Weekend Roundup

Gary Tischler • June 18, 2013

What works for baseball works for embassies.

Someone had the bright idea of finally bringing a baseball team to Washington after many years of absence, based on the idea that if you build it, people will come. “It” turned out to be a very expensive stadium, and sure enough, people came, and probably more will come when the Washington Nationals get better, which could even be this year.

Something of the same principle has begun to work for Washington’s unique community of international embassies. Several years ago, the European Union nations decided to throw open the doors of their embassies and ambassador residences to the public in a kind of spring-like gesture of welcome to the Washington community, throwing in exhibitions, person-to-person meetings, music, culture and food.

The response — they called it Passport DC — was amazing. Thousands showed up for a day of cultural exchange, soaking in new things, residents and tourists alike.

In fact, things were so promising that Cultural Tourism, working with embassies and ambassadors and other partners, expanded the idea the following year, including many of the rest of the embassies in Washington. This year, Passport DC is a month-long event, with special events during the week, but comprising mainly four weekends of major inter-cultural festivities and contact.

Things began May 1 on the hottest day of the year in Washington so far with the Around the World Embassy Tour, in which some 30 embassies and some ambassadorial residences threw open their doors along Massachusetts Avenue’s Embassy Row, at International Court off Connecticut Avenue and various other sites.

Thousands turned out again to experience a new (and free) event in which they could literally travel the far-flung corners of the world simply by standing in line and walking through a welcoming door. Embassies and sites as varied as Japan, Zambia, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, Croatia, Haiti, Bangladesh, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Ethiopia, to name a few, welcomed families, visitors, tourists and residents. One woman, a recent transplant from Florida waiting in line for a calligraphy work at the Embassy of Korea, said that she had made it to eight embassies. “Pretty good piece of travel,” she said. “We don’t have things like this in Florida.”

A huge line snaked up to Massachusetts Avenue near the Dupont Circle Metro at Q Street, all people waiting to get into the Embassy of Colombia. Outside, a Colombian band played hips-don’t-lie kind of music and couples danced. Everywhere, there were lines of various lengths. They handed out green grocery bags at the Australian embassies and calendars at Kazakhstan. “We had about a thousand people here by two o’clock,” an official at the old, regal building of the Embassy of Zambia said.

The process will be repeated this weekend when the European Union Embassies’ Open House Day (May 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), called “Shortcut to Europe,” kicks off the 2010 Europe Week (May 9-16). All the EU nations will be represented, including Great Britain, where you might get to chat election results with the ambassador, Sweden, Spain, Greece (don’t ask), France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Belgium, Ireland and others.

On Saturday, May 15, it’s time for the Meridian’s fourth annual International Children’s Festival at the Meridian International Center near Adams Morgan from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This one charges $10 admission, a fair price for a nearly-all day festival of music, booths, performances, food, artistic, and craft demonstrations, with over a dozen embassies participating.

On May 22, it’s the fifth annual Asian Heritage Festival and the Fiesta Asian Street Fair on Pennsylvania Avenue.

For a complete schedule of events, exhibitions, performances and list of embassies, visit www.culturaltourismdc.org.
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Ari Post •

The Georgetowner selected a handful of renowned, world class travel experts, who shared with us their favorite international, domestic and local travel destinations of the last year, offering a wealth of insider travel information that even the most traveled readers are sure to appreciate. From resorts tucked away in the canyon valleys of Southern Utah, to romantic Italian villas and hidden local gems, here you will find plenty of reasons to start booking your tickets and packing your bags.

Andrew Harper
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One of the most distinct voices in luxury travel, the alias Andrew Harper has long been known for his insightful reviews of small and unique hotels, resorts and travel destinations. Traveling incognito, he searches the globe for distinctive new properties while candidly reassessing classic hotels and luxury resorts. His renowned newsletter of review, The Hideaway Report, has an abiding passion for classic hospitality and refined service amid peaceful surroundings. Mr. Harper shared with us his 2011 Grand Award Winners for international and domestic resort destinations.

Domestic: Lake Placid Lodge, Lake Placid, New York

In 1882, a German family built themselves a rustic camp from which they could enjoy the dramatic view of Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. This remained a private residence until 1946, when the property was sold and reopened as a hotel. However, in late 2005, the main building suffered a catastrophic fire.

The lodge reopened in 2008. Today, the front hall is once again a classic Adirondack interior, its wood floors covered with area rugs, a welcoming fire in a stone fireplace, cleverly crafted furniture made in the distinctive regional “twig” style, and a stairwell filled by a towering birch tree.

There are 13 rooms and suites in the main lodge and an adjoining building, plus 17 cabins beside the lake. Our cabin proved to be a haven of comfort, with…a stone fireplace and picture windows. The furniture was a mix of antiques and handcrafted pieces by local artisans.

