Fairmont Washington, D.C. Georgetown is pleased to announce its 14th annual tree lighting ceremony in the hotel’s Courtyard and lobby beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Filled with tiny white lights and shimmering Christmas trees, the courtyard becomes a glittering crystal garden 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 cards, members of the United States Marine Corps Reserves will perform a presentation of colors, and Santa Claus and Rudolph will make a special guest appearance. All families are welcome to take a photo with Santo in his Winter Wonderland Suite.
Kelly Collis and Tommy McFly, hosts of 94.7 Fresh FM’s Tommy Show, will serve as the masters of ceremonies.
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.
The newly renovated Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, at 2401 M Street, NW, 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 413 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.
Title: Winternational- 6th Annual Embassy Showcase
Date: December 6, 2017
Time: 11 am- 2 pm
Location: Atrium at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
Description: Winternational is an exciting celebration showcasing the cultural and culinary traditions of Washington’s diplomatic community. This festival has the atmosphere of a bustling global marketplace with each embassy promoting their country through vibrant displays of visual art, food, handcrafts as well as travel and tourism exhibits. Free and open the public, guests have the opportunity to travel the world and do some fun holiday shopping-all during the lunch hour!
Participating embassies include (list subject to change): Afghanistan, African Union, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, European Union, Georgia, Ghana, Haiti, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Lithuania, Malawi, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman (Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center), Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.
Price: Free
Register at: http://itcdc.com/winternational/
Dumpling Making Class and Dim Sum Brunch
On Saturday, February 24th, Chef Russell will lead a hands-on cooking class teaching guests how to make pot-stickers and spring rolls with accompanying sauces. This interactive demonstration will guide guests through filling preparation and folding techniques. Following the class, attendees will enjoy a family style brunch including the dishes they cooked in class. The event will run from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tickets are $50 and available here.
Night Market and Three-Course Chinese New Year Dinner
For guests interested in a sit-down dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year, Chef Smith has created a three-course menu that begins with a Whole Steamed Bronzino, representing family togetherness, made with aged soy, fermented black bean, and chili oil. The second course, representative of the five blessings of the New Year including longevity, riches, peace, wisdom, and virtue, is Whole Soy Lacquered Quail with mustard greens and long wheat noodles. The final course features Chocolate Mochi Cake with tangerine marmalade, which was chosen because the pronunciation of the word “tangerine” sounds much like the pronunciation of the word “money” in Mandarin. Before dinner, guests will have the opportunity to indulge in four live-action stations featuring Whole Roasted Lamb with Steamed Bao Buns, Chinese New Year Chicken Potage, Kanpachi Yu Sheng Sashimi, and Chinese New Year Pork Dumplings. The menu is priced at $85 per person with an additional $35 per guest for an optional wine pairing. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Source’s upstairs dining room. Reservations can be made by phone at 202-637-6100.
Lounge Takeover with Chefs Mike Rafidi and Kevin Tien and Pit Master Joe Neuman
Chef Russell Smith and team will host a lounge takeover from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27th, with guest chefs Mike Rafidi from Arroz and Requin, Joe Neuman from Sloppy Mama’s BBQ, and Kevin Tien from Himitsu. Multiple dishes from Chefs Smith, Rafidi, and Tien will be available and Pit Master Joe Neuman will be on site with his smoker. Beer will be provided by 3 Stars Brewing and unlimited Wolfgang Puck wines will also be included. Tickets are $50 and available here.
The Cathedral Choral Society continues its 2017.18 season with
Solitude and Joy on Sunday, March 4, 4:00 pm at Washington National Cathedral.
Guest conductor Donald Nally leads the chorus, joined by cellist Thomas Mesa and
organist Scott Dettra.
The program features a diverse selection of contemporary and 20 th century music,
including two new commissions for choir: Ēriks Ešenvalds’ 85 and Alex Berko’s
Lincoln. Latvian Ēriks Ešenvalds is one of the most sought-after composers working
today. His compositions have been premiered by the Boston Symphony, The King’s
Singers, Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, and more. Alex Berko is an American
composer currently attending Indiana University. His music has been performed by
members of The Crossing Choir, Del Sol String Quartet, and the Cape Cod Symphony.
His piece, Lincoln, uses the text from the dedication plaque that accompanies the statue
of Abraham Lincoln in Washington National Cathedral.
Completing the program: Gabriel Jackson’s Creator of the Stars of Night; Sebastian
Currier’s Sanctus from Night Mass; Herbert Howells’ Behold, O God Our Defender; I
Would Be True; and O Pray; John Tavener’s Svyati; James MacMillan’s A New Song;
Pēteris Vasks’ Grãmata čellam (for solo cello); Arvo Pärt’s Salve Regina; and Maurice
Duruflé’s Notre Père.
The arc of the program is inspired by a piece of lyrical prose written by French writer
Pascal Quignard from his 2002 book The Roving Shadows: “Without solitude, without
the test of time, without the passion for silence, without the excitation and retention of
the whole body, without a frightened stumbling, without wandering into a region of shade
and invisibility, without memory of animality, without melancholy, without isolation in
melancholy, there is no joy.”
WHAT: SMITHSONIAN at 8, in collaboration with Francophonie DC and the Embassy of France, presents La Grande Fête, the closing celebration of the 2018 DC Francophonie Cultural Festival.
WHEN: Friday, March 23, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
WHERE: La Maison Francaise at the Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, Washington, DC
Get ready for a 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. Its closing celebration, La Grande Fête, is always magnifique, and this year’s bash is no exception.
