The embassy of Luxembourg, which will be on the Washington Embassy and House Tour - Click to enlarge
Woodrow Wilson House in the heart of Embassy Row in northwest DC will present the 26th annual Washington Embassy and House Tour on Saturday, September 25. Several Washington Embassies and outstanding private residences will be included in the popular tour. Sponsored by the Friends of Wilson House, the tour benefits the National Trust Historic Site. Visitors will have an opportunity to see sites of diplomatic entertaining and to explore the many cultures represented by the official ambassadors from foreign countries who live in the Kalorama neighborhood. Embassy Row has a unique mix of cultures and architectural gems. Woodrow Wilson House, Washington’s only Presidential Museum, is on the tour. The tour host advises that “All tickets must be purchased in advance and …… to provide for a quality visitor experience only 750 tickets will be available. Please note that tickets will not be available for sale on tour day as in the past. For security purposes the name of each ticket holder must be supplied in advance and some form of identification presented when tickets are issued at will call.” Visit http://my.preservationnation.org/site/Calendar/40238638?view=Detail&id=35023
The Turkish ambassador’s residence, which will be on the annual Washington Embassy and House Tour - click to enlarge
Views ot previous Maryland State Fairs - Click to enlarge
The 2010 Maryland State Fair will take place August 27-September 6 at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Baltimore County. The festival features thousands of home arts and agricultural exhibits, daily livestock and horse shows, food, entertainment, a wide variety of midway rides and games, thoroughbred horse racing and free concerts. There’s also a 4-H/Home Arts, Farm & Garden Exhibition. Visitors can explore the Maryland State Fair Museum and Department of Natural Resources Building, Farm & Garden and 4-H/Home Arts Buildings, the Cow Palace, Horse Show Ring, and other agricultural buildings, as well as the Exhibition Hall for commercial exhibits. There will be corn dogs and cotton candy on the Midway, plus crab cakes sandwiches, corn-on-the-cob, fruit, ice cream and many other products fresh from Maryland farms at the Maryland Foods Pavilion. Featured entertainers this year will include Gretchen Wilson and Bret Michaels. Visit www.marylandstatefair.com/
The annual Maryland Renaissance Festival will take place at Revel Grove in Crownsville, Maryland on select days between August 28 & October 24. As always, the festival will include food, fun, fine crafts. frivolity, a jousting arena, stage shows, music, theatrical performances and much more. The festival is the second-largest Renaissance Festival in the U.S., with more than 1,300 participants and 280,000 guests per season. The theme event features a recreation of a 16th century English Tudor village on 25 acres of woods and field. Every day is a Festival Day in Revel Grove, and includes a visit by Henry VIII and his Royal Court. More than 230 craft shops display wares handmade by the village artisans. Forty-two outlets provide foods rarely seen at other festivals. Each year, more than half a million beverages are served at the Festival's eight soft drink stands, five beer stands, and five taverns.
The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair is in progress in Gaithersburg, Maryland, through August 21. Entertainment this year includes the Battle of the Beast Rodeo, Monster Truck Madness, Demolition Derby, a variety of commercial and craft exhibits, a milking parlor and birthing center, new concessions and new Moovies in Community Square, as well as many other enhancements over previous fairs. There are carnival rides, a 4-H Parade, a bake sale, dog an horse shows and much more. A KidZone features many interactive games & activities. Visit www.mcagfair.com/
The 10th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will take place on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th streets, on Saturday, September 25. About 130,000 people attended the festival in 2009. The 70 participating authors will include international best-selling authorKen Follett; Rae Armantrout, winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize for poetry; National Book Award winner Julia Glass; Pat Mora, one of the nation’s most beloved writers for children; and Elizabeth Kostova, author of the worldwide sensations "The Historian" and "The Swan Thieves." President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be honorary chairs of the festival. There will be several special events during the week preceding the main event. Authors and illustrators will make their presentations in pavilions designated for Children, Teens & Children, Fiction & Mystery, Poetry & Prose, History & Biography and Contemporary Life. Festival-goers can meet and hear presentations from their favorite authors, have books autographed, have photos taken with PBS storybook characters and join in a variety of learning activities.
