Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Cultural Festivals

Being one of the nation’s busiest cities, Washington DC is host to many different cultures. DC and its surrounding towns are also host to a huge number of fascinating cultural festivals, the likes of which often cannot be found anywhere else.

Turkish Festival
Voted 2011’s Best Festival in DC, the American Turkish Association’s Turkish Festival brings the culture of Turkey to the streets of DC. Browse and haggle in an authentic Turkish Bazaar. Drink dark Turkish coffee and have fortune tellers read the grinds at the bottom of your cup. Watch artists perform traditional music and folk dancing. This year’s festival is on October 2, from 11 am to 7 pm. Metro accessible and with free admission, this is a perfect opportunity for the whole family to have a rich, educational experience in the nation’s capital. Read more here.

Fiesta Asia!
Fiesta Asia! is a month-long event that takes place each May throughout the DC metropolitan area. The different events, starting with the Fiesta in Silver Spring and ending with their famed street fair on Pennsylvania Avenue, cover fashion, music, film, traditional art and dance, martial arts, food, and much more. Kids’ activities include crafts such as henna painting, origami, and sari tying lessons. The festival encompasses all of mainland Asia, South Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. Check it out here.

Festa Italiana
This October 9, help recreate Washington DC’s old Little Italy on 3rd Street NW. Every festival features cultural food created by street vendors and cuisine crafted by Italian chefs, such as gelato. Enjoy traditional and contemporary music and dancing, as well as Italy’s finest cars. Admire artisans while they give impressive trade demonstrations. Learn about this year’s educational topics: Risorgimento, the Italian unification, and Italian immigrants in America. There is even a family circus! Visit the festival admission-free, a block from Judiciary Square Metro stop. Learn more here.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Arlington Area Charity Events

As a hub of activity for the tri-state region, the Washington, DC area is a great place to host charity events. Here are a few of the events that happen annually in the area, so keep an eye out for when they next roll around!

Sweet Charity
Sweet Charity is probably my favorite charity event so far. Participating chefs use donated chocolate to make any number of confections, from truffles to cakes to dessert sauces, in any creative way they can imagine. There is a silent auction that uses a huge number of donated items, such as jewelry and time shares. There is even a fashion show that showcases models wearing the chefs’ more out-of-the-box creations. The funds raised by this event go to the Heart of America Foundation’s Books from the Heart. This charity – commended by figures such as the Dalai Lama, Barbara Bush, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu – collects unused books and donates them to the libraries of schools in depressed areas, as well as to the children of impoverished families. Check out Sweet Charity and the Heart of America here.


National Capital Barbecue Battle
Voted a “Top Ten BBQ Event” by the Travel Channel and Discovery.com, the National Capital Barbecue Battle is taking place this year on June 25-26 on Pennsylvania Avenue. With major barbecue competitions, a sampling pavilion, cold beer, local celebrities and a huge entertainment tent, the Battle is considered by many locals to be a “must not miss” summer activity. The proceeds from the Battle go to benefit the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs, which provides programs – in categories such as leadership, the arts, life skills, and sports – to help children develop into productive men and women. Learn more at www.bbqdc.com.


Taste of Arlington
Over 40 local restaurants participate in Taste of Arlington every spring. Held in the streets of Ballston, this festival showcases local flavor and entertainment. Patrons purchase tickets that can be redeemed for “tastes” of food and drink from participating restaurants, which compete in the categories of best Appetizer, Main Course, and Dessert. A pet friendly, easy-to-access, and Green event, the festival is truly in the spirit of the Arlington community. Some proceeds of the 2011 event were donated to the Virginia Hospital Center, Phoenix Houses of the Mid-Atlantic (an addiction treatment and counseling organization), and the Arlington Community Foundation. For information about the participating restaurants and entertainment for the 2012 Taste of Arlington, click here.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Education in DC

Not only is the Arlington area a fantastic place to get around easily, find inexpensive entertainment, and spend time with your family, it is also a great area for educational immersion for all ages.


Artisphere

With concerts, galleries, a theatre, film festivals and classes, the Artisphere may be one of Arlington’s most valuable resources for the arts. It is open long and late and has reasonable ticket prices (averaging $15, with many free events). Their mission is to “Connect people to the fun and wonder found in creativity, celebrate diverse human expression, and advance art that explores the ideas and issues of our time.”

What is going on right now? There is a Woody Allen film festival throughout the month of June. An ecological art exhibition called “Contain, Maintain, Sustain” investigates creative ways in which we can create a more sustainable environment for ourselves. Use a giant Etch-a-Sketch to create stereoscopic 3D images. Use special scanners to translate numbers on packaging barcodes into music.
For more information, visit www.artisphere.com.


National Book Festival

Held in September on the National Mall, the Library of Congress’ annual event celebrates authors, readers, and the worlds of imagination accessible through books. With pavilions and presentations in the categories of Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, History & Biography, Contemporary Life and Poetry & Prose, readers will find something interesting for them no matter what their favorite genre. There is a sales pavilion run by Borders, featuring books selected by the given year’s featured authors. There is also a Pavilion of the States, honoring each US state’s literary tradition.

For more information, dates, and a list of featured authors, visit www.loc.gov/bookfest/.


Filmfest DC

Simply a festival for people who love movies the world over! 2012’s festival will be held April 12-22 in theatres throughout the District of Columbia. Films featured participate in juried competitions for various awards, ranging in topic from social justice and popularity to humanity and films deserving of increased recognition. Check out www.filmfestdc.org to see if the festival will be running a film that might inspire you.


Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC