Weekend Round Up January 31, 2013
• February 4, 2013

“Authors on Deck” – Churchill and Sea Power by Christopher Bell

January 31st, 2013 at 12:00 PM | Free | Tel: 202-737-2300 | Event Website

As part of the United States Navy Memorial’s “Authors on Deck” book lecture series, author Christopher Bell will present his latest work, Churchill and Sea Power (Oxford University Press, 2012). Bell addresses a surprisingly neglected aspect of Winston Churchill’s career: his attitude to sea power.

Following his presentation, Bell will be available for a Q&A session and book signing.

Address

United States Navy Memorial, Naval Heritage Center; 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Parish Gallery Georgetown: “Through the Years” Group of Gallery Artists

February 1st, 2013 at 06:00 PM | parishgallery@bigplanet.com | Tel: 202 944 2310 | Event Website

This opening reception entitled “Through the Years” features a group o gallery artist that at one point had shown at The Parish Gallery. Over the past 21 years, The Parish Gallery have shown so many exciting and talented artist. This exhibition the gallery will be showing both mid-career and masters.

Address

Parish Gallery

1054 31st Street, NW

Choral Evensong

February 3rd, 2013 at 05:00 PM | Free | diana@christchurchgeorgetown.org | Tel: 202-333-6677

Christ Church, Georgetown, continues its Choral Evensong series on Sunday,February 3 at 5 p.m. with the music of Philip Radcliffe, Herbert W. Sumsion, and Edward C. Bairstow. Sung by the professional Choir of Christ Church, this series is free and open to the public as a gift to the community.

Address

Christ Church, Georgetown

31st and O Streets, N.W.

Turn Up the Heat! Annual Gala

February 4th, 2013 at 06:30 PM | Tickets start at $275 | ocna@ovariancancer.org | Tel: 202-331-1332 | Event Website

Join the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance for an evening of delicious food that helps raise awareness of ovarian cancer and support programs for women with the devastating disease. We are once again teaming up with dozens of celebrated women chefs from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Our 8th Annual Gala highlights the best of these chefs’ talents and raises funds for ovarian cancer.

Address

Ritz Carlton, 1150 22nd St NW

14th Annual Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival

February 5th, 2013 at 04:00 PM | $75-$125 | sgregory@webportglobal.com | Tel: 202-312-1300 | Event Website

With our increasingly knowledgeable consumer base, the 2013 Festival will be extended over several days and will include seminars, tastings, food pairings, dinners, and a signature event each evening. Our goal is to provide guests with multiple, focused opportunities to sample high quality food and wine, meet and greet winemakers, chefs and tastemakers, and continue our tradition of sharing the art, culture and fun of food and wine.

Address

1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Straight Talk With Liz Ann Sonders

February 6th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | Free | john.welch@edelman.com | Tel: 800-750-9539 | Event Website

Liz Ann Sonders, Schwab’s Chief Investment Strategist, takes a look at what she sees on the horizon for the markets and economy in 2013. She will share her perspective on changes coming out of Washington and the impact they may have on individual investors, especially for those nearing or in retirement. This video presentation will be followed by a branch-led discussion.

Address

7401 Wisconsin Ave, Suite #100; Bethesda, MD 20814

CAG: 4th Annual Georgetown Art Show

February 7th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | Tel: 202-368-5878 | Event Website

CAG (Citizens Association of Georgetown) invites all to celebrate and view the talent and creativity of Georgetown resident artists at CAG’s 4th Annual Georgetown Art Show. Free to the public, the show will launch with an opening reception on Thursday, February 7th from 6 to 9 p.m. and will be open from Friday, February 8th thru Sunday, February 10th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the House of Sweden (2900 K Street, NW). CAG’s unique show will feature artwork by local Georgetown residents and artists who have studios in Georgetown. Media will include oil and watercolor paintings, prints, sculpture and photography. Most works will be for sale, with a few on loan from private collections. Click here for more about the show.

Address

House of Sweden

2900 K Street NW

‘House of Cards’: Familiar D.C. Backdrops, New Way to Pay and View
•

Washington D.C. has long provided great location backdrops for films and TV series, whether it be “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “National Treasure” or “West Wing.”

