A Weekend Alive With Music: Volta Park, Adams Morgan, Embassy Series
• May 21, 2014

The old saying or song is wrong: it’s not always fair weather. Once again, the world is on fire and drowning. Once again, it takes a change in the air, and a song or two to come with it, to make the next week seem promising again.

During the week, the news was again full of streams overflowing, rivers running through it and by it, with yet another local outburst of storms and flooding here and there along the Potomac as in the days before.

This time, the misery was shared by the world, where floods tore through the Balkans, otherwise known as Serbia, Croatia and other places that once made up the no-longer-in-existence nation of Yugoslavia.

Out in California, wildfires raged and destroyed in one of the more affluent pieces of real estate in the state, down in San Diego, burning homes in the arid countryside and hills.

It made me think of the old James Taylor song—“I’ve seen fire, and I’ve seen rain…..”

Taylor made music, and it was music—and a horse and another lyric—that soothed if not the savage beasts, at least the savage weather.

Because spring once again was in high dudgeon of blue-sky good feeling, outdoors and indoors.

At Georgetown’s Volta Park, the Citizens Association of Georgetown kicked off its annual Concerts in the Parks series bouncing the air with children, snow cones and balloons as always, resounding with the sounds and smells of picnics on a Sunday afternoon. There was—oh, my sorrow—free Haagen Dazs ice cream, and complimentary Sprinkles cupcakes.

Best of all, musically and in any way, there was Georgetown treasure Rebecca McCabe, singer-songwriter, blonde and lovely as always, singing with Human Country Jukebox, who had foraying with high voice and spirits into classic Johnny-Cash-style country music before she raced in from the airport. At concert’s end, a special delight: the kids singing “Let It Go” from the film “Frozen,” up on stage with McCabe.

That was Sunday, yesterday, all our sorrows seemed so far away.

On Saturday, there was the horse and the City Paper’s female jazz vocalist of the year of 2013, not all together, but sounding similar confident tones and tunes. At the Preakness—after sitting in on the Adams Morgan Summer Concert Series at Columbia Road and Calvert and 18th streets—you got a chance to see that California Chrome, that winner of a three-year-old once again scoot to a first place finish, this time with a smart position and a sprint at the end, seeming hardly to work up a sweat. He is now king of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.

This means that Chrome, the horse of little pedigree — with the working class owners, a jockey who admits that his horse might be just as smart as he is and a trainer who’s never been in the inner circle of the Triple Crown sorts – can now become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

If California Chrome wins the Belmont, the endurance and heart tester of a race which has foiled a few speedsters in its day. That could happen unless the mini-controversy of the nose guards worn by Chrome to help his breathing turns into a cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-the-Triple-Crown kind of thing.

Meantime, Rochelle Rice, a local jazz singer of some renown sang with a trio on a perfect kind of Saturday afternoon in Adams Morgan. On this corner, where there are empty bike racks, and you’re only 100 feet away from the site of the latest condo development where there used to be the Exxon station, you can feel change. But you can also feel the things that don’t change, come what may, as traffic and connector buses swerve around the turn, and just about all the little kids that live in Lanier Heights showed up to try their little selves on hula hoops.

Rice had her way about her too: she sang Satchmo’s soothing celebration of everything, “Wonderful World,” and there was nothing you could brood or say to that, because she infuses pop with jazz, and leaves the left-overs to both. She can stretch an entire line of lyric into meaning, or caress and make putty out of vowels and make you love it.

That was Saturday.

On Friday, at the Embassy of Hungary, the Embassy Series under founder Jerome Barry, resurrected the middle-brow art of operetta vocals, with the presence of soprano Krisztina David from Hungary and Austrian tenor Michael Heim to engage in romantic musical duels and courtship, accompanied by George Peachey on piano.

They played the songs and music of Franz Lehar and Emmerich Kalman, masters of the form of music which once lathered Broadway and MGM musicals, with waltzes and romances and comedy from “The Merry Widow” to “The Gypsy Princess.”

This was the kind of music and performances which, done with gusto, verve and elan, was an antidote to weather and war, any evening. Heim sang with ebullience and exuberance, and David soared with high notes and the charm of a natural, beautiful coquette.

So, James Taylor did that song: “I’ve seen fire, and I’ve seen rain…

And then: “I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end.”

And that was the weekend that was.
[gallery ids="101738,141982,141986,141992,141997,142001,142004" nav="thumbs"]

Weekend Round May 15, 2014
• May 19, 2014

Trio Caliente SURPRISE SHOW THURSDAY at Blues Alley

May 15th, 2014 at 08:00 PM | $20 | Event Website

Recent Wammie Winner Trio Caliente will be performing this Thursday at Blues Alley at 8 and 10pm.

Trio Caliente performs a sultry, sexy mix of salsa, gypsy rumba, flamenco pop, and Brazilian jazz. They were recently awarded Best Latin Group for the second year in a row by the Washington Area Music Association.