The main lodge is full of spaces that are just as cozy and appealing. Artisans, the formal dining room, offers a seasonal New American menu. Wood-paneled Maggie’s Pub, with its fireplace and tables set by the windows, is just the place for a first-rate burger and a pint of the locally brewed Ubu Ale. Lake Placid Lodge is an iconic American resort, and its restoration has been a remarkable success. For more information, visit LakePlacidLodge.com

International: Il Salviatino, Florence, Italy

Just four miles from the center of Florence and set amid 12 acres of formal gardens on a lane leading up to the exquisite hill town of Fiesole, Il Salviatino occupies an historic cream-colored villa that enjoyed a heyday during the 16th and 17th centuries, when it was home to the powerful Salviati family. In September 2009, it opened as a 45-room hotel, having been subject to a $60 million restoration.

The terrace…has one of the most extraordinary views of Florence we have ever seen. Today, it stands as a small masterpiece of Old World style and hospitality. See more at Salviatino.com

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Anne Morgan Scully
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President of McCabe World Travel, Anne Morgan Scully has been in the industry for over three decades and currently serves on boards for Ritz Carlton, several cruise lines, and a number of travel, hotel and resort companies. In 2010, she was named one of the top 10 leaders in travel by Travel and Leisure magazine. Anne shared with us some of her favorite resorts in the country.

Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah

Amangiri is one of the most stunning new resorts in the American West. God is the chief architect of this resort. Amangiri is set on a 600-acre expanse of wilderness in Southern Utah, tucked into a protected valley with sweeping views over colorful, stratified rock towards the Grand Staircase. Architecturally, the resort has been designed to blend into the landscape with natural hues, materials and textures a feature of the design. The structures are commanding and in proportion with the scale of the natural surroundings, yet provide an intimate setting from which to view and appreciate the landscape. And you can drive out and explore the area in the resort’s BMW Z3!

The resort offers 34 suites in total: 13 Desert View Suites, 14 Mesa View Suites, one Terrace Suite, two Pool Suites, two Terrace Pool Suites, the Girijaala Suite and the Amangiri Suite.

The swimming pool is set within a sunken courtyard framed by the Pavilion and rock escarpment. It wraps around the rock to finish with a hot tub that sits at the base of a rock wall. The pool’s lounging terrace features king-sized day beds and pairs of sun-loungers. Their 2,322-square 25,000-square foot Aman Spa is a vast complex of stone, water features and streams of light, offering a number of unique treatment venues. The Spa offers single and double treatment rooms in addition to two outdoor treatment terraces with spectacular views of the mesas.

Activities include treks, guided hikes, biking, rock climbing, boating trips, archaeological tours, hot air ballooning, scenic helicopter or fixed wing flights, equestrian adventures, and more. For more information visit Amangiri.com.

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina

This is an easy weekend getaway from Washington…only an hour and a half flight to Charleston South Carolina. Truly one of America’s most luxurious resorts, it is located along the pristine shores of Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

This exquisitely designed hotel is also only thirty minutes from downtown Charleston, which captures the spirit, history, and charm of southern hospitality and some of the best southern comfort food there is—barbeques shrimp and grits are among most guests favorites. And their ice cream parlor is not to be missed.

With its 255 gracious guestrooms and suites, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort is the finest oceanfront hotel built on the East Coast in the past 20 years. Each spacious room features luxurious five fixture baths, large marble showers, dual vanities, private water closets, shuttered bathroom windows and ocean view balconies. A private concierge level offers the most exclusive, personalized services and private elevator access, while the concierge club features exquisite food presentations throughout the day. In addition, families and adults can enjoy two oceanfront pools, with music and poolside & beachside service.

Kiawah Island is a golfer’s paradise with five competitively designed master golf courses. In fact, three of Kiawah Island’s golf courses ranked on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s Top 75 Resort Courses,” and Conde Nast Traveler recently listed the Resort among the top “50 Golf Resorts Worldwide.” See for yourself at KiawahResort.com.

The W South Beach, Miami, Florida

I just returned from this hotel and was in awe of the design and energy of the hotel! This is the playground of celebrities and on the boardwalk of the fashion jet set! This oasis has been created by international tastemakers, framed by famed art deco and in the heart of Miami’s hottest nightlife.

As palm trees sway to a salsa beat, nosh at the chic Mr Chow and Soleá, mingle your way across six cool bars, linger in the Living Room, pamper at Bliss Spa, or cool off in lushly landscaped pools. For more information visit WHotels.com/SouthBeach.

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Carlyle Fairfax Smith
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Carlyle Fairfax Smith is the consulting publicist of Carlyle International, a boutique communications agency that focuses on luxury hotels, spas and destinations. Her insight into the world of upscale and luxury lifestyles is distinctive, with deep knowledge of the luxury traveler and hospitality industry. Discussing some of her favorite travel destinations, Carlyle proved her value as a consultant and offered a dazzling breadth of options for all types of travelers.

International: Ireland & Bali

“Irish Hospitality” lives up to the hype and Ireland is as close to East Coast as it is to California. Beauty, History and easy access. Shannon International Airport is a mere five hour flight from the U.S. and a six mile drive from Dromoland Castle (if worlds away in every other regard).