Washington, DC Summer Restaurant Week will take place August 16-22. More than 200 of metropolitan Washington's restaurants will offer multi-course meals prepared especially for the gourmet event. A three-course fixed-price lunch will be offered for $20.10, and a three-course fixed-price dinner will be offered for $35.10. Beverages, gratuity and tax are not included in the price. Restaurants participating in or near Chevy Chase include Indique Heights, Lia's and Le Chat Noir. The event is presented by Destination DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. Visit http://washington.org/restaurantwk/
Looking ahead, the next Taste of Friendship Heights will take place on Saturday, September 25. The annual event offers an opportunity to taste food in the Village Center from outstanding local restaurants. Participants will include Bambule, Capital Grille, Courtyard by Marriott, Indique Heights, Lia’s, Maggiano’s, M Café/Famoso, Potomac Pizza, Sunrise Brighton Gardens, Tynan Coffee & Tea, Whole Foods Market and others. There will be music and family activities in addition to great food. Visit www.friendshipheightsmd.gov
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens will have a Family Fun Sunday: In a Japanese-style Garden on Sunday, August 15. Families can “steal time away to explore the quiet energy of a Japanese-style garden then create a miniature Japanese garden using art materials.” Visit www.hillwoodmuseum.org/calendar.html#
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is exhibiting Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, through January 2, 2011. Please see the Arts column of this edition for more information about the exhibition.
The National Archives will celebrate Constitution Day on Friday, September 17 in the Jefferson and Washington Rooms.The first 223 guests will receive a piece of birthday cake and meet First Lady Dolley Madison and hear her describe White House entertainment in the early 19th century. Visit www.archives.gov/dc-metro/events/
A view of a previous Taste of Friendship Heights - Click to enlarge
The 2010 Kreeger Museum Open House, a celebration of the arts for visitors of all ages, will take place on Sunday, September 12. The Kreeger is a private, non-profit museum located in the former residence of Carmen and David Kreeger on Foxhall Road in Northwest Washington. The house was designed by architect Philip Johnson and showcases the Kreegers’ permanent collection of 19th and 20th century painting, sculpture, and African art. The open house will feature music, workshops and visual art for everyone. Visit www.kreegermuseum.org
Photo of a previous Kreeger Museum Open House - Click to enlarge
Kip Pierson as Detective James McDevitt in Investigation: Detective McDevitt, one of the History on Foot walking tours offered by Ford’s Theatre. Photo by Mark Ramont. - Click to enlarge
Ford’s Theatre is presenting two History on Foot Walking Tours through August 28. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, tour participants can join actor Kip Pierson, as Detective McDevitt, who is in the process of investigating the Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy. He guides the 2-hour tours from Ford’s Theatre to the White House, making at least eight stops. The distance is about 1.4 miles.
On Saturdays, Danielle A. Drakes, as Elizabeth Keckly, a free black woman and confidante to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, tells the story of her friendship with the Lincoln family and of her efforts to help former slaves find their way in newly-free Washington City. Her tour lasts about 90 minutes and the distance walked is about 1.5 miles.
