Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown is pleased to announce its 19th annual tree lighting ceremony in the hotel’s Courtyard beginning at 5:30pm on Tuesday, November 29. Filled with tiny white lights and a shimmering Christmas tree, the courtyard becomes a glittering crystal garden – the perfect venue for holiday celebrations.
Families will take the chill off next to heaters as they listen to the award-winning Georgetown Visitation Madrigals perform holiday classics under the direction of Director of Performing Arts, Neptune Pringle, III. Children will enjoy decorating holiday cards and families will be entered to win prizes.
Steve Chenevey, co-anchor on FOX 5 Morning and Good Day DC, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Santa Claus will make a special appearance with Georgie the hotel’s Canine Ambassador, and spend time listening to children’s Christmas wishes after the ceremony.
Fairmont’s tree lighting ceremony, which is free and open to the public, encourages all guests to bring a gift for Horton’s Kids* – such as Legos, basketballs, footballs, dolls, books, games or arts and crafts. The donations will help spread holiday cheer to over 500 children, ages 5 – 18.
To secure reservations for Fairmont’s tree lighting ceremony, please visit Eventbrite:
Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown will also be accepting toy donations for Horton’s before and after the tree lighting ceremony from November 18 until December 14.
* Horton’s Kids empowers children growing up in one of Washington, DC’s most under-resourced communities so that they graduate from high school ready for success in college, career and life. https://www.hortonskids.org/
On December 3, over sixty beautiful boats will parade down the Washington Channel in the 30th anniversary of the District’s Holiday Boat Parade. In addition to the parade, guests will enjoy ornament decorating and face painting, roast s’mores at the Camp Wharf fire pit, skate at the The Wharf Ice Rink, and visit the area’s lighted 45ft Christmas Tree.
Winter Blast: A Weekend of Indigenous Games
Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28–29, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Games can be fun as well as teach important life skills. Jeremy Red Eagle (Sisseton Wahpeton) from the International Traditional Games Society, Julia Garcia (Aymara), and members of the Native Hawaiian school Hālau O‘Aulani, share Indigenous games from the Great Plains, Bolivia, and Hawai’i.
Tysons Corner Center Announces Lunar New Year Celebration
Asian American Chamber of Commerce to Hosts Line-Up of Activities at Center
Saturday, January 28, 2023
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons Corner, VA
www.TysonsCornerCenter.com
Tysons Corner Center in partnership with the Asian American Chamber of Commerce brings in another year of hosting the Lunar New Year. Located in the Fashion Court on the Lower-Level Nordstrom Wing at the center, this free event will include an array of artists and performances to celebrate the year of the rabbit including:
- Vietnamese Song by CDVNDMV
- Chinese Musical Instrument – Guzheng, Alice Gu-Zheng Ensemble
- Chinese Dance by Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe
- Magic Show by Sun Magic
- Korean Dance by Korean Culture and Art of MD
- Indonesia Dance by Santi Budaya Performing Arts, LLC
- Mongolia Fashion Show, MONDO TRIP TODAY
- Dragon Dance, by Chinese Culture Institute
As part of the tradition, Tysons Corner Center will provide fortune cookies and offer giveaways and prizes during the event. This event is free and open to the public and sponsored by
Sunrise McLean Village Retirement Home.
Winter Blast: A Weekend of Indigenous Games
Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28–29, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Games can be fun as well as teach important life skills. Jeremy Red Eagle (Sisseton Wahpeton) from the International Traditional Games Society, Julia Garcia (Aymara), and members of the Native Hawaiian school Hālau O‘Aulani, share Indigenous games from the Great Plains, Bolivia, and Hawai’i.
Native Cinema Showcase Screening: Encanto
Saturday, Feb. 11, 2 p.m.
(USA, 2021, 120 mins.) Directors: Byron Howard, Jared Bush, and Charise Castro Smith
Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in a magical house in a vibrant town in the mountains of Colombia. The magic of this wondrous, charmed Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift, from super strength to the power to heal—every child that is except one, Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she might just be her exceptional family’s last hope.
Special support for Native Cinema Showcase provided by the Walt Disney Company.
On Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 pm the Folger Shakespeare Library’s
O.B. Hardison Poetry Series presents the Eudora Welty Lecture with Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge, My Name is Lucy Barton) at the National Press Club. Sponsored
by the Eudora Welty Foundation, this annual lecture celebrates creative origins in the spirit of Welty’s
treasured One Writer’s Beginnings.
