May
18
Wed
Super Mind Conversation @ Avalon Theatre
May 18 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

The David Lynch Foundation hosts the SUPER MIND CONVERSATION featuring veteran political correspondent Candy Crowley and renowned DC-based psychiatrist and NIH researcher Norman E. Rosenthal, MD

 

WHEN: Thursday, May 19, 8:00 pm

 

WHERE: Avalon Theater 5612 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015. The event is free and open to the public and media

 

THE STORY: Dr. Rosenthal, the New York Times and Washington Post bestselling author of Transcendence, will speak with TV news icon Candy Crowley about his new book, Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live a Richer and Happier Life Through Transcendental Meditation(TarcherPenguin, May 17). He explains that far from being a fad from the past, Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a powerful tool for overcoming stress—even severe PTSD—and enriching all areas of life. Rosenthal weaves the latest clinical research together with the results of over 600 personal interviews he conducted to define the SUPER MIND state, which is achieved by meditators through their regular practice.

 

“I thought I’d shared all I had to say about TM in Transcendence, but I was very wrong. The personal growth continues to unfold in terms of success and synchronistic good luck accompanied by inner happiness and peace. It feels like the perfect antidote for the craziness that’s all around us!”
–Dr. Norman Rosenthal

May
19
Thu
ZooFari @ National Zoo
May 19 @ 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Treat yourself to delicious cuisine from more than 100 of the area’s finest restaurants, while contributing to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s critical mission to save species. Food aficionados are invited to unleash their taste buds and enjoy tastings from the area’s best restaurants and wineries. The event, hosted by Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), will take place on Thursday, May 19, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. all in the wild setting of the National Zoo.

In addition to extraordinary food and fine wines, ZooFari also offers a night of unforgettable entertainment. Throughout the evening, guests will be surrounded by live music, exotic animal encounters, a silent auction, and new this year, cocktail tastings with seasonal and gourmet ingredients crafted by popular mixologists. Celebrity chefs Todd Gray (Equinox) and K.N. Vinod (Indique) will be in attendance and joining the festivities throughout the evening.

“ZooFari is our premier dining and fundraising event. Many of the restaurants have been featured on Food Network, Travel Channel and Cooking Channel,” said Lynn Mento, Executive Director of FONZ. “Best of all, the proceeds from this fabulous evening support conservation and saving species.”

Tickets are available now at fonz.org/zoofari. Ticket prices are $160 for FONZ members and $200 for nonmembers. Exclusive VIP group packages are also available. Some of these packages offer all-access tickets to the Premier Pavilion, valet parking, an exclusive VIP pre-party and the LivingSocial Lion Lounge, as well as behind-the-scenes animal tours.

The ZooFari online auction offers a lively way to support the Zoo’s programs. Bidding goes live Monday, May 9 through the online site BidPal. Vacation getaways, private Zoo tours, cooking lessons with top area chefs, and animal art are just a few of the hundreds of coveted items available in the auction.

Whether you use claws or cutlery, you won’t want to miss this year’s epic event!

ZooFari is presented by GEICO® and sponsored by Big Bus Tours, The Coca-Cola Company, Comcast, Fresh 94.7 FM, LivingSocial, NBC4, Rosenthal Jaguar/Land Rover, The Washington Post, Washingtonian Magazine and WTOP Radio.

 

May
21
Sat
Grip the Mat: Biodiversity Festival @ Constitution Garden
May 21 @ 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Yogis Christy Skarulis and Ashley Braun, co-founders of pop-up yoga brand Grip The Mat, will be leading an open yoga session for the centennial celebration of the United States National Park Service hosted by National Geographic on Saturday, May 21 at 9 am in the Constitution Garden as part of the Biodiversity Festival. Join GTM as they explore one of the most notable National Parks, the Mall, and connect with each other with a light-hearted yoga session followed by a brunch by Peet’s Coffee. We would love for you to inform your readers so they can participate in this yoga event! Admission is free but participants can RSVP here. Make sure to bring a yoga mat!

