May
19
Sun
Greater Reston Arts Center @ Reston Town Center
May 19 @ 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM

The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) revealed the line up of accomplished artists, unique aerial artistry, and engaging children’s activities for the 22nd Annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival taking place May 17-19 in Reston Town Center. The large, top-rated, annual juried fine arts Festival is produced by GRACE, a 501(c) 3 non-profit, whose mission is to enrich community life by promoting involvement and excellence in the visual arts.  This destination style arts festival offers plenty to see, taste, hear and do – from hand crafted, one of a kind artwork, contemporary and original performances, artist demonstrations, acclaimed children’s activities, and live music.

Artists & Performing Arts Line-Up
The jurors reviewed close to 1,000 applications and selected 220 master artisans to participate representing 16 different categories, including Ceramics, Digital and Multi-Media Art, Drawing, Fiber/Textiles, Furniture, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, Metal, Mixed Media 2D, Mixed Media 3D, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Wood.  Of those 220 artists 68 are from the DC Metro/Mid-Atlantic Area, with furthest traveling and/or international presence coming from California and Canada.

2013 Artist List: http://northernvirginiafineartsfestival.org/2013artists/artistList2013.phpTeaming up once again, Arachne Aerial Arts and In-Flight Theater return to the festival with Aloft! – elevated performances transforming the Town Center Pavilion into an animated flying sculpture garden. Both groups will perform original works incorporating bungee, rope & harness, and invented apparatus set to the recorded sounds by DJ Spooky, Alvin Hill Jr., and others.  All performances provided through the generous support of the Reston Community Center.Family Art Park – Art Around the World
This year, the Reston Town Square Park will be transformed into a Family Art Park that will include the ever-popular Children’s Art Tent, a new Teen Art Tent, a Public Art project and a “Chill-Out” tent.  Also new this year, face painting will be available during limited hours.  Children of all ages will have fun creating art influenced by cultures from around the world.  Kids of all ages can try out all the projects and fill their Art Passport.  Schedule of children art activities are located here: http://northernvirginiafineartsfestival.org/Children.htm?77Admission to the Festival is free, however for a voluntary donation of $10 to GRACE at the event’s colorful ArtCarts visitors will receive a $10 gift certificate to dine at participating Reston Town Center restaurants.  Donations benefit year round educational and outreach programs produced by GRACE throughout the Northern Virginia area.

GRACE will kick off the weekend festivities with an upscale Opening Night Party on Friday, May 17 from 6:00-9:00PM.  Held in the Reston Town Center Pavilion, the party is an opportunity to celebrate this annual event, while helping raise funds for GRACE’s educational programs.  The party will be emceed by ABC 7 Good Morning Washington News Anchor, Scott Thuman and include live music by DC’s Blues Americana Rock showman Ted Garber, performances by Arachne Aerial Arts & In-Flight Theater, silent auction, signature cocktails, and local prominent business leaders and elected officials.

Event Details:
What:  22nd Annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival
Who:   Contemporary artwork from over 200 artists in 16 categories
Where: Reston Town Center – 12001 Market Street, Reston, VA 20190

When:
Friday, May 17, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday May 18, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 19, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Weather: Rain or Shine.
Opening Night Party:  Friday, May 17, 6:00 p.m. – 9 p.m. Town Center Pavilion. Tickets required, and will be available for purchase online beginning, April 1, 2013.

Cost: Admission to the event is free, however for a voluntary donation of $10 to GRACE at the events ArtCarts, visitors will receive a $10 gift certificate to dine at participating Reston Town Center restaurants. Donations benefit year round educational and outreach programs produced by GRACE throughout the Northern Virginia area.

Contact: For additional information about GRACE, the Northern Virginia Arts Festival, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities visit www.RestonArts.org or www.NorthernVirginiaFineArtsFestival.org .