Address

Blues Alley; 1073 Wisconsin Ave NW

Artist’s Proof Gallery: An Exhibition of Fashion Photography Works by Fred Maroon

May 16th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | Event Website

Artist’s Proof Gallery is excited to announce a show of fashion photographers from 1966-1970 by renowned photographer the late Fred Maroon (1924-2001). For the first time, these fashion photographs will be exhibited to the public as a collection from Friday, May 16 through Sunday, June 1. Gallery hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Address

3323 Cady’s Alley NW

Busboys and Poets Presents THE ADMISSION

May 16th, 2014 at 07:30 PM | General: $35; Student/Senior: $25 | Admission@busboysandpoets.com | Tel: 202-332-6432 | Event Website

The Admission, Motti Lerner’s acclaimed & controversial play, is presented at Studio Theatre in workshop form by Busboys and Poets. This Israeli homage to Arthur Miller’s All My Sons focuses on a wounded veteran’s truth-searching mission surrounding the murder of Palestinian villagers by a unit commanded by his father 40 years earlier. After each performance, there will be open discussions with cast members & community leaders.

Address

1501 14th Street NW

Photography Workshop

May 17th, 2014 at 08:00 AM | Price: $50 per adult / Friends of Oatlands members: $42 | Tel: 703-777-3174 ext. 103 | Event Website

Join professional photographer Wayne Wolfersberger May 17 for an outdoor morning photographic workshop at Oatlands Historic House & Garden from 8 am-noon.

Bring your camera, lens and tripod (if you have one) for four hours of shooting. The workshop will include details of composition, aperture for depth of field and other camera settings.

Maximum of 10 participants. Rain date May 18

Several of your images may be submitted to the instructor via email for critiquing at a later date.

Address

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens; 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane; Leesburg, VA 20175

The workshop will meet at Oatlands Carriage House for orientation and instructions

Understanding Ballet: Classical to Contemporary

May 17th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | General Admission $130 | Tel: 202-633-3030 | Event Website

Choreographer Diane Coburn Bruning, founder and artistic director of the Washington-based Chamber Dance Project, provides an introduction to that fascinating evolution.

Participants take a close-up look at that process in an interactive working rehearsal with Chamber Dance Project’s dancers and string quartet—and also get a chance to try their hand at shaping some of the dancers’ movements in a ballet created and performed on the spot.

Address

S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW

Check-in begins at 9:30am in front of the Carriage House.

Cathedral Choral Society Presents Classical Showcase

May 18th, 2014 at 05:00 PM | Start at $25 | srockwood@cathedral.org | Tel: 202.537.2228 | Event Website

The final concert for the Cathedral Choral Society’s 2013/14 Season features Beethoven’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage, Haydn’s ‘Lord Nelson’ Mass and Mozart’s 1785 Cantata, The Penitent Davide.

Address

3101 Wisconsin Ave., NW.

Rebecca McCabe and a “Community Shred” at the May 18 Concert

May 18th, 2014 at 05:00 PM | cagmail@cagtown.org | Tel: 202.337.7313 | Event Website

For the first concert of the Concerts in The Park season, Gypsy Sally’s presents Georgetown resident singer-songwriter Rebecca McCabe as she teams up with Human Country Jukebox for a little Dixie in the District. This amazing pop country team will perform 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sunday, May 18, in Volta Park. Little (and big) Disney’s Frozen enthusiasts won’t want to miss the on-stage “Frozen” sing-along.

Address

Volta Park; Washington DC 20007

Former Gates Foundation CEO to Speak on Poverty and Hunger in DC
May 18th, 2014 at 12:45 PM | FREE | serve@nationalpres.org | Tel: 202-537-7540 | Event Website

Come for an engaging talk with Patty Stonesifer, current president and CEO of Martha’s Table and former CEO of the Gates Foundation. Learn about the larger issues of poverty and hunger, best practices, and how you can make a difference! This event is free and open to the public; an optional boxed lunch ($10) is available from 12:15-12:45. To reserve a lunch, contact: serve@nationalpres.org or visit http://www.nationalpres.org/GreatDayofService

Address

The National Presbyterian Church, Stone Fellowship Hall; 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW

Alex and Ani Georgetown: ‘They Serve 2’ Charity Event

May 19th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | staceylindsey@hotmail.com | Tel: (202) 333-4195

Alex and Ani is a hosting a ‘Charmed by Charity’ Event on Monday, May 19 to raise funds for ‘They Serve 2,’ a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the lives of military families worldwide. 15 percent of all sales during the event will also go directly to ‘They Serve 2.’ . To RSVP to the ‘They Serve 2′ Charmed by Charity’ Event, email Stacey Lindsey at staceylindsey@hotmail.com.

Address

Alex and Ani Georgetown; 3068 M St NW, Washington

Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield

May 22nd, 2014 at 08:00 AM | $20 ($15 for George Town Club members) | richard@georgetowner.com | Tel: 202 3384833

Join us for the Georgetown Media Group’s next Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts.

Please RSVP by May 16 by emailing Richard@Georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.

Address

George Town Club; 1530 Wisconsin Ave., NW.

Washington Monument Reopens: Fresh Views
• May 16, 2014

Closed for repairs since the August 23, 2011, earthquake, the iconic 555-foot obelisk dedicated to George Washington, first President of the United States, reopened to the public May 12.

The Georgetowner participated in a media preview May 10, when National Park Service rangers showed off the newly reopened Washington Monument and escorted writers and photographers to the top.

The 5.8-magnitude quake — unusual for the mid-Atlantic — caused significant damage to the monument which dominates the skyline of Washington, D.C. The monument’s foundation was laid July 4, 1848, and — after years of lack of funds and work halted — the structure formally opened in December 1884.

Scaffolding around the monument was erected for the meticulous repair work to be done. Cracks, especially at the top of the monument, the pyramid, were filled and braced or stones replaced. The work took almost three years.

Now, visitors may again take the elevator to the top of monument and look out windows at the height of 500 at each compass point, north, east, west and south. On the floor below, there is an exhibit area which tells the story of the Washington Monument.

Tickets are free from the Park Service, but there is a service fee of $1.50 to make a reservation. When NPS first offered tickets in mid-April, 16,000 tickets were snapped in 15 minutes. Most visitors use the online system these days. During the summer, hours have been extended. Visit www.nps.gov/wamo for details.

On hand at the Monday ceremony to reopen the monument were Sally Jewell, Interior Secretary; Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton; Mayor Vincent Gray; Jonathon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service; Robert Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks; David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group; Caroline Cunningham, president of the Trust for the National Mall; and Al Roker of NBC News, master of ceremonies.

Jewell noted the need for private-public partnerships in her remarks. She especially thanked Rubenstein who donated $7.5 million to match funds allocated by Congress. For Jewell, it is about “ordinary citizens making extraordinary contributions.”

For his part, Rubenstein is considered a patriotic philanthropist, and he joked he had received a message from George Washington on his iPad over the weekend.

[gallery ids="101730,142161,142156,142153,142148,142145,142140,142169,142176,142134,142173,142164" nav="thumbs"]

‘Blue Note at 75’ Through Sunday at Kennedy Center
• May 12, 2014

“Blue Note at 75,” the week-long diamond anniversary celebration of the iconic jazz recording label climaxes this weekend with a series of performances, exhibitions, and, on Sunday, with “Blue Note at 75, The Concert,” with an all-assembly of vocalists and top jazz musicians at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.

Rarely has a recording label been such an iconic, emblematic presence for a genre of music—except perhaps for Deutschegrammaphone in the classical arena—as Blue Note has been for jazz, which sprang out of America to become the world-wide sound that it is today.

Blue Note was founded by two German immigrants and childhood friends, Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, who settled in New York in the 1930s. Together with recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder and commercial designer Reid Miles, they put Blue Note and with it jazz into the stratosphere, recording the music and its stars as it moved through hot jazz, Boogie Woogie and Swing, through Bepop, Hard Bop and Post Bop, to Soul Jazz, Avant Garde and fusion and beyond.

Most of the major performers, musicians, bands, vocalists and stars of jazz were on the label—from Cannonball Adderely to Miles Davis, to Dianne Reeves to Wynton Marsalis, from Donald Byrd to Bud Powell, to Thelonious Monk, a list that includes some surprises like Norah Jones and Willie Nelson.

Jones will be on hand for the all-star concert Sunday, which will also feature singer Dianne Reeves, saxophonist Joe Lovano, Blue Note recording artist and Kennedy Center artist advisor for jazz Jason Moran, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Brian Blade and organist Lonnie Smith, among others.

The week-longer celebration has been held all over the Kennedy Center, as well as venues throughout the city. The center’s Millennium Stage was a venue for many of the performances and will feature bassist and composer Dereck Hodge on Saturday, Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band on Sunday and an all-star Washington D.C.-based group of musicians that will salute Blue Note on Friday. Featured D.C. musicians include Elijah Jamal Balbed, tenor/soprano sax and musical director, Lyle Link, alto sax and flute, Kenny Rittenhouse, trumpet, Raynel Frazier, trombone, Tim Whalen, piano, Eliot Seppa, bass and Dave McDonald, drums, playing compositions from various Blue Note recordings.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard will perform with his group at the Terrace Theater Friday. In the center’s Atrium, the Grammy-winning hip-hop jazz pianist Robert Glasper brings an up-beat note to the Blue Note proceedings with his cutting style, in “The Crossroads Club: Robert Glasper Experiment.”

There are also films, exhibitions, panel discussions and concerts around town throughout the month, including an ongoing “Blue Note at 75 Grammy Museum Exhibit” in the Hall of States at the Kennedy Center through May 21.

For all information on times, venues and dates, go to the Kennedy Center website

Weekend Round Up May 8, 2014
•

A Night of True Stories by and about Educators

May 9th, 2014 at 08:00 PM | $25 General Admission $10 Students K-12 $100 Event And Reception | Tel: General Inquiries: Amy Saidman; 240-888-9751 Press Inquiries: Travis Hare: 202-643-7542 | Event Website

SpeakeasyDC, Washington’s original true storytelling group (voted the “Gold Standard” of the genre by The Washington Post, and one of the top open mic nights by Washington City Paper) is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week by giving educators the spotlight on May 9th at 8pm at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. A cast of 8 educators and students will tell their poignant, comical, and sometimes harrowing true tales from inside and outside the classroom.

Address

Atlas Performing Arts Center; 1333 H St. NE Washington, DC

86th annual Georgetown Garden Tour

May 10th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | $35 per person when purchased after May 1, 2014 | Event Website

This year’s tour will take place on Saturday May 10th and feature some of Georgetown’s most intriguing gardens, open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Over the years, the garden tour has featured a wide variety of gardens with spacious sweeping lawns and majestic trees to intimate outside rooms.

The tour is presented each year by the Georgetown Garden Club, and is supported by the generous contributions of neighbors and local merchants; and benefits local environmental and beautification projects.

