Alexandria’s hometown destination race returns this Spring when the 39th PNC Parkway Classic hits the pavement on Sunday, April 23, 2023. As one of the most popular spring events in the DC metro area, the race, organized by local running retailer Pacers Running attracts thousands of runners and spectators who want to experience the George Washington Memorial Parkway from a unique perspective. The race features both a 5K, and a 10-mile race offering starting at 8:00 am as well as a 600-meter Kids Dash race for the little runners kicking off at 10:30am. Post-race, participants over 21+ can receive a complimentary beverage and join local brewery and sponsor, Port City Brewery at an after party at Oronoco Bay Park to celebrate the finish line.
The race takes place during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week every April which celebrates America’s treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Since 1984, the George Washington Parkway Classic has been one of the most scenic and spacious distance races on the East Coast. The Classic 5k Course will start and finish at Oronoco Bay Park. The 10-mile race will start at Mt. Vernon Estate with the course taking runners up the beautiful George Washington Memorial Parkway and ending at Oronoco Bay Park. It is the only race that starts at the historic Mt. Vernon Estate and takes 10 miler runners up a road that is ranked as one of the top scenic roads in the country that resides on National Park Service property. Every runner for the 5K and 10 Miler will receive a medal and a Commemorative technical fabric running shirt.
Registration for each race is required ($45 for 5K and $85 for the 10-Mi). For $50, a virtual option is provided. In addition to the race event, kids can join the fun in a kid-friendly race for $20 kicking off at Waterfront Park in Old Town (at King & Union Street) that is designed for children under 12 years old. Special family friendly activities and entertainment will be included in the kids’ package, along with each Dash participant receiving a special race bib and medal. Post-race, participants over 21+ can receive a complimentary beverage and join local brewery and sponsor, Port City Brewery at an after party in the Brewing Beer Garden to celebrate the finish line.
As the PNC Parkway Classic continues to celebrate the joy of road racing, the race also gives back to the local community. Since the race’s inception, the money raised from the event has helped local and regional charities and organizations, such as the Boys + Girls Clubs of Alexandria, the National Park Service, Rebuilding Together DC-Alexandria, and Together We Bake in continuing each charities mission.
For more information, visit the following website details about registration, race route, and event day activities: www.parkwayclassic.com.
EVENT DETAILS
What: 39th Annual PNC Parkway Classic
Presented by: PNC Bank N.A.
Produced by: Pacers Running (runpacers.com)
When: Sunday, April 23, 2023
Where: Mount Vernon Estate through Old Town Alexandria
Time: 8AM Race Start, 10:30 AM – Kid Dash
Cost: $20-Kid’s Dash, $45-5K, & $85-10Miler
Website/Event Registration: www.parkwayclassic.com
Saturday–Sunday, April 22–23, 10 a.m. –5:30 p.m.
From water scarcity to floods and erosion, Native nations are addressing climate change across Indian Country. Join the museum for a weekend of conversations, presentations and cultural displays that share how Indigenous communities are stepping forward with aggressive plans to protect their way of life.
Living Earth Festival 2023: Native Nations Confronting Climate Change
Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
From water scarcity to floods and erosion, Native nations are addressing climate change across Indian Country. During the Living Earth Festival, join the museum for a weekend of conversations, demonstrations, and artmaking to learn how Indigenous communities are stepping forward with aggressive plans to protect their ways of life.
Throughout the weekend, visitors can hear directly from Indigenous climate and agriculture experts as they discuss how their communities have always demonstrated respect for the Earth with sustainability in mind. Presenters show how traditional knowledge and practices are being adapted to a changing climate and feed the world’s growing population at the same time. Working artists will engage visitors in communal artmaking using found materials once destined for landfills to create new and unique works of art.
A long-running event in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, underground bicycle racing that began as a series and evolved into the Garage Racing National Championships. Join the National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), the biking community and more than 100 participating cyclists at the sixth annual Garage Racing National Championships, the region’s ONLY underground bike race series that challenges amateur and elite cyclists alike to compete to be the National Champion.
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On Friday, April 28, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, invite friends and family to watch a series of 30-minute relay, fixed gear, and anything goes races from a lounge area with great views, a spirited happy hour, and a celebration of bicycling to kick off National Bike Month.
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On Saturday, April 29, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, continue the fun all day long by watching a series of bike races ranging from 25 to 40 minutes for junior cyclists, men, women, and non-binary individuals.
The Garage Racing National Championships is part of a series of events and programming hosted by the National Landing BID to recognize National Bike Month. Check out exciting and diverse community events hosted throughout the year in National Landing and stay tuned for more details by visiting nationallanding.org/events.