The Annual Black Family Reunion Celebration will take place on the National Mall on Saturday, September 11. The event will celebrate the enduring strengths and traditional values of the African American family. Festival activities will include themed pavilions, health screenings, celebrity appearances and performances, community service exhibitors, and ethnic food vendors. An R&B concert will close Saturday's activities. The celebration will close on Sunday with a Gospel Concert. Visit www.ncnw.org/events/reunion.htm
Danielle A. Drakes as Elizabeth Keckly in A Free Black Woman: Elizabeth Keckly, one of the History on Foot walking tours offered by Ford’s Theatre. Photo by Gary Erskine. Click to enlarge
A view of a previous Fiesta Musical – A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month - Courtesy of FONZ - Click to enlarge
Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) will host a Fiesta Musical – A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, on September 19. It’s an annual celebration of “the diversity and richness of Latin American culture and wildlife.” There will be animal demonstrations, Hispanic and Latino music, costumed dancers, traditional crafts, and Latin American foods. Crafts available for sale will include handmade jewelry, bags, sweaters, clay sculptures, finger puppets, and drums. FONZ asks readers to note that:“This event is not peanut-free. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee that traces of nuts are not present in food products available at the event.” Visit http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ActivitiesAndEvents/Celebrations/FiestaMusical/default.cfm
FONZ will host a wine-tasting evening FOR ADULTS titled Grapes With the Apes on September 23 . The event will “toast wildlife conservation.” Visitors can sample wines from a variety of wineries, listen to live music, and “enjoy hanging out with the Zoo's great apes.” Proceeds from the event will support animal care, conservation science, education, and sustainability at the National Zoo.
A view of a previous Grapes with the Apes - Courtesy of FONZ - click to enlarge
The Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts will take place September 11 & 12 on King Street, from Union to Washington streets. Old Town will become an open-air art gallery, where more than 200 juried artists will display and sell fine arts including paintings, sculpture, prints, photography, pottery, glass, jewelry, ceramics and more. Visit http://visitalexandriava.com/about-alexandria/alexandria-festival-of-the-arts/
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens will have a Colonial Market & Fair on September 18 &19. The event will feature dozens of America’s finest craftspeople wearing Colonial-attire as they demonstrate 18th-century crafts and sell traditional wares such as baskets, woodcarvings, tin and ironwork, leatherworkings, weavings, paper-cuttings, furniture, and much more. There will also be 18th-century entertainment, including music, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, puppet and magic shows, plus specialty food for sale onsite.Visit www.mountvernon.org/calendar/index.cfm/fuseaction/event/calID/218/ .
A view of a previous Alexandria Festival of the Arts - Click to enlarge
"Bunnicula" - Image courtesy of Imagination Stage - Click to enlarge
Imagination Stage in Bethesda will present the musical Bunnicula, directed by Nick Olcott, September 25-October 31. Based on the book by Deborah & James Howe, the show was adapted and has lyrics by Jon Klein and music by Chris Jeffries. The tale is set in the Monroe family house and features pets Harold the dog, Chester the cat…..and Bunnicula, "the vampire bunny." The show is for ages 4+. Visitwww.imaginationstage.org/shows-a-tickets/1011-season
Imagination Stage is presenting the musical How I Became a Pirate, directed by Paul McEneaney, throuh August 15. The story was adapted by Alyn Cardarelli, based on the book by Melinda Long, with illustrations by David Shannon. Steve Goers wrote the music for the light-hearted tale of a boy who’s accosted at the beach by a motley crew of pirates, who need him to bury their treasure. Fun with the pirates gets old quickly, as the boy misses home. The show is for ages 4+.
The Washington Examiner will present their annual Arts on Foot in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of downtown DC in early September. They will have an Arts Market, Wednesday-Friday, September 8-10 and a Festival on Saturday, September 11. The event offers interactive and cultural experiences including a juried fine-art market showcasing 100 exhibitors, crafts, three live entertainment stages with a showcase of DC’s upcoming theatrical season, dance, music, film, a cooking-as-art pavilion with demos by top DC chefs, wine tastings and seminars and much more. Cultural venues in the surrounding area will participate. Visit www.artsonfoot.org/
The 40th Annual Labor Day Art Show will take place at Glen Echo Park Saturday through Monday, September 4 - 6. The show will feature the work of more than 100 artists from the mid-Atlantic region. Most of them have connections to Glen Echo Park either as instructors, students or resident artists. The works presented will include photography, painting, ceramics, jewelry, art glass, textiles and more. Irish Music & Dance Festivities will also be featured throughout the Park. Visitors can also get information about classes offered at Glen Echo. The event will be presented in the Spanish Ballroom by the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture. Visit www.glenechopark.org
The Puppet Company is presenting Little Red Riding Hood & the 3 Little Pigs at Glen Echo Park, through September 5. It’s a tongue-in-cheek version of two children’s favorites and uses humor and music “to explore our fear of things we don’t understand.” The show includes lots of audience participation and is recommended for PreK-Grade 6.