May
25
Sat
A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor at Wolftrap @ Wolftrap
May 25 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM

A Prairie Home Companion
with Garrison Keillor
Special Guests: Aoife O’Donovan, Howard Levy, and more
in association with
Minnesota Public Radio & WAMU 88.5 FM

Wolftrap
Friday, May 24 at 8 pm
Saturday, May 25 at 5:45 pm
$25-$60

Grammy-winning storyteller, humorist, and host Garrison Keillor is back on the road with the nation’s premier live radio show, A Prairie Home Companion (APHC). Now in its 39thseason, APHC returns to the Filene Center where Keillor will lead an ensemble cast through comedy sketches and musical interludes, as well as perform his signature monologue, “The News from Lake Wobegon.”

This year’s special guests include Aoife O’Donovan, a folk singer/songwriter and lead singer of the bluegrass band Crooked Still, and harmonica genius Howard Levy, a Béla Fleck and the Flecktones founding member, among others. Since its inception in 1974, APHC has grown into a household radio variety program that is heard each week by more than 4 million listeners and broadcast in more than 576 public radio stations.

U-Pick Strawberry Festival @ Great Country Farms
May 25 @ 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Bluemont, VA – Come celebrate the event that launched Great Country Farms 20 years ago. The Strawberry Jubilee May 25th & 26th promises to be a bumper harvest due to the favorable spring weather. The weekend is packed with stupendous fun including live music, food contests (pie-eating and tart tossing), and delectable strawberries. GCF recommends that serious pickers arrive early as this vine ripened fruit is a favorite of many. The farm has moved with the times and now posts regular updates on their social media about produce conditions. Founder Farmer Bob Zurschmeide recalls “Back in 1993, we invited folks to help themselves in our strawberry fields never expecting to begin an annual event. We just wanted everyone to taste a perfect, ripe strawberry for themselves.” The traditional Diaper Derby invites the youngest visitors to join the fun by crawling across a finish line for prizes of fresh fruit or toys. The Royal Strawberry princess makes her annual appearance for pictures and strawberry stories.

Great Country Farms is also celebrating 20 years of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA members are always welcomed free of charge to all of the farm’s renowned weekend events and receive special discounts on U-Pick produce and items in the Farm Market. There is a $100.00 per share discount when 2 or more shares are delivered to one location. These sites can be private or open to the public for doctor’s offices, heath care facilities, gyms, etc. to expand foot traffic and offer a great benefit to your employees and customers. Members receive a weekly newsletter with chef created recipes tailored to the harvest cycles.

Event Details:

Strawberry Jubilee May 25 & 26, 2013

Open 9am-6pm $10/child & $12/adult/Under 2 and military with ID FREE

ContactJaclyn@greatcountryfarms.com 540-554-5073

18780 Foggy Bottom Road Bluemont, Virginia 20135

May
26
Sun
U-Pick Strawberry Festival @ Great Country Farms
May 26 @ 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Bluemont, VA – Come celebrate the event that launched Great Country Farms 20 years ago. The Strawberry Jubilee May 25th & 26th promises to be a bumper harvest due to the favorable spring weather. The weekend is packed with stupendous fun including live music, food contests (pie-eating and tart tossing), and delectable strawberries. GCF recommends that serious pickers arrive early as this vine ripened fruit is a favorite of many. The farm has moved with the times and now posts regular updates on their social media about produce conditions. Founder Farmer Bob Zurschmeide recalls “Back in 1993, we invited folks to help themselves in our strawberry fields never expecting to begin an annual event. We just wanted everyone to taste a perfect, ripe strawberry for themselves.” The traditional Diaper Derby invites the youngest visitors to join the fun by crawling across a finish line for prizes of fresh fruit or toys. The Royal Strawberry princess makes her annual appearance for pictures and strawberry stories.

Great Country Farms is also celebrating 20 years of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA members are always welcomed free of charge to all of the farm’s renowned weekend events and receive special discounts on U-Pick produce and items in the Farm Market. There is a $100.00 per share discount when 2 or more shares are delivered to one location. These sites can be private or open to the public for doctor’s offices, heath care facilities, gyms, etc. to expand foot traffic and offer a great benefit to your employees and customers. Members receive a weekly newsletter with chef created recipes tailored to the harvest cycles.

