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Gary Tischler • November 23, 2011

When we think of depression-era- and- beyond documentary photography, people probably don’t think of Louise Rosskam, except maybe in context of her better known husband Ed with whom she worked.

You might think, instead of Dorothea Lange perhaps, or Walker Evans and his collaboration with James Agee on “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.”

The Rosskams worked for institutions and corporations like the Farm Security Administration, the Office of War Information, the U.S. Treasury Department, the Standard Oil Company, the Office of Information for Puerto Rico or the New Jersey Department of Education, a client list that might not pique interest or generate excitement.

Yet, “Re-Viewing Documentary: The Photographic Life of Louise Rosskam,” part of a group of eclectic exhibitions currently at American University’s Katzen Arts Center, places Louise Rosskam among her better-known peers and contemporaries, all of whom displayed a photographic eye which mixed technical and professional acumen with empathy, a willingness to see and search for meaning in the image before shooting it.

Rosskam’s subjects in this exhibition of 150 photographs are characteristic of the depression-era imagery that has survived, but also go beyond. She and her husband photographed the lives of migrant workers of the kind which today excite controversy and unkind, resentful hearts. Back in the 1920s and 30s they were part of a landscape which included thousands upon thousands of workers—migrant and otherwise—sweating to barely keep food on the table. They traveled all over the country, to New Jersey and to Vermont and to California photographing the people.

There is also a lengthy, generous sampling of their study of life in Puerto Rico during the Depression and after, a land not much looked at in those times and often misunderstood, a U.S. “possession,” not a state. These were times of political stirring, but they were also hard times of poverty and suffering for the poor.

Documentary photography was the province of books, the journalism of photographic essays or case studies, a role that would soon be taken over by television imagery which cares little for emotional power and lot more for talk and melodrama. But in Rosskam’s photos, you can learn more than lifetime’s intake of travel posters—you get the soul of Puerto Rico with her photographs of sugar refineries, a portrait of the family of demonstrators killed in Ponce, framed by a wall full of bullet holes.

More startling, sad and refreshing are her photographs of a Southwest Washington neighborhood in the early 1940s and 1950s which lost its tone and character with the onset of urban renewal projects. Included in this section are haunting color images of Shulman’s Market, a red-brick corner deli with big, red Coca Cola signs, adults and children hanging by the store door, or sitting on stoops in the apartments in the neighborhood.

The powerful accompanying book by Laura Katzman and Beverly W. Brannan is a richly detailed volume that opens up further details on the remarkable careers and lives of the Rosskams, and of Louise in particular, who cared little about personal credit but a lot about the subjects they both photographed.

If you want to know what Louise Rosskam brought to the photographic, documentary table, nothing explains it better than Louise Rosskam herself: “When I got a camera in my hands, I know that I wanted to take a nicely balanced picture, with a theme….but I wanted to get people to understand what that woman holding that child, without enough to eat, felt; and therefore I waited before I took the picture—till the ultimate of her emotions seemed to show, and then quickly got a picture…I wanted to feel that, and get other people to feel it.”

You can see from her photographs at the Katzen exhibition that she got it right.

(“Re-Viewing Documentary: The Photographic Life of Louise Rosskam” is at the Katzen Arts Center through Dec. 14.)

Georgetowner •

Albrecht Muth, the man who was charged last August with the murder of his wife, Viola Drath, a Georgetown resident, announced in last Friday’s hearing that he will represent himself in the trail, according to a release issued by the Drath family.

He continued to assert that his involvement with the Iraqi army lead to his wife’s murder. He is currently being held without bail.

According to the Georgetown Patch, at the end of the hearing, Muth asked Judge Russell F. Canan to note that if he dies in jail, his body should be released to the military and that he would begin an “unlimited fast” Sunday night.

Another status conference is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2012 and the trial is scheduled to begin almost a year from now on Oct. 1, 2012.

The complete statement issued by the Drath family read: “We learned in court today that Albrecht Gero Muth will be representing himself, which he has every right to do. We are grateful for the continued
hard work of the Metropolitan Police Department. We hope that justice is
served.”

