Dec
3
Wed
Peruvian Brothers Charity Pisco Reception at the Embassy of Peru @ Embassy of Peru
Dec 3 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Peruvian Brothers Charity Pisco Reception at the Embassy of Peru

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Embassy of Peru

1700 Massachusetts Ave NW

Washington, DC 20036

Tickets $25.00

 

Cocktail Attire

Peruvian Brothers Catering: Pan con Chicharron, Pan con Pollo, Pan con Asado, Empanadas

Pisco Sours Courtesy of Macchu Pisco

Live Music Courtesy of Piscura Networking

Dec
5
Fri
Romain GARY  100th Anniversary at the Alliance Française @ Alliance Francaise
Dec 5 @ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Join the Alliance Française in celebrating the life and work of Romain Gary. A Titan of French literature, Gary published more than 50 books throughout his life under different names. A man of many talents, he fought for France during World War 2 and later became a diplomat. On Friday, December 5 at 7pm, the AFDC will host a discussion panel who will talk about Gary as a diplomat, as a man in history and as a man of letters. The panel will include the Consul General of France, Olivier Serot-Almeras; the Delegate General of the Fondation Alliance Francaise Paris in the US, Jean-François Hans and the Alliance Française de Washington DC’s Executive Director, Sarah Pickup-Diligenti.

Following the panel will be an unveiling of AFDC archives and a reception.

EVENT WEB PAGE: http://www.francedc.org/Events/default.aspx?id=118

WHERE: AFDC// 2142 Wyoming Ave NW

WHEN: Friday, December 5 at 7pm

TICKETS: $20 general; $15 members

For more AFDC events and offerings, please visit our website.

 

Dec
6
Sat
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.

Christmas Bazaar At the Embassy of Latvia @ Embassy of Latvia
Dec 6 @ 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Please join in on Saturday December 6 from 2-6pm at the Embassy of Latvia located at 2306 Massachusetts Ave NW at Sheridan Circle for an open house with light refreshments and an opportunity to purchase gorgeous gifts for your friends for the holidays, all hand-made and designed in Latvia.

While you are there, make sure to walk next door to see the exhibit: Art is Art: a Latvian Voice in Glass which showcases the work of Artis Nimanis and his company An&Angel. Featuring a combination of one-offs, limited edition and pieces in production, this elegant exhibition of hand-blown glass spotlights the city of Riga, Latvia who the European Union chose as the EU capital of culture for 2014. Watch for upcoming events in music, art, design, architecture and history throughout the year in DC as well as Riga, Latvia.

Please rsvp to: rsvp.embassy.usa@mfa.gov.lv

For more information, please visit http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/usa

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.

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
14
Sun
ReUse, ReTouch, ReDutch: Pop-Up Design Exhibition @ Embassy of the Netherlands
Dec 14 @ 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Over 50 examples of sustainable and social Dutch Design, including baskets made out of used flip-flops, chairs made out of used refrigerators, and clothing that generates energy.

Exhibition open to the public Sunday, December 14th from 11am-4pm 4200 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20008. No RSVP needed, please join us!

 

Feb
15
Sun
Art Soiree’s Mardi Gras Masquerade @ Sofitel Hotel
Feb 15 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Don your most elegant masks and festive attire for one of the greatest French traditions and immerse into the colorful world of carnival!!!
You’re invited to
MARDI GRAS MASQUERADE 2015

WHEN: Sunday, February 15 | 8pm
WHERE:
Sofitel Hotel, 806 15th Street NW, Washington DC

TICKETS*: $15 before Feb 9th online only: https://mardigrasmasquerade2015.eventbrite.com
Tickets go up in price to $20 on 2/9/15

ENTER THE WORLD OF MASQUERADE
Dance the night away to the best of New Orleans inspired live music and get transported to the French Quarter in a heartbeat with festive decorations and costumed models.

The glamorous night of dancing and live entertainment will take place at the luxurious Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square right in the heart of DC. Entertainment includes a live New Orleans-style jazz band, DJ, festive decorations, costumed models, and more.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! Let the good times roll!

Doors open 8:00pm & the band starts playing 9:30pm. Since it’s a holiday weekend, there is no need to worry about staying out late!
Tickets: $15 before 2.9.15; $20 after –  online only; Event is 21+
Attire: Costume or evening attire

(For those coming without a mask, complimentary basic masks will be provided upon entry.)

Enjoy jazz, dancing, performances, & cash bar.

Mar
7
Sat
Nowruz: A Persian New Year Celebration @ Freer/Sackler Galleries
Mar 7 @ 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

The Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery will present its seventh annual “Nowruz: A Persian New Year Celebration” free family festival Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Throughout the day, visitors of all ages can learn, play and feast at a celebration encompassing both museums to mark Nowruz, the beginning of the new year of 1394 in Iran, Afghanistan and many other countries, coinciding with the first day of spring.