Address

Christ Church; 31st and O Streets NW,

Titans of Jewelry Design: The Tiffanys, Fabergé, Lalique, and Cartier

May 10th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | General Admission $130 | Tel: 202-633-3030 | Event Website

When we think of the pinnacle of fine jewelry, five names lead the list: Charles Lewis Tiffany, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Carl Fabergé, Rene Laliqué, and Louis-Francois Cartier. Their firms rose to prominence by creating luxurious rings, brooches, tiaras, and other extravagant and elegant baubles for monarchs and the moneyed.

Art historian Stefanie Walker provides a guide to their glittering legacies.

Address

S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW

Men Against Breast Cancer’s Celebrating All Women For Mother’s Day! Pampering The Women We Love!

May 10th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $15 (Includes Med Spa Gift Card $50 value and one raffle ticket) | brian@menagainstbreastcancer.org | Tel: 202 495 8515 | Event Website

Please join Men Against Breast Cancer at the “Second Annual Pink & Blue Mother’s Day Pampering the Women We Love Event, hosted by the Men In Pink & Blue.

Address

L2 Lounge; 3315 Cady’s Alley Northwest (between 33rd and 34th off of M Street)

Besties & Boobies

May 10th, 2014 at 01:00 PM | $25-$40 | jasmine@otimwilliams.com | Tel: 202-286-3442 | Event Website

The Besty List, will present “Besties & Boobies,” an informative event teaching the secrets to wearing the perfect foundations & making your wardrobe shine this Spring. In addition, Besties & Boobies will donate to HopeWorks, formerly known as the Domestic Violence Center of Howard Count.

This interactive & intimate event is being sponsored by Eucalan,Essential Bodywear, LuvlyU, & Instyle Magazine’s Instyle Essentials.

Address

Helix Hotel; 1430 Rhode Island Avenue NW

Exhibition Opening: Designing for Disaster

May 11th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | $5 – $8 | Tel: 202-272-2448 | Event Website

This new exhibition showcases how regional, community, and individual actions can reduce the impact of natural hazards. The exhibition will remain open through August 2, 2015.

Address

National Building Museum; 401 F Street NW

Mother’s Day Brunch at Salamander Resort & Spa

May 11th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | $85 per adult and $35 per child | reservations@salamanderresort.com | Tel: 866.938.7370 | Event Website

On Sunday, May 11, the resort is introducing its first Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet in the Middleburg Ballroom filled with sweet and savory options for the family. Salamander is offering three seating times: 10-10:30 a.m., 1-1:30 p.m. and 3:30-4 p.m. The cost is $85 per adult and $35 per child and includes complimentary digital family portraits as well as an opportunity for children to build their own kite to fly out on the terrace.

Address

500 N. Pendleton Street Middleburg, VA 20117

Mother’s Day Brunch

May 11th, 2014 at 10:30 AM | $ 95.00 | thegrillroom.dc@capellahotels.com | Tel: 202-617-2424 | Event Website

Mother’s Day Brunch will be a relaxing and enjoyable Sunday. Mom’s will be pampered & well taken care of by the Grill Room servers, pouring Champagne or Rye punch tableside. Signature breakfast items like Belgian Waffles & French Toast will be passed around. Signature items such as beef wellington will be carved table side with seasonal sides of apple wood smoked mashed potatoes & meyer lemon & spring pea risotto. Freshly shucked oysters will be presented tableside for all to enjoy.

Address

The Grill Room; at Capella Washington D.C.; 1050 31st Street NW

Busboys and Poets Presents THE ADMISSION

May 11th, 2014 at 03:00 PM | General: $35; Student/Senior: $25 | Admission@busboysandpoets.com | Tel: 202-332-6432 | Event Website

“The Admission,” Motti Lerner’s acclaimed and controversial play, is presented at Studio Theatre in workshop form by Busboys and Poets. This Israeli homage to Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” focuses on a wounded veteran’s truth-searching mission surrounding the murder of Palestinian villagers by a unit commanded by his father 40 years earlier. After each performance, there will be open discussions with cast members & community leaders.
Address

1501 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

Upcoming in the Country; May 2014
•

Middleburg

Home Farm Store – Friday night tastings featuring wine, ciders and beer, along with a showcase of local artisan food and meat. Take home samples and recipe cards printed with ideas for your weekend table. 1 E. Every Friday from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. 1 E. Washington Street. HomFarmStore.com

Live Music at Greenhill Winery and
Vineyards – Live music featuring Lance Trussell, a classical guitarist, composer and teacher based in Frederick County, Md. Trussell performs in a wide variety of styles, including Spanish classical, jazz, folk, celtic, bossa nova and pop from the 1950s and 60s. Saturday, May 17, 5-7 p.m. Visit GreenHillVineyards.com/events for the complete schedule.

Loudon County

Notaviva Vineyards Wine Murder Mystery Dinner Theater – Stage Coach Theatre Company’s production of “The Comic Book Murders,” in which a group of offbeat superheroes commemorate their victory against the villainous army of the Narlagons with a special dinner. Tickets include a catered buffet meal from Roaming Rotisserie and a dessert bar. May 9 and 10, 7-10 p.m. 13724 Sagle Rd., Purcellville. Call 540-668-6756 or visit
NotavivaVineyards.com.

