book and magazine article about the discovery, David Symons from the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, and Deb Klemperer from the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.

Continue reading →

History, Special Events, We Love Arts
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The Lincoln Legacy Project at Ford’s Theatre

Photo courtesy of
‘Rehearsal, Ford’s Theatre’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

With Republican debates underway and the growth of both Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Occupy Wall Street, it appears most of America is angry, frustrated, or confused. And we’re all pretty much broke.

What better time, then, to look back on the legacy of a president who saw the country through its most traumatic era?

This month, Ford’s Theatre launches the Lincoln Legacy Project, a 5-year effort to create dialogue around the issues of tolerance, equality, and acceptance.

You read that right: it’s a 5-year project. And yes, they know that 5 years in DC time is about 2.5 generations of staffers moving in and out. By the time they’re finished, we’ll be entering primary debates again.

Continue reading →

Adventures, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Features
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Join Us at the Renaissance Festival!

Photo courtesy of
‘Exhorting the Gentlefolk’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

UPDATE: THE BOOMERANG PARTY BUS TO THE RENNFEST WITH WE LOVE DC AND THE PASSENGER IS NOW SOLD OUT! THANK YOU!

Ah, yes, it’s that time of year. The time when you begin to have strange cravings for Steak-on-a-Stick, or smoked turkey leg eaten right off the bone, gnawing away with relish like Henry VIII. Perhaps you find yourself speaking in an excruciatingly bad English accent, or inexplicably adding “e” to the ends of words like “Shop” or “Old” – well then my friend, it’s time to don thy frippery best and hie thee to the Maryland Renaissance Festival!

RennFest is always a blast, and this year we’ve decided to really let our inhibitions run wild with some good olde-fashioned goofy fun. Lots of it. And we want you to come along! We Love DC has partnered with The Passenger and the Boomerang Party Bus to bring you to the Maryland Renaissance Festival this Sunday, October 16th! Tickets are $25 and include both your bus ride to and fro ye old faire and your entry admission! Snap them up on the magickal PayPal.

We’ll depart promptly at 11am from The Passenger (that’s at 1021 7th Street NW, milords and ladies) and travel to the Festival in a refurbished school bus replete with music, mayhem and dance poles (Yes, I know that’s an anachronism. But seriously, have you seen The Tudors?). After arrival at the Festival you’re free to wander the Revel Grove, slurp down some oyster shooters, indulge in fried Oreos, beer and bee stings, testing your mad skills at archery or feats of strength, buying chainmail underwear, and just giving in to the kitschy glory that is the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Then our carriage departs around 5pm to hie back to The Passenger just in time for a late, delicious brunch.

So please come along with fellow WLDC authors Don, Fedward, myself and the rest of our motley crew as we join our favorite folks from The Passenger on a trip back in time… I may even wear a corset. HUZZAH!

Interviews, People, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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Juliet and the Demon Fish

Photo courtesy Juliet Eilperin and National Geographic

A first glance at the title “Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks” would probably invoke visions of bloody feeding frenzies, mouths full of razor-sharp teeth, and the sleek arrow-shaped bodies of deadly sharks. With, of course, the appropriate Jaws theme rolling around in our heads. And we couldn’t be more wrong with that impression.

Juliet Eilperin, a national environmental reporter for The Washington Post, has the spotlight this evening at the National Geographic Museum. And what she’ll be sharing with tonight’s audience will be somewhat removed from that first glimpse of her book. Despite its fearsome title, her work is more of a revelation of this sleek, deadly species that cruise the ocean’s depths (and shallows). Let’s face it: sharks have held a solid spot of fascination in our collective conscious, often as one of fear or as an image of ‘terrible beauty.’ Eilperin shines another light on sharks, however – conservation. Demon Fish strives to expose the intricacies and personalities of the shark-human relationship and reveals it’s not all about blood, teeth, and gore.

