Events/Things To Do

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2019/20 Season with a free Community Day and Props Sale on Saturday, August 24, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mead Center (1101 Sixth Street, SW). The day will feature an Arena Stage Prop Sale with beautiful pieces from Arena Stage productions up for sale; performances from award nominated tap dancer Leo Manzari (Arena Stage’s Sophisticated Ladies, Tappin Thru Life and Hoizer’s music video for “Almost (Sweet Music)”); and a behind-the-scenes Q&A with our Arena Stage Production Team to discuss some of Arena’s most exciting productions!

Filled with activities for all ages, this full day of programming celebrates Arena Stage’s 2019/20 Season. Feel the rhythm of Southwest D.C. through dynamic, live music, face painting, storytelling, great food, pony rides and dance performances that reflect the sounds and themes of the upcoming Arena Stage season. Traditional and contemporary Cuban rhythms will be brought to life by the DC Cuban All-Stars; the jazz, blues and soul vocalist Akua Allrich will give audiences a feel for the music in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars; and the DC Casineros Dance Company will offer classes and performances that can make anyone a dancer. Community Day is FREE and open to the public. No reservations are required.

Other scheduled activities include live music from Americana band Justin Trawick and the Common Good; fantastic aerial performances from Wings Aerial Entertainment; music by trumpeter, singer and lyricist Jared “MK Zulu” Bailey; face painting; and great food from restaurants in Southwest D.C. including Masala Art and Station 4.

Arena Stage’s Props Sale beginning at 1 p.m., features select prop items from historic productions including Carousel, Anything Goes, South Pacific, Kleptocracy, Disgraced, Smart People, Mother Courage and Junk. Items range from $1-$900 and include full dining room table sets, lounge chairs, and specially-priced handmade prop and set pieces that will be perfect in any living or office space. Both cash and credit cards are accepted.

Beginning at 2 p.m. Arena’s Grape Stand will open. This wine and beer garden will offer guests 21 and over the opportunity to relax on Arena’s terrace with a glass of wine or a cold beer while playing a variety of lawn games.

For additional details about Community Day on August 24, visit arenastage.org/communityday.

On Saturday, August 24 from 6 – 10 p.m., Washington, D.C. will host the sixth annual Le Dîner en Blanc. The yearly extravaganza, where guests don all white, promises another evening of dining and excitement, as it acquires a secret public location, revealed only minutes prior to the commence of the event. 

Over the course of the evening, 5,000 guests will once again dine and celebrate the sixth anniversary of Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington amid live music, entertainment and dancing. Each year, guests bring their all-white tables, chairs and table settings, and the truly ambitious create their own French picnics with extravagant, inventive tablescapes.  For those looking for a more convenient option, attendees can rent a table and chairs from Rentals to Remember.

Registration for the unique experience happens in three stages beginning later next month: Phase 1 is for members who attended the previous year; Phase 2 is for new members who have been sponsored by Phase 1 attendees; and Phase 3 is for guests who signed up on the waiting list. Those interested can sign up at washington.dinerenblanc.com/register.

About Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington Hosts

Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington, D.C. is produced by The Davis Group, LLC, a full-service event design and production company based in the Washington, DC area. Linda Davis, along with daughters Bryer and Kaitlin have brought together nearly 15,000 people to celebrate Dîner en Blanc in Washington.

City Tap Penn Quarter will offer a ticketed all-you-can-eat Louisiana style crawfish boil including crawfish, clams, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. The first Abita Beer Strawberry Lager with a complimentary koozie is on the house for ticketed patrons. Stick around for the live music and patio games with $5 Abita brews and $10 adult capris suns until 5pm

City Tap Dupont is excited to throw a day at the beach, luau themed open bar event on Labor Day. Come for brunch and stay to enjoy Hawaiian themed food specials such as pineapple burgers and pulled pork tacos starting at 1pm, and a $45 ticketed open bar from 2pm to 5pm including select draft beers, house wines by the glass and rail mixed drinks.

La Cosecha, EDENS’ upcoming contemporary Latin market (1270 4th Street NE) in the Union Market District, will celebrate its opening preview celebration with a festive block party and special concert, presented by title partner Events DC and headlined by Grammy-winning Latin fusion band Ozomatli on Saturday, September 7 from 11am-7pm.

Local pop singer-dancer Jason Cerda will also perform during the free, open-to-the-public event, which will serve as a Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff event and is being curated in collaboration with local music production group All Things Go. Additional musical acts include Salt Cathedral, Mario + Jose, Jonathan Acosta, DJ Bembona, DJ Renzo, DJ Nicolas Losada and Batalá.

The Calle Latina block party’s family-friendly activities include a special Latin-inspired face painting menu created by Colombia-born local muralist MasPaz, Con Sabor kids’ dance classes, chef demos and a flash mob led by Cerda.