Beginning at 7 p.m., guests will launch into a world tour of francophone cultures. They’ll sample food and drink from more than 30 embassies as they explore each nation’s unique attractions and traditions. DJ Princess Slaya spins music from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and plenty of destinations in between. Experience the best of the French-speaking world—all without leaving home.
General admission $40
Tickets must be purchased in advance (no sales at the door).
For tickets and further information the public may call 202-633-3030 or visit http://s.si.edu/2ocUayg.
The Union Market District is kicking off Spring and celebrating the diverse collection of businesses, both old and new, with a daylong street fest featuring food and activities from district neighbors and partners including Trader Joe’s, Politics and Prose, Cotton & Reed, Masseria, Pluma, A. Litteri, Blue Bottle, DC United and more.
The free, family-friendly day will take place Saturday, April 7 from 9am to 4pm. Bordered by New York Avenue, Florida Avenue and 6th Street NE, the festival will be spread across the entire Union Market District, including venues 4th x Neal, Angelika, Dock 5, 4th x Morse Street and the Market itself.
From all-day live music at Neal Place to a pop-up bookshop by Politics & Prose and a bevy of food trucks lining Neal Place NE, the entire district, long known for attracting innovative retail as well as launching and scaling businesses, will be activated for a day of creativity and community.
World class chefs will be on hand for cooking tips while DC United players lead a youth workshop. Michelin-starred chef Nick Stefanelli will be selling breakfast sandwiches on Masseria’s patio and Instagram influencers Tamon George and Gary Williams of Creative Theory will take portrait photos in the historic alley of 4th x Neal. Meet under the Yoko Ono mural on 6th Street for spoken word poetry and dance off the winter blues with DC’s favorite DJ’s and live music.
The full schedule, including signature events, will be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information about the Union Market district street fair, please visit www.unionmarketdc.com.
Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. will host a spring 2018 Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine, a seasonal culinary & beverage experience on Saturday, April 14, focused on Japanese treasures. Spring is cherry blossom season, merging two cultures, as these magnificent trees were a gift from Japan to the nation’s capital. It is the ideal time for Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. to present the art of the Japanese tea ceremony with the seasonal bounty of the mid-Atlantic region. On this particular afternoon, guests will have the unique opportunity to savor a “Washoku” inspired food menu prepared by Executive Chef Troy Knapp featuring American rice, Chesapeake seafood, and locally sourced vegetables, followed by a traditional tea ceremony, also known as Chano-yu, conducted by Sobin Koizumi, a Urasenke professor from Japan. The Urasenke tea school teaches the history, importance, and practical knowledge behind this centuries-old tradition.
As a tenured senior professor of the Urasenke tea school, Koizumi has traveled the world teaching non-Japanese people about the heart and soul of Chano-yu. Learning about Matcha and the tea ceremony with Sobin Koizumi is a unique and rare opportunity, both here and in Japan. Tickets for this special event are priced at $100 per person, and available for purchase on Eventbite. Guests will enjoy a presentation covering the history and proper manners for Chano-yu, followed by a tasting of two different rare Matcha teas from the same grower that have limited availability in the United States paired with seasonal confections from Kyoto. Space is limited and reservations are required.
Additionally, guests of the event will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase 30 grams of Kyoto Uji Matcha, a high-end green tea powder, prepared from young first flush green tea leaves at Uji in Kyoto, the birthplace of the Japanese tea ceremony.
HOW: Tickets are available for purchase at: https://parkhyattmasters-
Get an early start to patio season with Barley Mac’s second annual Oysterfest on April 21. Owner Mike Cordero is serving up classic summertime favorites – oysters, chilled white wine, cocktails, beer and whiskey. Guests are invited to taste samples of the restaurant’s locally caught oysters and down drinks from the bar from 1 to 5 p.m. Afternoon highlights include an oyster eating contest, shucking instruction stations and cigar rolling demonstrations. Oyster shooters will be made to order.
Live music from local favorites The Wing-Its, an oyster buffet and open bar will be set up on the patio between 1 and 5 p.m. Guests (ages 21+) will be given a stemless Barley Mac wine glass to sip from and bring home. Shirts will also be for sale.
Barley Mac’s oyster menu features raw oysters harvested from Northern Virginia. Continuing the all you can eat tradition, Barley Mac is serving Raw Oysters, Oyster Rockefellers, Grilled Oysters, Fried Po-Boys, Oyster Stew, Fried Buffalo Batter Oysters and Oyster Ceviche.
The Oyster & Wine Festival is open to all age groups (21+ will be given wristbands and two drink tickets). Tickets are $49 a person, or $59 a person at the door and can be purchased prior to the event here. Event sponsors include Sam Adams, Balvenie and Hendricks. The event will be held weather permitting.
WHO: Barley Mac & Mike Cordero
WHAT: 2nd Annual Oyster Festival
Oyster Eating Contest
Oyster Shucking Instruction Station
Cigar Rolling Station
Purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual- barley-mac-oyster-fest-tickets-44815028958
WHEN: Saturday, April 21
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
WHERE: Barley Mac
About Barley Mac
Barley Mac is an American restaurant offering gourmet comfort foods and an extensive whiskey menu. Located just a few blocks from the Rosslyn Metro Station, Barley Mac brings a love of delicious food, whiskeys and bourbons to Northern Virginia. The innovative twists of American comfort foods will please the taste buds, while the specialty liquor menu is sure to excite even the fiercest cocktail enthusiasts. With an industrial chic interior, plentiful seating and large bar area, Barley Mac is an ideal drinking and dining choice for groups of all sizes.
