The Cathedral Choral Society continues its 2017.18 season with
Solitude and Joy on Sunday, March 4, 4:00 pm at Washington National Cathedral.
Guest conductor Donald Nally leads the chorus, joined by cellist Thomas Mesa and
organist Scott Dettra.

The program features a diverse selection of contemporary and 20 th century music,
including two new commissions for choir: Ēriks Ešenvalds’ 85 and Alex Berko’s
Lincoln. Latvian Ēriks Ešenvalds is one of the most sought-after composers working
today. His compositions have been premiered by the Boston Symphony, The King’s
Singers, Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, and more. Alex Berko is an American
composer currently attending Indiana University. His music has been performed by
members of The Crossing Choir, Del Sol String Quartet, and the Cape Cod Symphony.
His piece, Lincoln, uses the text from the dedication plaque that accompanies the statue
of Abraham Lincoln in Washington National Cathedral.

Completing the program: Gabriel Jackson’s Creator of the Stars of Night; Sebastian
Currier’s Sanctus from Night Mass; Herbert Howells’ Behold, O God Our Defender; I
Would Be True; and O Pray; John Tavener’s Svyati; James MacMillan’s A New Song;
Pēteris Vasks’ Grãmata čellam (for solo cello); Arvo Pärt’s Salve Regina; and Maurice
Duruflé’s Notre Père.

The arc of the program is inspired by a piece of lyrical prose written by French writer
Pascal Quignard from his 2002 book The Roving Shadows: “Without solitude, without
the test of time, without the passion for silence, without the excitation and retention of
the whole body, without a frightened stumbling, without wandering into a region of shade
and invisibility, without memory of animality, without melancholy, without isolation in
melancholy, there is no joy.”

WHAT:  SMITHSONIAN at 8, in collaboration with Francophonie DC and the Embassy of France, presents La Grande Fête, the closing celebration of the 2018 DC Francophonie Cultural Festival.

WHEN: Friday, March 23, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

WHERE: La Maison Francaise at the Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, Washington, DC

Get ready for a spectacular party with a French accent. The annual Francophonie Cultural Festival spotlights the music, art, literature, film, cuisine, and customs of French-speaking countries and regions from across the globe. Its closing celebration, La Grande Fête, is always magnifique, and this year’s bash is no exception.

Beginning at 7 p.m., guests will launch into a world tour of francophone cultures. They’ll sample food and drink from more than 30 embassies as they explore each nation’s unique attractions and traditions. DJ Princess Slaya spins music from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and plenty of destinations in between. Experience the best of the French-speaking world—all without leaving home. 

General admission $40

Tickets must be purchased in advance (no sales at the door).

For tickets and further information the public may call 202-633-3030 or visit http://s.si.edu/2ocUayg.

The Union Market District is kicking off Spring and celebrating the diverse collection of businesses, both old and new, with a daylong street fest featuring food and activities from district neighbors and partners including Trader Joe’s, Politics and Prose, Cotton & Reed, Masseria, Pluma, A. Litteri, Blue Bottle, DC United and more.

The free, family-friendly day will take place Saturday, April 7 from 9am to 4pm. Bordered by New York Avenue, Florida Avenue and 6th Street NE, the festival will be spread across the entire Union Market District, including venues 4th x Neal, Angelika, Dock 5, 4th x Morse Street and the Market itself.

From all-day live music at Neal Place to a pop-up bookshop by Politics & Prose and a bevy of food trucks lining Neal Place NE, the entire district, long known for attracting innovative retail as well as launching and scaling businesses, will be activated for a day of creativity and community.

World class chefs will be on hand for cooking tips while DC United players lead a youth workshop. Michelin-starred chef Nick Stefanelli will be selling breakfast sandwiches on Masseria’s patio and Instagram influencers Tamon George and Gary Williams of Creative Theory will take portrait photos in the historic alley of 4th x Neal. Meet under the Yoko Ono mural on 6th Street for spoken word poetry and dance off the winter blues with DC’s favorite DJ’s and live music.

The full schedule, including signature events, will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information about the Union Market district street fair, please visit www.unionmarketdc.com.

Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. will host a spring 2018 Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine, a seasonal culinary & beverage experience on Saturday, April 14, focused on Japanese treasures.  Spring is cherry blossom season, merging two cultures, as these magnificent trees were a gift from Japan to the nation’s capital.  It is the ideal time for Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. to present the art of the Japanese tea ceremony with the seasonal bounty of the mid-Atlantic region.  On this particular afternoon, guests will have the unique opportunity to savor a “Washoku” inspired food menu prepared by Executive Chef Troy Knapp featuring American rice, Chesapeake seafood, and locally sourced vegetables, followed by a traditional tea ceremony, also known as Chano-yu, conducted by Sobin Koizumi, a Urasenke professor from Japan.  The Urasenke tea school teaches the history, importance, and practical knowledge behind this centuries-old tradition.