In particular I like The Dromoland Collection, which comprises of Dromoland Castle and Castlemartyr Resort, two of Ireland’s finest and most celebrated hotels. The hotels in this collection embody the legendary Dromoland tradition of incomparable hospitality complemented by exquisite surroundings, yet each possesses a distinctive style, character and charm all its own.

Castlemartyr Resort: nestled in the unspoiled rolling countryside of East Cork near the ruins of an 800-year-old castle, Castlemartyr Resort’s crowning jewel is a classic 18th century manor house. The Manor has been magnificently restored and elegantly enhanced to offer 109 deluxe guest rooms, gourmet dining, an expansive world-class spa and welcoming, impeccably styled interiors. Opportunities for outdoor pursuits abound both on the estate, which includes an inland-links-style golf course designed by the renowned Ron Kirby, and in the surrounding region. For more information visit CastlemartyrResort.ie.

Dromoland Castle, located in Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare, was built in the 16th century. Majestically set on the shores of Lough Dromoland, it is surrounded by over 410 acres of breathtaking scenery, including a championship parkland golf course. Lavish interiors, fine food and superb wines complement the deluxe accommodations of the Castle’s 99 guest rooms, while Dromoland Castle Golf and Country Club, an intimate spa and traditional outdoor recreational opportunities ensure a unique guest experience. See for yourself at Dromoland.ie.

In Bali, Viceroy Bali has a real WOW factor, with gravity defying, thatched villas set on the edge of a steep ravine, overlooking the Petanu River gorge in Bali’s mountain foothills. With amazing hillside views, the most tranquil and scenic spa, some of the best food in Bali and immaculate service, this is a truly romantic retreat close to the artist’s village of Ubud. Some new villas are opening later this year. ViceroyBali.com.

Local: Talbot County, Maryland

Talbot County invites visitors to experience the perfect balance of rural simplicity and urban refinement. With the timeless beauty of the Chesapeake Bay as their backdrop, the county’s sophisticated small towns, charming country byways, and wide array of activities offer something for everyone who appreciates the opportunity to relax, reflect, and renew.

Easton, celebrating its three-hundredth year in 2010, sits at the center of Talbot County. It is a remarkable hybrid of historical and hip, humming with energy, pedestrian friendly, and ranked as one of the best places to live in the nation. Museums and other cultural centers, festivals of all sorts, historic sites, shopping, convenient access to outdoor leisure activities, and a welcoming, sophisticated populace make Easton a uniquely appealing visitor experience even for groups with diverse interests.

Oxford, located south of Easton on the Tred Avon River, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first incorporated town in the county, it was officially founded in 1683. Until the American Revolution, Oxford was an international shipping center, surrounded by tobacco plantations and home to a number of prominent national figures. Later it thrived on oyster harvesting and packing and other watermen’s trades, even as tourism and leisure activities increased. It guards its peaceful personality, architectural integrity, and small-town virtues to this day.

St. Michaels, situated on the elbow of a peninsula reaching deep into the Chesapeake Bay, is cradled between the historic Miles River and Michener’s Broad Creek. St. Michaels is a gathering spot for lovers of laid-back leisure. Its maritime museum, marina, tree-lined streets, and architectural treasures are the perfect backdrop for the town’s many fine shops, galleries, and boutiques.

Tilghman Island is a water lover’s wonderland, home to the last commercial fleet of lightning-fast oyster-harvesting skipjacks. Surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and the Choptank River, the island offers a full range of water sport rentals, unique sail and motorboat excursions, and ten mapped water trails. For those who prefer to keep their feet dry, Tilghman Island has no lack of benches, porches, decks, and docks from which to appreciate the entrancing beauty of the bay, river, and marshes.

I would also highly recommend Talbot County as a budget travel destination, with a great selection of rental houses, luxury hotels, country inns and bed & breakfasts. There are accommodations and activities to suit any budget. And yet people feel as if they’ve been away and have an opportunity to relax and enjoy. The Talbot County Office of Tourism offers comprehensive information and trip planning services. Visit them at TourTalbot.org to find out more.
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Marit Fosso •

This year’s annual National Cherry Blossom Festival will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the gift of cherry trees from Tokyo to Washington D.C. The famous Cherry Blossoms have already started to bloom, although the festival didn’t officially began March 20. Get ready for five weeks of events and programs in and around Washington, ranging from arts and culture to world-class entertainment. “No events are moving because of the early peak bloom,” says Danielle Piacente, communications manager for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The festival kicked off with the Pink Tie Party fundraiser on March 20. The party featured spring- and cherry-inspired cuisine and cocktails, and a silent auction. Most of the events during the Cherry Blossom Festival will however be free and open to the public. You can also experience spring- and cherry-inspired dishes and cocktails through the festival’s Cherry Picks Restaurant Program —www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/visitor-information/cherrypicks — that includes nearly 100 restaurants who will offer this on their menus.

