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 21, 2011
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.
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
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
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Regional Home Sales Take a Dive in April.
The April real estate market across the inner suburbs of Northern Virginia took a steep dive compared to last April. According to Scott McCaffrey of the Sun Gazette, while median sales prices in the overall region were up slightly, total sales were down 24.5%, and transactions in Arlington county itself were down 28%. In the 22204 ZIP code, there were 34 transactions, compared to 67 last year. This does not look good for the state of local real estate.
But why such a marked difference? Last year, homeowners were able to take advantage of a federal tax credit for first time home buyers. "First time" was defined simply as not having owned a home for three years prior, which gave broad allowances to people whose living situations may have changed. The tax credit was to amount to up to 10% of the cost of the home, capping at $8,000, and provided buyers remain in the home for three years they are not required to pay back the credit.
This variable makes market analysis difficult. It may be unwise to compare this April's market to April of last year. Perhaps it would be better to compare it to before the tax credit was put into place to determine whether the market is truly suffering.
Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC
But why such a marked difference? Last year, homeowners were able to take advantage of a federal tax credit for first time home buyers. "First time" was defined simply as not having owned a home for three years prior, which gave broad allowances to people whose living situations may have changed. The tax credit was to amount to up to 10% of the cost of the home, capping at $8,000, and provided buyers remain in the home for three years they are not required to pay back the credit.
This variable makes market analysis difficult. It may be unwise to compare this April's market to April of last year. Perhaps it would be better to compare it to before the tax credit was put into place to determine whether the market is truly suffering.
Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC
Friday, May 13, 2011
Arlington's "Car-Free Diet."
I am from a small town in Southern Maryland, where the closest grocery store was 15 miles away, the closest mall 30 miles away, and the closest airport 60 miles away. We had to drive everywhere. When I moved to Arlington, a friend of mine suggested that I go “car-free” and take advantage of the public transportation that is available instead.
Why go car-free? As carfreediet.com says, “Each time you leave your car at home — choosing instead to ride ART or Metro, bike, walk or telework — you can save money, improve your health and clean our environment.” This is all true; I am still paying for my car insurance, but I fill my gas tank about once a month. I’ve lost a pants size in the last month just from walking to and from bus stops (kind of amazing what that little bit of extra activity can do). And so far this year, car-free dieters have apparently saved over 44 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. It feels great to be contributing to Arlington’s smaller carbon footprint.
I am certainly no expert on public transportation yet, but I can still share a few things I have learned so far.
The first thing I picked up was a SmarTrip card from the Commuter Store. These cost $10 - $5 for the card, with $5 fare already loaded onto the card. You can load more fare onto the card on the bus, online, or at any Metro station – I find it easiest to add more fare at a Metro station because there is no risk of falling in front of a bus full of people. You can also register your card online in case you like to load a lot of fare onto it, so that if you lose it you can cancel your previous card and order a replacement. Using a SmarTrip card is easy: just tap it on the card target below the money slot on the bus, it beeps, and you know your fare has been subtracted. One of the great things about SmarTrip cards is that they keep track of whether you are transferring from another bus or Metro train. If you transfer within two hours, you get a discount on your fare.
I also picked up bus schedules for buses that run near my house. Even better to use than the paper schedules is wmata.com. You can plug in your address, the destination, and what time you would like to leave after or arrive by, and the website will generate itineraries to tell you several ways to get to your destination. wmata.com also takes delays into account while calculating your route. It includes Metrorail (the Washington metropolitan area public train system), Metrobus (red, white and blue buses), and ART buses (the green and white buses).
Finally, it is just healthier to walk or bike than it is to drive. Arlington has been named a Walk and Bike Friendly Community, and all the crosswalks and smooth sidewalks prove it. There are over 100 miles of multi-use trails to use in the county, so get outside and leave your car at home. You will thank me for it!
Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC
Why go car-free? As carfreediet.com says, “Each time you leave your car at home — choosing instead to ride ART or Metro, bike, walk or telework — you can save money, improve your health and clean our environment.” This is all true; I am still paying for my car insurance, but I fill my gas tank about once a month. I’ve lost a pants size in the last month just from walking to and from bus stops (kind of amazing what that little bit of extra activity can do). And so far this year, car-free dieters have apparently saved over 44 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. It feels great to be contributing to Arlington’s smaller carbon footprint.
I am certainly no expert on public transportation yet, but I can still share a few things I have learned so far.