Ann Patchett (Bel Canto and The Dutch House), who presented the Lecture from Welty’s living room in
Jackson, Mississippi in 2022, will introduce Strout. The Lecture will be followed by a book signing with
Elizabeth Strout.
Tickets are $25 ($20 for Folger Members and subscribers) and can be purchased at www.folger.edu/poetry
or by contacting the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077.
Previous Welty Lectures were delivered by Salman Rushdie in 2016, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in
2017, Richard Ford in 2018, Jesmyn Ward in 2019, and Ann Patchett in 2022.
Elizabeth Strout is widely known for her works in literary fiction and her descriptive characterization.
She was born and raised in Portland, Maine, and her experiences in her youth served as inspiration for
her novels—the fictional "Shirley Falls, Maine" is the setting of four of her seven novels. Strout's novels
include Amy and Isabelle, Abide with Me, Olive Kitteridge for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for
Fiction, The Burgess Boys, My Name Is Lucy Barton, Anything is Possible, Olive, Again, and Oh,
William!. Her latest book Lucy by the Sea was published in 2022.
Ann Patchett is the author of seven novels: The Patron Saint of Liars, Taft, The Magician’s
Assistant, Bel Canto, Run, State of Wonder, and Commonwealth. She has written three books of
nonfiction—Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with the writer Lucy Grealy; What Now?, an expansion
of her graduation address at Sarah Lawrence College; and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a
collection of essays examining the theme of commitment. In 2019, she published her first children’s
book, Lambslide.
The event is NOW ON SUNDAY, MARCH 26 in pursuit of better weather! Same time, same place, same fun and FREE activities.
National Kite-Flying Day is the perfect day for the National Cherry Blossom Festival to share all the ways attendees can “spring” on the fun of kite flying, including its signature Blossom Kite Festival, taking place Saturday, March 25, 2023 (10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) at the Washington Monument Grounds. Presented by Hilton, National Cherry Blossom Festival’s proud Premier Hotel Provider, the Blossom Kite Festival is free, fun, and open to the public and features activities, music, competitions, and performances suitable for all ages.
The Blossom Kite Festival showcases kite performances and competitions, kite-making activities, a Family Field with children’s activities, and more. Special guest, Mr. Mikio Toki, a master of traditional Edo-style kites, has traveled the world showcasing his kites and will travel from Japan to be at this year’s Blossom Kite Festival.
FEATURED PARKS: People of all ages can join Blossom Kite Festival from their homes, favorite neighborhood parks, or anywhere around the world. Participating parks in all eight D.C. wards, Maryland, and Virginia will offer free activities for local residents between April 1 and 2. All interested parties can show off their skills, virtually learn how to make and fly kites, and take to the skies on March 25. Featured parks will be listed on the Blossom Kite Festival event page.
Attendees at the Festival’s kite-flying activities can bring their own kites, purchase kites onsite, or pick up free kite kits they can decorate (while supplies last), courtesy of Hilton. Kite flyers can even purchase the official 2023 Festival kite onsite or online at National Cherry Blossom Festival Store.
COMMEMORATIVE KITES: Kite flyers can purchase commemorative kites from previous years (while supplies last) at the Festival’s online gift shop. The 2023 commemorative kite, featuring the work of the 2023 National Cherry Blossom Festival’s Official Artist Orlando Quevedo, will be available for purchase in March during the Festival at select events and in the online store.
PLANNING YOUR FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE: The Festival begins March 20 and runs through April 16. Visit the Festival website to add the Blossom Kite Festival to your calendar. When planning your Festival experience, it matters where you stay. As Premier Hotel Provider, Hilton has over 100 properties in the Washington, D.C., area to meet the needs of any kite enthusiast seeking a staycation or vacation throughout the Festival season. Visit the Festival hotel page to learn more about recommended Hilton hotels.
The Tigerlily Foundation today announce their signature Pajama Glam event will return on Sunday, March 26, 2023, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. The Reston-based, international nonprofit organization, which provides education, empowerment, advocacy, and hands-on support to young women between the ages of 15-45 before, during and after breast cancer, invites women and girls as young as five years old to learn the importance of breast health, and wellness, self-advocacy, risk reduction, and generational conversations, while dressed in their favorite red, pink, or purple pajamas.