On Sunday, March 25, the opening ceremony will be at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, presenting performances that tell the story about how the gift of trees turned into the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. This event is free; you just have to register online in advance, at www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/2011/07/15/openingceremony

That same weekend, the National Building Museum presents Family Days, a two-day festival of family entertainment. On March 24, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and March 25, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Family Days features activities such as creating shoji screens and pop-up architecture, dressing up in traditional Japanese costumes and interactive lessons on climate change and energy conservation —www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/2011/07/15/family-days

On March 31, you can have fun and go fly a kite at the Blossom Kite Festival which presents demonstrations of Japanese woodblock printing and painting, kite-making competitions and shows.

From March 31 until April 15, the Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument Grounds will be the site of more than100 free performances, ranging from hip hop, folk/bluegrass and jazz artists to different dance ensembles. The schedule will be posted online at www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/2011/07/15/sylvanstage.

Another top event worth attending is the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 14, with its marching bands, performers, floats and giant balloons. The Parade will run along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets from 10 a.m. until noon. The festival ends on April 27 with the Petal Fest & Closing Block Party on Woodrow Wilson Plaza.

Georgetown institutions and businesses will also celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Bacchus Wine Cellar will serve rose wine every night from March 23 through 30, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
On March 22, Tudor Place presents “Hanami, the Art of the Cherry Blossom,” providing a close look at an hanami-themed vase from Japan and exploration of the cherry blossoms in the Tudor Place Gardens and an Asian-themed menu.

Sprinkles Cupcakes will serve a festive, seasonal cherry blossom cupcake throughout the season.

On March 25, the Cherry Blossom Bike Ride & Cycle Expo that benefits the American Diabetes Association will take place in Georgetown, with rides along the Capital Crescent Trail and educational demonstrations and vendors in front of Jack’s Boathouse.

At the Old Print Gallery, there is a special spring exhibition of artwork celebrating the beauty of spring’s blossoms. The exhibition runs through May 11. [gallery ids="100587,100588" nav="thumbs"]

Gary Tischler •

Weekends in Washington are unlike weekends anywhere else in the country.

Sure, things happen in New York. Sure, there are picnics, festivals, election campaigns and the odd soccer or baseball game. But no other place has quite the flavor of this city we call home.

You want politics? We have politics. In this year of living dangerously, the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party, on the local level, held its straw poll (and a candidate forum) at Howard University last Saturday. The results were both surprising and, perhaps meaningful.

You want sports, and its power to make you forget about everything else? We had a major league debut of a true phenom, a natural just last week. Stephen Strasburg finally came up from the minor leagues for a stunning debut, then followed it up with a road appearance in Cleveland on Sunday, which was followed almost as closely as the World Cup.

Almost spontaneously, this city (so international, so worldly, so sports nutty) got into the spirit, the joy and the celebratory nature of this huge international sports event, which happens every four years and included an early showdown between the United States and Great Britain. Everywhere you went, there was soccer.

On Saturday and Sunday, the city’s gay community, already dizzy with the passage of the gay marriage legislation earlier this year, celebrated with its annual Capital Pride parade and festival, which drew thousands of people.

And let’s not forget the Seersucker Social last Saturday.

And the news doesn’t stop here either: there’s more to come. Think Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ballet Across America, Fringe Festival, Bastille Day and the World Cup, which continues for another month. The U.S. plays Slovakia next. Strasbourg is here to stay.

And, oh yes, MAN it’s hot out there.

THE STRAW POLL, AS OPPOSED TO STRAW HATS
It probably wasn’t the best of Saturdays for Mayor Adrian Fenty, a stand-up guy, who attended a funeral for a local musical legend and heard boos in the crowd, something that also happened at the candidate forum held at the city’s Democratic Party straw poll gathering.

The boos were bad manners. The results of the straw poll could be fairly called bad news, although what they foreboded is anybody’s guess in the early part of June.

For the record, challenger and city council Chairman Vincent “Vince” Gray, who is also starting to kick up his fund-raising, won the mayoral straw poll by a big margin, with 703 votes to Fenty’s 190. Former television reporter Leo Alexander received 75 votes.

Gray had more votes than any other candidate running for anything, including at-large Councilman Kwame Brown, who led the race for Gray’s open chairman seat by 585 to 329 votes for late-comer and former councilman and mayoral candidate Vincent Orange.

Gray’s supporters took a leaf out of Fenty’s game book when they showed up with large numbers of blue Gray signs in the morning, an early jump that Fenty supporters, who showed up in the afternoon, couldn’t match. That’s what happened at the earlier Ward 8 straw poll, when Fenty campaign signs swamped Gray’s, leading to a close win for Fenty, according to reports from the DCist and the Washington Post D.C. Wire.

