As the world grapples with the most severe global refugee crisis since World War II, musicians convened by conductors John Devlin and Lidiya Yankovskaya, herself a refugee who found asylum in the United States, are coming together to provide a voice to refugees in the country.
At 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 10, Yankovskaya and instrumentalists whose friends and families have fled to the U.S. to escape violence and persecution will perform a special concert for residents in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. The performance will take place in The Fillmore Silver Spring and will feature a full symphony orchestra and soloists—including award-winning soprano Zhanna Alkhazova—performing works by refugee composers, such as Iranian composer Gity Razaz, Béla Bartók, and Irving Berlin, as well as music that involves refugee themes written by Verdi and Puccini, among others. The concert will showcase, through music, the positive impact that those who have come to this country seeking safety and a better life have had on American culture and society. It is one of three fundraising events that the Refugee Orchestra Project is organizing this spring.
“I organized the Refugee Orchestra Project as a way to demonstrate, through music, the critical role that these individuals play in our cultural landscape,” said Refugee Orchestra Project Conductor and Artistic Director Lidiya Yankovskaya. “In light of the negative rhetoric we regularly read and hear in the news today, I felt it important for all of us to once again be reminded of the essential role that refugees play in making American culture vibrant and strong.”
Devlin and the D.C.-based Gourmet Symphony will support this endeavor by recruiting local musicians to participate in the concert, as well as food vendors who will provide product and services to encourage donations for the cause.
“Gourmet Symphony was thrilled when the Refugee Orchestra Project representatives reached out to us about a possible collaboration around this worthy cause,” said John Devlin, co-founder and Artistic Director of Gourmet Symphony. “As artistic leaders in the nation’s capital, we feel that it is our responsibility to play an active role in our community and in matters of national importance. The concert will also allow us to engage culinary partners who are passionate about this cause. Our common goal is to offer a sense of connectedness and hope through the music and fellowship shared in this performance.”
Admission to the concert is free, donations are suggested. Guests who make a donation of at least $50 will receive premium seating and a gourmet gift box including snack bites from Gourmet Symphony’s culinary partners at Beuchert’s Saloon and Mike Isabella Concepts, among others—this will be capped at 100. Proceeds from donations will go toward the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees in support of those seeking asylum in the U.S. and abroad.
On Thursday, April 13th historically-themed hotspot LINCOLN will celebrate its 6th anniversary and you’re invited to join in the festivities! The anniversary party, which will run from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, is the perfect way to start your weekend a little early.
Take a photo with Honest Abe (a presidential impersonator will be on site starting at 5:00 pm) and test your knowledge of American history with LINCOLN Trivia. Be sure to bring your competitive spirit with you – 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will all go home with prizes (the most coveted being two tickets to a Washington Nationals baseball for the 1stplace winner!)
Complimentary bar bites will be served from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm. Those who want to continue the celebration can grab a table for dinner and enjoy some of Executive Chef Demetrio Zavala’s signature dishes like Creekstone NY Strip (with Horseradish Spaetzle, Marrow, Mustard Apple Sauce, Red Wine Reduction & Spinach,) Braised Lamb Osso Bucco (Baked Carrots, Yuzu, Natural Jus, Mustard Greens,) and Poached Halibut (Vanilla Onion Soubise, Shrimp Bisque, Peppermint Basil, Grapefruit.)
A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Martha’s Table, a local organization that supports and strengthens children and families by increasing access to healthy food and quality education.
While there is no cost to attend LINCOLN’s anniversary party, guests are asked to kindly RSVP via e-mail: rsvp@lincolnrestaurant-dc.com.
Lincoln is located at 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Residents of our nation’s capital can enjoy the most celebrated food in the area on April 19, when DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry returns to a new venue, Nationals Park. The annual tasting event will showcase the city’s top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists teamed up for a cause: making sure all children in this country get the healthy food they need every day. One hundred percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America.
Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Location: Nationals Park, 1500 S Capitol St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Time: 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. for VIP/VIP Plus; 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. for General Admission
Led by Chef Chair George Pagonis (Kapnos, Kapnos Taverna, Kapnos Kouzina), Dessert Chair Tiffany MacIsaac (Buttercream Bakeshop), Mixology Chair Derek Brown (The Columbia Room, Mockingbird Hill, Southern Efficiency, Eat the Rich), and Sommelier Chair Nadine Brown (Charlie Palmer Steak), DC’s culinary tastemakers will provide guests with bite-size fare, craft cocktails, and sweets treats, driving taste buds out of the park. Taste of the Nation will offer foodie fans a chance to sample the city’s latest dining spots. Guests will also enjoy live DJ entertainment and the chance to win one of a kind auction items.
