Events/Things To Do

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-tea.eventbrite.com. Seating is limited for this one-of-a-kind event and advance reservations are required.

 In its 11^th year, Cultural Tourism DC will produce the hugely popular Around the World Embassy Tour, part of Passport DC, a month-long celebration of worldwide cultures.

Both visitors and local residents can travel the world in one day, visiting more than 40 embassies to learn about culture, food, fashion and more during the Around the World Embassy Tour open houses. In the past, embassies have treated visitors to karate demonstrations, dance performances, sari wrapping lessons, police dog training, henna art and more.

WHEN:            Saturday, May 5

                        All participating embassies will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted

                        Admission is free, but some embassies may ask to see a government-issued ID. There is also a smart phone app and web-based phone app available to help visitors better plan their day. More information:https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/signature-events

WHERE:           Embassies will celebrate their cultures’ food, fashion, arts and artisans, music, and dance by hosting DC residents and visitors inside their embassies. Embassies participating to date include Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Thailand, and Uganda.

HOW:              “So far, we received commitments from more than 40 embassies to open their gates and doors to participate in this year’s Around the World Embassy Tour,” says Steve Shulman, Executive Director, Cultural Tourism DC. “Now in its 11^th year, we expect nearly 30,000 people to visit embassies during a single day to learn about countries from across the globe. It is a wonderful, uniquely Washington experience for families, individuals and groups.”

The British Embassy will open its gates to the public for our 11th annual Open House Day on Saturday 12 May. Media are invited to cover the event, which offers visitors a rare look inside the Embassy as well as other unique activities celebrating British culture.

The Open House Day is special this year, as it is exactly one week before the Royal Wedding. During the event, visitors will be able to congratulate Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle on their upcoming wedding by creating a card and placing it in the mailbox to be sent to Kensington Palace.

During Open House Day, visitors will get a rare look inside the embassy and access to the Ambassador’s Residence and Gardens, home to several trees planted by members of the Royal Family. The Residence ballroom will be set up as it would be prepared for a State Dinner with Her Majesty the Queen.

Other highlights of the day include:

• Special appearances by the Superbowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders, Eagles Drumline and Eagles mascot, SWOOP, ahead of their NFL game in London
• A fleet of British luxury vehicles from Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus and Rolls-Royce
• British food and drink, including whiskey and wine
• Performances from Shakespearian players and the British International School of Washington
• A tennis serve cage to see how fast you can serve at the Residence tennis court
• Displays of the most iconic British scenery for selfies

On Saturday, May 19^th, from 11:00AM to 12:30PM, devout dumpling lovers and fans of Q by Peter Chang (4500 East West Highway #100, Bethesda, MD 20814; www.QbyPeterChang.com; (240) 800-3722; IG @q_by_peter_chang_) will have the opportunity to learn how to make some of the celebrated Chinese restaurant’s signature dumplings at ‘Pinched’ – a hands-on dumpling making and cooking class led by legendary husband and wife chef duo Peter Chang and Lisa Chang. This class will serve as the first in-house cooking class to take place at Q by Peter Chang, but the team has plans to continue creating and offering additional interactive culinary classes and events in the coming months with the hopes of further educating fans on the beauty, history, and diversity behind authentic Chinese cuisine.

Priced at $40 per person, this hands-on dumpling experience is open to all ages and will begin with a 10-15 minute demonstration by Chefs Peter and Lisa Chang focusing on the techniques behind dough making and wrapping. The class will proceed providing participants with 20-30 minutes for the hands-on portion inviting attendees to make their own dumplings followed by the cooking of their dumplings handled on-site by restaurant staff, and a 30-40 minute seated lunch experience. An assortment of both meat and vegetarian dumpling fillings will be available for all class participants to choose from.

“This is an exciting and engaging way for myself, my wife Chef Lisa Chang, and the team at Q by Peter Chang to interact more with our wonderful customers and community and to help educate them as much as possible on the beauty of authentic Chinese cuisine”, said celebrated Chef and restaurateur Peter Chang. “Following ‘Pinched’, we have plans to offer many more unique and interactive classes and events in the coming months to our devoted friends and fans, especially those that have yet to experience Q by Peter Chang. As our flagship restaurant, we hope to use this space as a way to truly unite Chinese food lovers and educate them on the diversity of our versatile cuisine.:

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (240) 800-3722 or emailing info@qbypeterchang.com.

SMITHSONIAN at 8 presents Invoke Your Pride: A Night at the African Art Museum

WHEN: Friday, June 1, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for VIP ticket-holders)

WHERE: National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC

Kick-off the annual Capital Pride Festival at this exclusive after-hours event at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. Get special access to spectacular exhibitions, including Jim Chuchu’s stunning Invocations, and enjoy curators’ talks, music, dancing, cocktails, and more.

In his deeply personal and visually mesmerizing videos Invocation: The Severance of Ties and Invocation: Release, versatile Nairobi-based artist Jim Chuchu draws on the language of rituals and the divine imagery of world religions to commemorate his journey to self-definition as an adult and as a gay man, while envisioning a more inclusive African future.

Chuchu’s torso creates powerful graphic patterns as it spins, splits, multiplies, and morphs to the track of house beats composed by the artist. A singer, songwriter, and music producer, Chuchu has created a special playlist for the event.

General admission $30

VIP admission $50

At the door (if available):

General Admission $35

VIP Admission $60

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

Museum visitors can revel in the extra hours of daylight and reflect on American unity with “America Now: Solstice Edition” on Saturday, June 23. This special evening of festivities is a three-museum collaboration between the National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. Now in its fourth year, the tri-institutional partnership of “America Now” will coincide for the first time with a full Smithsonian-wide Solstice celebration.

“America Now: Solstice Edition” is free to the public and open to general audiences; drinks and food will be available for purchase at each location. More information at AmericaNow.si.edu.

Details about the event at the National Portrait Gallery are below and attached.

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery

Special programs: 7:30–11:30 p.m.

Galleries open until midnight

Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard

Eighth and F streets N.W.

Continuing the festivities, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery will host an array of activities across art and performance. Guests will be welcomed by an outdoor Community Block Party composed of food trucks, lawn games and craft-making activities with local artists organized in collaboration with Made in DC. They can connect with representatives from the Downtown BID, Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, Shakespeare Theater Company and Fresh Farm Farmer’s Market. Visitors can then cool off at a boutique-designed Beer Garden inside the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, have their portraits done by a Washington-based caricature artist and explore the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery’s exhibitions throughout the first floor. “America Now” will conclude with dancing to the sounds of DJ Ayes Cold and a major live concert by Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, and Washington’s own Oddisee.

“America Now” is a three-museum collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of American History and Smithsonian American Art Museum. It is made possible by the support of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Family Foundation. The Washington Post is the media sponsor of America Now. This year’s celebration is part of a Smithsonian’s “Solstice Saturday” program done in association with the “By the People Festival,” led by Halcyon. The Smithsonian’s Washington D.C. museums will be open until midnight on June 23 (except for the National Postal Museum). Details are outlined at www.si.edu/SolsticeSaturday.