The latest series located in D.C. to watch is the new Netflix original series, “House of Cards,” which premieres Friday, Feb. 1, exclusively on the online streaming service. It may be familiar ground but the way viewers see the series is innovative.

Netflix is releasing all 13 episodes of the first season at one time so that viewers can watch them at their own leisure. The success of the House of Cards could change the how people watch television.

The remake of the BBC miniseries follows House Majority Whip Francis Underwood, played by Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey, on his quest for revenge against the newly inaugurated president after being passed over for Secretary of State. The cast also includes Robin Wright as Spacey’s wife, along with Kate Mara and Corey Stoll. Behind the scenes, David Fincher (“Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”) and Beau Willimon (“Ides of March”) portray the darker side of Washington.

Filmed in Maryland, “House of Cards” reportedly cost Netflix $100 million to produce, and the company has already guaranteed 26 episodes of the gripping political thriller. The aim is to draw subscribers in with exclusive, original content they can’t view anywhere else as opposed to paying for more expensive premium cable channels.

As with many TV shows or films set in D.C. there was the obligatory social scene premiere with stars, local politicos and media — this time at the Newseum Jan. 29.

Weekend Round Up January 24, 2013
• January 28, 2013

Lecture and Book Signing by Jodi Daynard, author of ‘The Midwife’s Revolt’

January 24th, 2013 at 07:00 PM | $5.00 | education@dumbartonhouse.org | Tel: 202-337-2288 | Event Website](http://dumbartonhouse.org/events/)

“The Midwife’s Revolt” takes the reader on a journey back to the founding days of America. It traces the path of Lizzie Boylston from her grieving days of widowhood after Bunker Hill to her deepening friendship with Abigail Adams and, finally, to her dangerous work as a spy for the Cause. A novel rich in historical detail, The Midwife’s Revolt opens a window onto the real lives of colonial women.

Address

2715 Q Street, NW

Nick’s Riverside Grill Customer Appreciation Whiskey Event

January 25th, 2013 at 06:00 PM | Free | raquel@nicksriversidegrill.com | [Event Website](http://nicksriversidegrill.com/)

Join Nick’s Riverside Grill (3050 K Street, NW) for a free Customer Appreciation Whiskey Event. Bring your own cigars or purchase some at the restaurant. Whiskey tasting and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided. Amir Peay, owner of Georgetown Trading Company, will be there to introduce his fine collection of small batch Bourbons, Ryes and Irish whiskeys. RSVP to Raquel Mercado at raquel@nicksriversidegrill.com and include “FREE WHISKEY TASTING RSVP” in the email subject.

Address

3050 K Street NW

Capital Wine Festival

January 25th, 2013 at 07:00 PM | $65 | bbaskervill@fairfaxembassyrow.com | Tel: 202 736-1453 | [Event Website](http://www.capitalwinefestival.com/)

The 10-week dinner event kicks off with a grand opening reception on January 25 at 6:30 p.m. which will highlight the 10 wineries sponsoring the event. New this year, the Capital Wine Festival will also feature local wineries, Boxwood Vineyards and Tarara Winery, at the reception reiterating its commitment to “buy local; drink local.”

Address

2100 Prime; 2100 Massachusetts Ave., NW

‘Understanding the Teenage Brain’ a talk by Dr. Ron Clavier, Neuroscientist and Author

January 31st, 2013 at 07:00 PM | $0 | events@­briti­shschoolofwa­shington.­org | Tel: 202-829-3700 | [Event Website](http://britishschoolofwashington.org/)

The British School of Washington will welcome Neuroscientist and Author of Teen Brain Teen Mind, Dr. Ron Clavier, in an exciting program of expert speakers. Dr. Clavier’s insightful and illuminating lecture, Understanding the Teenage Brain, demonstrates that an understanding of the teenage brain is the key to unlocking the mysteries of why teens think and act the way they do.
Address

2001 Wisconsin Ave NW

Darioush Winery Wine Dinner: Capital Wine Festival

January 29th, 2013 at 06:30 PM | $145.00 | bbaskervill@fairfaxembassyrow.com | Tel: 202 736-1453 | Event Website](http://www.capitalwinefestival.com/)

