Category Archives: Special Events

Special Events, The Daily Feed, Tourism
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National Geographic Museum: Terra Cotta Warriors

Photo courtesy of
‘Terracotta-29’
courtesy of ‘akiwitz’

You’ve probably heard of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi’s terra cotta warriors, the thousands of life-sized statues buried with him in his tomb, intended to escort the Emperor to the afterlife. Discovered in 1974, they were one of the biggest archeological finds of the 20th century.

They’re making their last US appearance right here in DC, at the National Geographic Museum. Admission is $12, and the exhibition runs November 19th through March 31. The exhibit will showcase 15 terra cotta figures from Emperor  Shihuangdi’s tomb, including nine terra cotta warriors, two musicians, a strongman, a court official, a stable attendant and a horse. Also on display will be weapons, stone armor jade ornaments, roof tiles and decorative bricks, a bronze crane and swan, and a gold coins pièce collection. According to a rare coin dealer, this gold coin collection is highly valuable and costs millions of dollars.

We’re getting a full preview of the exhibit on the 18th, so look for our review shortly thereafter. In the meantime, here’s two ‘sneak preview’ photos provided to us by National Geographic… Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Trip Your Taste Buds

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 783 / 365 – The curse of red wine’
courtesy of ‘JasonRogersFotographie’

EFN Lounge (formerly Be Bar) is hosting DC’s first taste tripping party. $12 will get you in the door, and guests will twist their tongue on a West African berry called synsepalum dulcificum, or “trippy fruit.” Trippy fruit temporarily re-wires taste receptors on the tongue, transforming acidic and sour food into sweet and enjoyable treats.

They say, “After commencing the trip, guests will be ushered into the Tripeteria, a cafeteria with an all-you-can-trip buffet full of all the sour nasties usually consumed in moderation. In this conceptual, experimental flavor laboratory, lemon wedges become lollipops, hot sauce becomes donut glaze, goat cheese becomes cheesecake, bottom-shelf tequila becomes Patron, and a Guinness Beer becomes a chocolate milkshake.

The menu was designed by a team of experienced flavor trippers and evolves for each party. Selections include sour candy, cheese from Dean & Deluca, pickles, soy sauce, raddishes, sour fruits, sugarless cupcakes, and much more. Ticket holders can suggest menu items on a form at the online checkout. EFN will also hold taste-testing of shots and cocktails designed for flavor tripping enthusiasts.”

I got a little weirded out by this and turned to my BFF Google for answers. These things DO exist, and ARE legal, and are having a come-back. So now… I’m oddly intrigued. For more info, or reservations if you’re bold, visit the EFN Web site.

Downtown, Food and Drink, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Features
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Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show: Paula Deen Brings the Butter

Paula Deen and Jon Ashton in LOL Theater

courtesy of The Tiny Kitchen

You thought I was kidding about the butter until you saw this picture…

Things have been a little crazy this fall, and I’ve been missing out on my usual weeknight and weekend HEAVY dosage of the Food Network. Alas, this weekend, I am excited to get some face time with my favorite stars, in addition to some DC super-chefs.

This Saturday and Sunday (November 7-8), the 2009 Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show is coming to the downtown convention center. For a $20 admission ticket, you can visit the showroom floor, a cooking demonstration or a knife skills class.

The show room floor will feature over 200 caterers, personal chefs, appliance manufacturers and party planners, but one of the true benefits of your General Admission ticket is access to the Tasting and Entertaining Workshops. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, News, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District
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Iron Chef Comes To The White House

Photo courtesy of
‘The White House – The Dream Home of Many Children’
courtesy of ‘adcristal’

The Food Network announced today that Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse came to the White House last month (how did we miss this?) to film a special two-hour Iron Chef episode, called “Super Chef Battle”. Michelle Obama and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford gave Batali, Lagasse and Flay the challenge of using produce from the White House garden as the “secret ingredient”. In new-media fashion, Flay even tweeted about it this morning.

The special episode premieres Sunday, January 3rd at 8pm ET. Here is the full New York Times article (and a picture of Mario Batali wearing RIDICULOUS orange shenanegans on his feet).

$5 says FLOTUS wore a cardigan for the episode.

Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, People, Special Events, The District, The Features
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Georgetown Halloween 2009

Photo courtesy of
‘Halloween in Georgetown’
courtesy of ‘ep_jhu’

Ever since moving to DC in 2006, I have managed to miss out on the Georgetown Halloween scene for one reason or another, so this year I vowed to check out the madness and see what all the hubbub was about.

Our method of event transportation from Glover Park was on foot, which was a wise decision give the street closures. We arrived on the scene at around 11pm, and found the M Street inundated with costumers.  The DCPD had temporarily fenced in the sidewalks for crowd control purposes, which created a nice parade-like crowd movement along the M Street corridor.  The bars were jammed packed with waiting lines, and picture takers were everywhere. Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Spying a Halloween Festival at ISM

Photo courtesy of
‘Haunted Spy House’
courtesy of ‘Sister72’

The International Spy Museum is celebrating Halloween with a weekend full of events for special agents of all ages. Spend the scariest night of the year at the place where disguises aren’t just for Halloween!