Every Kid, Healthy Food, Every Day
Nearly one in five children in this country struggles with hunger, including more than 29,000 kids in Washington, DC. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Since the campaign’s launch, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger to more than 500 million meals.
In 2016, DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry raised enough to help feed children in need more than 2 million healthy meals. Area beneficiaries include Capital Area Food Bank, DC Hunger Solutions, and Mary’s Center.
DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry is supported by national presenting sponsors Citi and Sysco®, national media sponsor Food Network, and national sponsors OpenTable, and The Glenlivet.
Tickets start at $100 for General admission. For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit: ce.nokidhungry.org/dc
The best eateries in the DC area will be represented at the event, including:
Agora Restaurant | Art and Soul | B&O American Brasserie | Bangkok Joe’s | Bar Pilar | Barrel | Best Buns Bread Company | Beucherts Saloon | Bidwell | Birroteca | Bub and Pop’s | Carlyle | Del Campo | Dino’s Grotto | Dirty Habit DC | District Distilling Company | Dolcezza Gelato |Espita Mezcaleria | Firefly DC | La Cuchara | Mandu | Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. | Medium Rare | Osteria Morini | Plume | Policy Restaurant & Lounge | Preserve | Radiator DC Sweet Home Cafe at the National Museum of African American History and Culture | RPM Italian DC | Sixth Engine Restaurant | Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar | Soup Up | Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee |The Prospect | The Food Market | Whaleys | Wit & Wisdom | Zentan
Residents of our nation’s capital can enjoy the most celebrated food in the area on April 19, when DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry, presented by Citi and Sysco, returns to a new venue, Nationals Park. The annual tasting event will showcase the city’s top chefs, sommeliers and mixologists teamed up for a cause: making sure all children in this country get the healthy food they need every day. One hundred percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America.
Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Location: Nationals Park, 1500 S Capitol St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Time: 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. for VIP/VIP Plus; 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. for General Admission
Led by Chef Chair George Pagonis (Kapnos, Kapnos Taverna, Kapnos Kouzina), Dessert Chair Tiffany MacIsaac (Buttercream Bakeshop), Mixology Chair Derek Brown (The Columbia Room, Mockingbird Hill, Southern Efficiency, Eat the Rich), and Sommelier Chair Nadine Brown (Charlie Palmer Steak), DC’s culinary tastemakers will provide guests with bite-size fare, craft cocktails, and sweets treats, driving taste buds out of the park.
This year, Citi is excited to host Judah & the Lion on the mainstage overlooking the ballpark. Judah & the Lion blend the twang of folk, the beat of hip-hop, the drive of rock & roll and the punch of pop to create a truly genre-bending sound.
The new venue will also bring a refreshed cocktail scene. National sponsor Glenlivet will host an on-site pop-up bar and mixologist Gina Chersevani will serve Casa Noble Margaritas out of her Union Market airstream Suburbia
As always, Taste of the Nation will offer foodie fans a chance to sample the city’s latest dining spots, including ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar, Clarity, RPM Italian, Succotash and Whaley’s, and the greater DMV through “Baltimore Row” and “VA is for Food Lovers” sections. Baseball fans will also get a taste of the ballpark. A District Dugout area will feature some of Nationals Park’s favorite vendors, including Blue Smoke, Shake Shack, and On Rye!
Every Kid, Healthy Food, Every Day
Nearly one in five children in this country struggles with hunger, including more than 29,000 kids in Washington, DC. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Since the campaign’s launch, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger to more than 500 million meals.
In 2016, DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry raised enough to help feed children in need more than 2 million healthy meals. Area beneficiaries include Capital Area Food Bank, DC Hunger Solutions, and Mary’s Center.
DC’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry is supported by national presenting sponsors Citi and Sysco®, national media sponsor Food Network, and national sponsors OpenTable, and The Glenlivet.