Four-course wine dinner featuring wines of Darioush Winery. Most noted for its Bordeaux-style estate wines, Darioush crafts fine wines from its vineyards located in Napa Valley. Join host Allen Papp and experience this winery’s sensible approach to winemaking. Executive Chef Chris Ferrier will create a customized menu to complement the vintner’s selection for the dinner. Dinner will be served in 2100 Prime, providing an intimate dining experience.
Address

The Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row; 2100 Massachusetts Ave., NW

“Authors on Deck” – Churchill and Sea Power by Christopher Bell

January 31st, 2013 at 12:00 PM | Free | Tel: 202-737-2300 | [Event Website](http://www.navymemorial.org/)

As part of the United States Navy Memorial’s “Authors on Deck” book lecture series, author Christopher Bell will present his latest work, Churchill and Sea Power (Oxford University Press, 2012). Bell addresses a surprisingly neglected aspect of Winston Churchill’s career: his attitude to sea power.

Following his presentation, Bell will be available for a Q&A session and book signing.

Address

United States Navy Memorial; Naval Heritage Center; 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Observing the 57th Inauguration: A Beginning and an End
•

Four years ago, I was huddled and shivering in the press section in front of the dais at the U.S. Capitol, listening to just-sworn-in President of the United States Barrack Hussein Obama. I’d gotten up around four in the morning, navigated two Metro rides, and any number of check points on Capitol Hill to get here. It was my one and only time up so close to it all. This was history, and some part of me insisted. I’ve never regretted the experience, the pictures, the words seeming to come rolling down a mountain toward the multitude.

Like President Obama exiting the dais after giving his second inaugural address, I turned around at some point in the proceedings that day in 2009 and saw the full and mighty, magnitude of a million point three Americans gathered together to bear witness. It was like a sundrenched firmament of thousands of stars, sparkling, buzzing, reverberating, glowing on the mall, and it invaded the mind’s eye as an enduring image and memory.

I didn’t go this time around, four years later. I stayed home—no cold, no Metro, no inaugural balls, no receptions, no up-close and freezing personal. I stayed home and watched the whole thing on television, with my loved one, but we sure didn’t feel alone.

I heard voices all day and night, but especially in the hours and minutes before, during and after the president’s swearing in and his speech, part of the network in this further firmament under a mostly brightly lit sky of blue. It is, of course, a different sort of experience to watch this every-four-years event of renewal and promise of a better future sitting at home watching television. Out on the streets, there is no sense of detail, there are no prominent faces, only crowded cul de sacs and a kind of weight of crowds. At a parade route, or in a building, or even at the Capitol in a press group, once you’re there, that’s where you are.

At home, you get a sense of the totality of the thing, a kind of intimacy of detail and faces as close as their pores—with every shot of the president taking his oath, I began to count the lines in his hands. The voices are loud and clear, (especially inaugural committee chairman Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., introducing people with the glee of a circus barker), the faces like photo stills writ large, the feelings palatable, the details—gloves, high heels, frowns, cowboy hats, wind touching hair, the individualized faces in the crowds, the precision of all things military, a kind of stoic bearing, hats, both noble and silly—Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia managed to look like an official in an entourage of Borgian Rome. There was a surprisingly wintry-looking Bill Clinton, unknowingly peeking out of a shot of singer Kelly Clarkson.

And yet, there is a disconnect—along with the background noise of the paid chattering masses at every network—from the place. You get no sense of the temperature—both in terms of degrees and emotion. The screen is a buffer to the place and the time in the place and space, the raw energy of crowds. What we see is reduced to a kind of drama or ritual, accompanied by the Greek and geek choruses of the media.

But coffee mug sitting alongside me, I was not distanced to the point of nonchalance. Those two bibles, those two daughters, the elder statesmen in the crowd, the exuberance of Vice President Joe Biden who is the kind of man who would talk with a tree if it needed persuading of something, the ruffles and flourishes, the rambling, evocative train-passing pictures of America provided by the poet Richard Blanco, intoning the Whitmanesque “One Today,” James Taylor making a gentle folk song out of “America the Beautiful”, the girlish enthusiasm of Kelly Clarkson after she nailed “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” Beyonce apparently (she is said to have been lip-synching) hitting the high notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” even the cocktail-party atmosphere of the inaugural lunch seemed seamless in the nature of the day.