Event Details:

Strawberry Jubilee May 25 & 26, 2013

Open 9am-6pm $10/child & $12/adult/Under 2 and military with ID FREE

ContactJaclyn@greatcountryfarms.com 540-554-5073

18780 Foggy Bottom Road Bluemont, Virginia 20135

National Memorial Day Choral Festival @ Kennedy Center
May 26 @ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Honor America’s heroes with a program featuring live music from the US Air Force Symphony Orchestra

Expect to hear classics like John Williams’ “Summon the Heroes’

May 26

3 PM

FREE

Kennedy Center

2700 F Street NW

202.467.4600

kennedy-center.org

Jun
1
Sat
30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk @ Dupont Kalorama Museums Consortium
Jun 1 @ 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM

30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk June 1 and June 2

Nine diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods.amily Fun… Free Admission…Shuttle Busses…Fun Scavenger Hunts for All!

Stretch your legs and your mind during the 30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk (June 1 and 2, 2013). June 1 10am-4pm June 2 1pm-5pm. Nine diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Discover Anderson House, Dumbarton House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, Heurich House Museum, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, The Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House free of charge.

10:00am til 4:00am, Sat Jun 1 @ Dupont Kalorama Museums Consortium, Washington, DC

Family Fun… Free Admission…Shuttle Busses…Fun Scavenger Hunts for All! Stretch your legs and your mind during the 30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk (June 1 and 2, 2013). June 1 10-4pm June 2 1-5pm. Nine diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Discover Anderson House, Dumbarton House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, Heurich House Museum, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, The Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House free of charge. In addition to a wide variety of exhibitions and a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt, many sites are offering special programming. Enjoy period music in the gardens at Dumbarton House, stop by The Textile Museum’s Celebration of Textiles, take part in Jazz n’ Family Fun Days at The Phillips Collection and celebrate the memory of a loved one at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History with a skit, video, journal, or other creative format. Walk-ins welcome or submit your piece early and reserve a 10 minute time slot. Three films scheduled including: Colin. The video captures the ballet Colin memorializing Fallen Hero and Virginia’s own, LCpl Colin Wolfe, USMC. Written and directed by mother Amy Wolfe, artistic director of the Manassas Ballet Theater The 30th Annual Museum Walk Weekend media sponsor is Washington City Paper. Note: The Museum Walk event is held rain or shine. Open hours at each museum vary each day. The National Museum of American Jewish Military History is open Sunday only. A free shuttle service is offered between sites. For more information on all activities visit www.dkmuseums.com or contact Sarah Andrews, 202-387-4062 x41222; sandrews@woodrowwilsonhouse.org; Amy Wike, 202-387-2151 x220, awike@phillipscollection.org, or Mary Westley, 202-265-6280 x511, www.nmajmh.org
price free – $50

contact mwestley@jwv.org

Tour de FAT @ Yards Park
Jun 1 @ 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM

If dressing freaky, riding bikes, listening to bands and drinking beer are things you like, then don’t miss the most FUN fundraiser around…Tour de Fat is coming back to town! New Belgium Brewing, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale and other award-winning beers, is bringing the 14th annual Tour de Fat toWashington, D.C. on Saturday, June 1 in Yards Park.

Gather up your friends, family and neighbors and come enjoy eclectic entertainment and stellar beer, all while helping local bicycle nonprofits raise funds. The event is free, yet all proceeds from beer and merchandise sales and donations from parade participants will help make Washington, D.C. a better place to ride a bike. Follow Tour de Fat’s 12-city adventure on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TourDeFat.

To properly kick-start the festival, Tour de Fat begins with a giant bicycle parade that weaves through city streets. Each parade route is designed for people of all skill levels; everyone is welcome and colorful costumes are encouraged. For the rest of the afternoon, the stages heat up with world-class acts like Beats Antique and The Moth- True Stories Told Live and the park becomes a celebration unlike any other.

Kids of all ages can ride funky bikes, eat delicious fare, relax in the grass, and participate in games and activities such as a “Thousand Person Dance Contest”, which will determine the winner of a 2013 New Belgium Cruiser Bike. Everyone 21 and older can sample new and classic favorites from New Belgium, including the brewery’s flagship brew, Fat Tire, this summer’s seasonal, Rolle Bolle, and selections from the acclaimed Lips of Faith series.

