Events/Things To Do

The British Embassy and the U.S. Department of State are celebrating the launch of “Try Rugby USA,” a campaign to grow international community outreach and youth development around Rugby in the U.S., with a friendly rugby match.

WHAT:          U.S. v UK Friendly Touch Rugby Game

WHEN:          12:30-2:00pm Wednesday 24 February 2016

WHERE:        Cooper Field at Georgetown University

3700 O St NW Washington DC 20007

Playing on the UK team is Ken Harvey, a former Washington Redskins player, to help highlight the affinity for sports on both sides of the Atlantic and the NFL international series in London. Other members of the UK team consist of British Embassy staff and British Defence staff. Tosh Askew, who has coached England U19s for 5 years and won Grand Slam in 2004, Nic Rouse, rugby union player for London Irish in the Aviva Premiership, and Caryl Thomas, head coach of the University of Bath Women’s rugby team and has played for Wales Women in the Six Nations Championship and in two World Cups (2010, 2014), will coach the UK team.

Playing on the US team includes Whitney Stowell, President of Washington Irish RFC, and Chris Howard, a Tiger Rugby coach. Other players will include U.S. Department of State staff. James Walker, founder of Tiger Rugby, will coach and play on the US team.

The event is open to the public and media and free to attend. Parking is extremely limited, public transportation is recommended.

Rugby Facts:

• Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the US.
• The UK hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2015.
• Rugby will be part of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, having last been an Olympic sport in 1924. The US won gold that year, so have been the gold medal holders for more than 90 years.
• Famous rugby players include Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, John F Kennedy, JRR Tolkien, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Russell Crowe, Chris Farley, Meat Loaf and Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

History of Rugby:

Rugby lore has the game originating in 1823, when a pupil at Rugby School, William Webb Ellis, picked up the ball during a football match and ran with it. This new game slowly spread around public schools and universities, with the first formal rules inked in 1845. A Rugby Football Union (RFU) followed in 1871, with an inaugural international – England versus Scotland – played that same year. 1883 then witnessed Britain’s Home Nations Championship, the first international rugby competition. By 1908, with the sport having long spread into many former British colonies, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa had all sent touring teams to compete.

Despite continued growth, rugby union didn’t turn professional until the International Rugby Board (later the IRFB, now World Rugby) removed player-payment restrictions in 1995. Continental club competitions soon followed, including Europe’s much-vaunted Heineken Cup and Super Rugby in the southern hemisphere. Today, World Rugby boasts 117 member countries.

For the first time, Premiership Rugby will host a game in the US. The London Irish v Saracens game will be played at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey on 12 March 2016.

Try Rugby USA

Hosted by British Council USA, Friends of the British Council USA, and USA Rugby geographical unions and state based rugby organizations, the coaches from the Aviva Premiership Rugby Clubs will be joined on the road by coaches from US based Tiger Rugby. Together they will deliver a range of coach education sessions, coaching clinics for schools, universities, clubs, youth programs as well as linking with existing rugby based social projects like Play Rugby USA. They hope to build a sustainable network of coaches, clubs and players designed to bring together, develop the skills of and inspire the US rugby community to build pathways to introduce the sports and its values to youth.

Activities will take place in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, DC, and Texas in the coming months.

For more details: http://www.britishcouncil.us/programmes/society/try-rugby-usa

In celebration of Easter and a White House tradition started by the 19^th US President, Rutherford B. Hayes, Madame Tussauds Washington, DC is hosting its fifth annual Easter Egg Hunt. The fun family event will take place in The President’s Gallery, offering a fun and educational “eggs-ploration” through American history, on Saturday, March 26th from 8:00a.m. – 9:30a.m. at the attraction, located at 1001 F Street, NW (corner of 10^th & F Streets).

For those unable to attend the Easter Roll at The White House, tons of eggs will be hidden throughout the President’s Gallery at Madame Tussauds, waiting to be discovered by guests as they interact with and enjoy wax figures of all 44 US Presidents.  Once children have collected all the empty eggs, they can trade them in at the end for an Easter Gift Bag full of fun treats (one bag per child). Guests may bring their own baskets, however bags will be available.

