May
8
Fri
“A Toast to DC” @ Carnegie Library
May 8 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Tourists may think of it as a town of monuments, but those of us who live here really know why Washington is such a vibrant place: Its character and history make this a city like no other. Add the burgeoning home-grown beer and cocktail scene, and you’ve got one more reason to celebrate. Tonight, raise a toast to D.C.’s unique local flavor and home-town pride at a party that salutes its distinctive collection of neighborhoods—and the newest generation of brewers and distillers to make the city their home.

Enjoy after-hours access to the elegant 1902 Carnegie Library on Mount Vernon Square, home to the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (The sweeping central staircase is the ideal place to make an Instagram-worthy grand entrance.) Taste samples from Atlas Brew Works, Port City Brewing Company, DC Brau, New Columbia Distillers/Green Hat Gin, and Catoctin Creek Distilling Company.

Take in the Historical Society’s newest exhibition, For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C., which captures architectural portraits of Washington sites tagged as among the most-endangered places by the DC Preservation League. Find your neighborhood on the map of the District that covers one of the floors, pose with friends in the photo booth, explore exhibits on a digital scavenger hunt, and dance to music mixed by DJ As-One. The evening is a great way to meet your city neighbors and trade stories with other party-goers about what makes your Washington special.

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR VIP TICKET-HOLDERS: Enjoy exclusive early access to the event from 7 to 8 p.m., as well as Chesapeake Bay oysters from Virginia’s Rappahannock Oyster Company and War Shore Oyster Company, drink samples, light hors d’oeuvres, and a special commemorative pint glass to hold your local brew.

General admission $40

VIP admission $65 (includes early access from 7 to 8 p.m., drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and a commemorative pint glass)

All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

Must be 21 years old with valid photo ID to attend.

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

Smithsonian At 8: A Toast to DC @ Carnegie Library
May 8 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

WHAT:  SMITHSONIAN at 8, in partnership with the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., presents “A Toast to D.C.”

WHEN: Friday, May 8, 8 to 11 p.m.

WHERE: Carnegie Library, 801 K St NW, Washington, DC

Tourists may think of it as a town of monuments, but those of us who live here really know why Washington is such a vibrant place: Its character and history make this a city like no other. Add the burgeoning home-grown beer and cocktail scene, and you’ve got one more reason to celebrate. Tonight, raise a toast to D.C.’s unique local flavor and home-town pride at a party that salutes its distinctive collection of neighborhoods—and the newest generation of brewers and distillers to make the city their home.

Enjoy after-hours access to the elegant 1902 Carnegie Library on Mount Vernon Square, home to the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (The sweeping central staircase is the ideal place to make an Instagram-worthy grand entrance.) Taste samples from Atlas Brew Works, Port City Brewing Company, DC Brau, New Columbia Distillers/Green Hat Gin, and Catoctin Creek Distilling Company.

Take in the Historical Society’s newest exhibition, For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C., which captures architectural portraits of Washington sites tagged as among the most-endangered places by the DC Preservation League. Find your neighborhood on the map of the District that covers one of the floors, pose with friends in the photo booth, explore exhibits on a digital scavenger hunt, and dance to music mixed by DJ As-One. The evening is a great way to meet your city neighbors and trade stories with other party-goers about what makes your Washington special.

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR VIP TICKET-HOLDERS: Enjoy exclusive early access to the event from 7 to 8 p.m., as well as Chesapeake Bay oysters from Virginia’s Rappahannock Oyster Company and War Shore Oyster Company, drink samples, light hors d’oeuvres, and a special commemorative pint glass to hold your local brew.

General admission $40

VIP admission $65 (includes early access from 7 to 8 p.m., drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and a commemorative pint glass)

All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

Must be 21 years old with valid photo ID to attend. 

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

 

About SMITHSONIAN at 8

Inspired by the world of the Smithsonian, the SMITHSONIAN at 8 event series offers one-of-a-kind experiences for guests 21+. With themes from the local to the global, these after-hours gatherings combine music, food and drink, and unique settings to create evenings that are smart, adventurous, and memorably entertaining.