Tickets start at $100 for General admission. For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit: ce.nokidhungry.org/dc
The best eateries in the DC area will be represented at the event, including:
1789 Restaurant | Agora Restaurant | Al Dente | Alba Osteria | Alta Strada | ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar | Art and Soul | B&O American Brasserie | Bangkok Joe’s | Bar Pilar | Barrel | Belga | Best Buns Bread Company | Beuchert’s Saloon | Bidwell | BLT Prime | BLT Steak | Blue Smoke | Boqueria | Bub and Pop’s | Buttercream Bakeshop | Captain Cookie and the Milkman | Carlyle | Casolare Ristorante + Bar | Chloe | Choolaah Indian BBQ | Compass Rose | Cork Wine Bar | Del Campo | Dino’s Grotto | Dirty Habit DC | District Distilling Company | District Doughnut | Doi Moi | Dolcezza | Don Churro | Espita Mezcaleria | Estadio | Farmers & Distillers | Firefly DC | Fluffness | Fork & Wrench | Gravitas | Hersh’s | Homestead | Ice Cream Jubilee | Insomnia Cookies | Jack Rose Dining Saloon | Kapnos | L’Hommage Bistro | La Cuchara | Le Diplomate | Mandu | Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. | Matchbox | Medium Rare | Modern Cook Shop | Mon Ami Gabi | Oceanaire Seafood Room | Olivia Macaron | On Rye | Osteria Morini | Ottoman Taverna | Palette 22 | Pen & Quill | Petit Louis | Pinea | Plume | Policy | Preserve | Proof | Radiator DC | RASA | RPM Italian DC | Shake Shack | Sixth Engine Restaurant | Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar | Soup Up | Stella Barra Pizzeria | Succotash Restaurant | Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffeee | Summer House Santa Monica | Sweet Home Cafe at the National Museum of African American History and Culture | Ted’s Bulletin | The Bird | The Charmery | The Fainting Goat | The Food Market | The Prospect | The Royal | The Salt Line | The Sweet Lobby | Thip Khao | Tico DC | Trummer’s On Main | Vinoteca | Whaleys | Whisked | Wit & Wisdom | Zentan
WHAT: 2nd Annual Leesburg Beer Fest
WHO: Hosted By the Trigger Agency for the Benefit of The Spirit of Hope Children’s Foundation
WHERE: Village at Leesburg
◦ 1602 Village Market Blvd SE #215, Leesburg, VA 20175
WHEN: SATURDAY, April 22nd, 2017 – VIP 12:00 P.M. TO 6:00 p.m. General2:00 p.m. to 6:00 P.M.
WHY: Join us for 75+ Beers, Food and Live Music all along the Village Market Blvd for this NEW BEER FESTIVAL! Bring your friends and family and enjoy a beautiful Spring day with your favorite beers along for the ride. Guests receive a sampling glass upon entry and are free to try the beers as they stroll the avenue. While sipping your favorite suds make sure to enjoy The Main Stage with live music. There are beer games for the adults and even a kid’s activity area. Feel free to bring along your lawn chairs or picnic blankets to make yourself at home.
There will be great food joints and food trucks along with all of your
favorites in the Village.
Guests are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the lawn. Bring the
family, bring your friends and take a day to TAP INTO THE FUN!
TICKETS: VIP Admission ticket: $49 advance only. Valid Saturday Noon – 6 p.m. Exclusive
tasting experience with TWO EXTRA HOURS of tastes, specialty beers, souvenir
tasting glass, unlimited beer, and live enter
Regular Admission Ticket: $39 in advance – Valid Saturday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Includes admission to the event, a souvenir tasting glass, unlimited beer sampling, and live entertainment.
The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) has increased its fundraising goal for the 14th Annual Blue Jeans Ball to $500,000—enough to provide 1.25 million meals to those in need around metropolitan Washington. Following its recent move to stop accepting junk food donations, the CAFB received national praise among leading voices in the fight against hunger, resulting in record levels of pre-event exposure and sponsorship. Consequently, the organization is introducing new elements at this year’s gala celebration, slated for Sunday, April 23, with the goal of funding more nutritious meals than ever before.
