Events/Things To Do

The Hamilton is usually home to indie rock concerts, but on Thursday, March 3 it will host an art history class – of a sort.

Walter Martin of the Walkmen’s first solo album for adults (‘Arts & Leisure’) is his wry and witty take on art history. For this special return to his hometown of DC, he’ll play songs about Alexander Calder’s toy circus, Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and first falling in love with art at the National Gallery. Needless to say, this won’t be the art history you studied in college.

NPR Music calls his new album “hard to resist” and the New York Times said it “carries a sense of wonder [with] a wry humor.” Read a recent interview at the Washington Post: http://wapo.st/1ouOMUX

Who: Walter Martin (of The Walkmen) CD Release Show
Where: The Hamilton, 600 14th Street, N.W.
When: Thurs, Mar 3 @ 7:30pm
With: Near Northeast, The Plate Scapers
RSVP: raypadgett@shorefire.com

On Saturday, March 12, DC arts supporters will come together to celebrate the Cathedral Choral Society and its mission of inspiring the community through the joy of choral singing with Gala 1941 at The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel.  This gala is the Cathedral Choral Society’s most significant annual fundraising event, and supports the organization’s artistic and community engagement initiatives.

In celebration of the Cathedral Choral Society’s founding year, attendees will enjoy a ritzy evening of 1940s fun with big band swing, guest performers, dancing, and a silent auction. This gala will be “reception style,” with an open bar, food stations, and passed hors d’oeuvres. The sixteen-piece Brooks Tegler Band performs.

“Our spring gala is our most important annual fundraising event,” said Ernie Abbott, President of the Cathedral Choral Society’s Board of Trustees. “On the eve of our 75th anniversary season, this gala is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the artistic programming and community engagement initiatives of this organization. Support from our gala attendees will help ensure artistic vibrancy in our 75th season and beyond.”

The Living Room
Thursday, March 24th
Doors open at 7:30 PM, show starts at 8 PM

In celebration of Easter and a White House tradition started by the 19^th US President, Rutherford B. Hayes, Madame Tussauds Washington, DC is hosting its fifth annual Easter Egg Hunt. The fun family event will take place in The President’s Gallery, offering a fun and educational “eggs-ploration” through American history, on Saturday, March 26th from 8:00a.m. – 9:30a.m. at the attraction, located at 1001 F Street, NW (corner of 10^th & F Streets).

For those unable to attend the Easter Roll at The White House, tons of eggs will be hidden throughout the President’s Gallery at Madame Tussauds, waiting to be discovered by guests as they interact with and enjoy wax figures of all 44 US Presidents.  Once children have collected all the empty eggs, they can trade them in at the end for an Easter Gift Bag full of fun treats (one bag per child). Guests may bring their own baskets, however bags will be available.

Price of admission includes full access to Madame Tussauds Washington, DC, an Easter egg hunt through the Presidents Gallery, 1 gift bag per child, a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny, access to face painting, activities, and Easter crafts. This year, Madame Tussauds has also partnered with Wildlife Adventures to bring a unique petting zoo into the attraction.

Because this is one of Madame Tussauds Washington, DC’s most popular events, tickets are available online only.  For more information or to reserve your group’s tickets, visit event page website  or call 1(800) 823-9565.

DATE:                    Saturday March 26, 2016

TIME:                    8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

                                Three Sessions with Limited Availability: 8:00, 8:30, 9:00

                                *Tickets are available online only!

PLACE:                  Madame Tussauds Washington, DC

                                1001 F Street, NW

Washington, DC  20004

COST:                    $25 – Ages 13 and Older

                                FREE – Ages 12 and Under

*Please note there is a limit of three children for every one adult.

Reserve tickets online here: https://www2.madametussauds.com/washington-dc/en/tickets/

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade^® presented by Events DC will take place Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. One of the Festival’s largest events, the Parade runs along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW. The Parade, hosted by ABC-7/WJLA-TV anchors Alison Starling and Leon Harris, will feature celebrity entertainment, helium balloons, characters, floats, marching bands and other performers. Local ABC affiliate WJLA will air the Parade locally in a delayed telecast from noon to 2 p.m. The Parade will be nationally syndicated to audiences across the country through the support of Events DC.