Science Saturdays at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Immersions in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, with hands-on activities and demonstrations related to aviation and space exploration. Science Saturday is the second Saturday of each month (May 10), 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly. For details, visit nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy.
Doukenie Winery’s Bistro Nights – Every Friday night through Sept. 26: live music, authentic Italian or Greek food and a glass or bottle of Doukenie wine. Rain or shine, 6-9 p.m. Doukenie Winery, 14727 Mountain Rd., Purcellville. For details, visit DoukenieWinery.com.

Glenfiddich Farm Cooking Class- Cooking classes by renowned cookbook author and food writer Olwen Woodier in her large modernized kitchen on a 1840s farm just outside Leesburg. The two-hour class includes demonstrations from a demo-mirrored island with an eight-burner Wolf cooktop, hands-on participation and a four-course meal. May 17, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 17642 Canby Rd., Leesburg. For details, visit GlenFarmCookery.com.

Charlottesville

Hatton Ferry – Every Saturday and Sunday until Oct. 26: rides on the Hatton Ferry, a historic ferry across the James River and the only poled ferry still operating in the U.S. The Hatton Ferry operates free of charge (donations are appreciated). Under ideal conditions, a round-trip crossing takes about 30-45 minutes. 10120 Hatton Ferry Rd., Scottsville. For details, visit TheHattonFerry.org.

Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival 2014 –
Entertainment, wine tasting and more than 100 artists are featured at the festival, on Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11, rain or shine. Claudius Crozet Park, 1075 Park Rd., Crozet.

Yappy Hours at Keswick Vineyards – At the vineyard on Dog Day Sundays: your furry friend and visitors from local animal shelters. A donation to the visiting shelter is made for every bottle of wine purchased. Sundays through Nov. 2, noon-3 p.m. 1575 Keswick Winery Drive, Keswick. For details, visit KeswickVineyards.com.

King Family Vineyards Annual Spring Barbeque – BBQ and wine pairings on Sunday, May 18. The Barbeque Exchange will be serving noon-5 p.m. and the Tasting Room and patios will stay open until 7 p.m. Tickets are $16. 6550 Roseland Farm Lane, Crozet.

Pharsalia Folk Life Festival – Costumed interpreters performing 200-year-old daily tasks, vendors selling period products, live music, food and drink and guided tours of Pharsalia, an antebellum plantation home listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. Pharsalia is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 2333 Pharsalia Road, Tyro. For details, visit pharsaliaevents.com.

Weekend Round Up April 24, 2014
• May 9, 2014

Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield

May 22nd, 2014 at 08:00 AM | Tickets $20 ($15 for George Town Club members) | richard@georgetowner.com | Tel: 202. 338.4833 | Event Website

Join us for the Georgetown Media Group’s next Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts. The event will take place Thursday, May 22, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the George Town Club, 1530 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The cost is $20 ($15 for George Town Club members). To RSVP by May 16, please email Richard@Georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.

Address

George Town Club; 1530 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

The Casey Trees Canopy Awards

April 24th, 2014 at 06:30 PM | Early-Bird Registration: $45; At-the-Door Registration: $55 | development@caseytrees.org | Tel: 2028857311 | Event Website

On Arbor Day Eve, the Inaugural Casey Trees Canopy Awards will honor some of the most dedicated people and projects working to restore, enhance and protect trees across the metro D.C. area.
There will be no shortage of fun throughout the night as we treat attendees to great food, drinks, live music and games. There will also be a silent auction filled with incredible items and amazing package offers. All proceeds will support Casey Trees tree planting and education initiatives across the region.

Address

DOCK5 at Union Market; 1309 5th Street NE

Book Talk: John Taliaferro, “All the Great Prizes”

April 24th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $10 | SMiraminy@savingplaces.org | Tel: 202-829-0436 x31232 | Event Website

John Taliaferro, author of “All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt,” examines the extraordinary life of John Hay on Thursday, April 24 2014 at “Cottage Conversations” at President Lincoln’s Cottage. “Cottage Conversations” offers a relaxing evening to socialize and learn something new about our 16th president in his Washington home. The program starts with a cocktail reception, is followed by the lecture and concludes with a book signing.

Address

President Lincoln’s Cottage; 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW

Twentythirtysomething Book Club

April 24th, 2014 at 07:30 PM | Free | erika.rydberg@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Are you a local D.C. reader between the ages of 21 and 35? Looking for a more casual book club experience? Then join the Georgetown Neighborhood Library for Twentythirtysomething Book Club (T.T.B.C.), a new book group for younger adults (just featured in Daily Candy -http://www.dailycandy.com/washington-dc/article/171174/Washington-DC-Events-and-Diversions).
For our April selection We’ll be discussing the book “Gulp”.

For more information and to RSVP please check out our MeetUp.com page.

Address

Breadsoda; 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW

Parisian Sidewalk Sale for the 11th Annual French Market

April 25th, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Georgetown’s 11th Annual French Market returns to the charming Book Hill neighborhood on upper Wisconsin Ave, between P Street and Reservoir Road, on Friday and Saturday, April 25th & 26th, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The two-day event will bring fashion finds from local boutiques, traditional French fare, quaint home and antique shops, and live music. The Georgetown French Market is hosted and sponsored by the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID).