WHEN: Friday, April 28, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, and Saturday, April 29, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
WHERE: 2011 Crystal Drive Parking Lot – Floors 2 and 3 lower levels of the parking garage
HOW: Registration for this event is available here.
For those who did not receive an invitation to the Coronation of King Charles, III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, slated for May 6 at Westminster Abbey, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is holding a Coronation Garden Party. The event takes place on Saturday, May 6, honoring the Coronation. Beginning at 9:30am, in the hotel’s courtyard, guests will enjoy a ceremonial celebration featuring authentic Scottish bagpiper Duncan Moore, a champagne sabering and slices of a Royal Coronation Cake, fit for a King and a Queen Consort.
Executive Pastry Chef Claus Olsen will create an impressive, towering cake to honor the coronation, and will share slices with guests as they toast His Majesty and The Queen consort along with a taste of sabered champagne.
All guests donning festive hats or fascinators will be eligible to win prizes for most authentic, fabulous and over-the-top – prizes awarded at 11:30 am. Cocktails and Coronation fare will be available for purchase, and Life-sized cutouts of the Royals will create perfect photo opportunities. To register for Fairmont’s Royal Coronation Garden Party, please visit Eventbrite.
Almost like watching from Churchill Downs, Jack Rose Dining Saloon will once again be Washington, DC’s premiere destination for Kentucky Derby festivities on Saturday, May 6 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
On the sunny rooftop terrace and whiskey-surrounded indoor Saloon, guests and race fanatics are invited to don their finest derby attire at the bar’s 11th Annual Kentucky Derby Celebration + Viewing Party, complete with mint juleps, complimentary Southern bites, plenty of Kentucky bourbon, and a live viewing of the 2023 Run for the Roses.
Commemorating “the greatest two minutes in sports,” Jack Rose will host its 11th Annual Derby Day Viewing Partyon two levels: its first-come, first-served open-air Rooftop Terrace and ticketed reserved seating in its spacious indoor Saloon, surrounded by thousands of bottles of whiskey.
The bar will be open early at 3pm, with both floors offering an a la carte menu of classic Mint Juleps made with Bardstown Fusion Series, other Southern-inspired cocktails like a spiked sweet tea punch & brown derby. Complimentary Derby hors d’oeuvres will be passed throughout the afternoon.
Saloon Reservations are available for $50/person (excluding tax & gratuity) which guarantees each party two-hour indoor reserved seating with direct views of the race on an extra-large projector screen with sound, plus a welcome pour of Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series, one round of classic Bardstown Bourbon Company Classic Mint Juleps, and a Derby Platter for the table (cucumber sandwiches, KY hot browns & biscuits). Pre-paid Saloon reservations are available via Resy, for seatings between 5-6pm (just in time for the race’s 6:57pm post time).
And the bar’s Rooftop Terrace will also play host to a walk-ins-only viewing party, airing the Derby on six flat-screen TVs with sound. The Terrace party is free to attend, first-come first-served, with table and bar seating and standing room available. Guests are encouraged to don their Derby best – bow ties, seersucker, and big hats!
Citi Taste of Tennis, the Official Player Party of the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open, returns to the Nation’s Capital on July 30th from 7-10 p.m. Guests will be treated to an unforgettable evening of amazing cuisine prepared by some of D.C.’s finest chefs and served by top tennis stars at La Vie Restaurant located on the Southwest Waterfront in The Wharf.
Tennis Channel’s Nick Monroe will host the event and Chef Kevin Tien will serve as the headline Chef. Nick and Kevin will be joined by a number of special guest players who will participate in an exciting cooking demonstration on the main stage.
A wide array of cuisine will be available from Citi Taste of Tennis’ all-star lineup of acclaimed chefs, including: Kevin Tien (Moon Rabbit), Bader Ali (Gerrard Street Kitchen), Patrice Cleary (Purple Patch), Alessandra Begggiato (Dolci Gelati), Jassi Bindra (Amrina The Woodlands), John Mooney (Bidwell), Scheyla Acosta and Chef Mac & Chef Pinke (Flavorture).
To add to the excitement, guests will be treated to a live performance to dance the night away. Attendees will also enjoy an assortment of interactive sponsor experiences provided by Citi, Barbados Tourist Board, Zonin Prosecco, Voss, Chef Works and Volkl.
Tickets are $250 each and group packages are available.
Michelin-honored Cantonese restaurant Tiger Fork and its sister bar Hi-Lawn present the “Mid-Autumn Night Market” – a traditional Chinese festival celebration – from September 20-21. They will transform the 1000-person rooftop atop Union Market into a lively two-day Hong Kong night market, decked out with illuminated lanterns, food stalls from guest chefs, pop-up shops from local artisans, cultural performances, late-night DJs, baijiu and sake bars, mooncakes and more, all to help raise funds for Hawaii disaster relief through World Central Kitchen.