Guests will also get a sneak peek at all of the La Cosecha partners: El Cielo, NOVA BOSSA, Amparo, Ali Pacha, Grand Cata, Serenata, Café Unido, Filos Bakery, Zona E Home, La Casita and Peruvian Brothers.
In partnership with sponsors the D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, Carlos Rosario School, and Bacardi, the block party will feature additional pop ups by New Latin Wave, Se Habla Español, The Future is Latina, Andeana Hats, Adelante Shoes, Arcay Chocolates, Piña & Coco, Wonder for People and Politics & Prose, Arepa Zone, Ilegal Mezcal and Bacardi.

“After considerable time spent planning and curating La Cosecha, we’re excited and proud to invite all to our preview block party, Calle Latina, where we’ll be celebrating the colors, textures and sounds of Latin America. The ongoing insights and assistance from Latin embassy partners and the city’s cultural tastemakers have been invaluable in the creation of this new marketplace,” says EDENS CEO Jodie W. McLean. “Inclusivity and cultural appreciation are the foundation of any strong community and seem more important now than ever. We hope that by showcasing these dynamic cultures, we can spark conversations and relationships across diverse cultures.”

Ozomatli, known as much for their music as their activism, are two-time Grammy winners with a one-of-a-kind sound that encompasses a wide array of musical styles, including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap and more. Since their inception in 1995, Ozomatli has performed all over the world in places like China, Tunisia, Jordan and Burma, serving both as cultural ambassadors and advocates for farm workers’ rights and immigration reform.

D.C.-area native Cerda is a double-threat singer and dancer, boasting Billboard-charting singles Al Lado Mio, Color Favorito and Un Poco Mas, as well as a 3,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art dance studio in northern Virginia.

La Cosecha’s partnerships with Latin embassies, cultural and diplomatic leaders and strategic stakeholders from the Latin community will solidify the new marketplace as a national platform for Latin culture and cuisine. Cultural opportunities for the larger community will include art exhibits, film screenings, live performances, media lab space and outdoor activations throughout the year.

To RSVP for La Cosecha’s Calle Latina block party, please visit www.lacosechadc.com/callelatina.

Gelato Festival America is coming to Washington D.C., September 7^th and 8^th to City Market at O. Join Washington’s Italian community and come out to celebrate authentic Italian gelato. Along our journey to find the best gelato in America, international gelato artisans will gather in the capitol to prepare original flavors fresh in the world’s largest frozen dessert laboratory on wheels. Guests enjoy all-you-can-eat gelato while participating in the Eating Contest, Carpigiani Gelato University, Kids Jury and other activities for the whole family then vote for their favorite flavors to win the Gelato Festival Gold Medal.

Gelato Festival America is coming to Washington D.C., September 7^th and 8^th to City Market at O. Join Washington’s Italian community and come out to celebrate authentic Italian gelato. Along our journey to find the best gelato in America, international gelato artisans will gather in the capitol to prepare original flavors fresh in the world’s largest frozen dessert laboratory on wheels. Guests enjoy all-you-can-eat gelato while participating in the Eating Contest, Carpigiani Gelato University, Kids Jury and other activities for the whole family then vote for their favorite flavors to win the Gelato Festival Gold Medal.

Tickets are on sale now for the Friends of the National Zoo’s annual wine fest, and this year, the event boasts an impressive selection of bottles, all rated 90 points or above. Zoo Uncorked returns to the heart of Washington, D.C. and the beautiful setting of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Thursday, Sept. 12 from 6-9 p.m.

Professionals will pour wine ranging from a berry-rich Bordeaux, to an Italian chardonnay with notes of pineapple, to a honey-tinged pinot gris from a sustainable vineyard in Oregon.

“We’re so excited about Zoo Uncorked this year—the wine will be truly exceptional, so the tastings will be fun and delicious.  And it’s so great to be at the Zoo under the stars for this event, enjoying wine and supporting conservation work, here and around the globe,” said Lynn Mento, Executive Director at Friends of the National Zoo.

As attendees explore the Zoo grounds after hours, they’ll have the opportunity to see all sorts of incredible animals—and even meet an African penguin. Big Cats Circle will be open for the duration of the event, and from 6-8:30 p.m., attendees are welcome to explore the Think Tank, where they might catch a glimpse of young orangutan Redd.

Food trucks will sell award-winning crepes, gourmet popcorn and authentic handmade dumplings, while keyboardist and pianist Marcus Johnson will perform his contemporary jazz hits for crowds. The D.C. staple and NAACP-Image award winner will bring wines from his own collection, FLO Wine, for guests to sample.

VIP guests can look forward to delicious cuisine from local restaurants, a dessert bar and exclusive animal encounters at Conservation Pavilion. They also will receive a surprise complimentary animal-themed gift courtesy of TrueZoo.

Go to www.fonz.org/uncorked for more information or to buy tickets.

Ticket prices: 

GA: $55 | Non-member: $70

VIP: $99 | Non-member:  $115

Sober: $30 GA | $95 VIP