To read past coverage of the case, click here

Kyle Lundberg • November 10, 2011

Georgetown will see massive street closures and parking restrictions this weekend through Halloween. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, these restrictions are subject to change. On Sunday, the Marine Corp. Marathon will wind its way through Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. From 7:30 until about 10:45 a.m., the following roads will be closed:

GWMP from Spout Run to Key Bridge off ramp (one northbound lane will remain open)

Francis Scott Key Bridge

Canal Road NW from M Street NW to Reservoir Road NW

Reservoir Road NW from MacArthur Blvd. NW to Canal Road NW

MacArthur Blvd. NW from Foxhall Road NW to Reservoir Road NW

Foxhall Road NW from Canal Road NW to MacArthur Boulevard N

M Street NW from Canal Road NW to Wisconsin Avenue N

Wisconsin Avenue from M Street NW to K Street NW

K Street NW from Wisconsin Avenue NW to Rock Creek

On Halloween, parking restrictions will be in effect from 4 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The following roads will be affected:

K St, NW from 30th Street to Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Water Street, NW from 33rd Street to the Mouth of the Capital Crescent Trail

1000 – 1300 Blocks of Wisconsin Ave. NW

M Street NW, from 25th Street to the Key Bridge

1100 block of 26th Street NW

Thomas Jefferson St.– 1000 block (From the canal north to M Street)

Restrictions will be posted at least 72 hours in advance.

Beginning on Halloween at 6:30 p.m. and lasting until 4 a.m., the following streets will be closed to through traffic:

1000 block of Grace Street NW

1000 block of Thomas Jefferson Street NW

1000-1500 blocks of 29th Street NW

1000 -1500 blocks of 30th Street NW

1200-1300 blocks of Potomac Street NW

1200-1500 blocks of 27th Street NW

1200-1500 blocks of 28th Street NW

1200-1600 blocks of 33rd Street NW

1200-1700 blocks of 34th Street NW

1500 32nd Street NW

1600-1700 blocks of 35th Street NW

2600-3100 blocks of Dumbarton Street NW

2600-3100 blocks of P Street NW

2600-3600 blocks of O Street NW

2700-3600 blocks of N Street NW

2700 block of Poplar Lane NW

2700-2900 blocks of Olive Street NW

• 3100 Block of Blues Alley

• 3100 Block of Oak Alley NW

• 3100 Block of South Street NW

• 3200-3400 Q Street NW

• 3200 Block of Cecil Place NW

• 3200-3600 blocks of Prospect Street NW

• 3300-3400 blocks of Dent Place NW

• 3300 blocks of Cady’s Alley NW

• 900 Block30th Street NW

From 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Halloween, metal barricades will be erected along the sidewalks of 3100-3200 blocks of M Street, NW and 1000-1200 blocks of Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
The Metro has also scheduled major track work for the rail system this weekend. The Red Line will be reduced to a single track from Union Station to DuPont Circle. On the Green Line, the Metro will shut down the Waterfront, Navy Yard, Anacostia and Congressional Heights stations. The Orange Line will share one track between New Carrollton and Cheverly.

If you wish to brave the chaos, there will be several events to occupy your time. In addition to the Marathon, the Washington International Horse Show will run through Sunday at the Verizon Center. In Georgetown, L2 Lounge will celebrate the holiday with its L2 Air Halloween Party on Saturday at 9 p.m., and Tudor Place will host its Historic Halloween Spooktacular Trick or Treat on Monday. For more information on events and the best ways to avoid the crowds, go to the Georgetown BID website, GeorgetownDC.com.

Georgetowner • November 7, 2011

Friday, Nov. 4

St. Mark Orthodox Church Ethnic Food Festival & Bazaar

The Ethnic Food Festival serves homemade Russian food specialties such as piroghi, piroshky, halupki, blini, borscht, Chicken Kiev, kielbasa and side dishes. Candy desserts and drinks are available. Dine in or carry out. Shop for religious books, baked goods or Silpada jewelry. Visit the raffle and silent auction or take a church tour. Free admission and 10 percent discounts on meals for seniors. The festival is open Friday through Sunday at 11 a.m. Call 301-229-6300 for more information. St.
Mark Orthodox Church is located at 7124 River Road in Bethesda, Md. 20817.