 

About Grip The Mat:

While struggling to balance an overly demanding work life, Christy and Ashley realized they were compromising happiness, health, and interpersonal connections for unfulfilling job titles. They decided to take life into their own hands and quit their 9-5’s to build what they were craving, thus Grip the Mat was founded. The brand hosts pop-up events featuring mixed-level “feel-good” yoga paired with social experiences inside fun, unique spaces. By fostering fitness, mindfulness, and togetherness, GTM events offer a unique environment for mind-body and social connection while building a tight knit community of like-minded people. Setting Grip the Mat apart from any other yoga concept, participants do an hour-long session followed by a social component, such as wine tasting or brunch.

 

About Biodiversity Festival:

This two-day Biodiversity Festival is part of the cornerstone BioBlitz in the Washington, D.C. region. The National Mall at Constitution Gardens will feature hands-on science exhibits, food and art, as well as family-friendly entertainment and activities. Constitution Gardens will also serve as base camp for the National Capital Parks BioBlitz and as a connection to all the other BioBlitzes taking place at national parks that weekend.

 

About BioBlitz:

The 2016 National Parks BioBlitz is the culmination of a 10-year series of BioBlitzes co-hosted by the National Park Service and the National Geographic Society at different national parks across the country, leading up the centennial of the National Park Service. The first in the series took place at Rock Creek Park in 2007. Other BioBlitz locations have included Biscayne National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. This year, 13 parks in Greater Washington and more than 100 national parks across the country will host BioBlitz events. A longtime partner of the National Park Service, the National Geographic Society helped draft legislation to establish the NPS in 1916. The Society has given many grants to create and sustain national parks across the United States, and has extensively covered the parks in its media for nearly a century.

 

May
22
Sun
Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala @ Arlington Arts Center
May 22 @ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Jane Franklin Dance Hosts
The Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala
What: Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala at the Arlington Arts Center
Featuring: Jane Franklin Dance
When: Sunday, May 22, 2016 at 6:00 – 8:00 pm
 
Where: Arlington Arts Center
3550 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22201
About Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala
Join your creative peers for a classy, arts-filled evening at Arlington Arts Center in support of Jane Franklin Dance, a local nonprofit whose 2016-17 season includes both cutting-edge collaborations and wide-ranging community outreach. Your discounted tickets earn you access to the event’s outdoor performance with live music by fiddler Patrick McAvinue and vocal performance by Ashley Benes, wine tasting, light supper, interactive arts activities, and silent auction with items from dozens of local restaurants and retailers, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Disney World, Dance Place, Potomac Riverboat Company, and many others. The Charlotte Hollister Annual Gala, which honors the memory of JFD’s former Board president, will take place Sunday, May 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Tickets: Includes Admission, performance, light supper, silent auction, and wine tasting.
$100 (VIP: Program acknowledgement, extra minutes at silent auction)
$80 (at door)
$60 (until May 1st)
$40 (group and student discount)
For tickets, visit jfdgala2016.splashthat.com or call 703-933-1111
May
23
Mon
Helen Hayes Awards @ Lincoln Theatre
May 23 @ 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM

theatreWashington announced today that the 32nd annual Helen Hayes Awards will be celebrated at the historic Lincoln Theatre on May 23, with Washington favorites E. Faye Butler and Lawrence Redmond as hosts. A Dance Party follows at the world-renowned 9:30Club, just blocks away. Both events, sponsored by TodayTix, honor 236 Helen Hayes Award nominees drawn from the 202 eligible productions presented in 2015. Included among those productions are a staggering 59 world premieres. Also in the spotlight this year is the inaugural Women’s Voices Theater Festival, with a range of plays and musicals that received 13 nominations. Tickets for the combined Awards Ceremony and Dance Party are $275 for premium seating, $150 for general seating, and can be purchased at theatreWashington.org beginning May 2.

theatreWashington President and CEO Amy Austin commented, “We’re excited to be returning to the Lincoln Theatre because of its amazing history in our city, and we’re thrilled to be taking over the 9:30 Club for a celebratory Dance Party. There’s so much phenomenal work produced every night in area theatres, this is the one night of the year we gather together to toast the excellent work of 2015 and the community as a world-class theatre destination!”

TodayTix sponsorship includes announcements of the Helen Hayes Award recipients in real time through push notifications via their mobile app. Opt-in for the live updates will become available in the coming weeks. “It says a lot that TodayTix has joined us as our sponsors,” Austin commented. “They’ve changed the way theatres do business – and we’re always eager to look ahead.”