The idea bloomed after Eilperin began looking for something to write about. The oceans have had a long pull on Eilperin; they’re a subject she can fill conversations about, and for good reason. “It’s still unknown territory to humans, to a large extent, so that’s what intrigues me,” she confided. “So much of our world has been explored and documented, but when it comes to the sea, we’re still in a period of intense discovery. Also, it’s just so different from the environment in which we operate on a daily basis.” Casting about for the right angle, a colleague suggested the shark and it intrigued her enough to explore further. Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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AU Hosts Human Rights Film Series

Photo courtesy of
‘AU’
courtesy of ‘MichaelTRuhl’

On Thursday nights this October, American University is hosting their annual Human Rights Film Series.

Presented by AU’s Center for Social Media and Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, the films cover a variety of human rights issues, including euthanasia, immigration and a warlord-turned-evangelical-preacher.

The series takes place at AU’s Katzen Arts Center on Thursday nights from 5:30pm-8:00pm through October 20th. Each screening includes a discussion with the filmmakers and human rights advocates, and the program offers further resources for each film’s topic on their website.

All of the films are free and open to the public, but the series’ organizers suggest you arrive early because seating is limited.

Downtown, Special Events, We Love Arts
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National Geographic Live: October 2011

Demon Fish; photo courtesy National Geographic

The National Geographic Live series is back for the fall and we here at WeLoveDC want to share their great lineup of programming with you once again. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at NatGeo, we’ll be again offering two pairs of tickets for our readers to go and experience some great talks, lectures, and programs over at the National Geographic Museum.

For October, there’s some amazing photography programs, authors, and speakers – some of whom you’ll see interviewed here on the site in the coming weeks. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets to an October program, simply list the two events you’d like to attend in comments before noon Friday, September 30. Make sure you use a legitimate email address and your first name. We’ll contact two winners (as determined by random.org) on Friday afternoon. Note that not all programs are eligible for the drawing.

If you’re interested in attending one of these events, visit NatGeo’s website or their box office (800-647-5463), located at 17th and M Street, NW. Keep in mind that parking in NatGeo’s underground lot is free for any programs beginning after 6 pm.

Here’s October’s offerings… Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Veggies Take Over at This Saturday’s DC VegFest

On September 24, from 11am to 6pm, DC VegFest will showcase ease, fun, and advantages of a plant-based lifestyle at GWU’s University Yard. This annual event, now in its third year, has grown significantly in size – it is the area’s largest vegetarian event with thousands of attendees expected.

Those attendees will have the opportunity to purchase foods from nineteen local restaurants and food trucks, shop from animal-friendly vendors, and take in talks from speakers like chef and cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Wayne Pacelle of The Humane Society. There will be free food to sample from national brands and Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats has organized a cupcake-eating contest.
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Special Events
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The wedding series continues – who ELSE is using your big day?

Photo courtesy of
’18 Sep 2010 – No 030′
courtesy of ‘B Jones Jr’

The following is a guest entry by the Social Chair, who is far more qualified than I am to discuss this particular subject matter.

So here’s the problem with being a girl who hasn’t been planning her wedding since she was a little girl:

When it’s time to plan your wedding, it’s a bit daunting.

When last we met, I had just purchased my wedding dress (es).No, I still don’t know which I am going to wear. Luckily, I have some time to figure that out. We decided to push the big event to 2012 and enjoy being engaged, instead of frantically rushing to get it planned this year. Our wedding will take place in October 2012. The logic went something like this:

November-February: Holidays, cold, maybe snow. March & April: Could be nice, could be cold and rainy. May & September: Generally busy months, with weather that sometimes doesn’t cooperate. June: Could be nice, could be terribly hot. July or August: Are you kidding? Who wants to be in DC then? October: It’s the most wonderful time of the year in DC. We have a winner!

And then the fine-tuning begins.
Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Hill
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H Street Festival This Saturday

Photo courtesy of
‘1012733-09Crop’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’

According to hstreet.org 35,000 people pressed onto H Street NE for last year’s event. With even more activity and businesses open along the corridor now, one can only assume an even larger turn-out this Saturday when the H Street Festival 2011 takes over the street from noon until seven.