Artist Reception: Sweet Tides Artworks by Alison Hall Cooley

A D.C. native, Alison Hall Cooley’s work depicts the natural world using overlapping techniques. Her show titled “Sweet Tides” is on view at Thos. Moser’s D.C. Showroom through December 31, 2011. She also has annual shows in Nantucket. Cooley studied at Sarah Lawrence College and continued at the Corcoran School of Art in D.C. She has also won several awards, including the Charles C. McDougall Award for Promising New Artists, and has been printed in several publications. The reception takes place at 6 p.m. at Thos. Moser’s D.C. Showroom, 3300 M St. NW. Call 202-965-4601 for more information.

Saturday, Nov. 5

The Vices that Made Virginia

Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture presents an “outdoor celebration of the region’s finest farmers and food artisans.” The fundraiser will take place on the historic site of the Arcadia Farms Woodland. Enjoy and evening filled with the best commodities Virginia has to offer prepared by some of the best chefs in the business. The proceedings of this event will go to the Arcadia Center for Sustainable food & Agriculture and their continued work. The event begins at 4 p.m. at Arcadia at Woodlawn, 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, Va. 22309. Tickets are $125. Email info@arcadiafood.org for more information.

Fashion Show and After Party with Tim Gunn

Westfield Annapolis is hosting a fashion show and after party with Project Runway co-host Tim Gunn at the Nordstrom Court. Guests that have purchased a Lucky Brand product over $100 between Oct. 30 and Nov. 5 get the opportunity to be photographed with Tim Gunn and receive a signed copy of his NY Times best seller “Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work.” Nordstrom Court is located at 2002 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis, Md. 21401. The event begins at 1 p.m. and is free. Call 410-266-5432 for more information.

Sunday, Nov. 6

National Race to End Women’s Cancer 8K/1 Mile Walk

Did you know that D.C. has the highest ovarian cancer mortality rate in the nation? The National Race to End Women’s Cancer 8K/1Mile Walk on Sunday at 9 a.m. will raise awareness and crucial research funding to prevent, detect, tread and defeat these “below the belt” cancers – cervical, endometrial, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulval – that are not often talked about but that claim a woman’s live every 7 minutes. The race will begin at Freedom Plaza on 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Participation costs $40 for the 8/K and $30 for the 1 Mile Walk.

American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Presents “Orchestral Brilliance”

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center presents the American Youth Philharmonic with Daniel Spalding, Music Director & Conductor. Jeffery Jacob, piano, appears as a guest artist. A pre-concert lecture will be held at 2:30 p.m. with Jacob. The program includes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80, Jacob: Wanderer Fantasy for Piano and Large Orchestra (Symphony No. 4) and the world premiere of Kodlay: Hary Janos Suite. The event will take place at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall, 3001 N. Beauregard St. Alexandria, Va. 22331 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Call 703-642-8051 for more information.

Jeff Malet • November 3, 2011

Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker, Jr., USN (Ret) and the staff of the US Navy Memorial place a wreath at the statue of the Lone Sailor in Washington DC on Tuesday August 9, 2011, in honor of Navy SEALs Team Six killed in action. More than 20 Navy SEALs from SEAL Team Six were among those killed the previous Friday in a helicopter crash flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. SEAL Team Six was the unit that carried out the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in his Pakistan hideout. [gallery ids="100257,106909,106913" nav="thumbs"]

Gary Tischler •

“You’re going to see a lot of uniforms tonight,” a Kennedy Center rep told us before we joined the rest of the audience for “9/11: 10 Years Later, An Evening of Remembrance and Reflection” at the Concert Hall Thursday evening.

Indeed there were. The audience and the stage were resplendent with the presence of firemen, first responders and policemen from the area, as well as military personnel from all branches of the services. We all gathered for the grandest of music, the saddest of strings, plain and simple words from poets, the words of the men and women who wrote the stories to describe that history-changing, horrible and shocking day ten years ago.

Everyone—the dignitaries, three former Secretaries of State, the horn blower, the singers, the musicians and the attendant men and women in uniform, the flag bearers among them—were in a great company of ghosts that went beyond the 2,000 or so seats in the concerts. The ghosts were the losses of 9/11 and all their loved ones and Americans the country over who witnessed their destruction in one way or another.

If the occasion and the concert did not alleviate the pain of the memories, the music, words and company were salve for the soul, and the pomp—a full orchestra amid hanging, spectacular curtains and flags —certainly suited the circumstances.