Noelle Karmo, daughter of Tigerlily Foundation Founder & CEO, Maimah Karmo created the theme for the event in 2010 to attract and educate young girls about their breasts, body, and health. “When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, it was confusing because I was so young, but there is so much I learned through her experience,” said Noelle Karmo. “There was a lot that many of my friends didn’t understand, so I wanted to create an event for kids. I’m excited to see it grow.”
“It is so important for families to have the discussion about health,” said Maimah Karmo. “This event is building a foundation for a safe space to start these conversations that must be had early and often. My mother educated me about my breath health and taught me breast self-exams at an early age, which led to me finding my own lump during a self-examination and advocating for myself. I want to ensure other young women have that gift of education. Education and awareness require learning young.”
This year’s dress code is chic and stylish pajamas paired with mandatory “bling” accessories to accentuate the glam and sparkle theme. Attendees will enjoy a glamorous lineup of entertainment and activities such as walking the pink carpet, achieving a Passport to a Healthy Lifestyle through creative crafts and activities, 3D Photobooth, local makers, face painters, balloon twisters, live music, and Zumba demonstrations. Guests can also indulge in a decadent candy bar, popcorn station, petit sandwiches, fruit kabobs, and fabulous mocktails. Come meet local Pageant Representatives and enjoy a special movie screening of “Oh, Baby, Baby” co-written by Maimah Karmo and Maggy Francois and produced as part of BET Her Presents: The Waiting Room TV series. The movie a powerful story which explores Black women’s health and fertility. The Tigerlily Foundation invites all girls to get their PJ’s ready and plan for an afternoon full of fun and bling all while learning about the importance of breast health, family history, and achieving health equity.
In addition to the event, guests will have the chance to win a diamond necklace raffle, provided by Diamonds Direct (Tysons Corner location) to help raise funds to support underserved communities and women battling breast cancer.
Event Details:
Tigerlily Foundation – Pajama Glam
Saturday, March 26, 2023, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET
Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner
7901 Tysons One Place
Tysons Corner, VA 22102
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
Pink isn’t just a color, it’s a vibe. Celebrate the arrival of cherry blossom season at Long Bridge Park in National Landing for a two-part, pink-themed Saturday festival with morning activities for families and evening events for adults. Pump up the pink at Pink in the Park, presented by Amazon and produced by the National Landing Business Improvement District.
-
Pink in the Pool: Jump into a splash of pink at the Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center. From 9 a.m. to noon, families are invited to take a free swim and toss around pink beach balls. After a dip in the pool, continue the family fun with kite and origami making, face painting, giveaways, sweet treats from Kona Ice, and tons of pink.
-
Pink in the Park: The fun continues from 3 to 7 p.m. in the lot at Long Bridge Park for unforgettable music and entertainment with special guest and celebrity host Orlando Jones, and performances by DJ Chan Don, Crush Funk Brass, Umami House, Footwerk, Reesa Renee, and headliner Black Alley. Enjoy a beer and wine garden, food trucks, immersive art installations, Instagrammable moments, and much more. Performance lineup includes:
-
3:00 p.m.: DJ Chan Don
-
3:30 p.m.: Crush Funk Brass
-
4:00 p.m.: Umami House
-
4:30 p.m. Footwerk
-
5:00 p.m.: Reesa Renee
-
5:45 p.m.: Black Alley
-
Adult beverages, including beer and wine, will be provided by Crystal City Wine Shop, DC Brau, Drunk Fruit, Lost Boy Cider and more. Guests can also sample flavors of National Landing restaurants and food trucks including:
“With Pink in the Park, we are excited to bring all the pink energy and celebratory spirit of the National Cherry Blossom Festival across the river to National Landing in Arlington, Virginia,” said Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, President and Executive Director of the National Landing BID. “We’re proud to be highlighting the festival in our neighborhood’s signature park in collaboration with our sponsors and vibrant National Landing businesses and look forward to being part of our region’s storied cherry blossom celebration.”
“Amazon is thrilled to partner with the National Landing BID and the National Cherry Blossom Festival to bring the joy of the cherry blossoms to National Landing,” said Patrick Phillippi, Senior Manager of Community Engagement for Amazon. “Pink in the Park will be one of the largest National Cherry Blossom Festival events ever in Virginia and we are excited to celebrate spring with our community.”
WHEN: Saturday, April 1
-
Pink in the Pool from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
-
Pink in the Park from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Long Bridge Park Aquatics and Fitness Center; 333 Long Bridge Drive, Arlington, Virginia
HOW: FREE festival tickets and pool passes are available at NationalLanding.org/Pink. Tickets are required.