As a tenured senior professor of the Urasenke tea school, Koizumi has traveled the world teaching non-Japanese people about the heart and soul of Chano-yu.  Learning about Matcha and the tea ceremony with Sobin Koizumi is a unique and rare opportunity, both here and in Japan.  Tickets for this special event are priced at $100 per person, and available for purchase on Eventbite.  Guests will enjoy a presentation covering the history and proper manners for Chano-yu, followed by a tasting of two different rare Matcha teas from the same grower that have limited availability in the United States paired with seasonal confections from Kyoto.  Space is limited and reservations are required.

Additionally, guests of the event will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase 30 grams of Kyoto Uji Matcha, a high-end green tea powder, prepared from young first flush green tea leaves at Uji in Kyoto, the birthplace of the Japanese tea ceremony.  

HOW:             Tickets are available for purchase at: https://parkhyattmasters-tea.eventbrite.com. Seating is limited for this one-of-a-kind event and advance reservations are required.

Purchase your ticket today to secure your spot at FGIDC’s next workshop, Impact of Advertising. Set up your brand for success with the newest, most impactful advertising tools.

Get an early start to patio season with Barley Mac’s second annual Oysterfest on April 21. Owner Mike Cordero is serving up classic summertime favorites – oysters, chilled white wine, cocktails, beer and whiskey. Guests are invited to taste samples of the restaurant’s locally caught oysters and down drinks from the bar from 1 to 5 p.m. Afternoon highlights include an oyster eating contest, shucking instruction stations and cigar rolling demonstrations. Oyster shooters will be made to order.

Live music from local favorites The Wing-Its, an oyster buffet and open bar will be set up on the patio between 1 and 5 p.m. Guests (ages 21+) will be given a stemless Barley Mac wine glass to sip from and bring home.  Shirts will also be for sale.

            Barley Mac’s oyster menu features raw oysters harvested from Northern Virginia. Continuing the all you can eat tradition, Barley Mac is serving Raw Oysters, Oyster Rockefellers, Grilled Oysters, Fried Po-Boys, Oyster Stew, Fried Buffalo Batter Oysters and Oyster Ceviche.

            The Oyster & Wine Festival is open to all age groups (21+ will be given wristbands and two drink tickets). Tickets are $49 a person, or $59 a person at the door and can be purchased prior to the event here. Event sponsors include Sam Adams, Balvenie and Hendricks. The event will be held weather permitting.

WHO: Barley Mac & Mike Cordero

WHAT: 2^nd Annual Oyster Festival

               Oyster Eating Contest

               Oyster Shucking Instruction Station

               Cigar Rolling Station

 Purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-  barley-mac-oyster-fest-tickets-44815028958

WHEN: Saturday, April 21

              1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

WHERE: Barley Mac

                1600 Wilson Blvd

                Arlington, VA 22209

About Barley Mac

Barley Mac is an American restaurant offering gourmet comfort foods and an extensive whiskey menu. Located just a few blocks from the Rosslyn Metro Station, Barley Mac brings a love of delicious food, whiskeys and bourbons to Northern Virginia. The innovative twists of American comfort foods will please the taste buds, while the specialty liquor menu is sure to excite even the fiercest cocktail enthusiasts. With an industrial chic interior, plentiful seating and large bar area, Barley Mac is an ideal drinking and dining choice for groups of all sizes.

Crystal City’s summertime happy hour is back, opening a month early and announcing a new partnership with The Stand  bringing food and beverage from local restaurants and an exciting live music lineup. Starting on May 4, each Friday from 5-9 pm, attendees can listen to live music from a variety of bands while enjoying local bites and drink.

 In its 11^th year, Cultural Tourism DC will produce the hugely popular Around the World Embassy Tour, part of Passport DC, a month-long celebration of worldwide cultures.

Both visitors and local residents can travel the world in one day, visiting more than 40 embassies to learn about culture, food, fashion and more during the Around the World Embassy Tour open houses. In the past, embassies have treated visitors to karate demonstrations, dance performances, sari wrapping lessons, police dog training, henna art and more.

WHEN:            Saturday, May 5

                        All participating embassies will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted

                        Admission is free, but some embassies may ask to see a government-issued ID. There is also a smart phone app and web-based phone app available to help visitors better plan their day. More information:https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/signature-events

WHERE:           Embassies will celebrate their cultures’ food, fashion, arts and artisans, music, and dance by hosting DC residents and visitors inside their embassies. Embassies participating to date include Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Thailand, and Uganda.

HOW:              “So far, we received commitments from more than 40 embassies to open their gates and doors to participate in this year’s Around the World Embassy Tour,” says Steve Shulman, Executive Director, Cultural Tourism DC. “Now in its 11^th year, we expect nearly 30,000 people to visit embassies during a single day to learn about countries from across the globe. It is a wonderful, uniquely Washington experience for families, individuals and groups.”