Jun
13
Sat
Asia After Dark: PEACOCKalypse @ Freer/Sackler Galleries
Jun 13 @ 8:00 PM – 11:59 PM
Don your finest feathers for the first Asia After Dark of 2015, hosted by the Silk Road Society. Flash back to the gilded glamour of Whistler’s Peacock Room and experience the all-newPeacock Room REMIX: Darren Waterston’s Filthy Lucre. Strut through the galleries sporting gold temporary tattoos, take offbeat tours, fashion your own masterpiece, and make fun photo booth memories. Plus, sip specialty cocktails and shake a tail feather to music by the activist pop rock trio BETTY.

Must be 21 years old with valid photo ID to attend. Tickets: $25 in advance, $35 at the door (credit cards or cash). Free for Silk Road Society members.

Jun
19
Fri
Chicha! A Peruvian Dance Party @ Blind Whino
Jun 19 @ 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

WHAT:  SMITHSONIAN at 8, in partnership with the 2015 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Perú: Pachamama Program, presents “Chicha! A Peruvian Dance Party”

WHEN: Friday, June 19, 8 to 11 p.m.

WHERE: Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave SW, Washington D.C.

 

SMITHSONIAN at 8 makes a summer night even hotter with a Peruvian-style celebration at DC’s Blind Whino.

What’s chicha? It’s an urban music genre originating in Peru that combines a variety of global sounds like South American cumbias and psychedelic surf guitars with local Andean melodies. It’s also the knockout style of neon poster art that exploded as chicha bands began to make their mark in the late 60s.

Say chicha today and you’re talking about a distinct and vibrant mix of color and sound that is unmistakably Peruvian.

Experience it all as Lima’s DJ Sabroso and local favorite DJ Kristy la rAt spin chicha beats. Sample Peruvian beers and pisco cocktails at the cash bar, and get a taste of the country from local food trucks like El Fuego. Try your hand at silk-screening with Peruvian chicha poster artist MONKY.

The evening is the perfect way to whet your cultural appetite for this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival (June 24–28 and July 1–5), which highlights Peruvian culture on the National Mall.

Cash bar; food available for purchase.

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR VIP TICKET-HOLDERS: Exclusive early access to the event from 7 to 8 p.m., and enjoy small bites, an open bar, and a sampling of Peruvian piscos, courtesy of Macchu Pisco.

#SMITHSONIANat8 #CHICHAat8 #2015Folklife

 

General admission $25 ($30 at the door)

VIP admission $55 ($60 at door- includes early access from 7 to 8 p.m., small bites, open bar, and drink samples)

All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges.

Must be 21 years old with valid photo ID to attend.

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

 

About SMITHSONIAN at 8

Inspired by the world of the Smithsonian, the SMITHSONIAN at 8 event series offers one-of-a-kind experiences for guests 21+. With themes from the local to the global, these after-hours gatherings combine music, food and drink, and unique settings to create evenings that are smart, adventurous, and memorably entertaining.

Jun
20
Sat
Fete de La Musique @ Sofitel
Jun 20 @ 7:00 PM – Jun 21 @ 1:00 AM

FETE DE LA MUSIQUE – A Summer Solstice Music Festival

Saturday, June 20 | 7pm-1am at Sofitel DC, 806 15th Street NW, Washington, D.C.

 

Saturday, June 20th musicians, music enthusiasts, artists, locals and guests of town alike will collide for an upbeat funky night and all night music experience inspired by France’s Fete de la Musique, also known as World Music Day hosted by Art Soiree and Sofitel DC right in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Filling the city with an outpouring of rhythm and sound, different local bands and performers – jazz, rock, folk, classical, pop and world – will take stage at Sofitel DC.

Ballroom

7-7:30pm – Serge Khrichenko

7:30-8:30pm – Cruzie Beaux

8:30-9:30pm – RadaR

9:30pm-10:30pm – Honest Haloway

10:30pm – 12am – Thursday People

Le Bar

7-9pm DJ Daryl Northrop

9-11pm Azul Band

11pm-1am DJ Enea Diotaiuti

TICKETS: $15 before 6/18; $20 after – https://fetedelamusique2015.eventbrite.com

Jul
11
Sat
Bastille Day @ Wunder Garten
Jul 11 @ 3:00 PM – 10:00 PM

L’Enfant Café is proud to announce the 11h annual Bastille Day party, a cultural celebration of all things French, on Saturday, July 11 from 3pm to 10pm. After celebrating the 10th anniversary on Vernon St last year, the folks at L’Enfant have decided to re-locate the fête to sister venue, Wunder Garten (150 M St NE), the all new beer garden space in NoMa.