Tour De Fat is where everyone can enjoy the unexpected,” said Matt Kowal, New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat Impresario. “It’s a festival for all ages and stages of life, from young bike lovers to seasoned beer lovers and everyone in between. We guarantee you’ll be inspired by interactive art, music and comedy performances for the year to come!”

In every Tour de Fat city, one brave role model will step on stage to trade in his or her car keys and pledge to live car-free for one year. Each swapper is awarded a stipend to buy their own commuter bike and receives rock star status when the crowd goes wild in support of their commitment. We’re now on the hunt for a swapper in Washington, D.C.! Car-for-Bike Swappers are chosen after submitting an application describing why they are ready to give up their vehicle for the gift of two wheels. To apply, visit: www.newbelgium.com/tour-de-fat.

Tour de Fat seeks to leave as small an environmental imprint as possible. New Belgium partners with recycOil to use biofuels from recycled cooking oil to power the festival’s transportation, stages, sound, food trucks and more. The stage is decked out in recycled materials; attendees are encouraged to ride bikes or carpool; and recycle and compost receptacles are available throughout to help divert waste from landfills.

 

Parade Registration:                      

10:00 a.m.

 

Ride Times:                         

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

 

Entertainment/Revivalation:                     

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

 

Headliners:

Beats Antique (http://beatsantique.com)

Experience how a marching band groove crashes into bluesy folk chords only to be accompanied by electronic beats and Middle Eastern melodies.

 

The Moth – True Stories Told Live (http://themoth.org)

A rare, midday, broad-daylight Moth show. Come gather ’round! The show will feature four stories told by prizewinning Moth storytellers brought from headquarters and two local stories told by…maybe you?

 

Also Performing:
Le Tigre Tent
 (http://www.littlebigfuntime.com– Vaudeville, Music, Magic and Mayhem

Scot Nery (http://jugglegood.com) – Comedian, Juggler and Contortionist

Honeymoon Cabaret (http://www.daredevilchicken.com/honeymoon.html) – A vaudevillian feast of comic proportions

John Higby (http://www.johnhigby.com) – Yo-yo performing artist

Batala (http://www.batalawashington.com) – An AfroBrazilian Samba Reggae Drumming band

 

Benefitting:                          

Washington Area Bicyclist Association (http://www.waba.org)

Black Women Bike DC (http://blackwomenbikedc.tumblr.com)

Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (http://www.fabb-bikes.org)

Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) (http://www.more-mtb.org)

Price:

Admission – FREE!

Parade – Suggested donation of $5 or more

Beer – $5 for a 16 oz. pour

20th Annual Taste of Georgetown @ Georgetown, Below M on Wisconsin Ave.
Jun 1 @ 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Washington, DC’s highly anticipated epicurean festival, the annual Taste of Georgetown, celebrates its 20th year on Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 11am-4pm with creative cuisine from up to 30 of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, as well as an expansive Craft Beer and Wine Pavilion and live entertainment. For the first time in the event’s history, teams led by some of Georgetown’s hottest chefs will face off, testing their culinary skill during Taste of Georgetown’s Iron Chef-style Competition judged by DC’s top food experts and media.This longstanding event in Georgetown is hosted by the Georgetown BID and benefits the Georgetown Ministry Center’s services supporting the homeless.

The only opportunity to taste one’s way through Georgetown in an afternoon, Taste of Georgetown 2013 will offer the opportunity to sample up to 60 signature dishes from 30 popular Georgetown dining spots. This year’s Taste of Georgetown includes a new emphasis on unique craft brews, transforming the signature tasting pavilion into a brew-lover’s paradise featuring an extensive variety of unique craft beers as well as wines. The annual Wisconsin Avenue tasting festival will also feature live music and jazz talents, as well as other playful entertainment and activities including a culinary showdown, a balloon sculptor and face painter.

Tickets are $5 for one tasting and $20 for five tastings, and can be purchased in advance online at www.TasteOfGeorgetown.com through May 31. Craft Beer and Wine Pavilion tickets are $10 for 3, and $4 for 1 tasting. Ticket proceeds benefit the Georgetown Ministry Center’s services supporting the homeless, a cause the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) has helped raise more than $120,000 for since 2004. Taste of Georgetown is presented and sponsored annually by the Georgetown BID.