Along the six-block festival zone, there will be a wide variety of food, vendors, music stages, family activities, and more. Four stages will present ongoing music and other forms of entertainment throughout the day (and in some cases, well into the night) and there will be a fifth stage dedicated entirely to children’s entertainment. There will be food trucks, fashion shows, and a parade of art cars. Details about performances and entertainment are on the festival’s Facebook page.

If you want to see how all those things fit together, there will be expanded shuttle service available and a WABA bike valet. The event is free to enter and stroll around. Children and dogs are invited as long they can handle being around the sizable crowd.

Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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BYT & Embassy of Spain Present YES!

This Friday, the SPAIN arts&culture series for fall/winter 2011 will kick-off with a huge party thrown in collaboration with Brightest Young Things.

When the free event became available for RSVP six weeks ago, the list filled completely within hours. Hopefully, you were lucky enough to snag a spot. If not, maybe try to find a friend who is not using their ticket because you will not want to miss this event.
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Special Events, We Love Arts
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2011 All Roads Film Festival at NatGeo

Photo courtesy of
‘National Archives Film Canisters’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Starting tomorrow, the National Geographic Museum hosts the 2011 All Roads Film Festival. The five-day festival showcases nearly 40 films in 24 countries, created to provide an international platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture artists to share cultures, stories and perspectives through the power of film and photography. This year’s theme is “Stories That Shape Our World” and National Geographic is giving WeLoveDC readers a chance to win a pair of all-access passes to the festival.

The five-day event also will include a “Global Groove: DJ Dance Party,” hosted by DJ Dave Nada and DJ Underdog, panel discussions by a number of the filmmakers and two photography exhibits. One photography exhibit will feature works from three provocative voices in the photography medium, each at different points in their careers; the second is an exclusive view into two cultures where photography by outsiders has been severely restricted. Several filmmakers will participate in two panel discussions, “Latinos in Modern Media” and “Indigenous Communities, Film and the Environment,” as well as discussions following their film screenings where they will talk about their careers and the continuing innovation of indigenous filmmaking.

If you’d like to win a pair of festival passes, simply drop a comment below (using an email address we can use to contact you). We’ll randomly select a winner at noon tomorrow (Wednesday 9/14). Continue reading →

Special Events, Sports Fix, The Features
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We Love Sports: The Wounded Warrior Amputee Celebrity Softball Game

“Not many people get an opportunity to actually come down on the field,” 21-year-old Josh Wege said after his pre-game warm up at Nationals Park with ball and glove in tote. “Well … they actually get to come on the field but to actually play a game on this field, this is incredible.”

It’s true. More often than not, the people playing ball on a Major League field are professional players employed by Major League Baseball. On Sunday, though, the giant state-of-art sandlot located in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood hosted the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team in an exhibition game against a group of D.C. celebrities. Continue reading →

Special Events
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Fashion Goes Out in Georgetown on September 8th

Photo courtesy of
‘Fashion Week’
courtesy of ‘kineyas’

Fashion’s Night Out, the global retail and fashion event now it its third year, is what a “Hands Across America” might be if it were more Blahnik than Birkenstocks. On the same night around the world, shops stay open late and host parties, feature designers, and generally contribute to getting people out on their city’s local high streets to shop in person, particularly supporting local retail and independent design.

In the DC area, there are some FNO events taking place at Tysons Corner and Union Station, but the greatest concentration of activity will be around Georgetown.

Last year, the businesses in Georgetown decided to host the first FNO in DC – and they found that the event was so successful that they are doing even more this year. Georgetown’s FNO has an official website which lists each of the events and participating venues. There are over 90 shops, restaurants, and businesses already signed up to participate with more joining on as the date draws more nigh.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Reminder: Rickey Month Party Tonight

August Rickey on the @tabardinn patio. Yum.

You may recall from previous years that July is Rickey Month. July’s over, but tonight the DC Craft Bartenders Guild wraps things up for 2011 with its Rickey Month Party at Jack Rose.

