Dec
3
Wed
Fairmont Hotel Tree Lighting Party @ Fairmont Hotel Crystal Garden
Dec 3 @ 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown is pleased to announce its 11th annual tree lighting ceremony in the hotel’s Crystal Garden and lobby beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2014.  Filled with thousands of tiny white lights, shimmering trees, and over 30 animated reindeer, the Crystal Garden and hotel lobby are the perfect venues for a holiday celebration.

Autria Godfrey, Emmy Award winning news Anchor of Good Morning Washington and ABC7 News at Noon, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies to officiate the tree lighting festivities.

Families will take the chill off with complimentary hot chocolate and cookies as they listen to the award-winning Georgetown Visitation Madrigals perform holiday classics. Children will enjoy decorating holiday crafts by American Girl.  Members of the United States Marine Corps Reserves will be on hand to perform a presentation of colors, and Santa Claus and Rudolph will make a special guest appearance.  All families will receive a photo with Santa to take home too.

During the ceremony, children will have the chance to trim two holiday trees in the hotel’s lobby

The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will benefit The U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program, a non-profit organization that collects toys throughout the holiday season and delivers them to needy youngsters.  Those attending the event are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to be donated. Additionally, monetary donations are accepted on the organization’s website, www.ToysForTots.org.

Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown has partnered with Virginia Linen Service for the ceremony.  They are generously providing two trees for children to decorate, and will make a monetary donation to the Toys for Tots during this year’s ceremony.

Located at 2401 M Street, NW, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is convenient to the finest museums, theaters (including the Kennedy Center), shopping and dining.  Close to two metro stations, it is five miles from Reagan National Airport and 33 miles from Dulles International Airport.  At 415 rooms and luxury suites, The Fairmont Washington, D.C. offers a wealth of facilities while maintaining an air of tranquility insured through the design of intimate spaces, plenty of natural daylight, and a cascade of plants both inside and out.

Fairmont’s 11th Annual Tree Lighting @ Fairmont Hotel
Dec 3 @ 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

FAIRMONT WASHINGTON, D.C., GEORGETOWN HOLDS

11TH ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING

TO BENEFIT TOYS FOR TOTS

Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown is pleased to announce its 11th annual tree lighting ceremony in the hotel’s Crystal Garden and lobby beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2014. Filled with thousands of tiny white lights, shimmering Christmas trees, and over 30 animated reindeer, the Crystal Garden is the perfect venue for a holiday celebration.
Families will take the chill off with complimentary hot chocolate and cookies as they listen to the award-winning Georgetown Visitation Madrigals perform holiday classics. Children will enjoy decorating holiday crafts by American Girl. Members of the United States Marine Corps Reserves will be on hand to perform a presentation of colors, and Santa Claus and Rudolph will make a special guest appearance. All families will receive a photo with Santa to take home too.

The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will benefit The U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program, a non-profit organization that collects toys throughout the holiday season and delivers them to needy youngsters. Those attending the event are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to be donated. Additionally, monetary donations are accepted on the organization’s website, www.ToysForTots.org

Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is located at 2401 M Street, NW, convenient to the finest museums, theaters (including the Kennedy Center), shopping and dining. Close to two metro stations, it is five miles from Reagan National Airport and 33 miles from Dulles International Airport. At 415 rooms and luxury suites, The Fairmont Washington, D.C. offers a wealth of facilities while maintaining an air of tranquility insured through the design of intimate spaces, plenty of natural daylight, and a cascade of plants both inside and out.

Dec
6
Sat
Fairmont’s 9th Annual Gingerbread House Making Classes @ Fairmont Hotel
Dec 6 @ 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is pleased to announce their ninth annual gingerbread house making classes.  Just in time for the holidays,   Executive Pastry Chef D’Oyen Christie will provide festively expert instruction for the adult and children’s classes.

Children’s Gingerbread Class
On Saturday, December 6, 2014  at 10:30 a.m., children will assemble and decorate their very own holiday Gingerbread House under the direction of Chef Christie.   The class includes all materials, instruction and holiday refreshments. At the end of the class, each child will take home a completed Gingerbread House.  Children’s gingerbread class is $50 per child, adults may accompany children at no cost.

Immediately following the class, children are invited to gather round the hotel’s own gingerbread display in the lobby to hear Executive Chef Mark Timms read a collection of holiday classics.

To reserve a space for the class, please call at 202-457-5020.

Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is located at 2401 M Street, NW, convenient to the finest museums, theaters (including the Kennedy Center), shopping and dining.  Close to two metro stations, the hotel is five miles from Reagan National Airport and 33 miles from Dulles International Airport.  At 415 rooms and luxury suites, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown offers a wealth of facilities while maintaining an air of tranquility insured through the design of intimate spaces, plenty of natural daylight, and a cascade of plants both inside and out.