Address

Upper Wisconsin Ave, between P Street and Reservoir Road

MOMIX Botanica

April 25th, 2014 at 08:00 PM | Tel: (202) 785-9727 | Event Website

With an eclectic score ranging from birdsong to Vivaldi, Botanica shows off the endlessly renewable energy of the superb MOMIX performers, with costumes, projections, and custom-made props and puppetry adding an extra dose of fantasy to the elixir. This is dance at its most organic and inventive. The seasons will never be the same. Presented by Washington Performing Arts, GW Lisner Auditorium and CityDance.

Address

GW Lisner Auditorium (731 21st St NW Washington, DC 20052)

Happy Hour with 5×5 Artists

April 25th, 2014 at 05:30 PM | Free

Join DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Washington Project for the Arts in an Artist Happy Hour with 5×5 artists Nora and Eliza Morse. Hear about the world they will create for 5×5 and enjoy a free happy hour to mix and mingle with other artists.

Address

Capitol Skyline Hotel10 I (eye) street SW

Annual Christ Church Art Show and Sale

April 26th, 2014 at 11:00 AM | Free

Attend the Annual Christ Church Art Show and Sale, Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Address

Christ Church Georgetown, 31st and O Streets, NW

Oatlands Spring Gala 2014

April 26th, 2014 at 07:00 PM | Tables of 10 available at $2000. Individual tickets available at $225. | tmcneal@oatlands.org | Tel: Trish McNeal at 703-777-3174 x15 | Event Website

A wonderful evening of dining and dancing under an elegant tent on the front lawn of Oatlands’ 1804 mansion. Silent and live auctions with one-of-a-kind items and adventures. Black-tie.

Cocktails at 7 pm & Dinner at 8 pm

Address

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens; 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane; Leesburg, VA 20175

Rueda de la Calle DC

April 26th, 2014 at 01:00 PM | FREE | frisco714@gmail.com | Tel: n/a | Event Website

Please join us for some solid Rueda de Casino dance time at Dupont Circle on Saturday, April 26th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm for Rueda de la Calle DC.

Address

Dupont at the Circle; 1604 19th St. NW

Jackson Art Center Children’s Painting Workshops

April 26th, 2014 at 03:00 PM | Free | jacksonartcenter@gmail.com | Tel: 301-654-7113 | Event Website

Georgetown’s Jackson Art Center invites families to its
Open Studios Preview Day: Two painting workshops for younger and older children, plus open artists studios to roam around. The Saturday Preview is held the day before Jackson’s main Open Studios on Sunday.
Both Open Studios events are free and open to the public. No reservations required, all materials supplied.
Address

Jackson Art Center; 3050 R Street, NW

Tango! Soul and Heart: A Celebration of Argentine Music and Dance

April 27th, 2014 at 05:00 PM | $15-$75 | choralarts@choralarts.org | Tel: 202-244-3669 | Event Website

Tango! Soul and Heart begins with two spiritual pieces. Lamentations of Jeremiah is a sacred a cappella motet by Alberto Ginastera. The centerpiece of the concert is Luis Bacalov’s Misa Tango, a mass with Tango rhythms. The second half find singers and dancers performing Tango. Experience the passion of the Tango – the soul and heart of Argentina!

Address

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; 2700 F Street NW

Fred Maroon’s ‘Far Out Fashions’ at Artist’s Proof
•

Fred Maroon might be famous in D.C. for his notable photographs around the Capitol and Georgetown, but how many know that he traveled the work to produce spectacular fashion editorial spreads?

Peggy Sparks, owner of Artist’s Proof, is currently working with her team on an exhibition of Maroon’s editorial work at the intimate gallery, located just off M Street in Cady’s Alley. The show, “Far Out Fashions: An Exhibition of Fashion Photography by the Late Fred J. Maroon,” will be open to the public from May 16 to June 1. “We try to create a space for artists from around the world to come and share the stories they so very strongly put into their art,” said Sparks. She believes that Artist’s Proof is a place where the public can step into these stories.

Maroon’s story began when he was sweet-talked by the editor of London’s Weekend Telegraph Magazine in 1966. This first series was meant to highlight the cashmere wool made from the underbelly of Mongolian goats. Maroon traveled to the outskirts of Mongolia for the shoot. Look magazine (which stopped publishing in 1971) also bought the photos. The New York Times even dedicated half a page to displaying these ambitious photos of models in elaborate wool outfits in snowy landscapes. Maroon’s next destination was Leningrad. However, the clothes the group had brought with them could not be used. Maroon was only allowed to take the photos with a Soviet woman as the model and clothes from a Moscow designer. He agreed, and produced the series “Furs in Russia.”

Afghanistan was next, with a feature on the native silks of the region. A local prince who took a liking to a model granted them access to temples and religious locations where the group would not ordinarily be allowed to photograph. The photos from this trip are also important because they document locations that no longer exist, a result of the country’s war-torn recent history. Several feature models walking in lush green fields, an image of Afghanistan unfamiliar to most Americans.
One of Maroon’s final international stops was Japan, when he shot in several different temples and more remote regions. Maroon worked to record contemporary Japan and its natural features, avoiding the stereotyped, “Madama Butterfly” conceptions of the country.
Fred’s wife, Suzy, and his son, Mark, both Georgetown residents, were the ones who approached Artist’s Proof with the idea of displaying his unpublished editorial work. The current plan is to display different series of Maroon’s photographs, according to Sparks.
Old Town Editions of Alexandria is printing the enlarged prints. Patrick McMahon, co-owner of the studios, said that he is excited about the project and aims to create prints with colors as close as possible to the original slides. Since the photos were originally published in magazines and newspapers, the work is being displayed as it has never been before. The larger-than-life prints will allow the public to see the world through Maroon’s lens with a fresh perspective, said Sparks.