No surprises elsewhere as Shadow Representative Mike Panetta won narrowly; Eleanor Holmes Norton swamped Douglass Sloan for delegate; Harry Thomas squeaked by often-time candidate Delano Hunter in Ward 5; Jim Gray swept aside challengers Jeff Smith and Bryan Weaver in Ward 1; Phil Mendelson won big over Clark Ray, who’s been campaigning forever for an at-large council seat and Tommy Wells looked good in Ward 6.

These straw polls involve party stalwarts, so the fact that Gray can get this much support in a race that will be decided by the Democratic primary in September may indicate he’s gaining some traction. Or that Fenty’s style still sits badly with some people. Either way, it’s good news for Gray, who still trails mightily in the all-important cash-on-hand total, but is increasing his fundraising bottom line.

THE WHIZ KID AND THE DREAM TEAM
Man, these are not the best of times. Maybe not the worst, but it isn’t good: the muck in the waters of the gulf, daily pictures of pelicans, birds and animals weighted down by crude oil, the mounting casualties in Afghanistan, floods in Oklahoma and Arkansas, a skeletal, shaky economy, an oppressive Washington summer and the Salahis apparently rewarded for their mischief.

Times like these, sports, no matter how much you might complain about ridiculous salaries, team owners and commercialism, retain their redemptive power.

Back on June 8, one man, a kid really, just about got people in Washington to stop talking about anything except the fact that in making his major league debut for the Nationals (yes, the Nationals). Stephen Strasburg struck out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates, allowed two runs and four hits in a little over seven innings. He belonged to us, right here in Washington, and even people who didn’t know a double play from a bourbon double talked about him, including people who hate sports.

Strasburg figured strongly in a Washington-magic weekend, when a lot of people were checking out what was going on in Cleveland, where Strasburg took the mound against the Indians, and, in spite of a wobbly problem with control, won his second game, striking out eight in five-plus innings. The kid was for real.

More people might have been paying attention to baseball last weekend, except for the fact that something else was going on, and seemed to be happening right here in town if you happened to be trying to get around Dupont Circle last Saturday afternoon.

The World Cup, which happens every four years somewhere in the world, kind of snuck up on Washington, as the world’s best soccer teams gathered in South Africa and began play in a 90,000-seat stadium in Soweto, where the real fight against apartheid had begun.

Saturday afternoon happened to be when a halfway decent United States team took on the heavily favored British squad. At the Dupont Circle fountain, two big jumbo-tron screens had been set up, and from the looks of things at least a couple of thousand people, many of them wrapped in country flags or beer logo T-shirts, showed up to cheer on their respective teams. Nobody won and everybody won, the two teams tied 1-1, thanks to a great American goalie, and to the British goalie (not so much). For the U.S., which plays Slovakia next, the tie wasn’t at all like kissing your sister — it looked like a winner.

The World Cup, a further tribute to the efforts of South Africa’s great-man-of-history Nelson Mandela, has attracted worldwide attention. Here in the District every restaurant and bar, and no doubt embassy, is tuned in. On early Saturday morning, you could walk the length of bar- and restaurant-heavy 18th Street in Adams Morgan and see brunchers and breakfasters at places like La Forchette, Tryst and the Rumba Room watching Nigeria and Argentina square off (Argentina won, 1-0).

The World Cup continues for the next several weeks. Check your local restaurants and embassies and see what’s going on. Strasburg is scheduled to pitch this Friday and again five days later.

PRIDE
Reports had it that over at least 100,000 people showed up to line the streets for the annual Capital Pride Parade, a festive, noisy, quite over-the-top occasion that took place amid a much changed atmosphere for gays and gay rights.

Another group of thousands showed up Sunday on Pennsylvania Avenue, where the Capital Pride festival took place. The spectacle included outrageous costumes and a performance of “Chicago.” The annual festival, which celebrates the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender men and women in Washington, was held in an atmosphere where the tide was turning on gay marriage, recently made legal in the District by the city council, although major struggles lay ahead across the country.

SEERSUCKERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
Amidst all the Saturday morning soccer madness and Pride celebration in the District, it didn’t seem strange that when you drove home an army of people on bicycles should be passing through.

They were dressed in boaters, bow ties and long Victorian dresses with prim blouses, riding their bikes. One man was smoking what appeared to be a 19th-century pipe, and some were riding in bicycles built for two. Several yelled things like “tah-tah” and “tally-ho,” so we assumed it was some kind of English revenge thing, as if BP wasn’t enough. But we assumed wrong.

It was actually a group of local fans of dressing well and past time periods, called the D.C. Dandies and Quaintelles, participating in their Seersucker Social Bike Ride and Lawn Party at Hillwood Museum. Previously the group had held a Tweed Ride, with proceeds going to Arts for the Ages. Jolly good show.

COMING UP:
During the summer in D.C., every weekend and many weekdays are to be calendarized. Here’s a few things to look for in addition to the World Cup and Strasburg sightings.