Finalists, announced via email on Friday, are after the jump, along with a few tasting notes from our team on the ones we tried.
Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink, People, Special Events, The Features
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Mondavi Salutes Local Hero

Photo courtesy of
‘Alison Kindler’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Interest in gardening is on the rise, from my neighbors growing tomatoes in patio containers to community gardens bursting with multiple produce plots. Increasingly there’s a practical need to provide access to affordable food through growing your own. Early this week I attended an intimate event honoring a local community gardening hero. It was by far one of the more inspiring evenings I’ve spent in a while, whose honoree proves that persistence to a simple idea and dedication to helping others can result in good for all.

For the past three years, Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi has supported Giving Through Growing, a partnership program with the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA). This year they’ve awarded $40,000 to four community gardening ‘Heroes’ who made the grade in a nationwide contest, and Arlington’s Alison Kindler of the Fort Barnard Community Garden is one. Top Chef alum Candice Kumai is the GTG ambassador, and she was also on hand to salute Kindler’s efforts to enrich our community through growing fresh food for urban families. Fort Barnard has been in operation since 1975 – they even have their own bee hives! The garden works closely with the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), which helps provide groceries to families in need. Some 8% of Arlingtonians live below the poverty line and the percentage is increasing – AFAC distributes to over 1,200 families each week. Fort Barnard dedicates one of their garden plots exclusively to AFAC.

Kindler started gardening at Fort Barnard some twenty years ago, with a plot as a Father’s Day present for her husband. “Here, honey, you can go play in the dirt,” she quipped, but her main motivation at the time was really to grow organic produce and be able to put “healthy, safe food on the table.” Continue reading →

Entertainment, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Book Signing for the Sleep Deprived

You’ve seen it all over social media. You’ve heard Samuel L. Jackson and maybe even Werner Herzog narrate it. You’ve probably laughed your ass off. Even if you don’t have children and haven’t a clue how agonizingly painfully frustrating it can be to get them down for that nap, I bet you’ve heard of Go the F*ck to Sleep.

Author Adam Mansbach is in town tonight for a reading of his own work at P.J. Clarke’s from 6pm-8pm. The event is free and open to the public with copies of Go the F*ck to Sleep available for purchase and signing. It’s his only area appearance. Mansbach’s book is a current New York Times bestseller and definitely one of the more hilarious satires around, but he’s also no slouch in other areas – such as being the founding editor of ’90s hip hop journal Elementary, an authority on hip hop culture and aesthetics, and author of notable novels like Angry Black White Boy.

Not bad cred. I think I’ll pick up a signed copy for my newbie parent friends. Hopefully they won’t throw it at me for not being sleep deprived and surrounded by diapers.

Entertainment, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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Fringe 2011: hookups

I’m reviewing seven plays over the course of the 2011 Capital Fringe Festival, in collaboration with DC Theatre Scene. Get your Fringe button and join me!

hookups is about as naked as it can get at Fringe. A quintet of engaging actors make use of an air mattress and the barest essentials to create a series of vignettes covering every imaginable hookup through history and literature, all with a wry wink and a twist. It’s both cute and crass, like that girl dancing on the pool table you just can’t help but smile at even though you think she’s a drunken idiot. She is, but so are you, so get it on.

Starting off with the classic creeping-out-at-dawn hookup, writer Alexandra Petri’s scenes all have an undercurrent of dissatisfaction – there’s always one partner who either needs or wants to get disentangled quickly and painlessly. Even the Virgin Mary isn’t too thrilled with her situation, in one of the more subversive and very funny scenes led by director Laura Hirschberg.

The couplings get more bizarre as the play progresses, from the Frog Prince to an Arthurian menage a trois, even jumping into the Lincoln: Gay or Straight? debate. But it’s the pandas that steal the show, of course, in a hysterical scene detailing their woeful attempts to get the mechanics of sex right while being cheered on by obnoxious onlookers. Continue reading →