Holiday Open House and Christkindlmarkt @ Heurich House Museum
Dec 6 @ 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

The Heurich House Museum welcomes the public to celebrate the winter season during its annual Holiday Open House and Christkindlmarkt on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 from 12-6 pm. The museum will honor the Heurich family’s German heritage by recreating a traditional German public Christmas market in its garden.  This holiday shopping event, Dupont Circle’s only holiday market, will feature goods from local artisans, including jewelers, ceramicists, chocolatiers, coffee roasters, and makers of housewares, baby clothes, and more. Visitors who enter the Open House may stroll through the festively decorated historic mansion on a self-guided tour, enjoy the sounds of live holiday musical performances in the Conservatory, and bid on traditional Nutcrackers during a silent auction.  The museum will be collecting new and gently used children’s books for a local children’s charity book drive, and guests will have the opportunity to create ornaments to adorn the museum’s holiday tree. Café Berlin will sell Glühwein, sausages, strudel, and other authentic German treats.

Advance and At-The-Door tickets for the Open House are $15 for adults, $5 for children, and include access to the Christkindlmarkt. Tickets for the Christkindlmarkt are $5 and will only be available at the door.

For additional information including a full market vendor list, musical performance schedule, and tickets, please visit: http://www.heurichhouse.org/christkindlmarkt.

WolfTrap Holiday Sing-A-Long @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Dec 6 @ 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Kick off the holiday season at Wolf Trap’s 2014 Holiday Sing-A-Long! The free community event will take place Saturday, December 6 at 4:00 p.m. at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

This annual celebration features “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band on stage with hundreds of local choristers, plus a community sing-a-long of holiday favorites. “Special guests” for the performance include Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus.

Following Wolf Trap tradition, patrons bring bells to participate in “Jingle Bells,” and candles for an elegant candlelight procession set to a traditional performance of “Silent Night.” Other holiday favorites on this year’s program include “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “Let it Snow,” “Hanukkah Dance” and “Dreidel.”

Prior to the Holiday Sing-A-Long, Wolf Trap will host a Toys for Tots collection at the entrance of the Filene Center. Patrons are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys, which will be donated to children in the greater Washington area. Toy donations are voluntary and are not required for admission.

The Holiday Sing-A-Long began in 1968 when Wolf Trap’s founder, Catherine Filene Shouse (1896-1994), invited local church choirs to her home to sing Christmas carols and share in holiday cheer. Since then, it has grown into a Washington-area holiday tradition. Each year, thousands of families and a multitude of volunteer singers from community churches and choral groups fill the house at the Filene Center to share in the holiday spirit.

Wolf Trap president and CEO Arvind Manocha stated, “The Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long is a tradition that celebrates everything that’s great about our community: generosity, through the Toys for Tots collection; service and volunteerism, with performances by the Marine Corps Band and local choirs; and the spirit of togetherness that is made possible by live music. It’s a free event – just one of many ways Wolf Trap gives back to our community – so bring your family, a candle, your singing voice, and your jingle bells. What better way to kick off the holiday season?”

DC Repeal Day Ball @ Carnegie Library
Dec 6 @ 8:00 PM – 11:59 PM

DC’s largest cocktail party celebrates the passage of the 21st amendment ending the prohibition of alcohol in December 1933.  The DC Craft Bartenders Guild honors this anniversary in grand fashion with a black tie event to be held this year at the Carnegie Library on Saturday December 6.  VIP entry will begin an hour early at 8:00pm and general admission begins at 9:00.  Ticket prices are $120 for VIP and $80 for General Admission. The event features 29 local mixologists and seven renowned out-of-towners.

Visiting craft bartenders include; Tony Abou-Ganim, the Modern Mixologist of Las Vegas, NV; Jackson Cannon of the Hawthorne and Eastern Standard in Boston, MA; Nicole Lebedevitch of Lincoln Tavern and Restaurant in Boston, MA; Kevin Diedrich of Kimpton Hotels in San Francisco, CA; Adam Segar, Corporate Mixologist for Ipic Entertainment in Chicago; Phoebe Esmon of The Yachtsman and Emmanuelle Philadelphia, PA and; Christian Gaal of Emmanuelle and Spirit Animal in Philadelphia, PA.  These masters of mixing from around the country will be intermingled with DC favorites such as Dan Searing, Owen Thomson, JoJo Valenzuela, Todd Thrasher, Brian McBaine, Chantal Tseng, Duane Sylvestre and many others.

This is the largest Repeal Day celebration in the US and DC’s largest cocktail party each year. In its 7th year, the DC Repeal Day Ball will donate a portion of the proceeds to The Museum of the American Cocktail.  This nonprofit organization is dedicated to education in Mixology and preserving the rich history of the American Cocktail.  DCCBG Co-Founder, Gina Chersevani says “This event is a toast to the 81 years that this country has NOT been dry.  We love to get dressed up and celebrate the craft to which we have dedicated our careers.”