At 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., visitors can relive the Iranian music scene of the 1960s and 1970s with updated versions of classic songs made famous by the likes of Googoosh, Hayedeh, Pari Zangeneh and Parva, along with mesmerizing bandari-beat tunes by Zia Atabi. The band Mitra Sumara, based in New York, features Iranian American vocalist Yvette Perez (pictured below), and re-energizes Persian pop with influences ranging from salsa and disco to Nigeria’s Fela Kuti and Middle Eastern rhythms.Visitors will be able to hear storyteller Xanthe Gresham weave tales from Persian literary classics, learn about the Freer and Sackler’s rich collection of 19th-century Persian photographs, discover the meaning of colorful “Haft Sin” table displays and then make their own, watch a master calligrapher at work and dress up in traditional costumes for photos recreating a Persian painting. Other activities include “fire” jumping for good luck in the new year, backgammon and chess matches, face painting and a hands-on workshop in the ImaginAsiaclassroom for families to make crowns and shields inspired by the Shahnama (Book of kings). Docents will elaborate on important works in the exhibitions “Nasta’liq: The Genius of Persian Calligraphy” and “Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran” to offer glimpses of Iran’s rich artistic traditions.

Persian literature enthusiasts can enjoy book-signing sessions at the Sackler store for Two Parrots–a children’s book adapted from the poet Rumi’s celebrated work–signed by illustrator Rashin from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies, signed by author Najmieh Batmanglij from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Persian cuisine by Moby Dick and thematic greeting cards will be available for purchase.

The annual event, celebrated in advance of the true holiday March 21, regularly draws crowds of 10,000 visitors, and is made possible by a gift from Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar.

On March 19, the new year celebration will continue with a free concert by Grammy-nominated artists Kayhan Kalhor and Shujaat Khan. In “Ghazal: Indian and Persian Improvisations,” the musicians will reunite for the first time in more than 10 years to perform their unique blend of Indian and Persian classical music.

The annual Nowruz lecture will take place March 29, co-sponsored with the Foundation for Iranian Studies. This year’s distinguished speaker will be Azar Nafisi, the best-selling author of Reading Lolita in Tehran and Things I’ve Been Silent About. In the lecture, Nafisi will discuss her latest work, The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books.

FEATURED COLLECTIONS

On view at the Sackler until May 3, “Nasta’liq: The Genius of Persian Calligraphy” is the first exhibition to focus on one of the most aesthetically refined forms of Persian culture developed during the 14th-16th centuries: nasta’liq, a type of calligraphy so beautiful that for the first time the expressive form of the words eclipsed their meaning. Also on view will be “Feast Your Eyes: A Taste for Luxury in Ancient Iran” featuring one of the largest collections of luxury metalwork from ancient Iran. In the Freer Gallery, visitors can enjoy one of the finest holdings of Islamic art in the United States, with particular strengths in ceramics and illustrated manuscripts.

Iranian photographs from the Freer and Sackler Archives’ collection of more than 1,100 original 19th-century prints and glass-plate negatives by Antonin Sevruguin and other Persian photographers will screen for visitors throughout the day. The collection–the largest public holdings of Sevruguin’s photographs outside Iran–was recently digitized and cataloged in its entirety.

Mar
27
Fri
La Grande Fete @ La Maison Francaise, Embassy of France
Mar 27 @ 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

WHAT:  SMITHSONIAN at 8—The Smithsonian’s premier 21+ after-hours event series for young professionals—and Francophonie DC present “La Grande Fete”

WHEN: Friday, March 27, 7 to 11 p.m.

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

Get ready for a #SMITHSONIANat8 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, and its closing celebration is alwaysmagnifique. This year’s bash will be no exception.

Beginning at 7 p.m., launch into a world tour of francophone cultures. Sample food and drink from more than 30 embassies as you explore each nation’s unique attractions and traditions. There will be plenty of giveaways for you to take home as souvenirs. Don’t forget to Instagram your experiences and dishes throughout the night using #at8enfrancais for a chance to win prizes.

Emeline Michel will perform from 8 to 9 p.m. This captivating performer and versatile vocalist is one of the premier Haitian songwriters of her generation. She has recorded and appeared on concert stages throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and North and South America for over 20 years. Singing both in French and Haitian Creole, she has catapulted into international acclaim.

DJ Princess Slaya spins music from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and plenty of destinations in between. At 9 p.m., she pumps up the sounds as the evening’s dance party begins.

Don’t miss this chance to experience the best of the French-speaking world—all without leaving home #NoPassportNeeded.

Participating organizations and embassies include but are not limited to: Alliance Francais de Washington, Belgium, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Commonwealth of Dominica, Cote d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Republic of Congo, Romania, Senegal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Togo, and Tunisia.

#SMITHSONIANat8  #at8enfrancais #NoPassportNeeded

General Admission $40. (includes admission and food and drink samples from 7 to 9 p.m.) Cash bar starting at 9 p.m.

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

IDs will be checked at the door. Those under 21 will not be served alcohol 

For tickets and further information the public may call 202-633-3030 or visit www.SMITHSONIANat8.com