Enjoy “Spy Fright,” a haunting twist on the standard Spy at Night event (on both Friday and Saturday evenings) complete with the specialty Vampagne cocktail, a disturbingly delicious combination of Prosecco, Black Vodka, and raspberry puree. Participants will enjoy a spine-chilling trip through the Museum’s immersive experience Operation Spy and other spy games, including the new CLUE: Secrets & Spies Edition and expert tradecraft demonstrations.

Families will have the unique opportunity to celebrate Halloween with Hasbro’s DC launch of their CLUE: Secrets & Spies Edition. Special Agents Scarlet, Mustard, Plum, and crew will be on hand to greet junior agents. Game demos and giveaways will also take place from 1pm – 9pm on Saturday, with special Halloween treats including pumpkin cookies, spiced cup cakes and fall cider available in the Spy Café.

Continue reading →

Essential DC, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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New Tradition for National Tree Lighting Tickets

Photo courtesy of
‘National Christmas Tree’
courtesy of ‘Murmurmel’

Getting ready to stand in line for tickets for the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony next week?

Don’t bother. The National Park Service is changing the process, much like they did for the White House Easter Egg Roll, to “open the ticketing process up to more Americans across the country.”

The new procedure? You have to enter an online lottery between November 4-6 (log in here at that time to register), between 12:01 a.m. EST on the 4th and 11:59 p.m. EST on the 6th. The lottery will include 2,800 ticketed seats and 7,000 standing room tickets. (If you don’t have a computer, you can call 877-444-6777 between the same time period to put your name in the lottery.)

Beginning November 9, ticket seekers can check the status of their request online; tickets will be mailed by November 15.

NPS is handing out more tickets this year, hence the change of tradition. The December 3 event will open its gates at 3:30 p.m. for all ticket holders.

Entertainment, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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CityDance: Latitude

City Dance Ensemble, photo credit Paul Gordon Emerson

City Dance Ensemble, photo credit Paul Gordon Emerson

CityDance Ensemble has just returned to their DC homebase from tours in the Middle East and Chile, and are settling into the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theatre for two performances this Thursday and Friday at 7:30pm. “Latitude” features contemporary works by Artistic Director Paul Gordon Emerson, Choreographer-in-Residence Christopher K. Morgan, and others from Brazil, Chile, and Israel.

This year they were awarded the DC Mayor’s Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, no small feat. They even run an early arts outreach program teaching dance to kids across DC. Dancer Magazine calls them “breathlessly innovative.” Go see why.

Entertainment, Media, News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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A Good Way To Spend Lunch

Photo courtesy of
‘Hipster PDA’
courtesy of ‘koalazymonkey’

Got time for a long lunch?  Then head over to the Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA) on Friday, October 30th from 12-2pm to check out “Art & Copy,” a documentary about advertising and innovation that includes some of the industry’s greatest minds, like George Lois, Mary Wells, Cliff Freeman, Dan Wieden, Lee Clow, Hal Riney and others. The film’s executive producer, Kirk Souder, will be on hand for a Q&A post viewing. The film will not be widely released, so this is your only chance.

Correction: Earlier posting showed today’s date.

Food and Drink, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Learn About The Good Stuff

Photo courtesy of
‘a flight of whisk(e)y’
courtesy of ‘sleepyneko’

At 7pm, Thursday, October 22, National Geographic Live gets its drink on with photographer Jim Richardson and whisky expert Dave Broom hosting a guided tasting of Scotland’s finest single malt whiskies.  Co-sponsored by DC’s Brickskeller, the tastings will be paired with Richardson’s  images of the Celtic landscapes, distilleries, and people that produce these world reknown spirits. Obviously you must be 21 or older. View event details at Exploring Scotland’s Whisky Trail.

Essential DC, Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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The Strange Comfort of Brian Jungen

People's Flag

Opening today at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is a new exhibition that will run through August 8, 2010. Brian Jungen: Strange Comfort is a major exhibit showcasing the critically acclaimed works of the Canadian-based artist and is his first exhibition organized by a Native American museum. Jungen’s work has been on display around the world, including the Casey Kaplan Gallery in New York, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal in Quebec, and the Witte de With in the Netherlands.

The NMAI’s first solo exhibition since its opening in 2004, Strange Comfort is exactly that. The stunning “Crux” is your first view of Jungen’s work – recognizable from the crocodile piece show in the recent ads around town – and only continues to intrigue and inspire when you visit the main gallery on the third floor.

Jungen, of Dunne-za First Nations and Swiss-Canadian ancestry, explores several themes through his art. The use of every-day objects to create Indian cultural icons is something very different, born from Native ingenuity of crafting one object out of another, a common practice with many First Nation people. Jungen commented in the NMAI’s press release that he grew up watching his Dunne-za relatives recycle everything from car parts to shoe boxes. “It was a kind of salvaging born out of practical and economic necessity, and it greatly influenced how I see the world as an artist.”