Look for the opening of the Maroon exhibit on May 16 and check out the other works, events and artists displayed at Artist’s Proof at www.aproof.net.
[gallery ids="116748,116745" nav="thumbs"]

Weekend Round Up May 1, 2014
• May 5, 2014

Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield

May 22nd, 2014 at 08:00 AM | Tickets $20 ($15 for George Town Club members) | richard@georgetowner.com | Tel: 202. 338.4833 | Event Website

Join us for the Georgetown Media Group’s next Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts. The event will take place Thursday, May 22, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the George Town Club, 1530 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The cost is $20 ($15 for George Town Club members). To RSVP by May 16, please email Richard@Georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.

Address

The George Town Club; 1530 Wisconsin Ave., NW

A performance titled “Moovance”

May 1st, 2014 at 08:00 PM | General Admission: $15 | Event Website

Moovance is a choreographic duo interpreted by Amine Boussa and Jeanne Azoulay that addresses questions of identity and that peculiar feeling of being torn between two different cultures, specifically for the French-Algerian. It is not solely about the couple’s interaction; it captures the connections, progress and intimacy intrinsic to the duality of two human beings.

Address

Gallaudet University, Elstad Auditorium – 800 Florida Ave., NE

Spring Art Walk: Book Hill Galleries

May 2nd, 2014 at 06:00 PM | Free | neptunebrowngalleries@gmail.com | Tel: 2023380353 | Event Website

The Georgetown Galleries on Book Hill invite you to our Spring Season Art Walk, Friday, May 2nd, 2014, from 6-8pm. Each of the six galleries will launch a fine art exhibition and host an evening stroll in one of the most beautiful parts of the city. Start the spring with a night of art, fun and refreshments while supporting the arts in DC!

Address

1662 33rd St., NW

Opening Reception: Relativity

May 2nd, 2014 at 06:00 PM | FREE | gallery@callowayart.com | Tel: 202-965-4601 | Event Website

Daniel Calder and Colin Taylor share a strong, expressive approach to laying down their paint, and while they also share a predilection for colors that are bright but nuanced, the similarities end there – the shapes they create are quite distinct.

Address

Susan Calloway Fine Arts, 1643 Wisconsin Ave., NW

Landon School’s 61st Azalea Garden Festival

May 2nd, 2014 at 10:00 AM | free | Tel: 301-320-3200 | Event Website

Join in the festivities at Landon School’s 61st Azalea Garden Festival, Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4.

Tour the beautiful two-and-half acre Perkins Garden, shop at over 60 specialty boutiques, purchase beautiful plants, listen to live music, enjoy delicious food, frolic at the FunLand carnival, and race in Mark’s Run 5K or 1-Mile Fun Run 8 a.m. on Sunday, May 4. Parking and admission are free.

Address

6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, Md. 20817

Neptune Fine Art presents: Jeff Chyatte, Straight from the Studio

May 2nd, 2014 at 12:00 PM | Free | neptunebrowngalleries@gmail.com | Tel: 2023380353 | Event Website

Neptune Fine Art is pleased to present the latest five outdoor sculptures from the studio of Jeff Chyatte.

These incredibly precise geometric aluminum totems merge the systems of our tech generation with complicated engineering of a fine craftsman. Welded by hand in aluminum and polished to perfection, each one rises from the garden with complex majesty.

Address

1662 33rd Street, NW

A performance titled “Un Petit Pas de Deux sur ses Pas”

May 2nd, 2014 at 08:00 PM | General Admission: $15 | Event Website

Choreographed to music of the famous burlesque actor Andre Bourvil, “Un Petit Pas de Deux sur ses Pas” (A Little Pas de Deux on his Footsteps) is a dynamic and witty piece that revisits different styles of dance, from waltz to ballet to hip hop, while maintaining humorous interaction with the audience.

Address

Lycée Rochambeau – 9600 Forest Rd, Bethesda, Md.

The Third Annual Running of the Chihuahuas

May 3rd, 2014 at 12:00 PM | 0.00 | charlotte@ontaponline.com | Tel: 703-465-0500 | Event Website

Kick off Cinco de Mayo with On Tap Magazine, Corona, Cantina Marina & The Wharf at the Third Annual Running of the Chihuahuas for Charity!

What: Chihuahua races, food trucks, beer stand, dog contests, a family friendly FREE event!

When: Saturday, May 3, 2014 | 12 pm to 3 pm (rain date: May 10)

Where: SW Waterfront, DC- between 6th and 7th Streets.

Why: A benefit event for animal charities and DC’s funniest Cinco celebration!

Address

600 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024

DDOT to Host May 3 Meeting on the D.C. Circulator System at Wisconsin & M

May 3rd, 2014 at 03:00 PM | Event Website

The District Department of Transportation has been holding six pop-up meetings to solicit feedback from current and future riders on the D.C. Circulator bus system. Attend one of the meetings to provide feedback on the current system as well as future routes and extensions. The feedback from the meetings will be incorporated into the 2014 D.C. Circulator Transit Development Plan Update.

This weekend, the meeting will be noon to 3 p.m. on May 3 in a Circulator bus near the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, NW. The bus will be parked “just one door down from the Apple store,” said Reggie Sanders of DDOT.

