Dabney #1
courtesy of Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie

It’s Fall and that means another round of terrific programming at the National Geographic Museum. Their NatGeo Live programs are a must-attend for everyone in DC; every season, there is a wide range of programs, film festivals, celebrations, and other events to fit everyone’s taste.

Once again, the great folks at National Geographic are presenting WeLoveDC readers with an opportunity to win a pair of tickets to a listed event. Simply enter in the comments field what two events excite you most that you’d love to see, make sure you use a valid email, and list your first name so we can easily contact you. Readers have until noon Thursday, September 13 to place an entry (one per person, please!) and that afternoon we’ll randomly select two winners of a pair of tickets each. (Note that not all programs are eligible for tickets.)

The programs listed range from Friday, 9/14 through Friday, 10/5.

1001 INVENTIONS: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF MUSLIM CIVILIZATION ($20 event+exhibit)
Friday, 9/14
7:30 pm

What do coffee beans, torpedoes, arches, and observatories all have in common? Where did da Vinci and Fibonacci get their ideas about flight and numbers? The Nat Geo Museum exhibition “1001 Inventions,” and companion book edited by historian Professor Salim T.S. Al-Hassani, overflows with glorious revelations from the Muslim Civilization. During Europe’s Dark Ages, this society flourished with far-reaching scientific and cultural discoveries.

courtesy of Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie

THE ARAB TABLE ($60 tasting/$65 tasting+exhibit) (Not eligible for drawing)
Tuesday, 9/18
7:00 pm

Arab cookery is one of the world’s oldest and most intriguing cuisines, yet few have explored its diverse dishes and enchanting flavors beyond hummus and tabouleh. Take a delicious journey through Arab cuisine—a rich story told through recipes, menus, feasts, fasts, and traditions— with author May Bsisu. Born in Jordan, Bsisu knows well the fresh foods, exquisite tastes, and generous spirit of Arab cooking, reflected beautifully in her book The Arab Table: Recipes and Culinary Traditions. In conversation with Don George, editor of A Moveable Feast: Life Changing Food Adventures Around the World, Bsisu explains the traditions and occasions surrounding her most delectable dishes, then invites you into the dining hall to sample a tantalizing array of her favorite recipes.

THE LONGEST WAY HOME: ONE MAN’S QUEST FOR THE COURAGE TO SETTLE DOWN ($20)
Friday, 9/21
7:30 pm

Most famous for his roles in movies, on stage, and in TV shows, former “brat packer” Andrew McCarthy pursued a parallel career as an award-winning travel writer for NG Traveler. Conversing with NG Traveler editor at large Don George, McCarthy will discuss the transformative power of travel, a theme underlying his new book The Longest Way Home. Hear how the cross pollination of two seemingly disparate careers, both based in the art of storytelling, has set him on a unique course.

ALL ROADS FILM FESTIVAL ($10 each/$91 all 9 films+launch party) (Drawing eligible for one film pass, TBD by recipient)
Thursday, 9/27 – Sunday, 9/30

The National Geographic All Roads Film Project presents the eighth annual All Roads Film Festival, featuring stories and talent from vibrant, diverse, indigenous cultures. Meet the filmmakers at panel discussions, dance to live music Friday night, and enjoy a free photography exhibit in the National Geographic courtyard. Please check out the online brochure for a full schedule of the films.

FESTIVAL LAUNCH PARTY (Not eligible for drawing)
Thursday, 9/27
5:00 pm

Meet and mingle with filmmakers, media organizations, and other special festival guests! Invitation only for series ticket purchasers.

ALL ROADS DANCE PARTY with live music from PALENKE SOULTRIBE ($20)
Friday, 9/28
9:30 pm
Must be 21 or over. ID required. Libations available for purchase.

Move your feet to the electro-Latin sounds of Palenke SoulTribe. Colombian-born, L.A.-based Palenke SoulTribe rides the wave of New Colombian Cool—a cadre of young artists rediscovering the roots of their country’s diverse music—and refashioning it for dance floors worldwide. Led by producer Juan Diego Borda and keyboardist Andres “Popa” Erazo, these electro-cumbia rebels reboot their electronic sound with the Afro-Colombian beats of the Pacific coast.

BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR ($20)
Wednesday, 10/3
7:30 pm

Rolling Stone hails Blitz the Ambassador as “the future of African music.” This Ghanaian-born rapper brings a unique mix of Afrobeat and hip-hop to Nat Geo. Growing up in Accra, then Brooklyn, Blitz was influenced by music from traditional African kora…to Michael Jackson…to rap. With his lightning-fast mind, the political boldness of Chuck D., a sixth-groove sense of Fela Kuti, and a tight, versatile band, Blitz the Ambassador is “leading the way into a new dawn of global hip-hop.” (Austin 360.com.)

SKY CAVES OF NEPAL ($20)
Thursday, 10/4
7:30 pm

Legendary climber Peter Athans first explored the remote Nepalese region of Mustang in 2007, discovering a treasure-laden cave complex in a crumbling sandstone cliff. He recently returned with a scientific team including climber/photographer Cory Richards and archaeologist Mark Aldenderfer to investigate the caves’ contents—stunning murals, documents, and ancient artifacts. Science, belief, and high adventure combine as told in the October issue of National Geographic.

CULTURES ON THE EDGE ($20)
Friday, 10/5
7:30 pm

Chris Rainier is a master at creating powerful images that document the anthropological story of indigenous cultures whose ways are under threat. His new Nat Geo book Cultures on the Edge propels us to the edge of the map, illuminating societies vulnerable to powerful changes unfolding in this century. Former assistant to Ansel Adams, Rainier’s stunning images have been featured in Life, Time, and Adventure..

All events are located at the National Geographic Museum’s Grosvenor Auditorium, located at 1600 M St. NW. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office. Parking is free for all events after 6 pm.