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Just What I Needed, An Opera Costume

Photo courtesy of
‘Turandot Costume’
courtesy of ‘Roberat’

I don’t know about you guys but I’ve had an opera costume on my “must have” outfits list for a while, and this Saturday and Sunday (from 10am-5pm) I’ll finally have the opportunity to get one at the Washington National Opera’s Costume Sale. Ok, well maybe a 20 pound, girdled, Mikado kimono has not been on my mind, but if you’re looking for an awesome Halloween costume, this is your event.

Prices for full costumes range from $10-$200 with accessories priced at $2 or more.  The sale is taking place at the WNO Studio in Takoma Park (6925 Willow St, N.W., Washington, D.C.)

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, History, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Life & Death On The C&O

photo courtesy of NPS.gov

photo courtesy of NPS.gov

This Saturday from 6:30-9pm, the National Park service will host the 13th Annual Life & Death on the C&O Canal at the Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center in Great Falls, MD.

Volunteers and park rangers will take visitors on a one-hour journey back in time, and recreate the trials and tribulations experienced by the men and women who built, lived and staffed the canal during its 96 year long history. Every interpretation is based on documented facts or legends, and interpreters will present various 15 minutes programs throughout the evening.

Reservations are recommended and the program is not for young children.  Ticket prices are $6 for adults, and $4 for seniors and children (4-14).  Call 301-767-3714 for information and reservations.

Arlington, Special Events, Talkin' Transit
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Watching the Emergency Response Drill

Photo courtesy of Me

DSC_0012
courtesy of Me

As I watched the teams from multiple counties go through this drill I heard the radio announcement voice in my head say “If this has been an actual emergency, there would have been a lot less official rubberneckers taking snapshots.”

Photo courtesy of Me

DSC_0029
courtesy of Me

It makes perfect sense – if the point of a drill is to run a scenario and determine how well you’re doing things then you need observers who aren’t a part of the response to watch and grade. There were also other folks occasionally providing input to the suited-up response teams who were seemed to be running the scenario and providing the simulation participants with information about what they were discovering as they went.

Photo courtesy of Me

DSC_0033
courtesy of Me

The day started like all official operations: with a lot of waiting around. Those of us who’d shown up from the press to observe were given time to talk to Arlington and Alexandria county officials about the exercise, as well as a representative from the railroad management organization CSX. The visuals got a lot more interesting once we were led to the site of the simulated incident.

Continue reading →

Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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“Fists of Fury” Dance Night!

Hallway, Rock and Roll Hotel

Helmet, Pantera, The Clash, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Slayer, Dead Kennedys, Big Black, Jawbox, Bad Religion, Mastodon.

Like the sound of that?

The “Fists of Fury” DJs debut tonight at Rock and Roll Hotel, spinning enough underground rock, metal and punk to get your hearts pounding and bodies slamming. Just don’t actually throw a punch, ok? It’s free, 9pm to close, at the upstairs bar. Let the mid-week mayhem begin.

Downtown, Food and Drink, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Capital Area Food Bank’s Empty Bowls

Photo courtesy of
‘Sustain Ceramics: Three mocha pinch bowls.’
courtesy of ‘Liverpool Design Festival’

In an effort to remind all of us that have, about those of us who deserve to have, Capital Area Food Bank is hosting their annual Empty Bowls lunch. This year’s event is taking place at DLA Piper (500 8th Street, NW) on on Wednesday, October 21. All you need to do is stop by between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM with $25. The site says, “You’ll receive a lunch of soup, bread, cookies and a unique handcrafted bowl to take home. The bowl serves as a reminder of the 600,000 empty bowls in the National Capital Region.”

The soup, bread, and cookies will be provided from some of the area’s best eat places: Breadline, Café Atlantico, Capital Area Food Bank, Clyde’s of Gallery Place, Food & Friends, Israel CME Church, PS 7’s, thebestcookie.com, and Thrive DC.

Help Capital Area Food Bank know how many people to expect, by rsvping to richardsonj (at) capitalareafoodbank (dot) org.

Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Saloon Flea Market

Photo courtesy of
‘The Saloon, U Street’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

Commy, owner of the Saloon, is hosting a flea market this Sunday at his famed, U St. pub.  He promises to offer “many unique items” for sale, the proceeds from which will benefit his international school building efforts.  On top of the interesting goods and the worthy cause, the Saloon will be offering $2 off its selection of excellent beers.  The market will run from 1pm-5pm and, contrary to normal Saloon rules, there will be a strict, no-sitting policy for the afternoon.  So, go out, enjoy a nice beer on what promises to be a lovely fall afternoon and support school construction in developing nations.

Dupont Circle, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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High Heel Race Date Set

Photo courtesy of
‘Are you gonna take me home tonight’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

OH MAN I JUST GOT RULL EXCITED because I just remembered that not only does October mean my birthday, it also means THE BEST EVENT OF THE YEAR, the High Heel Drag Queen Race! Squee!

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 27th, to watch all the ladies (and hot tranny messes) parade up and down 17th street. If you can’t wait ’til then, (and who can, honestly?) check out our past coverage including a photo gallery.