New food and drink:
- New restaurants serving 40+ savory and sweet bites include Colada Shop (“Little Havana Done Right” – Washington Post), Arroz by Mike Isabella, Pub and the People
- Mixology Chair Gina Chersevani, Buffalo & Bergen, to pour specialty cocktail
- Chef Chair Ryan Ratino, Ripple to feature kampachi crudo with uni botarga and leche de tigre mousse
New entertainment:
- New Orleans-style band Dupont Brass will entertain throughout the evening
- Unique bottles from outstanding distilleries will be offered at a special “Spirits Pull,” where a $35 donation offers guests the chance to take home a bottle of prized liquor
New auction items:
- One week’s stay at an 18th century farmhouse in Umbria, Italy
- Tour for 20 of BrightFarms’ hydroponic greenhouse, with catered lunch and as many greens as you can carry
- Austin, Texas dream trip: 7 days for four guests with live music, famous Austin dining, and much more
- Tickets to the 117th U.S. Open golf tournament, with hospitality included
As always, guests arrive in their most fashionable denim and taste to their hearts’ content. Each ticket to the Blue Jeans Ball provides 500 life-changing meals for people in need in our area, and can be purchased at capitalareafoodbank.org/blue-jeans-ball/.
When: Sunday, April 23, 2017
5 pm: VIP reception
6 pm: Tastings, cocktails and silent auction
8 pm: Program & live auction
Where: Marriott Marquis Hotel
901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Hotel valet parking available for a fee
Why: The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease and obesity. By partnering with nearly 450 community organizations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, as well as delivering food directly in hard to reach areas, the CAFB is helping 540,000 people each year get access to good, healthy food. That’s 12 percent of our region’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents. Visit: capitalareafoodbank.org, facebook.com/CapitalAreaFoodBank, and Twitter at @foodbankmetrodc.
Meet Lisa Messerschmidt, whose life was changed by the Blue Jeans Ball. With a parent who needed care and no sibling to rely on for help, she had to leave work and rely on her husband’s salary alone. When he then lost his job due to the government shutdown, they couldn’t pay their bills, had their car repossessed, and their credit crashed. Lisa spent the next couple of years at the mercy of others, at times living without heat, running water, medical care, or, very often, food.
Enter her neighborhood nonprofit, supplied with food by the Capital Area Food Bank. They provided her family with the training and resources needed to get back on their feet – starting with vegetables, fruit and other ingredients to cook with. In Lisa’s words, “having food on the table made everything else seem possible.” The Capital Area Food Bank helped to turn crisis into stability for her family, and by attending this year’s Blue Jeans Ball, guests can do the same for others.
Each ticket to the Blue Jeans Ball provides 500 life-changing meals for people in need in our area. Today, Lisa works for the food bank, helping distribute food made possible by the Blue Jeans Ball.
When: Sunday, April 23, 2017
5 pm: VIP reception
6 pm: Tastings, cocktails and silent auction
8 pm: Program & live auction
Where: Marriott Marquis Hotel
901 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Hotel valet parking available for a fee
What: 40+ savory and sweet tasting stations from Oyamel, The Palm, Ripple, Occidental and more…Made-to-order cocktails from Mixology Chairs Gina Chersevani (Buffalo & Bergen) & Eddie Kim (Bar Dupont)…and the Washington Redskins Foundation has joined this year’s effort to end childhood hunger!
How: Ticket details available at capitalareafoodbank.org/blue-jeans-ball/; as always, guests arrive in their most fashionable denim and taste to their hearts’ content!
About: The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest organization in the Washington metro area working to solve hunger and its companion problems: chronic undernutrition, heart disease and obesity. By partnering with nearly 450 community organizations in DC, Maryland and Virginia, as well as delivering food directly in hard to reach areas, the CAFB is helping 540,000 people each year get access to good, healthy food. That’s 12 percent of our region’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, and grandparents. Visit: capitalareafoodbank.org, facebook.com/CapitalAreaFoodBank, and Twitter at @foodbankmetrodc.
Shaw Main Streets will host its annual Taste of Shaw Gala on Tuesday April 25, 2017, from 7pm to 9pm. The annual event celebrates the neighborhood’s diverse businesses and residents, and is a fundraiser for initiatives that enhance and promote commerce within the Shaw neighborhood. DC’s beloved Howard Theatre will be the backdrop for live music and libations and delicious bites from some of DC’s best bars and restaurants. Proceeds from the event support Shaw Main Streets’ economic revitalization and historic preservation activities in the Shaw neighborhood of DC, which have helped bring about the transformation of central Shaw since 2003. This year’s hashtag, #LoveShaw, represents the comradery of Shaw’s business owners and the citywide support and accolades the neighborhood continues to receive. From Michelin stars to Rammy nominations and stellar reviews, Shaw’s bars and restaurants continue to help raise the Shaw neighborhood’s profile locally and nationally.