Entry to this year’s event and D.C.s biggest masquerade ball is $7. Advance ticket purchase is required and capacity is limited. Purchase online through www.lenfantcafe.com or www.wundergartendc.com. Guests will storm the Bastille via M St NE, just steps from the NoMa metro stop (Red Line).

The memorable performances have also moved to the new location, including can-can dancers, a New Orleans style brass marching band, burlesque dancers and the royal guests of honor, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

The signature folly of the event, the world-famous ‘French Maid Relay Race,’ will take place at approximately 6pm in which racers, men and women, must each wear the risqué black and white maid costume while running back and forth across the street in order to fill a Champagne glass with soup spoons of water. Très chic! Contenders must pre-purchase a costume, with ticket purchase, before the limited supply is sold out.

Enjoy this full line up of entertainment or entertain yourself on the dance floor while listening to a host of live DJs and musical guests. Throughout the event, revelers have the option to sip on the official beer of Bastille Day, Stella Artois, or enjoy Leffe, Stella Cidre, red and white wine, and Champagne. DC Slices and Crepes Parfait food trucks will be on hand to dish out delicious snacks.

Like any good revolution, the celebration doesn’t end there. For the real Bastille Day, the team invites you back to where it all began: L’Enfant Café. On Tuesday, July 14, the French restaurant will offer happy hour from open to close, featuring $5 Stella Artois, red, white and sparkling wine, and highballs. A DJ will provide entertainment while French maids offer fantastique service (read: more entertainment)

LEnfant Café is a European-style restaurant located at 18th and U Street NW, between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. It is known for its casual French-influenced menu, offers a full bar, and Saturday and Sunday brunch. LEnfant is home to La Boum, a popular Saturday afternoon brunch party. With its cozy interior and an expanded sidewalk patio with flower boxes, LEnfant Caféis DC’s shortcut to Paris.

Jul
14
Tue
Bastille Day Baguette Race @ PAUL Bakery & Cafe in Penn Quarter
Jul 14 @ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

WHAT:

To commemorate France’s National Holiday, PAUL invites the public to come have some fun and participate in our 5th Annual “Baguette Relay Race” which will take place in front of PAUL Penn Quarter.

 

Gather Your Friends to create relay teams! Cheering Spectators are welcome!

 

WHERE:

PAUL Bakery and Café in Penn Qtr. (at the US Navy Memorial)

801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC

Tel: 202-524-4500/01

 

WHEN: Tuesday, July 14, 2014 at 11am (Kids Race), and 11:30am (Adult Race)

 

HOW:

We’ll divide up racers into four teams of five people. Each team will be led by a PAUL employee. Each racer will “quick-walk” one lap around the circle of the US Navy Memorial, and then hand off his/her baguette (baton) to the next teammate.   All members of the winning team will get a FREE LUNCH (sandwich + viennoiserie pastry) at PAUL!

 

 

Additional Info:

 

About Bastille Day

Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th’s Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king’s power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

Sep
18
Fri
Hirshhorn After Hours @ Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Sep 18 @ 8:00 PM – 11:59 PM

After Hours, the signature late-night event at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, returns Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m.–midnight, with the support of idobi Network. The ticketed event features a performance by post-rock/ambient electronic band Tycho, as well as a last chance to see “Shirin Neshat: Facing History,” a major exhibition that presents the work of the internationally acclaimed artist in the context of the history of modern Iran; it closes Sept. 20.

Since 2007, After Hours has been a favorite of local audiences, attracting up to 2,000 people a night to events that have featured performers such as Zola Jesus, Dan Deacon and the Madison Sounds of Deliverance; DJs such as Nancy Whang, Shea Van Horn and Fatback; and artists such as Semiconductor and Bec Stupak and Honeygun Labs.