Three scenes from The Puppet Theatre's production of "Little Red Riding Hood & the 3 Little Pigs" at Glen Echo Park - Click to enlarge
"If You Give a Pig a Pancake" graphic courtesy of Adventure Theatre - Click to enlarge
Adventure Theatre at Glen Echo Park will present the U.S. premiere of Spot’s Birthday Party, September 17-November 2. It’s the story of a puppy and his birthday party, attended by his friends Tom the crocodile, Helen the hippo and Steve the monkey. There’s fun, games, songs and magic. The musical was adapted for the stage by David Wood, based on the award-winning books of Eric Hill, and is directed by Joe Banno.
Adventure Theatre is presenting the world premiere of If You Give a Pig a Pancake, starring Helen Hayes Award winner Holly Twyford through August 15. The show is based on the children’s book by Laura Joffe Numeroff and adapted for the stage by Marianne Pendino. Directed by Jerry Whiddon, the story is about “a little girl who is hostess to a challenging piglet, whose never-ending wishes lead them from the kitchen table to the bathtub to the backyard. Who has the patience to host such a piglet?” The theatre is partnering with Washington Sports Club and Whole Foods Market to promote healthy habits in children through its Share the Adventure Program. Michael J. Bobbitt, Artistic Director for Adventure Theatre and Choreographer of If You Give a Pig a Pancake, has commented that “It is so important to promote healthy eating in children so young. If they learn that food is a resource for them rather than an emotional connection, they can make better choices, learn to moderate eating and influence others in their healthy habits. We embrace the challenge, and we’re excited to have such wonderful partners on board with us.”
A pathway in Olmsted Woods at Washington National Cathedral - Courtesy of All Hallows Guild - Click to enlarge
All Hallows Guild at Washington National Cathedral will present Bird Walks on Thursdays, September 16 and 23, beginning at 8:30 a.m. at The George Washington Statue. All Hallows Guild was founded in 1916 to be responsible “for the care and beautification of the Cathedral gardens and grounds.” The organization completed a 10-year Olmsted Woods Restoration Project in 2007. Participants in bird walks are encouraged to wear sturdy waterproof shoes and to take along binoculars to observe the fall migration with experienced birder Sheila Cochran. Programs will be cancelled in the event of heavy rain. The Woodlands Information Line is 202 537-2319. Visit www.nationalcathedral.org/events/AHG20100916.shtml
Strathmore’s Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series features outdoor performances that are fun for everyone from kids to grandparents. The audience is asked to bring blankets or low beach chairs for the concerts. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the BBQ Shack, which features ribs, pulled pork, veggie burgers, hot dogs, side dishes, desserts, soda, water, beer and wine
Uke Fest 2010: Ladies of the Uke will perform an Outdoor Concert on Wednesday, August 25. The concert will feature The Sweater Set, Victoria Vox, The Hula Honeys, The Riders and Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer. The audience is invited to “bring your own uke or buy one on the spot courtesy of House of Musical Traditions and join us at 6PM for an audience strum-along!”