Price of admission includes full access to Madame Tussauds Washington, DC, an Easter egg hunt through the Presidents Gallery, 1 gift bag per child, a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny, access to face painting, activities, and Easter crafts. This year, Madame Tussauds has also partnered with Wildlife Adventures to bring a unique petting zoo into the attraction.

Because this is one of Madame Tussauds Washington, DC’s most popular events, tickets are available online only.  For more information or to reserve your group’s tickets, visit event page website  or call 1(800) 823-9565.

DATE:                    Saturday March 26, 2016

TIME:                    8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

                                Three Sessions with Limited Availability: 8:00, 8:30, 9:00

                                *Tickets are available online only!

PLACE:                  Madame Tussauds Washington, DC

                                1001 F Street, NW

Washington, DC  20004

COST:                    $25 – Ages 13 and Older

                                FREE – Ages 12 and Under

*Please note there is a limit of three children for every one adult.

Reserve tickets online here: https://www2.madametussauds.com/washington-dc/en/tickets/

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade^® presented by Events DC will take place Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. One of the Festival’s largest events, the Parade runs along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW. The Parade, hosted by ABC-7/WJLA-TV anchors Alison Starling and Leon Harris, will feature celebrity entertainment, helium balloons, characters, floats, marching bands and other performers. Local ABC affiliate WJLA will air the Parade locally in a delayed telecast from noon to 2 p.m. The Parade will be nationally syndicated to audiences across the country through the support of Events DC.

Celebrity talent and exciting Parade elements include:

• Carrie Ann Inaba, Dancing With the Stars Judge
• Cast members from the award-winning hit musicalJersey Boys
• Pop sensation Tiffany
• Chart topping artist and The Voice contestant Sisaundra Lewis
• R&B Grammy-nominated artist and DC native Raheem DeVaughn
• Latin vocal group Viva Mas, who recently performed for Pope Francis
• Washington Redskins Cheerleaders
• Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell
• Local talent, including winners of the third annual Sing Into Spring Competition and the Washington Performing Arts Men and Women of the Gospel Choir

TICKETS & TRANSPORTATION: Free and open to the public. Limited Prime Grandstand seats are on sale now and can be purchased atnationalcherryblossomfestival.org/parade2016. The Grandstand section offers reserved seating along Constitution Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets, NW. Group tickets for 10 or more are also available. Standing along the Parade route is free between 9^th and 15^th Streets, NW and open to the public. Radio personality and local favorite Loo Katz from WASH-FM host from a second performance area located near the Parade’s finish.

The event is Metro-accessible via the Archives-Navy Memorial stop on the Yellow/Green lines or Federal Triangle on the Blue/Orange lines. The Parade is presented by Events DC and supported by DowntownDC Business Improvement District, ANA, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, NHK World, DARCARS – the official vehicle provider for the Parade, MGM National Harbor, Microsoft, Washington Post, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, CSI Printing and Graphics, SUBWAY® Restaurants, CitySights DC, NEWSEUM, Dunkin’ Donuts,  and media partners ABC7/WJLA-TV, WASH-FM, and The Washington Informer. The Parade is being funded partially through the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor – Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation’s greatest springtime celebration. The 2016 Festival, March 20 – April 17, includes diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org or call 877.44.BLOOM for more information and find us on Facebook (CherryBlossomFestival), Twitter (@CherryBlossFest), and Instagram (@CherryBlossFest).

The famous Carabinieri Band – one of the greatest military orchestras in the world, founded in 1820 – will play at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on April 18, 2016 in a free concert honoring defenders of the cultural heritage of humanity. In what promises to be a not-to-be-missed-event, 90 musicians in their distinctive uniforms will bring to life traditional marches as well as modern and classical music in the majestic Concert Hall. The rich repertoire will include the national anthems of Italy, the United States and the European Union, as well as music by Sousa, Dvorak, and Puccini.