Everyone wore some form black or gray, even actress Melissa Leo who recited two touching and plain-spoken poems, although she was all in satin and sparkles befitting an Oscar winner. Former Secretary of States Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and Condoleeza Rice all read from news reports of the time. A trio of first responders recalled in halting and vivid words their own experiences in the midst of soot and calamity.

On the tenth anniversary, those things deserved and needed to be remembered. The Kennedy Center had put on two previous such concerts, one in the immediate aftermath to soothe a shocked nation, another a year later. The homegrown, superstar soprano Denyce Graves, who sang at the second concert, appeared again in regal style, singing an old spiritual, “City Called Heaven.”
The National Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of John Mauceri, performed “Adagio for Strings,” the most stirring, powerfully sad funeral and grieving music of the day.

Emmylou Harris, her hair as white as prophet now, sang a work by Stephen Foster, the 19th Century’s musical pop poet of America, a work with the ironic (for an audience keenly aware that President Barack Obama had just given a jobs speech in hard times in front of a Joint Session of Congress only moments ago) title of “Hard Times Come Again No More.”

Then it was Leonard Cohen, another American songwriter-poet, whose “Hallelujah” could be called a triumphant lament, a song which got an impassioned workout by Raul Esperanza who went searching for every feverish emotion in the lyrics and found them, and perhaps a few more.

But it was jazz trumpeter and jazz icon Wynton Marsalis who struck a balance, remembering and looking ahead, then and now with a muted horn and trumpet. He walked on stage early in the proceedings, but it was the archangel like blast of the trumpet that you heard first, and he moved across the stage like a wounded older man, the trumpet emitting at times shrieking anguish before settling for calls to heaven and the community. Returning near evening’s end, the tone was jauntier, the trumpet fairly bounded with sounds that encouraged hopeful dancing, high-stepping, looking back a little, but insisting there was a dance to be danced and songs to be sung yet.

It was the tone that was perfect for now: honor the memory each and every one of the lost ones honor the bravery of that day that erupted spontaneously out of character, but look ahead, for these are times in need of a hopeful future.

Georgetowner •

Obituary by Gary Tischler, article by Zachariah Weaver and Kyle Lundberg

If there are a billion iPads in the world, then they all must have lit up Wednesday evening with the news, spread through social media wildfire, that Steve Jobs, the great guru of all things tech, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.

They say that the news was not unexpected. Everyone knew that Steve Jobs, the man of Apple, the man of Pixar, the iFather, was dying for some time now. We knew it was a real possibility three months ago when Jobs, looking gaunt with his rich hair long gone, announced his resignation as CEO of Apple, the company he had co-founded, the company that had fired him, the company he had brought back from economic disaster.

Jobs had been suffering from pancreatic cancer and other diseases for years and yet, during the hardest, most difficult times of his illnesses, he threw out to the world like a painter dashing off masterpieces, the iPhone and the iPad, both revolutionary little computers that contained the world.

Expected or not, his death still came as a shock to the world of Apple, Windows, and Microsoft, which is full of people who had drunk deeply from Job’s vision. They weren’t just users, they were passionate adherents, and in that world, he was not just a rock star; he was Elvis, the Beatles and the Stones rolled into one. The Apple people carried the tools of a new world with a half-eaten logo on them, identifiers like a priest’s white collar. Not since Eve had words with Adam has an apple been so important in the world.

President Barack Obama placed Jobs among “the greatest American innovators—brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.” Bill Gates, Microsoft cofounder, and Jobs’ chief rival in terms of fame, money and impact, said that “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.”

The playwright Mike Daisey, an admitted Mac fanatic and author of “The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,” a conflicted and critical take on Jobs and his use of China labor, said “I think it is heartbreaking today. I think we’ll never know how much we have lost.”

There was a dark side to Jobs that is historical—the battles within the company, labor issues, his need to control, his fanatic attention to detail, the way some Jobs inventions tended to make previous versions obsolete to the point where they didn’t work. But in the 20th and 21st century, he was a lot like other American inventive geniuses—Edison, for instance, and Henry Ford, and probably Walt Disney, with all three blessed with brilliant marketing skills. They understood the American desire for stuff, for new things, for the shiny as well as the pragmatic and the creative. Jobs, with his creations, made us want things we didn’t know we needed.

But all other things aside, he was an artist and in public, Jobs, who helped create Pixar, something Disney might have been proud of, expressed himself in artistic, philosophic terms. He said he wanted “to marry technology with liberal arts and humanities to make our hearts sing.”