A survey to gather feedback on the D.C. Circulator is at www.dccirculator.com. Each participant will be entered to win a $50 SmarTrip card with a winner randomly selected after the survey closes on May 9.

Address

Intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, NW

Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In

May 4th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | Passes are not required for this exhibition | e-bond@nga.gov | Tel: (202) 737-4215 | Event Website

Andrew Wyeth’s fascination with windows is explored for the first time in an exhibition on view at the National Gallery of Art, its sole venue, from May 4 through November 30, 2014. Andrew Wyeth: Looking Out, Looking In will present some 60 tempera paintings, watercolors, and drawings that stand out from among 300 or more works of art by Wyeth depicting windows in figureless compositions. Inspired by the gift of Wyeth’s first and one of his most important paintings on the theme—Wind from the Sea (1947), donated to the Gallery in 2009— the exhibition will include several works from private collections that have never been on public view.

Address

National Gallery of Art; 6th and Constitution Ave NW

Chanticleer

May 4th, 2014 at 05:00 PM | Tickets: $40.00 each | sam@stjohnsgeorgetown.org | Tel: 202-338-1796 | Event Website

The Georgetown Concert Series presents Chanticleer.
Called “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker magazine, the GRAMMY® award-winning ensemble. Praised for their “tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity,”. Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for the seamless blend of its twelve male voices ranging from countertenor to bass and its original interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music.

Address

St. John’s Episcopal Church; Georgetown Parish; 3240 O St., NW

Weekend Round Up April 17, 2014
• April 21, 2014

DC International Film Festival 2014

April 17th, 2014 at 07:00 PM | filmfestdc@filmfestdc.org | Tel: 202-274-5782 | Event Website

The Washington, D.C., International Film Festival (Filmfest DC) returns to the nation’s capital for the last time April 17 to 27, 2014, celebrating nearly three decades of bringing award-winning movies to Washington, DC theater-goers.

Address

Opening night at Mazza Gallerie; 5300 Wisconsin Ave., NW

8th Annual DC Walk to End Lupus Now

April 19th, 2014 at 08:00 AM | bwachtel@lupusdmv.org

We will walk down Pennsylvania Ave, NW starting at 12th Street down to the capitol and back. It is approximately 1.5 miles total, but you can turn around at any point and not walk the entire distance. We walk rain or shine! No fees. Registration is required.

Address

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (between 13th and 12th St. NW) Washington, DC

“EGGS-TRAVAGANZA”

April 20th, 2014 at 10:00 AM

To celebrate the spirit of Easter, the award-winning Capella Washington, D.C., Georgetown has organized a fun Easter city-wide egg hunt with various golden-colored eggs places around famous landmarks in the DC area. Each golden egg will contain prizes courtesy of Capella D.C.

Address

Capella Washington, D.C., Georgetown will post a photo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter the three weekends, leading up to Easter that will provide the public with a hint of the location where the golden egg will be each day.

www.facebook.com/CapellaWashingtonDC.Georgetown

twitter.com/CapellaDC

instagram.com/capelladc

Hill Country Barbecue Market

April 20th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | Free

The Hill Country Easter Bunny will be on-hand throughout the day, and there will also be an Easter egg hunt, open to anyone who would like to participate. There will be eggs and treats–for grown-ups and kids alike–hidden around the restaurant, full of fun & FREE surprises. Hill country will feature its aptly-named Feed Yer Family special all day.

Address

410 7th Street NW

42nd bi-annual Messiah Sing-Along

April 20th, 2014 at 07:00 PM | FREE! | jrlewisoffice@aol.com | Tel: 703-527-8574 | Event Website

For 42 years, Dr. J. Reilly Lewis has provided a bi-annual community Messiah Sing-Along at Christmas and Easter. This is one of the longest running Messiah-Sings in the DC area. On April 20, 2014, Dr. Lewis will lead full orchestra, harpsichord, organ, guest soloists, and the audience in Parts Two and Three of Handel’s Messiah. There is no admission charge for the performance; however, a $20.00 donation is suggested. A reception will follow the evening’s events.

Address

606 N. Irving Street; Arlington, VA 22201

Architecture Week 2014

April 21st, 2014 at 08:00 PM | $10 | shawn@dcpr.com | Tel: 202.347.9403 | Event Website

Architecture Week 2014 — April 21 through May 1 An 11-day festival that spotlights DC’s architectural landmarks, neighborhoods, and cultural institutions. Over 20 architecturally-themed building tours, walking tours, book signings, social events, and exhibitions of interest to adults, children, architects, and the public. For details and registration: aiadc.com/ArchitectureWeek

Address

AIA|DC 421 7TH STREET NW

Take an Om Break – Lunch Hour Yoga

April 22nd, 2014 at 12:30 PM | Free | Erika.Rydberg@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Feed Yourself something different on Tuesdays. Join us for ongoing lunch hour yoga at the Georgetown Neighborhood Library. Lunch Hour Yoga will take place on Tuesdays beginning April 8th from 12:30 to 1:30. Our wonderful teachers come from different disciplines but are hoping to bring some health to your mind and body during a busy work week. Please bring your own mat. To RSVP for any or all sessions please email Erika.Rydberg@dc.gov
Yoga teachers are provided by Yoga Activist.

Address

3260 R Street NW