Celebrity talent and exciting Parade elements include:

• Carrie Ann Inaba, Dancing With the Stars Judge
• Cast members from the award-winning hit musicalJersey Boys
• Pop sensation Tiffany
• Chart topping artist and The Voice contestant Sisaundra Lewis
• R&B Grammy-nominated artist and DC native Raheem DeVaughn
• Latin vocal group Viva Mas, who recently performed for Pope Francis
• Washington Redskins Cheerleaders
• Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell
• Local talent, including winners of the third annual Sing Into Spring Competition and the Washington Performing Arts Men and Women of the Gospel Choir

TICKETS & TRANSPORTATION: Free and open to the public. Limited Prime Grandstand seats are on sale now and can be purchased atnationalcherryblossomfestival.org/parade2016. The Grandstand section offers reserved seating along Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets, NW. Group tickets for 10 or more are also available. Standing along the Parade route is free between 9^th and 15^th Streets, NW and open to the public. Radio personality and local favorite Loo Katz from WASH-FM host from a second performance area located near the Parade’s finish.

The event is Metro-accessible via the Archives-Navy Memorial stop on the Yellow/Green lines or Federal Triangle on the Blue/Orange lines. The Parade is presented by Events DC and supported by DowntownDC Business Improvement District, ANA, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, NHK World, DARCARS – the official vehicle provider for the Parade, MGM National Harbor, Microsoft, Washington Post, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, CSI Printing and Graphics, SUBWAY® Restaurants, CitySights DC, NEWSEUM, Dunkin’ Donuts,  and media partners ABC7/WJLA-TV, WASH-FM, and The Washington Informer. The Parade is being funded partially through the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor – Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation’s greatest springtime celebration. The 2016 Festival, March 20 – April 17, includes diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information and find us on Facebook (CherryBlossomFestival), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest), and Instagram (@CherryBlossFest).

The famous Carabinieri Band – one of the greatest military orchestras in the world, founded in 1820 – will play at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on April 18, 2016 in a free concert honoring defenders of the cultural heritage of humanity. In what promises to be a not-to-be-missed-event, 90 musicians in their distinctive uniforms will bring to life traditional marches as well as modern and classical music in the majestic Concert Hall. The rich repertoire will include the national anthems of Italy, the United States and the European Union, as well as music by Sousa, Dvorak, and Puccini.

“We warmly invite all lovers of culture to join us in this international musical tribute to the defenders of human heritage, in one of the most beautiful venues in America” said the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Armando Varricchio. “We are very grateful to the Kennedy Center for giving our talented Carabinieri Band the opportunity to perform in the splendid Concert Hall, in an event which is free and open to the public. Today, after the recent horrific attacks to our culture and some of our fundamental values – just think of Paris, Tunis and Brussels, to mention but some – it reminds us of the importance of defending culture, and our very way of life, in its entirety”.

The concert is organized by the Embassy of Italy in Washington D.C. in partnership with the Italian Institute of Culture in Washington D.C., with the generous support of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Banca Intesa Sanpaolo. It is part of the “Protecting our Heritage” initiative, a program supported by UNESCO and organized by the Washington Network of the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC), under the 2016 Italian presidency, in order to raise awareness on the need to act against the growing threats posed to cultural heritage by wars, international terrorism, criminal organizations, climate challenges – or more simply, by neglect.

The concert will also recognize the exceptional work of the Italian Carabinieri both in fostering peace and protecting cultural heritage  worldwide: they will be part of UNESCO’s “blue helmets for culture” program, thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding signed on February 16, 2016 in Rome by the Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and by Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO.

About the Carabinieri Band

The Carabinieri Band was founded in 1820 when the then Royal Carabinieri Corps assembled a group of buglers for the first time. In 1862 this became a fanfare, and by 1920 had developed into a full Band contingent of the Carabinieri Force. Under the direction of Maestro Luigi Cajoli the Band became famous for its quality of style, and in 1916 it travelled abroad for the first time for a series of concerts for injured allied soldiers. It performed with great success in Paris, and was highly acclaimed by the press. Many other prestigious tours abroad followed, from Europe to North and South America, the Middle East and Japan. Maestro Luigi Cirenei, who was a pupil of Pietro Mascagni, succeeded Cajoli in 1925. He improved the artistic skills of the Band and composed “LA FEDELISSIMA” the march theme adopted by the Carabinieri Force. Other band directors included: Maestro Domenico Fantini (1947), Maestro Vincenzo Borgia (1972) and Maestro Massimo Martinelli (2001), who is the present Director. The Carabinieri Band, with 103 musicians, each one an expert in a particular instrument, interprets the most famous compositions with a rich repertoire ranging from traditional military marches to modern and classical music.

The event will be held on Monday, April 18, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.  RSVP here http://iicwashington.info/events/20160418/rsvps/