BASTILLE DAY AT MAISON FRANCIASE
We celebrate the Fourth of July and Independence Day, but the French version is Bastille Day, which just might have something to do with the French Revolution. On July 10, La Maison Francaise and the Comite Tricolore is holding a Bastille Day celebration, with chefs from some of the top restaurants in Washington participating, including the Plume, Café Du Parc at the Willard Hotel, Ici Burban Bistro from Sofitel, the Ritz Carlton, Brasserie Beck, 2941 Restaurant, Bastille Restaurant and others. Lots of desserts, of course, and live entertainment. General admission is $85. For more information, go to www.houseoffrancedc.org.

CAPITAL FRINGE
It’s not too early to start thinking about the Capital Fringe Festival 2010, a nearly month-long extravaganza of cutting edge theater from all over the country, and probably the world. Sort of the world cup of the theatrically strange, unusual, weird, funny, young, fresh and new.

You can expect nearly 150 performances in venues all over the city July 8-25. More on this in coming issues. We just thought you should be warned. It takes a tough theater fan to make it to as many shows as possible.

THE SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
Once again, the folks at the Smithsonian Institution will hold their far-ranging festival celebrating the cultures of many lands, and in this year’s edition, of the Smithsonian itself.

The festival will be held on the National Mall June 24-28 and July 1-5. Lots of music, food, crafts and performances will take place at this year’s event, focused on Asian Pacific Americans (“Local Lives, Global Ties”) and the “Smithsonian, Inside Out.” Visitors are invited to look at how things work at the institution in four areas of concentration or challenges: “Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe,” “Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet,” “Valuing World Cultures” and “Understanding the American Experience.” The festival will also focus on Mexico and will hold a special tribute to Haiti.

BALLET ACROSS AMERICA
The Kennedy Center will hold a special performance program focusing on dance companies in the U.S. called “Ballet Across America” this week through June 20. It features: Houston Ballet, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the fabled Joffrey Ballet, the North Carolina Dance Theatre, Ballet Arizona, Ballet Memphis and the Tulsa Ballet.

Garrett Faulkner •

There’s so much ado about Georgetown, so much bustle, so many dollars and words and honks exchanged at a daily clip.

It’s nice to know there’s always time for a little history.

That was true at CAG’s monthly meeting on Feb. 22, held at Mt. Zion Methodist Church on 29th Street, a nod to Black History Month. Dozens of congregation members and other Georgetowners filed into the pews to hear the stories and words of an unlikely pair: Carter Bowman, the official historian for Mt. Zion, and Mary Kay Ricks, a one-time attorney who founded a walking tour company and, fascinated by the tales she uncovered, wrote a book on the rather hush-hush topic of slavery in Washington.

That book, “Escape on the Pearl,” is an exhaustively researched work on the tangled web of human bondage that clung to the capital’s upper classes: presidents, senators, powerful
socialites. It is also concerned with the little-known yet bold escape attempt of 77 slaves on a chartered schooner from Philadelphia named the Pearl. While historically the event is overshadowed by John Brown’s raid of Harper’s Ferry and the Kansas wars, it was viewed at the time as enough of an abolitionist shenanigan to spark riots across the city. The year was 1848 and secession was barely a decade off.

What ties the two speakers together is that Mt. Zion played an integral role in the daring flight of the Pearl. And, as Bowman explained, the church served as a refuge for those in shackles for much of the antebellum 19th century and a community locus thereafter.

Mt. Zion was founded in 1816 by black members of the Montgomery Street Church (now the Dumbarton Avenue United Methodist Church) who, though they usually comprised half of the congregation, were fed up with being segregated from white worshippers. Autonomy was not all theirs, however — members of the newly formed Mt. Zion still held services under the auspice of Montgomery and, as it turned out, were presided over by white pastors.

But it began a rich cultural and religious identity for blacks in Georgetown, who made up nearly a third of the population, the majority of them free men. It became one of the few places under law where blacks could congregate in large numbers, and it was, at the height of the abolition movement, a major stop on the Underground Railroad. Whispers would travel electrically through the congregation: who was being hidden in the churchyard, who was up for sale, which families were close to being rent apart. The success of the cotton gin in the early 19th century ignited a demand for slaves in the South, and so with it a widespread sundering of families as mothers and sons and sisters were sold downriver. Around 600,000 slaves were fated to endure this “Second Middle Passage” to New Orleans or other Southern cities. As Bowman explained, church “classes” really became organized sects for keeping abreast of the latest news on local slaves and, when possible, spiriting those away who were being bought up for market.

Mt. Zion, then, is immutably wrapped in the history of slave resistance in Washington. One of the Pearl escapees, Alfred Pope, was a member of the church and later bought a plot of land in Georgetown on which to build a permanent house of worship. After the war, after Emancipation, it burned to the ground in 1880, but was rebuilt four years later. Walking through it now, you can almost taste the history, the stories it has witnessed. You almost hear small noises, something like ghosts or singing voices long past. CAG President Jennifer Altemus called it the “perfect venue” to discuss Ricks’ story.