It seemed to me, watching the president, that he returned to this podium as a renewed and enlarged man, more fully the president than before, a man at home with the bully pulpit who talked again about the future as if it were manageable, a worthy place to move about in and solve problems in a shared venture. He also seemed to be cognizant of the new man on the National Mall, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s memorial which had not been there four years ago, and with it memories of King’s speech and the occasion of his birthday which shared occasion space.

The president, who had been sworn in on two bibles, Abraham Lincoln’s and King’s, contemporized even as he memorialized—there were references to gun control and Newtown, the sparks that galvanized women’s rights, gay rights and the civil rights movement in the South, as one moving tapestry. There were urgings to “respond to the threat of climate change,” referencing the disasters of Sandy. And while he acknowledged that the always growing deficit must be tackled by everyone, he did not stray from his support of the least among us and those without or very little means. “We do not believe that freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few.”

For the word trackers, there is news: he invoked the phrase, “We the people,” many times, to the point of poetry.

In the end, this was a renewed Obama, more secure in the power he wields than when he first took office. For whatever that may portend, he probably will not be quiet. He seemed in that speech like the old Obama, the visualizer of dreams, the conjurer of hope. All this, of course, as so many commentators noted, may end up meaning nothing if he and we get overwhelmed by dust storms stirred in the Middle East, if he and his rivals fail to meet at some critical crossroads and join together—and there are many such occasions coming faster than you can imagine. The bloom of an inaugural, its sweet song and high hopes can disappear in moments. And, too, just as many as thought the speech fine and inspiring, so a large (perhaps even 50 percent) group saw it as a battle hymn of liberalism, a gauntlet, a wiggly line in the sand.

The political analysis that inevitably accompanies such occasions—by statesmen, experts, rogues, fools and hell-benters, not to mention the fashionistas, seems at home like the work of kill-joys, or people who cannot let an image speak for itself, but must caption it, like a two-yard running gain decoded by a two-year-old.

No explaining was needed to observe the first family enjoying themselves on the reviewing stand, first lady Michelle Obama in a state of puckering, the president moving to the beat of marching bands—including that of his old high school, the girls texting, photo-making, teasing each other.

There was way too much talk all day about the first lady’s newly minted bangs, and the expected critiques of her first ball dress, a flaming, but elegant red number, as remarked upon strangely on CNN by a trio made up of anchor Anderson Cooper, Republican consultant Margaret Hoover and Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn.

When the president turned around again one last time at the west side of the Capitol to take in the multitude along the Mall, it helped to know that he said, “I won’t see this again.” We understood what he felt and saw—ourselves turned out for him and the time by the thousands upon thousands. Wherever you were—in the middle of it, at home, in Iowa or New York, or down the street, you felt the beginning of something but also the end.

Bidding on West Heating Plant Set to Begin Jan. 18
• January 22, 2013

Got a half million bucks to get on some serious real estate bidding? It is one of the last major pieces of land in Georgetown available for commercial development. The General Services Administration is ready to get rid of the surplus property, directly south of the C&O Canal and just west of Rock Creek. Bid increments are $200,000. It is assumed you have millions more on hand to continue in GSA’s e-Bay auction which begins Jan. 18 and is slated to end Feb. 19.

The broker in change, Jones Lang Lasalle, touts the building as “Georgetown Heating Plant: A Landmark With Monumental Potential.”

Georgetown developers and citizens have been waiting for this move for at least a year. Along with Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, the Citizens Association of Georgetown has asked for part of the site to be green space, connecting with the canal and creek. Developers and commercial real estate owners, such as the group organized by Richard Levy that envisions Four Season condos in the old Art Deco industrial building, have the money and plans drawn and ready to go.

The 29th Street building itself was the site of a June 19, 2012, House hearing that chided GSA’s slowness in disposing of old and unused government property.

(See Georgetowner article:](https://georgetowner.com/articles/2012/jun/25/congressional-hearing-heating-plant-property-makes-its-point/)

Once you win your bid, what’s next? A monumental clean-up — tearing out pipes and the metal features of the interior with a good detox of the entire structure. And while the views from the rooftop are indeed monumental — the Potomac River directly south, to the east peeks of the National Mall and Watergate, to the north the National Cathedral and just west all of Georgetown before you–there is a concern, voiced a months back by the Washington Post: to the austere 1940s facade may we add windows for any future housing units? No one has given a totally affirmative answer to that important question.