The 2013 Taste of Georgetown will take place on Wisconsin Avenue from M Street to K Street. Attendees can avoid parking and traffic by taking either the DC Circulator line from Union Station/Georgetown or the DC Circulator line from Rosslyn/Dupont, which runs along M Street. Guests looking to work off the food can get to and from Georgetown using Capital Bikeshare,DC’s convenient bike rental program which allows users to check out and return bikes from any of the 110 stations located throughout Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. Georgetown has four 19-bike units located at the corner of K Street and 30th Street, near the Georgetown Waterfront; at M Street & Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the Four Seasons; on O Street at Wisconsin Avenue by the CVS Pharmacy; and on the 1000 block of Wisconsin Avenue, at Grace Street. Daily memberships are available for $7.

For more information and advanced ticket purchases, please visit www.TasteOfGeorgetown.com.

Jun
2
Sun
30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk @ Dupont Kalorama Museums Consortium
Jun 2 @ 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM

30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk June 1 and June 2

Nine diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods.amily Fun… Free Admission…Shuttle Busses…Fun Scavenger Hunts for All!

Stretch your legs and your mind during the 30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk (June 1 and 2, 2013). June 1 10am-4pm June 2 1pm-5pm. Nine diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Discover Anderson House, Dumbarton House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, Heurich House Museum, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, The Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House free of charge.

10:00am til 4:00am, Sat Jun 1 @ Dujpont Kalorama Museums Consortium, Washington, DC

Family Fun… Free Admission…Shuttle Busses…Fun Scavenger Hunts for All! Stretch your legs and your mind during the 30th Annual Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk (June 1 and 2, 2013). June 1 10-4pm June 2 1-5pm. Nine diverse museums will open their doors free of charge for this weekend long celebration in one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Discover Anderson House, Dumbarton House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, Heurich House Museum, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, The Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House free of charge. In addition to a wide variety of exhibitions and a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt, many sites are offering special programming. Enjoy period music in the gardens at Dumbarton House, stop by The Textile Museum’s Celebration of Textiles, take part in Jazz n’ Family Fun Days at The Phillips Collection and celebrate the memory of a loved one at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History with a skit, video, journal, or other creative format. Walk-ins welcome or submit your piece early and reserve a 10 minute time slot. Three films scheduled including: Colin. The video captures the ballet Colin memorializing Fallen Hero and Virginia’s own, LCpl Colin Wolfe, USMC. Written and directed by mother Amy Wolfe, artistic director of the Manassas Ballet Theater The 30th Annual Museum Walk Weekend media sponsor is Washington City Paper. Note: The Museum Walk event is held rain or shine. Open hours at each museum vary each day. The National Museum of American Jewish Military History is open Sunday only. A free shuttle service is offered between sites. For more information on all activities visit www.dkmuseums.com or contact Sarah Andrews, 202-387-4062 x41222; sandrews@woodrowwilsonhouse.org; Amy Wike, 202-387-2151 x220, awike@phillipscollection.org, or Mary Westley, 202-265-6280 x511, www.nmajmh.org
price free – $50

contact mwestley@jwv.org

Jun
7
Fri
Step Afrika! Gala After Dark @ Atlas Performing Arts Center
Jun 7 @ 12:00 AM – 3:45 AM

Join the Friends Of Step Afrika! for a brilliant show by Step Afrika! and Gala After Dark, a VIP-studded celebratory dance party following the renowned company’s Annual VIP Gala.

This is one of the most spectacular events of the summer!

The Atlas Performing Arts Center
Thursday, June 6, 2013 at Eight in the Evening
$125 per person*
Festive Dress

Purchase your ticket here! (limited availibility)

Proceeds will provide vitally needed scholarships for college students nationwide, and support Step Afrika’s innovative arts-in-education and community programs in the United States and abroad.

Fun for you and a donation to support the arts too!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Ticket Includes: Free Valet Parking, Admission to Performance, Admission into Gala After Dark immediately following the performance, which features a Live DJ, dancing with the members of Step Afrika!, foo