Tiger Fork’s brand new executive chef Simon Lam (formerly head chef at Chang Chang) will cook savory street food-inspired fare alongside guest chefs/restaurants such as China Chilcano; Love, Makoto and Toimoi Bakery (with more to be announced soon) at food stands throughout the open-air rooftop.
Also known as the “mooncake festival,” no celebration is complete without its namesame sweets, and Toimoi Bakery will serve symbolic, creative mooncakes, while Tiger Fork will serve topping-adorned bubble waffles, and Yume Asian Fusion will sell homemade cookies in unique flavors combinations like ube cookies & cream, black sesame peanut butter cup, and miso walnut chip.
Guests can peruse specialty gifts and wares from pop-up market stalls throughout the celebration.
Festival drinkers will enjoy a special Baijiu + Sake Bar, pouring China’s national spirit, plus an assortment of sake, and other liquor, cocktails, beer and wine.
At 6pm nightly, cultural performances such as lion, ribbon and fan dancing will take place live on the lawn.
And DJs will keep the spirited energy going all night long, spinning tunes from 9pm to midnight.
The two-night festival supports a fantastic cause, raising funds to benefit Hawaii disaster relief through the event’s charity partner World Central Kitchen.
Tiger Fork’s Mid-Autumn Night Market is free to attend and open to the public, but RSVPs are highly recommended on Eventbrite. Donations to World Central Kitchen are encouraged and accepted throughout the event. All food, beverage and artisan crafts will sold a la carte, first-come, first-served. For more information, please visit https://www.eventbrite.
WHO: Tiger Fork & Chef Simon Lam
Hi-Lawn
China Chilcano
Love, Makoto
Toimoi Bakery
Yume Asian Fusion
World Central Kitchen
WHEN: Wednesday, September 20 & Thursday, September 21, 2023
6pm-midnight
WHERE: Hi-Lawn (on the rooftop of Union Market)
1309 5th St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Michelin-honored Cantonese restaurant Tiger Fork and its sister bar Hi-Lawn present the “Mid-Autumn Night Market” – a traditional Chinese festival celebration – from September 20-21. They will transform the 1000-person rooftop atop Union Market into a lively two-day Hong Kong night market, decked out with illuminated lanterns, food stalls from guest chefs, pop-up shops from local artisans, cultural performances, late-night DJs, baijiu and sake bars, mooncakes and more, all to help raise funds for Hawaii disaster relief through World Central Kitchen.
Tiger Fork’s brand new executive chef Simon Lam (formerly head chef at Chang Chang) will cook savory street food-inspired fare alongside guest chefs/restaurants such as China Chilcano; Love, Makoto and Toimoi Bakery (with more to be announced soon) at food stands throughout the open-air rooftop.
Also known as the “mooncake festival,” no celebration is complete without its namesame sweets, and Toimoi Bakery will serve symbolic, creative mooncakes, while Tiger Fork will serve topping-adorned bubble waffles, and Yume Asian Fusion will sell homemade cookies in unique flavors combinations like ube cookies & cream, black sesame peanut butter cup, and miso walnut chip.
Guests can peruse specialty gifts and wares from pop-up market stalls throughout the celebration.
Festival drinkers will enjoy a special Baijiu + Sake Bar, pouring China’s national spirit, plus an assortment of sake, and other liquor, cocktails, beer and wine.
At 6pm nightly, cultural performances such as lion, ribbon and fan dancing will take place live on the lawn.
And DJs will keep the spirited energy going all night long, spinning tunes from 9pm to midnight.
The two-night festival supports a fantastic cause, raising funds to benefit Hawaii disaster relief through the event’s charity partner World Central Kitchen.
Tiger Fork’s Mid-Autumn Night Market is free to attend and open to the public, but RSVPs are highly recommended on Eventbrite. Donations to World Central Kitchen are encouraged and accepted throughout the event. All food, beverage and artisan crafts will sold a la carte, first-come, first-served. For more information, please visit https://www.eventbrite.
WHO: Tiger Fork & Chef Simon Lam
Hi-Lawn
China Chilcano
Love, Makoto
Toimoi Bakery
Yume Asian Fusion
World Central Kitchen
WHEN: Wednesday, September 20 & Thursday, September 21, 2023
6pm-midnight
WHERE: Hi-Lawn (on the rooftop of Union Market)
1309 5th St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Taking over the National Mall Friday, September 29 through Sunday, October 1, the 2023 World Culture Festival is expected to be the largest gathering in the nation’s capital this year, featuring the largest stage area ever built on the historic National Park property.