How is how GSA describes its prime property at 1051 29th Street, NW: “The 2.08-acre property is located in the historic Georgetown district of Washington, D.C., and contains one building, a 110-foot tall former heating plant and four large fuel oil storage tanks. A large concrete and stone retaining wall surrounds much of the site consisting of 9,335 rentable square feet over six partial interior floors. The building footprint is approximately 100 feet by 200 feet. The plant contains significant amounts of equipment and piping related to the former steam generation activities. Steam generation activities ceased at the facility in 2000; since then the property has been used for office purposes and as the site of the backup fuel supply for the GSA Central Heating Plant. GSA vacated the facility in May 2012.”

For sales information and online auction assistance, contact Tim Sheckler — 202-401-5806 or [Tim.Sheckler@GSA.gov](mailto:Tim.Sheckler@GSA.gov)

For more information –[www.georgetownheatingplant.com](http://www.georgetownheatingplant.com/).
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Saks Pop-Up Shop at Downtown Ritz-Carlton
•

As part of the Ritz-Carlton’s Inaugural festivities, guests staying at the hotel will be able to shop at a Saks 5th Avenue pop-up shop in the hotel’s lobby. The shop will be offering complimentary appointments with makeup artists from Dior and Chanel. The Saks pop-up will be open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. today through Tuesday.

A stream of fashion-concious people should be expected to flow through the lobby, as the Ritz is hosting the California State Society’s Inaugural Luncheon and Fashion Show tomorrow at 11 a.m.

This Saks store is one of a number of pop-up shops that are in D.C. this weekend. The Georgetown Ritz-Carlton will have a Bloomingdale’s pop-up. Neiman Marcus and Mont-Blanc will both have pop-ups at the St. Regis Hotel.

Appointments can be made by calling 202- 974- 4978.

Business Group Kicks Off 2013 at the George Town Club
•

The Georgetown Business Association held its first board and committee meetings of 2013 Jan. 16 at the George Town Club on Wisconsin Avenue and then kicked back with an “Inaugural Kick-Off Reception” at the Club Room, which filled with members, old and new, and with guests for a lively evening of camaraderie along with food and drink.

In gearing up for this year’s business efforts, the association is calling for volunteers to help with various committee assignments: membership, events, marketing and communications, safety, economic development and small business, governance and legislative.

To serve on any of these committees, contact the Georgetown Business Association, 3233 K St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20007 — 202-640-1279 or e-mail:info@gtownbusiness.com.
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Weekend Round Up January 17, 2013: Inaugural Edition
•

This list of events and inaugural balls, official or otherwise. There are only two official balls, the fewest since the Eisenhower Administration. There will, though, be plenty of events in Georgetown this weekend. Information compiled from news reports, press releases, news wires, websites and e-mails; visit the event’s website for more details.

Saturday, Jan. 19, National Day of Service

On Jan. 21, we will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day (MLK Day), a national holiday during which we honor the legacy of the civil rights leader Dr. King through a day of service and volunteering. This year, MLK Day commemorations will coincide with the 57th Presidential Inauguration. President Barack Obama is asking all citizens to join him in participating in a National Day of Service on Saturday, Jan. 19. President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden will take part in service projects in D.C. area on Jan. 19 as part of the National Day of Service. Check for projects around your neighborhood — http://action.2013pic.org/service.

First-term Retrospective Third Annual Cartoonist Exhibit, presented by Art Soiree Production, Malmaison Restaurant, 3401 Water St., NW.; 8 p.m., $20 (live music by Suspicious Package) — www.TheArt Soiree.com.

Moving America Forward Gala, hosted by Friends of Friends, Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place, 3000 K St. NW; tickets, $150 and up — TonyandJoes.com.

The Generation Now Party, hosted by OurTime.org, National Portrait Gallery, 8th and F Streets, NW; 8 p.m., $150 (John Legend, Jessica Alba and others) — ourtime.org; tickets

The Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball, hosted by the Texas State Society, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Md.; 6 p.m., $250 (Asleep at the Wheel, Josh Abbott Band, Mark Chesnutt, Jack Ingram, Charley Pride and others) — Texasstatesociety.org.

The Bluegrass Ball, hosted by the Kentucky State Society, Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road, NW; $250 (with chef Edward Lee) — Kentuckysociety.org.