In the end, he had his own impending death covered: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Yesterday and today, flowers and shrines started popping up at Apple stores all over the country. In a political and economic atmosphere where CEO’s are not the most popular people in America, Jobs got this sign: “We love you Steve.”

Outside the Apple store in Georgetown, the mood is quiet, even reverent. Even the few media types, armed with their cameras and notepads, don’t seem much like talking. They act as if they are attending a funeral. In the corner of the front entrance, to the side of the wide, swinging double doors, lies a humble shrine dedicated to Steve Jobs. Jobs, who died yesterday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, leaves behind a legacy as one of the most influential people in human history.

Jobs almost single-handedly created the modern technological climate that we live in every day. As Fortune Managing Editor Andy Serwer once put it, he was a “once-in-a-century innovator.” Where would this generation be without their iPods, iPhones, and iPads, not to mention the internet? Some people might forget that Jobs’ computer firm, Next, created technology that was used to create the World Wide Web. And one would be remiss in remembering Jobs to forget his hand in the rise of successful computer-animation company Pixar who, under his leadership, was able to grow from a struggling company into an international media powerhouse.

But here, on the streets of Georgetown, the size of the shrine does little to match the stature of the man for whom it is built. Several ancient Macintosh Pro monitors line the makeshift monument, relics from another age, pulled from basements and attics and dusted off; their floppy drives a testament to how quickly the pace of technology marches on. There are a couple of flower bouquets, a few candles and, in the middle of it all, a bright green apple. On the silver back of an old iPod, a fan has written “Steve Jobs: RIP.” Most of the young people walking by the shop stop, just for a few moments, to take a picture of the humble little tribute with their iPhones. More than most people in history, Steve Jobs may have achieved true immortality.

Gary Tischler •

When you talk to the singer Madeleine Peyroux on the phone, her voice is low, soft, as if she were standing behind a curtain.

That seems like an apt thought—most of the things you learn about Peyroux (pronounced Peru) tend to always return home to words and music, music and words, the songs she sings, the influences, the words she writes.

Peyroux, who performed at the Music Center at Strathmore in September and has a new, highly-original album, “Standing on the Rooftop,” is hard to pigeon hole or categorize. When you tell her that, she seems pleased.

“I don’t think I’m ever any one thing, one sound, one kind of music. You evolve, you grow, you change, and you challenge yourself. At least I hope that’s what I do,” she said. Now in her thirties, the Georgia native made an early splash with her album, “Dreamland,” which was countered a few years later with “Careless Love,” a work full of contrary influences, adventuresome singing and songs you couldn’t get out of your head for the longest of times, including the title tune.

Most of the songs on that album were by others, including Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Gene Austin, Hank Williams, George Cory and William C. Handy. The album also carries a quote from poet Dylan Thomas,”but for the lovers, their arms around the griefs of the ages” and is dedicated to “poets, writers of these songs, memorable people of memorable times such as these, wherever you are.”

She’s variously described as a jazz singer, a hippie, a contemporary folk singer, a modern Billie Holliday. Inevitably, writers are left with the idea that she might not be any of these things or she’s all of these things.

“Style is not so easy to define,” she says. “When I was younger my mother and I moved to Paris, and it was very hard to adapt musically.” Peyroux started a group of her own, and often resorted to doing what’s called the “busker” scene, singers and musicians whom you can find on street corners all over Paris. Even the photographs of her in the “Careless Love” album have some of that restless, carnival quality to them, a mime’s striped slacks, derby hat, suspenders or vests, or in another, a big flowing gown, all of them have a troubadour quality to them.

Bob Dylan is a big influence with her—“You can’t help but be attracted to his work, his words, especially his song writing,” she said. “He is foremost a poet and that never changes.”

Listen to her singing, you can hear the blues, the after-hours voice, the sad epiphanies of loss and wandering, but it changes too. You know in there is a trumpet that hasn’t been exercised yet, a shout or two.

“That’s nice,” she says, then rattles off Cohen, the two Dylans (Bob and Thomas), Odetta and Bessie Smith and a host of others, including Charlie Chaplin as influences.