The first thing I picked up was a SmarTrip card from the Commuter Store. These cost $10 - $5 for the card, with $5 fare already loaded onto the card. You can load more fare onto the card on the bus, online, or at any Metro station – I find it easiest to add more fare at a Metro station because there is no risk of falling in front of a bus full of people. You can also register your card online in case you like to load a lot of fare onto it, so that if you lose it you can cancel your previous card and order a replacement. Using a SmarTrip card is easy: just tap it on the card target below the money slot on the bus, it beeps, and you know your fare has been subtracted. One of the great things about SmarTrip cards is that they keep track of whether you are transferring from another bus or Metro train. If you transfer within two hours, you get a discount on your fare.
I also picked up bus schedules for buses that run near my house. Even better to use than the paper schedules is wmata.com. You can plug in your address, the destination, and what time you would like to leave after or arrive by, and the website will generate itineraries to tell you several ways to get to your destination. wmata.com also takes delays into account while calculating your route. It includes Metrorail (the Washington metropolitan area public train system), Metrobus (red, white and blue buses), and ART buses (the green and white buses).
Finally, it is just healthier to walk or bike than it is to drive. Arlington has been named a Walk and Bike Friendly Community, and all the crosswalks and smooth sidewalks prove it. There are over 100 miles of multi-use trails to use in the county, so get outside and leave your car at home. You will thank me for it!
Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC
Monday, May 9, 2011
Free Music
My recent theme of how to live affordably continues! The possibilities for free entertainment in the DC / Arlington area are enormous. There are free movies, free museums, free theatres, and as I am covering today, free music.
In the Grand Foyer of the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, DC lies the Millennium Stage. Every day at 6 pm, there are free performances for anyone who wishes to attend. The stage features everything from family entertainment to international culture. Tonight’s performance is organist Mickey Thomas Terry, performing “a program including works by Charles Tournemire, George Walker, Marcel Dupre, Horatio Parker, J.S. Bach, Thomas Kerr, and Franz Liszt.” All performances are broadcast live at kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium.The 16th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival is on June 18, at Walter Reed and Columbia Pike. The Mike Webb Team, LLC has sponsored this event for several years! Cold beer and hot Blues make for a great day in the streets of Arlington. This year features Tinsley Ellis, who has played internationally alongside such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughn and Gov’t Mule. Learn more at columbia-pike.org.
Voted the top tourist attraction in America, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is more than just music. Every year different countries and American states or regions are featured, with food, music, theatre, stories, crafts, professions and more being spotlighted. This year, the programs feature Colombia, the Peace Corps, and Rhythm & Blues music. The 45th annual festival takes place on the National Mall, from June 30 – July 4 and July 7-11.
Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Volunteering
Need something to do but don’t have any cash? Try volunteering! Community service does not have to be dull drudgery. There are plenty of cool places to suit your interests.
King Street Cats is a self-described “free-roaming cat orphanage” that rescues felines and gives them a warm, loving place to stay until they can be adopted out to proper homes. They maintain an average of 30 cats at any given time, and are run and supported entirely by volunteers. You can help them with wide variety of tasks, from volunteering medical expertise and fostering newborn kittens, to jobs as simple as playing and cuddling with the kitties. They also have an annual theatre event that serves as a fundraiser and public awareness promoter. This year’s event is the play Move Over Mrs. Markham, which will be staged at the Little Theater of Alexandria, with tickets $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Check them out at kingstreetcats.org.
Habitat for Humanity is an organization determined to eliminate homelessness by building better housing for those in need. Candidates for new homes live in unsafe or inadequate housing, make much less money than the average local, and are willing to commit to hundreds of hours of volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Whether the project is building a home from the ground up for disadvantaged families, or remodeling old homes for those unable to do so themselves, the organization relies almost entirely on the generosity of volunteers. Visit habitatnova.org to get more information about how you can help!
The Red Cross is part of a movement devoted to international disaster relief. They are present at the scenes of tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes and wars. Their logo is the most recognizable one in the world; where you see it, you know help is on the way. Your skills are needed to help with everything from nursing and administrating blood donations, to rescuing pets and distributing food to disaster victims. You can read up on the National Capital Region chapter of the Red Cross at redcrossnca.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the country’s largest mentoring program, pairing volunteers (or “Bigs”) with children in need of guidance (or “Littles”). Bigs and Littles spend time together a few times a month in order to establish a meaningful, trust-based relationship. By participating in fun activities with their Littles, these role models encourage development of values that will hopefully last a lifetime. According to the website, a study concluded that Littles are 46% less likely to use illegal drugs and 52% less likely to skip school. Check out bbbs.org if you are interested in becoming a Big!
Bethany Fuller
The Mike Webb Team, LLC
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