The evening will feature catering by Occasions and live entertainment by Blue Crescent Syncopators, a brass jazz band, in the Library’s Map Room.  Guests can take home a memento from the black & white photo booth featuring décor and props from the 1930s.

Tickets are available at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/repeal-day-ball-2014-tickets-13971945465 and will sell out fast!  The evening’s sponsors include Pernod Ricard, Diageo, Bacardi, Remy Cointreau, Whistle Pig Rye, Bluecoat Gin, Papa Pilar Rum and beer will be sponsored by DC’s own Bluejacket. The official after party will be announced during the ball to ticketed guests and sponsors.

DC Craft Bartender’s Guild was established in 2008.  Its tenants are Professionalism, Knowledge, Hospitality, Outreach and Civic Engagement.  Each member holds themselves to a high standard with these in mind. More information and an interactive map can be found at http://www.dccraftbartendersguild.org

Dec
7
Sun
Holiday Open House and Christkindlmarkt @ Heurich House Museum
Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

The Heurich House Museum welcomes the public to celebrate the winter season during its annual Holiday Open House and Christkindlmarkt on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7 from 12-6 pm. The museum will honor the Heurich family’s German heritage by recreating a traditional German public Christmas market in its garden.  This holiday shopping event, Dupont Circle’s only holiday market, will feature goods from local artisans, including jewelers, ceramicists, chocolatiers, coffee roasters, and makers of housewares, baby clothes, and more. Visitors who enter the Open House may stroll through the festively decorated historic mansion on a self-guided tour, enjoy the sounds of live holiday musical performances in the Conservatory, and bid on traditional Nutcrackers during a silent auction.  The museum will be collecting new and gently used children’s books for a local children’s charity book drive, and guests will have the opportunity to create ornaments to adorn the museum’s holiday tree. Café Berlin will sell Glühwein, sausages, strudel, and other authentic German treats.

Advance and At-The-Door tickets for the Open House are $15 for adults, $5 for children, and include access to the Christkindlmarkt. Tickets for the Christkindlmarkt are $5 and will only be available at the door.

For additional information including a full market vendor list, musical performance schedule, and tickets, please visit: http://www.heurichhouse.org/christkindlmarkt.

Smithsonian American Art’s Pop Up Indie Arcade @ Smithsonian American Art Museum
Dec 7 @ 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Dec
10
Wed
Winternational @ Ronald Reagan Building
Dec 10 @ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

This program is designed by and for the D.C.-based embassies to showcase their arts, crafts, tourism and culture.  More than 20 embassies are scheduled to participate.

Free and open to the public, this event will feature:

  • International bazaar featuring embassy exhibitors and artisans
  • Gingerbread cookie decorating station
  • Complimentary cookies, hot cocoa and apple cider
  • A sampling of global bites
  • Cultural performances

Join us as we explore the different ways in which the world celebrates the winter season through food, culture, customs and traditions.

To register for this free event, please fill out the form here.

Dec
31
Wed
Downtown Countdown New Year’s Eve Party @ Washington Hilton
Dec 31 2014 @ 7:00 PM – Jan 1 2015 @ 2:00 AM

Lindy Promotions, DC 101, Hot 99.5, and Coors Light are teaming up once again for the 18th annual, Downtown Countdown New Year’s Eve Party at the luxurious Washington Hilton!

The Downtown Countdown has been the premier New Year’s Eve celebration since it’s first year, and that tradition continues into 2015! Your all-inclusive ticket includes a 5-hour premium open bar, full dinner buffets, multiple bands, DJs, comedians, live band acoustic karaoke, and the largest Midnight Balloon drop in the District!

The featured performers have always been the backbone to the Downtown Countdown, and this year will be no different. One the greatest bands of the late 90’s and early 00’s, Third Eye Blind will rock the stage as the clock strikes midnight! If that’s not enough, VH1’s “You Oughta Know” artist of the month, Delta Rae, will be there as well. If live bands aren’t your thing, then you can dance the night away in Club ’15 with Hot 99.5 & DJ Dirty Elbows! There will also be multiple comedians, and live acoustic karaoke to help you live out your very own rock star fantasies!

If you would like to make your New Year’s experience even more special, VIP tickets are available!

VIP ticketholders will enjoy their own registration and check in area, complimentary coat check, and an additional hour of a top shelf open bar. VIP members will also gain exclusive access to VIP lounges, complete with extra seating and higher bartender to guest ratios. Most importantly, Third Eye Blind and Delta Rae will be performing an exclusive VIP only acoustic performance!

Tickets are on sale now with General Admission tickets selling for just $109 and VIP for $175. Guests also have access to exclusive discounted room rates, starting at just $189 at the Washington Hilton.

To purchase tickets, make reservations, or find out more about the Downtown Countdown, go to www.downtowncountdown.net