Chefs Ball, Art and Soul, Liaison Capitol Hill, 415 New Jersey Ave., NW; chefs Art Smith and Wes Morton will co-chair; 10:30 p.m., $75 —artandsouldc.com.

Disability Community Inaugural Ball, hosted by Disability Power & Pride and the American Association of People with Disabilities; the National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW; 7 p.m., $100 — MyPowerandPride.org.

Florida Inaugural “Sunshine and Stars” Ball, hosted by the Florida State Society, Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. 1301 Constitution Ave., NW; $200 (with dinner, $500) —www.floridainauguralball.com.

Illinois State Society Inaugural Gala, Marriott Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th St., NW; 8:30 p.m., $260 — Illinoisstatesociety.org.

Indiaspora Inaugural Ball, Mandarin Oriental, 1330 Maryland Ave., SW; black tie or Indian formal attire; $250 — Indiaspora.org/inauguration

Jamaican Inaugural Ball, National Education Association Building, 1201 16th St., NW; 8 p.m., $125 — Jamaicaninauguralball.wordpress.com/

National Bar Association Inaugural Legacy Ball, National Air and Space Museum, 600 Independence Ave., SW; 7 p.m., $300 — Nationalbar.org

Sunday, Jan. 20, Formal Swearing-in

As required by the Constitution, the president and vice president will be officially sworn in at noon Sunday, Jan. 20, at the White House. Later on Sunday, there will also be a private reception at the White House.

Navajo Nation Inaugural Reception, Navajo Nation Washington Office, 750 First St., NE; 5 p.m. — www.nnwo.org

Presidential Pearl Gala, hosted by Strategic Alliances USA, Mandarin Oriental, 1330 Maryland Ave., SW; 6 p.m., $250 (Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus) — www.PearlGala2013.com

Virginia Inaugural Ball, hosted by the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Arlington County Democratic Committee, Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel, 801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, Va.; 7 p.m. (Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Terry McAuliffe, a candidate for governor)

American Inaugural Benefit Gala, hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Presidential Inaugural Committee, Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th St., NW; 7 p.m., $100 — musliminauguralgala.
eventbrite.com

Georgia State Society Inaugural Gala, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York
Ave., NW; 7 p.m., $150 — www.georgiastatesociety.org

Garden State Inaugural Gala, sponsored by the New Jersey State Society and N.J. companies, unions and associations, Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Ave., NW (portions of ticket price go to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy); 7:30 p.m., $225 — www.njss.org

Maryland Democratic Party Inaugural Gala, Gaylord National Hotel, 201 Waterfront St., National Harbor, Md.; 8 p.m., $225 — www.mddems.org/inaugural

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Inaugural Ball, the Sphinx Club at Franklin Square, 1315 K St., NW; 8 p.m., $250 — www.hbcugala.com

Arkansas State Society of Washington, D.C., Inaugural Gala, sponsored by James Lee Witt Associates, Tyson, Walmart, Entergy, Baxter, Alltel and Windstream Communications, National Press Club, 529 14th St., NW, 13th floor; 8 p.m., $150 to $200 — www.arkansas-state-society.org

Rhythm and Blues Reloaded Inaugural Ball, hosted by DEC support Consulting Inc., George, 3251 Prospect St., NW; $75 — www.randbreloaded.com

Green Inaugural Ball, Newseum, 5554 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 7 p.m., $400 to $1,000 — www.nwf.org/2013-Green-Inaugural-Ball.aspx.

African American Church Inaugural Ball, Washington Grand Hyatt, 1000 H St., NW; 7 p.m., $300 — www.aacib.com.

All American Inaugural Ball, Hyatt Regency, Capitol Hill. 400 New Jersey Ave., NW; 9 p.m., $175 — allamericanball.com.

American Indian Inaugural Ball, hosted by the American Indian Society of Washington, Crystal Gateway Marriott, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va.; 6 p.m., $140 — www.aisball2013.com.

The Dream Moving Foward Inaugural Gala, presented by the Sovereignty Group, Howard Theatre, 620 T St., NW (Patti Labelle, Angela Bassett, Cicely Tyson, Hill Harper, Dick Gregory, Omarosa Manigault, Rock Newman and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts); 7:30 p.m., $200 — http://thesovgroup.com.