Named for actor Helen Hayes – a Washington native and legendary First Lady of the American Theatre – the Helen Hayes Awards honorsexcellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington region. Over the last three decades it has set a standard for artistic accomplishment recognized by theatre makers and theatre lovers far beyond the Beltway. Awards are given in parallel “Helen” or “Hayes” cohorts, depending on the number of Equity members involved in a production, for a total of 47 award categories, plus the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company

Coordination of the nominations process is a year-round and demanding endeavor. Over the course of 2015, a pool of 40 Helen Hayes Awards Judges submitted a total of 21,936 scores for 2,940 individual pieces of work (design, direction, choreography, etc.). Of those scores, 1,499 were for acting performances alone. The result this year is a roster of 236 nominations drawn from 79 productions at 35 theatres. A complete list of nominees past and present can be found at theatreWashington.org.

Chef’s Best to benefit Food & Friends @ National Building Museum
May 23 @ 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM

On Monday, May 23trd, 38 of the area’s best chefs and mixologists will serve up special tastings of their signature dishes at Chef’s Best: A Taste of Compassion presented by AT&T. Hosted at the historic National Building Museum, Chef’s Best will benefit Food & Friends, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC serving those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses.

Thanks to the efforts of this year’s Celebrity Chef Chair Michael Friedman of The Red Hen & All Purpose, guests will enjoy tastings prepared by some of the region’s most talented chefs including: Victor Albisu, Del Campo & Taco Bamba; Erik Bruner-Yang, Maketto & Toki Underground; Jeff Black, Black Restaurant Group; Patrick Curran,Momofuku; Haidar Karoum, Doi Moi, Estadio & Proof; and Robert Wiedmaier, Mussel Bar, among other notables from the DC dining scene. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on an array of exciting silent and live auction items featuring fantastic trips, one-of-a-kind experiences and private dining opportunities.

Proceeds from Chef’s Best will ensure the delivery of medically-specialized meals and personalized nutrition counseling to Food & Friends’ clients living with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses. This year, Food & Friends will provide more than 1 million meals to more than 2,800 individuals in Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland.

Food & Friends depends on the support of corporations, foundations and individuals and is grateful for the sponsors who have contributed to Chef’s Best.

“AT&T is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this year’s Chef’s Best: A Taste of Compassion. We are a longstanding supporter of Food & Friends because of its lasting impact on the community — from its service learning education program to its work restoring health and hope in the lives of those facing life-challenging illnesses. AT&T is grateful for what Food & Friends does every day to serve the DMV community,” said Erik Hower, Vice President, Public Affairs for AT&T and Food & Friends Board Member.

The event will also honor long time Food & Friends Board Member Christopher Wolf with the first annual Compassion in Action award

“There is no more basic charity than feeding sick people, and that is what Food & Friends does every day, providing not only food but compassionate friendship to so many men, women and children in need,” said Christopher Wolf, Food & Friends Board Member. “It’s hard to believe, but I have now served on the Food & Friends Board for more than 20 years.  I have gotten so much out of the board experience, especially from the opportunity to see what a difference the staff and volunteers make in people’s lives. To be recognized for that service is ‘icing’ on the cake.”

 

In addition, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer will be presented with Food & Friends’ Public Servant Spirit of Caring award for his demonstrated commitment to the fight for health care accessibility and his work as a champion for thousands of Food & Friends clients.

 

Tickets are $350 and sponsorships begin at $1500. Visit www.foodandfriends.org/chefsbest to purchase tickets and see a current list of chefs and sponsors. The President’s Reception for sponsors begins at 5:30pm. Doors open for the main event at 6:30pm, with bidding for live auction starting around 8:15pm.

May
24
Tue
DC Greens Spring Dig @ Dock 5 at Union Market
May 24 @ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

DC Greens, an organization aimed at supporting food education, food access and food policy in the nation’s capital, will host its second annual “Spring Dig” at Dock 5 at Union Market on May 24, 2016. Top chefs will prepare a seasonal, gourmet meal utilizing local purveyors, paired with Virginia wine and DC-distilled spirits. As with last year’s event, table sponsorships will come with customized, unforgettable culinary experiences in lieu of an auction.