“[This church] puts you in a place, gives you a feel for the history,” Bowman said. At 87, he has seen a good portion of it.

Ricks is much younger, a scholar at heart, with a soft and wavering voice that teems with emotion. Her book centers around Mary and Emily Edmonson, daughters of a free black man from Georgetown. Because their mother was a slave, however, they inherited their bonded status,
along with 12 other siblings.

The year was 1848. At that time, slavery was hardly taboo in Washington. Having been comprised of land ceded by slave states, the city was firmly rooted below the Mason-Dixon line, and slavery, as Ricks put it, “literally came with the territory.” Dolley Madison owned a slave late into her life, which she sold to Senator Daniel Webster the year before the Pearl made its dash for the North. That slave, Paul Jennings, was one of three men who conspired to charter a ship that would whisk away the slaves of Washington. The other was Samuel Edmonson, the older brother of Mary and Emily. The plan was simple: gather up the slaves marked for sale, steal away in the night to the ship and sail up the Chesapeake to safety. For a few, it was the only option.

“Many of the people boarded the Pearl that night because their security … was threatened by the slave trade,” Ricks said.

She went on to tell how, on a foggy August evening, the Edmonsons and the rest boarded the Pearl, moored close to the future site of the Washington Monument, and sailed away. They made for Point Lookout, the mouth of the Potomac, but when they arrived they found the weather had made it impassable. The captain, a white Pennsylvanian, had no choice but to anchor the boat in a leeward cove. Slaveowners in Washington had already awakened, discovered the plot and were in hot pursuit. Anti-abolitionist riots had already begun surging across the city.

The Pearl was eventually discovered right where it was anchored, its passengers manacled and dragged back to Washington. Most were sold and sent to New Orleans as punishment. One of the luckier Pearl escapees was Alfred Pope, whose owner took him back and freed him in his will two years later. He was serving on Mt. Zion’s board of trustees when he appointed
the 29th Street space nearly 30 years later, a free man.

Mary and Emily Edmonson became one of the first causes for a young Henry Ward Beecher,
the flamboyant abolitionist preacher who later would ship rifles (“Beecher’s Bibles”) off to Bleeding Kansas. With his sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, they secured the Edmonson sisters’ freedom and their admission to Oberlin College.

It was a story the audience had trouble digesting. A silence, an eeriness hung in the air a moment, the realization that those on the front line of this country’s greatest conflict, the figures in old daguerreotypes, the names in textbooks, had once been a part of or helped this congregation, now housed in the very church where they sat. It was black history, American history, animated and made real.

Also in Georgetown:

As always, store openings and closings are making a few headlines this week. No word yet on the rumors surrounding a new Nathans tenant. Late-night junk foodies will be disappointed
to learn Philly Pizza has been ordered to shut down by the city’s Department of Consumer
and Regulatory Affairs. The Potomac Street pizza parlor, which is open until 4 a.m. on weekends, was found to have exceeded its allotment of carry-out orders, a violation of their license to operate as a sit-down restaurant. This would routinely attract a throng of noisy bar-hoppers and students, who clashed with neighbors across the street. This may not concern you if you’re somewhat of a pizza connoisseur, but the opening of Il Canale (1063 31st St.) should. We stopped by for a slice and were impressed. If you need a break from Pizzeria Paradiso, check out this new addition to the Georgetown restaurant scene. Finally, Georgetown’s Benetton store recently closed for remodeling. It should be ready by April, just in time to pick up some pastels and cashmere for spring.

Last month’s Jelleff imbroglio at the ANC meeting should be enough to convince you community politics are heating up this year. Ready for more? Stop by the next ANC meeting
on March 1 at Georgetown Visitation, 35th Street and Volta Place, 6:30 p.m. [gallery ids="99060,99061" nav="thumbs"]

Garrett Faulkner •

Like something from a bad horror flick, it was the neighborhood pariah-turned-villain that just kept coming back from the dead.

But on March 10, it looked — lest we jinx ourselves — as if Philly Pizza, or at least the ranch-drizzled pizza slinger as we knew it, may finally have been laid to rest for good. Dust was settling. Neighbors gathered around the restaurant’s drawn shutters to offer up contented smiles, ANC commissioners shook hands, a few students skulked at the crowd’s fringes. Even the mayor made an appearance, opting for a chance to commend the efficacy of the neighborhood constituency. And to take a little credit himself, of course.

“We always do our best work hand in hand with the community,” Fenty said in triumph from his portable lectern, erected before the dark, curtained windows of the pizza parlor that was. At his side were District Attorney General Peter Nickles and DCRA Director Linda Argo, both of whom led their own rah-rah sessions. Nickles said the administration worked closely with District regulation agencies throughout the ordeal to ensure Philly was held strictly to tenets of its operating license.

“This administration is both sensitive to the community and we are persistent,” he said. Argo was a little more hard-nosed.

“If you think the neighbors are going to back down, you’re probably going to end up on the wrong end of the deal,” she said, clearly aiming her comments at Philly owner Mehmet Kocak, who was not present at the gathering.