Her first bout of fame was with her street band, the Riverboat Shufflers, after which she joined (at age 16) a group called “The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band,” and eventually she got an album in 1996 with Atlantic, no less, singing covers of Patsy Cline, Bessie Smith and Edith Piaf songs.

And then, (and now) she did something completely different: “Bare Bones” and the current “Standing on the Rooftop,” in which a goodly number of the songs have either been written solely by herself or in collaboration with others. “It was a leap but it was something I think I’ve been working towards, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

“The Kind You Can’t Afford” was co-written with Rolling Stoner Bill Wyman, “The Things I’ve Seen Today” and “Fickle Love” were written with Jenny Scheinman. Best of all is the fun, feisty “Don’t Pick a Fight with a Poet,” a lighter touch here, and perhaps most haunting is “Martha My Dear,” an old Beatles tune.

Peyroux is both a new self—daring in “Lay Your Sleeping Head My Love,” a sometimes quirky piece with difficult and original music by Marc Ribot based on a poem by W.H. Auden—with her own writing, and still in touch with her base—a Dylan (Bob) song called “I Threw It All Away.”

But she’s still just about impossible to classify.

She likes that.

But we’ll give it a shot.

She’s as close to a true poet as we have today in the music world. Her voice is a poet’s voice. And all the songs—hers and others—end up being poems that your memory will quote later as if by heart.

Georgetowner •

Dixie Liquor Beer Tasting

Dixie Liquor is hosting a tasting of New Belgium Beers on Friday and Saturday Oct. 7 and 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. Sample Fat Tire Amber Ale, perhaps one of the most anticipated beer arrivals in recent memory, Ranger IPA, Trippel, and Hoptober, a seaonal Octoberfest beer among others. For more information, visit www.dixieliquordc.com. Dixie Liquor is located at 3429 M Street, NW.

The Washington Harbour: Pet Adoption Event

The Georgetown office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is partnering with Operation Paws for Homes to host Pet Adoption day at the Washington Harbour outside the Coldwell Bander office Saturday, Oct. 8 from 12 to 4 p.m. Dogs of all ages and breeds will be brought out to find new homes. To see many of the dogs that are up for adoption, visit www.ophrescue.org and go to the “Adoptable Dogs” section, then request to meet it at the event. For more information, call 202-333-6100.

Downtown NY Film Series: screening of Downtown 81

On Oct. 9 at 4 p.m., the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design will be presenting a screening of Downtown 81 as part of The Downtown NY Film Series curated by local DJ Adrian Loving. The event is inspired by 30 Americans, which begins on October 1 and showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades. For more information, visit www.corcoran.org 500 Seventeenth St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20006.

Harvest Celebration Weekend at Willowcroft

As the grape harvest comes to a close, the Harvest Celebration Weekend at Willowcroft is a two-day wine and dine event not to be missed. Tour the breathtaking vineyards and feast on local fare. Willowcroft Farm Vineyards will also feature complimentary wine tastings. The festivities will run Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sunday, Oct, 9 from 12 to 5 p.m. For more details, visit www.willowcroftwine.com. 38906 Mt Gilead Rd., Leesburg, Va., 20175.

India Olchefske •

The hidden Letelier Theater on Prospect Street will host the annual Home Movie Day on Saturday Oct. 15, 2011 from 12 to 4 p.m. to promote the craft and preservation of home movie making.

This event part of a larger worldwide day hosted by The Center for Home Movies in order to “provide the opportunity for individuals and families to see and share their own home movies with an audience of their community, and to see their neighbors’ in turn” according the website.

Caitlyn McGrath, a film historian, moved to D.C. and was surprised to see that Home Movie Day was not celebrated. She began calling different theaters and finally found Letelier Theater which was happy to host the event. The goal is to allow people to see their home video without buying a projector, she said. She expects event goers will “run the gamut.” The event is “flexible and open,” she said. One can “stay for a half an hour and leave.”

Neighbors will have the opportunity to not only show their home videos (8mm, Super8mm or 16mm films) but also learn how to preserve their film. There will be “silly” games like bingo to keep the visitors entertained.

The romanticism of 20th century home movies is what inspired this event. The Center for Home Movies dismisses any claims of “the mistaken idea that their new digital copies would last forever and the “obsolete” films could be discarded” the website said, “the original films are often carefully shot in beautiful, vibrant color—which may not be captured in a lower-resolution video transfer.”