 

What:             DC Greens’ Spring Dig will highlight local food, wine and spirits, while working toward their mission of building a healthy food system in DC that can be a model for the nation. Guests will enjoy a multi-course, family-style dinner prepared by a talented culinary team of chefs from the country’s best restaurants. During the pre-dinner cocktail reception, guests will be treated to drinks from Green Hat Gin, as well as wine from Virginia’s Early Mountain Vineyards, served from their Airstream. Early Mountain will also be providing wine throughout the dinner. The evening will be MCed by chair of the DC Food Policy Council and chef Spike Mendelsohn (Bearnaise/Good Stuff Eatery).

Who:              Participating chefs include Bryan Voltaggio of VOLT and Family Meal, Michael Voltaggio of Ink. (LA), Jeremiah Langhorne of The Dabney, Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen, Dan Giusti of Brigaid (formerly Noma), Rob Weland of Garrison, Ruben Garcia and Rick Billings of ThinkFoodGroup, and Robb Duncan of Dolcezza. Appetizers will be provided by Chaia TacosRappahannock OystersEcoFriendly Foods and Righteous Cheese. Wine and spirits from Virginia’s Early Mountain Vineyards and DC’s Green Hat Gin, respectively, will be served.

When:            Tuesday, May 24, 2016.  The cocktail reception begins at 6:00 p.m. and the dinner will begin at 7:00 p.m.

 

Where:           Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 5th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002

 

Tickets:         General admission tickets are $250 per person and include the cocktail reception and dinner. Tickets can be purchased at http://dcgreens.org/springdig/. Dress code is festive attire and valet parking will be available. With three levels of table sponsorships, guests are offered different on and off site experiences, including “Cool Experiences” such as a private shopping party at Salt & Sundry or a bottling party for 15 at Green Hat Gin distillery, or “Unforgettable Events” such as backstage VIP passes for the Sweetlife Festival or a cooking class for 10 with Chef Ruben Garcia.

Donna Karan at Smithsonian @ National Museum of the American Indian Rasmuson Theater
May 24 @ 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM

The renowned designer, Donna Karan is going to be in Washington, D.C.  on Tuesday, May 24th7:00 pm – 8:15 pm for a ‘Conversation with Donna Karan’ at the Smithsonian to promote her memoir, My Journey. She’ll discuss her amazing 40 year career in fashion, as well as, the deeply personal experiences that lead to the creation of her philanthropic Urban Zen lifestyle brand and the Urban Zen Foundation.

Next month Ms. Karan will receive the CFDA’s Eleanor Lambert Founders Award in New York as an acknowledgement of her undeniable contribution to the fashion landscape, from successfully taking over the reins of the sportswear company, Anne Klein, after the death of its founder to her signature 7 easy pieces in 1985 that changed the way that women around the world dress, dressing former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, President Clinton, Barbra Streisand, Demi Moore, Jeremy Irons and more, to her current philanthropic projects in Haiti – this is a can’t miss opportunity to hear from one of the fashion world’s true icons.

Gala After Party @ National Building Museum
May 24 @ 9:00 PM – 11:59 PM
2016 After Party 

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

9 pm to Midnight
At the historic National Building Museum
$50 per person

Join us for live music by Beatles cover band British Mania, open bar, late night snacks, lawn games, a DJ spinning tunes, and dancing until midnight. Bring your friends for an incredible evening. The theme is fun, the attire is garden party. Dress up and help support a good cause.

All proceeds raised by our annual gala and the after party help support the innovative exhibitions and education programs of the National Building Museum.

National Building Museum Gala After Party @ National Building Museum
May 24 @ 9:00 PM – 11:59 PM

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

9 pm to Midnight
At the historic National Building Museum
$50 per person

Join us for live music by Beatles cover band British Mania, open bar, late night snacks, lawn games, a DJ spinning tunes, and dancing until midnight. Bring your friends for an incredible evening. The theme is fun, the attire is garden party. Dress up and help support a good cause.

All proceeds raised by our annual gala and the after party help support the innovative exhibitions and education programs of the National Building Museum.