A hospitality renaissance led by top chefs and mixologists has been under way in recent years, bringing fresh concepts and perspectives in cuisine and beverage, as well as a host of new talent, making Shaw the city’s top dining and imbibing destination. Recent openings such as the neighborhood craft cocktail bar Service Bar DC (a new take on the local watering hole from veteran bartenders Chad Spangler and Glendon Hartley), the Chinese-French concept Kyirisan from husband and wife team Tim and Joey Ma, and neighborhood anchors such as The Passenger, DC’s favorite industry bar, and Convivial, which was one of 2015’s opening highlights; will be among the many participants in the annual Shaw Main Streets Gala. Shaw Main Streets invites the entire region to explore some of the best of the neighborhood has to offer at one venue, on one special evening.
Guests can expect a festive atmosphere, open beer and wine bar, and unlimited cuisine and cocktails from a Taste of Shaw’s stellar host committee of chefs, restaurateurs, and mixologists. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen will receive the 2017 Shaw Champion Award, chosen by the Board of Directors of Shaw Main Streets for his consistent support of economic revitalization in Shaw and SMS’ efforts to create the thriving community that Shaw is today. Appearances by Mayor Bowser and other public officials are also slated.
The 2017 Taste of Shaw host committee includes the following bars and restaurants:
The Brixton Buttercream Bakeshop Cava
Convivial Dacha Dino’s Grotto
The Tavern at Henley Park Eat the Rich El Rey
Etete French Quarter Brasserie Haikan
Half Smoke Kyirisian La Jambe
The Passenger Service Bar Seylou
Southern Efficiency Tiger Fork
Advance tickets are $80 and can be ordered online at www.smsgala17.eventbrite.com. On the day of the event, tickets will be $100. Tickets include unlimited food and cocktail tastings, beer and wine, and complimentary valet parking.
The Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair and Plant Sale will be taking place on April 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on April 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the U.S. National Arboretum.
The 27th annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale, hosted by Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), has moved to a new central location in the U.S. National Arboretum, which is celebrating its 90th year.
This year’s event, April 28-29, has been relocated and will now be outside the Administration Building and Visitor Center, adjacent to the National Capitol Columns, Azalea Collection and the Grove of State Trees. Attendees will see more of the Arboretum grounds as they shop for traditional and rare plants from nurseries around the world, including new offerings like Gentiana acaulis hybrids, Beesia deltophylla, Phygelius cultivars and eight different types of Cypripedium orchids.
The Garden Fair and Plant Sale is a weekend designed for gardeners of all levels in the D.C. area searching for their perfect plant, herbs from the Potomac Unit of the National Herb Society or horticulture guidance from expert horticulturists. The 2017 Garden Fair and Plant Sale will also feature food and drink vendors, a performance by the Washington Revels, and a strawberry potting activity for children.
For more information please visit www.fona.org/gardenfair. I am available to answer any questions you may have.
The Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair and Plant Sale will be taking place on April 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on April 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the U.S. National Arboretum.
The 27th annual Garden Fair and Plant Sale, hosted by Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), has moved to a new central location in the U.S. National Arboretum, which is celebrating its 90th year.
This year’s event, April 28-29, has been relocated and will now be outside the Administration Building and Visitor Center, adjacent to the National Capitol Columns, Azalea Collection and the Grove of State Trees. Attendees will see more of the Arboretum grounds as they shop for traditional and rare plants from nurseries around the world, including new offerings like Gentiana acaulis hybrids, Beesia deltophylla, Phygelius cultivars and eight different types of Cypripedium orchids.
The Garden Fair and Plant Sale is a weekend designed for gardeners of all levels in the D.C. area searching for their perfect plant, herbs from the Potomac Unit of the National Herb Society or horticulture guidance from expert horticulturists. The 2017 Garden Fair and Plant Sale will also feature food and drink vendors, a performance by the Washington Revels, and a strawberry potting activity for children.
For more information please visit www.fona.org/gardenfair.