A Father’s Music (Nach der Musik) - Germany, 2007, Director: Igor Heitzmann - Courtesy of The Goethe-Institut Washington - Click to enlarge
The Goethe-Institut Washington is presenting a series of documentaries titled For the Love of Sound (Im Takt), through August 30. The films are about music and people who dedicate themselves to music. The directors and protagonists provide “insights into the ways of life of musicians.” The series is presented in cooperation with the Austrian Cultural Forum and are in German with English subtitles. Visit www.goethe.de/ins/us/was/ver/en6176067v.htm
The Goethe-Institut Washington in downtown DC will present a film series titled Afro-Germans in Film September 13-October 25. About a half-million Germans have African or African-American roots and generally refer to themselves as Afrodeutsche (Afro-Germans). Often-overlooked, they struggle to be accepted as German. The New Black Movement and its related organizations were established in both Germanies in the early 1980s, and “they work to give black Germans a voice and to rediscover and tell the rich history of these people.” The film series by and about Afro-Germans reflects issues from different perspectives and decades. The films will be screened in German with English subtitles. Visit www.goethe.de/ins/us/was/ver/en6265714v.htm
The Birchmere will present LOUIS: A Silent Film with Live Music by Wynton Marsalis and Cecile Licad at the Music Center at Strathmore on Saturday, August 28. LOUIS is a new silent film which will be screened with live on-stage musical accompaniment by Pulitzer Prize/Grammy Award-winner Wynton Marsalis and his 10-piece ensemble. They will be joined by classical pianist Cecile Licad. The film is set in sinful New Orleans in 1907 and “pays homage to Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, beautiful women, and the birth of the great American art form, jazz.” Marsalis and L. M. Gottschalk composed the musical score. Visit www.strathmore.org/eventstickets/calendar/view.asp?id=5850
Touch the Sound - Germany/UK, 2004, Director: Thomas Riedelsheimer - Courtesy of Shadow Distribution - Click to enlarge
Photos courtesy of the Comcast Outdoor Film Festival - click to enlarge
The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival is in progress on the grounds of the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, Maryland, through August 20. The eight nights of movies to be shown include a mix of box office hits, classics and family favorites. The festival is presented, as before, by 97.1 WASH-FM. The movies are shown on an inflatable four-story screen, which is one of the two largest in the U.S., using state-of-the-art projection with Dolby Digital® Surround Sound. The films begin each night at dusk, and festival patrons are encouraged to come early and purchase food from popular vendors and area restaurants. A portion of the proceeds go towards NIH Children’s Charities. The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival has raised more than $250,000 for the charities over the past decade. Moviegoers “are encouraged to bring blankets or low beach chairs.” To read more about the Universities of Shady Grove, visit www.shadygrove.umd.edu The films to be shown are:
Saturday, August 14: New Moon - PG-13 Sunday, August 15: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - PG-13 Monday, August 16: Jerry McGuire - R Tuesday, August 17: Valentine’s Day - PG-13 Wednesday, August 18: Up in the Air - R Thursday, August 19: Julie & Julia - PG-13 Friday, August 20: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - PG Visit www.filmfestnih.org
The National Theatre Summer Cinema began a retrospective on legendary Hollywood star Cary Grant in June. The free film series, titled Cary Grant - A Star to Remember - is shown on Monday evenings in the historic theatre’s Helen Hayes Gallery. Tickets for the films are distributed 30 minutes before screening - one ticket per person in line. The next films to be shown will be on: August 16: Charade - co-starring Audrey Hepburn, Water Matthau, George Kennedy & James Coburn
The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film at the National Archives will screen From King to Congress in the William G. McGowan Theater on September 30. The film is about Ambassador Andrew Young’s campaign in 1972 to become the first African American from the deep South to be elected to the U.S. Congress since the Reconstruction. Andrew Young had been one of Martin Luther King’s closest allies during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Charles Guggenheim produced the 52-minute documentary in 1974. After the screening, Ambassador Young and Diane Rehm, host of The Diane Rehm Show on National Public Radio, will discuss the documentary and Young’s distinguished record of service to the nation.
Wolf Trap will present a screening of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the Filene Center on Friday & Saturday, September 10 & 11. The screening of the conclusion of the epic film trilogy will be accompanied by Howard Shore’s Oscar-winning score performed live on stage by a full orchestra and The City Choir of Washington, directed by Artistic Director Robert Shafer. The 2003 movie became the third-highest grossing movie of all time worldwide, winning 11 Oscars and other honors.