Over 250,000 visitors from every corner of the globe are expected to travel to Washington, D.C. to be a part of the World Culture Festival. Today, organizers already report 184,513 registered attendees who will join in-person along with an estimated broadcast audience of over one billion worldwide. Registrants to date represent:
- 60% from the capital region
- 91% from the United States representing all 50 states
- 4% from India
- 5% from 121 other countries, including Canada, United Kingdom, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Thailand and South Africa.
Free registration and full Festival information can be found at https://wcf.artofliving.org.
Program Schedule
*All schedules are subject to change
Friday, September 29
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Festival Village
- A one-mile stretch between 7th St and 14th St NW, featuring over 75 cultural pavilions, activities including fashion showcases, and 80+ food trucks serving international cuisines.
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Saturday, September 30
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Festival Village
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Sunday, October 1
8:00 am – 9:00 am: Yoga Festival
10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Festival Village
10:00 am – 1:00 pm: Main Stage World Culture Festival Showcase
Performances
An initial lineup was announced today including over 8,000 individual stage performers representing an array of human cultural art forms from around the globe. The program features all U.S.-based artists presenting music, dance, and performance art from diverse Native American and American immigrant cultures. Among them:
LOCAL
- The acclaimed Showtime Band from Howard University
- A melody performance from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC
- Pulsating beats and infectious energy of Washington’s iconic go-go bands including Junkyard Band, DJ Cool and Bela Dona Band.
- Traditional Gospel Choir with 1,000 singers – a performance by musicians from church and university choirs of 1KVoiceChoir
- Native American dance by 100 artists representing various tribes from the region perform to the powerful beats of live drums and other traditional instruments
- Traditional Mongolian Dance & Music with 100 Dancers – A vibrant and energetic dance highlighting the heritage and nomadic traditions of Mongolia
- Indonesian Dance by 100 Artists – A “wonderland dance of Indonesia” representing the country’s five main islands
- Irish Step Dance with 100 Dancers – Lively Irish dancers in traditional dress showcasing the rich traditions of the Emerald Isle
- Bolivian Folk Dance with 200 Dancers – Vibrant folk dancers of Bolivia present 4 kinds of traditional dances
- Nepalese dance with 150 artists in vibrant costumes, representing the spiritual traditions of Nepal
NATIONAL
- Global Guitar Ensemble with 1,000 guitarists playing popular sing-along classics with renowned lead guitarists, including Grammy-award winner Micki Free.
- Rhythms of reggae with Skip Marley, grandson of the legendary Bob Marley, and dancers representing the cultures of the Caribbean islands.
- One World Family Invocation – A 200-artists choir with Grammy nominated artist Chandrika Tandon
- Pop influencer Jini June performing alongside 200 children, spreading a message of harmony in song
- Amadou Kouyate and his djembe and kora orchestra, accompanied by 200 African dancers
- Kurtis Blow and other hip hop legends accompanied by 200 breakdancers, MCs, DJs and graffiti artists
- 10,000 Garba Dancers – representing a traditional folk dance of western India circle the National Mall in a spirit of celebration.
- Traditional Afghan Music & Sufi Whirling with 150 Artists – 130 musicians playing traditional instruments and singing captivating melodies along with 20 whirling dervishes
- Indian Classical Dance & Classical Symphony with 1000 Artists – Symphony of 300 instrumentalists including sitar, veena, tabla, mridangam, flute, ghatam and violin, plus 700 dancers performing a variety of classical Indian dance styles
- Latin American Dance Fusion with 200 Artists – Vibrant folk dancers representing the unique traditions of Colombia, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela
- Chinese Cultural Choir & Dance with 1,000 Artists – Chinese classical choir, classical dancers, dragons, & kung-fu in a fusion of music & movement
- Bulgarian Folk Dance by 300 Artists – 300 artists dance to the soul-stirring melodies of Bulgarian singers
- Ukrainian Dance by 200 Dancers and Choir – Exhilarating acrobatics and vibrant footwork of the hopak, a traditional Ukrainian dance
Activations
- The largest ever yoga event to take place on the National Mall, with over 2,000 instructors from various schools of yoga demonstrating a flow to more than 25,000 yoga enthusiasts. The event will be followed by a meditation led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
- Over 80 food trucks will serve culturally expressive food and beverages from around the world. Some of the cuisines include Middle Eastern (Koshary Corner), French (Taste of Montreal), Latin-American (Arepa Zone), South Asian (Rangoli), Vegan/Plant Based (Soultarian), Indonesian (Sambal), Caribbean (Patty Party), West African (Kuks Tribute), Italian (Ciao Roma), Mexican (Mexicocina), Thai (Thai Pinto), British (Salt Pot Kitchen).