“We warmly invite all lovers of culture to join us in this international musical tribute to the defenders of human heritage, in one of the most beautiful venues in America” said the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Armando Varricchio. “We are very grateful to the Kennedy Center for giving our talented Carabinieri Band the opportunity to perform in the splendid Concert Hall, in an event which is free and open to the public. Today, after the recent horrific attacks to our culture and some of our fundamental values – just think of Paris, Tunis and Brussels, to mention but some – it reminds us of the importance of defending culture, and our very way of life, in its entirety”.

The concert is organized by the Embassy of Italy in Washington D.C. in partnership with the Italian Institute of Culture in Washington D.C., with the generous support of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Banca Intesa Sanpaolo. It is part of the “Protecting our Heritage” initiative, a program supported by UNESCO and organized by the Washington Network of the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC), under the 2016 Italian presidency, in order to raise awareness on the need to act against the growing threats posed to cultural heritage by wars, international terrorism, criminal organizations, climate challenges – or more simply, by neglect.

The concert will also recognize the exceptional work of the Italian Carabinieri both in fostering peace and protecting cultural heritage  worldwide: they will be part of UNESCO’s “blue helmets for culture” program, thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding signed on February 16, 2016 in Rome by the Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and by Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO.

About the Carabinieri Band

The Carabinieri Band was founded in 1820 when the then Royal Carabinieri Corps assembled a group of buglers for the first time. In 1862 this became a fanfare, and by 1920 had developed into a full Band contingent of the Carabinieri Force. Under the direction of Maestro Luigi Cajoli the Band became famous for its quality of style, and in 1916 it travelled abroad for the first time for a series of concerts for injured allied soldiers. It performed with great success in Paris, and was highly acclaimed by the press. Many other prestigious tours abroad followed, from Europe to North and South America, the Middle East and Japan. Maestro Luigi Cirenei, who was a pupil of Pietro Mascagni, succeeded Cajoli in 1925. He improved the artistic skills of the Band and composed “LA FEDELISSIMA” the march theme adopted by the Carabinieri Force. Other band directors included: Maestro Domenico Fantini (1947), Maestro Vincenzo Borgia (1972) and Maestro Massimo Martinelli (2001), who is the present Director. The Carabinieri Band, with 103 musicians, each one an expert in a particular instrument, interprets the most famous compositions with a rich repertoire ranging from traditional military marches to modern and classical music.

The event will be held on Monday, April 18, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.  RSVP here http://iicwashington.info/events/20160418/rsvps/

5th Annual Running of the Chihuahuas

DC’s Funniest Cinco de Mayo Celebration is Back!

(MOVED TO MAY 7th RAIN DATE!)

When:   Sunday, May 1, 2016 | 1pm to 4 pm

Where:  The Wharf 600 Water Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

Why:      A benefit for local animal charities and a hilarious way to celebrate Cinco

What:    Chihuahua races, food trucks, beer stands, live music, dog contests, a family friendly FREE event!

Kick off Cinco de Mayo at the Fifth Annual Running of the Chihuahuas! 1pm – 4pm on Sunday, May 1st at The Wharf – DC’s amazing new destination taking shape on the southwest waterfront. The Running of the Chihuahuas is part of DC’s best Cinco de Mayo celebration, an afternoon that includes great food from Sol Mexican, Red Hook and Captain Cookie food trucks, cold beer, live music from Sly 45 and of course, the races.

The highlight of the afternoon, the races feature 96 Chihuahuas racing in groups of eight on a sixty foot “race track.”  All the action is captured on a 17 foot Jumbotron screen and the winners take home $500 in cash and prizes.  ALL race proceeds benefit Rural Dog Rescue – a non-profit organization dedicated to pulling dogs from high-kill rural shelters.

Don’t have a Chihuahua? You can still take part in the excitement with the all-breed contests for best dressed dog and best trick! There will be local vendors and giveaways from DC’s pet friendly businesses.

Deadline to register dogs online is Friday, April 29th, walkups on race day accepted until all spots are full. $25 per dog to race. This is a family and dog-friendly, admission-free event, but you must be 21+ to drink beer. To enter and for more information, visit http://www.cincodc.com!