Latino Inaugural, Kennedy Center, 2700 F St., NW (Raúl Esparza, José Feliciano, Juan Diego Flórez, Melanie Griffith, George Lopez, Mario Lopez, Rita Moreno, Chita Rivera, Robert Rodriguez and Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner); 7 p.m., Opera House, $300, Eisenhower Theater, $150 — Latinoinaugural2013.org.

The Peace Ball: Voices of Hope and Resistance, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater,1101 6th St., SW (Amy Goodman, Katrina vanden Heuval, Ralph Nader, Alice Walker, Van Jones, Nicole Lee, Avis Jones-DeWeever, Julian Bond and Marian Wright Edelman); $135.

Pennsylvania Society Inaugural Gala, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society of Washington, the Ritz-Carlton, 1150 22nd St., NW — www.pastatesociety.com/

Monday, Jan. 21, Inauguration Day/MLK Day

President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend services at St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, 16th and H streets, NW. Later, the president and vice president will arrive at the U.S. Capitol to take the public oath of office on the west steps of the Capitol. (Obama and Biden will already have been formally sworn-in at a private ceremony on Jan. 20). After the ceremony and inaugural address, there is a lunch for the president and vice president with members of the Congress in Statuary Hall. After that begins the Inaugural Parade on Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House reviewing stands — the president leading the way. That evening, the Obamas and the Bidens will attend the two official Inaugural Balls at the Washington Convention Center. (In January 2009, there were 10 official balls).

The Inaugural Ball “will bring all participants under one roof, but will span throughout the Washington Convention Center itself and will offer general and VIP options for donors,” according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee. All tickets are taken.

Commander in Chief’s Ball, Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW; free for all guests — active duty and reserve servicemembers, Medal of Honor recipients and others.

Native Nations Inaugural Ball, National Museum of the American Indian. Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, SW; 7 p.m., $1,000 (includes morning inaugural viewing reception) — nmai.si.edu/inauguralball/

Tennessee State Society Inaugural Ball, the Sphinx Club, 1315 K St., NW; 8 p.m., $160 — www.tnstatesociety.org/events.cfm](http://www.tnstatesociety.org/events.cfm)

George Washington University Inaugural Ball, Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St., NW; 8 p.m., $100 to $150 — [inauguralball.gwu.edu/](http://inauguralball.gwu.edu/)

Ambassadors Inaugural Ball, “Promoting International Peace, Unity & Diplomacy,” co-hosted by more than 30 ambassadors, including those of Botswana, Cyprus, Denmark, Guyana, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Oman, Trinidad and Tobago, Carnegie Library, Mount Vernon Square, 801 K St., NW; 7 p.m., $250 — [www.ambassadorsinauguralball.com](http://www.ambassadorsinauguralball.com/).

Environmental and Clean Energy Inaugural Ball, hosted by the the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Sequoia Restaurant, 3000 K St., NW (Washington Harbour); 8 p.m., $200 (Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will attend.) — [www.environmentalball.org](http://www.environmentalball.org/).

The Creative Coalition Inaugural Ball and Benefit, Harman Center for the Arts, 610 F St., NW; 9 p.m. (Co-hosts include Tim Daly, Kirsten Dunst, Ashley Greene, Chelsea Handler, Connie Britton, Paula Abdul, Alfre Woodard, Omar Epps, Marlon Wayans, David Arquette, Richard Schiff and Wayne Knight among others.) — [thecreativecoalition.org/](http://thecreativecoalition.org/)

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Postal Worker Meets President
• January 18, 2013

U.S. postal worker Gary Varner ran into former President Bill Clinton as he made his rounds on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Clinton, who had Secret Service agents with him, was walking along O Street and was more than happy to meet Varner.

Caps Guy Is Back, Overlooking the River
•

Almost as soon as the inflatable Santa Claus left the roof of his Prospect Street house, homeowner Jack Davies inflated a huge hockey player on the same spot.

“I decided to break out the ‘Caps Guy’ to mark the start of the new hockey season and the excitement felt by Caps fans that hockey is back,” said Davies, who owns part of the team. “The shortened 48-game regular season will create a playoff-like sense of urgency from the opening game on Jan. 19 until the conclusion of the regular season at the end of April. I am hopeful about returning ‘Caps Guy’ to my roof at that time for what I hope will be a long playoff run.