Philly P’s had vexed residents of Potomac Street for almost a year since it moved in next to Georgetown Cupcake’s former store. Neighbors said patrons, out for a late-night (or early-morning) snack after a night out, routinely thronged around the pizza joint well into the morning hours on weekends, violating noise ordinances and littering on residents’ property. They allege that Kocak was less than cooperative when they voiced their concerns. Georgetown BID operations director John Wiebenson agreed.

“We encourage all business owners to follow all rules and regulations,” he said, adding that the BID attempted several times to reach out to Kocak, with little success. “It was disappointing when [Philly] wouldn’t use us as a resource.”

Fenty took the time to recognize ANC Commissioners Bill Starrels and Ed Solomon, Martin Sullivan, the attorney representing the license revocation effort, and a handful of neighbors who led the charge against what Fenty called “a nuisance business.” After all, it had been a long road uphill.

The day before, a District superior court upheld a Board of Zoning Adjustment decision made last month to close the Potomac Street pizza joint permanently, on the grounds that it was operating chiefly as a carry-out vendor, a violation of its sit-in restaurant license. That BZA ruling was itself an upholding of a similar order by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs made in November. At the time, Philly received a stay on the cessation order until a BZA ruling could be made. From then on, the issue would undergo a roller coaster ride of appeals and postponements, and when the BZA handed down its final decision, Kocak simply ignored it and kept his restaurant open under reduced hours. Increasingly panicked neighbors and ANC commissioners appealed to the superior court system, but even that route was fraught with pitfalls — on the day of the hearing, the judge recused himself from the case, citing a personal bias. That was just days before the court finally managed to rule that Kocak’s defiance of a District order could render him in contempt of court. The Philly owner quickly capitulated and closed his doors.

Kocak reportedly is applying for a new license from DCRA. His attorney could not be reached for comment.

Starrels, who represents the single-member district where the showdown occurred, was pleased with the mayor’s personal interest and intervention in the case. The pair shook hands amid a swarm of shutter clicks.

“This is an example that the city works,” he said. “We have rules, regulations.” The commissioner led Fenty around the side of the Philly building to show him a jury-rigged ventilation system on the roof, another point of contention with neighbors now under scrutiny by the Old Georgetown Board.

“On a scale of five, this was a five, on the bad side,” Starrels said.

Neighbors who came to watch the public dressing-down were satisfied the outcome. Wolf Wittke, who, with his wife, was one of the most vocal neighbors on the issue, said the DCRA voted unanimously in favor of revocation, a clear indication the issue was cut and dried.

“It’s good to see the city and Georgetown community come together to defy a property and nuisance to the neighborhood,” he said.

Another neighbor simply was glad it was over, that justice had been served.

“You always have to be able to integrate into the community, even if it’s a hassle,” she said.

Garrett Faulkner •

You better believe Georgetown celebrates the Fourth of July.

On the afternoon before celebratory fireworks again lit the monuments of our capital, the denizens of its oldest neighborhood gathered at Volta Park for a little music, a little picnicking and a little time to soak in what would prove to be a model summer day.

That event, of course, was Concerts in the Park, the last installment of CAG’s three-month series armed with a simple formula: bring a band and a few tasty treats to the park, and they will come. It was enough to lure around 100 neighbors, which wasn’t a bad turnout for a holiday weekend, CAG President Jennifer Altemus said.

Co-chaired by Elizabeth Miller and Renee Crupi, the concert series’ afternoon finale kicked off with a parade around Volta Park before transitioning to a lively festival, the kind where everyone’s on a first-name basis and the music is good, no matter who’s playing (for the record, it was reggae-esque rockers Son of a Beach).

Volunteers passed out plush linen towels from Cady’s Alley décor shop Waterworks, along with a few raffle tickets for a facial care package from local doctor Mark Venturi. Most of the youngsters, parents in tow, haunted the activity booths, ranging from cookie and flag decorating to a water balloon toss to the time-honored estimation station (kudos to Edwin Steiner for his correct guess of 4118 M&Ms). Others simply lounged on their blankets, chatting with adjacent picnickers and soaking up the expiring daylight. Miller and a few committee members manned the ice cream stand, scooping up cones here and there for any passerby with a free hand.

Elsewhere, Georgetowners tested their mettle at a lineup of good-old-fashioned, county fair-like contests. A tug-of-war match pitted East Georgetown against West (this year, the East villagers came out on top), and a long table clothed in blue plaid served as battleground for a pie-eating contest, in which a handful of boys, their braggadocio notwithstanding, gave up the ghost to eight-year-old Emma Robinson, who apparently can chow down with the best of them.

It was, as you so rarely see in the city, a family affair. Kids and adults came and went, some rushing off for fireworks, others mingling with friends, carefree as summer.

Most of all, it was an instance of Georgetown as it should be — an aggregate of neighbors and loved ones, joined as one community.
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