Known for expansive instrumental soundscapes, Tycho is led by San Francisco-based musician and designer Scott Hansen. Originally a solo project that highlighted the use of drum machines and analog synthesizers, Tycho has grown into a full-fledged band whose precise and hypnotic live performances are accompanied by visuals designed by Hansen. The performance begins at 10:30 p.m.

Exhibitions on view include “Le Onde: Waves of Italian Influence (1914–1971),” which examines the importance of Italian art and thought to developments in futurism, spatialism, op art and kinetic art, and “Sergio Caballero,” which comprises a video work by the Spanish artist that blends homespun puppet animation and live action to tell the grotesque and darkly comic tale of an exorcism. “At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection,” a thematic rehanging of largely contemporary works from the collection, is ongoing. All museum galleries will be open until 10 p.m., with last entry at 9:30 p.m.

Tickets go on sale Aug. 25 at hhafterhours2015.eventbrite.com. General admission tickets are $35, and VIP tickets are $100. VIP ticket holders have early access to the event, at 7 p.m., as well as access to a private lounge area with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. In addition, VIP ticket holders are invited to exclusive curators’ tours at 7:30 p.m.

After Hours is supported by idobi, in partnership with Smithsonian Enterprises. For more information about After Hours, visit hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/after-hours/. For more about idobi, visit idobi.com.

Sep
19
Sat
Mt. Vernon Colonial Market at Fair @ Mt. Vernon
Sep 19 @ 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Mount Vernon re-creates a lively early-American marketplace with demonstrations, crafts and entertainment at its Colonial Market & Fair on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than forty juried artisans from across the nation will demonstrate their trades and sell their wares while two stages of family entertainment delight audiences with 18th-century amusements.  Try your hand at 18th century cricket! Demonstrations and cricket games will be played throughout the weekend.

Mount Vernon’s Colonial Market & Fair is the most authentic and diverse event of its kind, bringing together distinguished artisans working in colonial attire and a dozen entertainers who re-create the amusements loved by early Americans. As visitors shop, artisans demonstrate their crafts and explain the historic trades used to make items similar to those George Washington purchased in the 18th century.  

General Washington will preside over a host of amusements including: Mr. Bayly, Conjuring and Entertainments; Signora Bella, Equilibrist; Professor Thompson S. Gunn, Mystic Arts of Asia, the Far East, & India; and more! Fair fare will be available from the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant concession stands.

Free Potomac River sightseeing cruises are available while supplies last. Costumed interpreters will be demonstrating the 18th-century chocolate-making process using an authentic colonial recipe!

The event is included with regular admission: adults, $17; youth, 6-11 $9; children 5 and under, free. Save one dollar off of an admission ticket by purchasing in advance at MountVernon.org.

4th Annual Huerich House Oktoberfest @ Huerich House
Sep 19 @ 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

The Heurich House Museum in Dupont Circle will celebrate its fourth annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 19 from 1-4 pm. Entry includes unlimited pours of Oktoberfest-inspired local beer courtesy of DC Brewers Guild members: 3 Stars Brewing Company, Atlas Brew Works, Bluejacket, DC Brau Brewing Company, District ChopHouse & Brewery, Gordon Biersch Navy Yard, Hellbender Brewing Company and Right Proper Brewing Company.

Food will include German-style soft pretzels by Das Pretzel Haus, fresh grilled German sausages courtesy of Café Berlin and sauerkraut and pickles from Number 1 Sons. Dance the afternoon away with traditional Oktoberfest music from Die Drei. Learn about Germany today and celebrate 25 years of German unity with representatives from the German Information Center USA, a branch of the German Embassy. Tour the historic home of German-born brewmaster Christian Heurich and his family from 1-2 pm.

The museum is grateful for the support of Oktoberfest sponsors Café Berlin, DC Brewers Guild and German Information Center USA, a branch of the German Embassy.

Tickets are $60 per person with all proceeds benefiting the Heurich House Museum. Ticket price is all-inclusive of food and beer. Guests must be 21 or older. Please visit www.heurichhouse.org for tickets and additional information.