Tanabata Celebration on the Lawn: The Japanese Star Festival
Wednesday, July 7, 2021, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Enjoy an outdoor festive celebration of Tanabata, the Japanese Star Festival, featuring a musical performance, art project, and more.
Break out your lederhosen and dirndls and head to The Boro to celebrate Oktoberfest featuring a Battle of the Polka Bands! This unique, family-friendly fete will feature a battle of the bands-style competition where traditional and modern polka bands will go head to head to be crowned the fan favorite!
On Saturday, October 2, The Boro will feature the sights and sounds of a true Oktoberfest with themed decorations, crafts, and fitting drinks from the Sandlot Tysons. Guests of all ages are invited to take part in the themed activities including photo booths, craft stations, and a variety of outdoor games located all around the park. And don’t miss out on the exciting free giveaways like Oktoberfest-themed beer mugs, inflatable pretzels, party buttons, and more!
The event is free to attend but registration is required. For more details about this event and to learn about other fun happenings at The Boro this season, head to The Boro’s website theborotysons.com/whats-on.
WHERE/WHEN:
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The Boro Park | 8350 Broad St, Tysons, VA 22102
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Saturday, October 2 | 1pm – 5pm
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Registration is available here
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Oct. 28, On demand
americanindian.si.edu/calendar
To celebrate Día de los Muertos, the museum will showcase two unique Day of the Dead traditions: figural sugar work and papier-mâché arts. The Mondragón family are skilled sugar workers known for their sugar animals and the most popular symbol of Día de los Muertos: the sugar skull. They come from the city of Toluca, the heart of sugar-figure making in Mexico, where they have been making hand-decorated sugar skulls for more than 150 years.
Miriam Castañeda and Martín Ramírez create compelling cartonería tradicional (papier-mâché) figures called calaveras (laughing skeletons), which are famous for humorously depicting everyday activities. Calaveras have become closely associated with Día de los Muertos but, originally, they were used to adorn religious spaces and to represent various historical figures in processions.
Federal support for this program is provided by the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Inspired by the bustling open-air night markets of East and Southeast Asia, Peter Chang of DC’s No Kings Collective creative agency and Events DC are teaming up to create the first annual REDEYE Night Market on November 6 in Washington, DC. REDEYE will occupy four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 3rd through 7th Streets NW and bring together over 50 treasured local vendors to showcase an array of food and beverages like one might find at a night market abroad, including Filipino pastries, Taiwanese shaved ice, bao and Korean fried chicken. In addition to sampling signature dishes from celebrated local restaurants including Incheon, Tiger Fork, Maketto, China Chilcano, Thip Khao, Nihao, attendees will enjoy cultural and musical performances throughout the evening. Admission is free of charge with food and beverages available for purchase.
The REDEYE, set for 4 pm to 11 pm, is intended to serve as a celebration of Washington, DC’s rich AAPI community and to acknowledge the challenges and economic disenfranchisement that impacted small businesses across the nation in the past year.
“This past year was especially challenging for the AAPI community, as well as for the food industry. The REDEYE is a celebration of what we are overcoming together,” says Chang.
“The REDEYE Night Market is an incredible opportunity to celebrate our city’s diversity and showcase DC’s dynamic hospitality offerings,” said Greg O’Dell, president and CEO of Events DC. “We are thrilled to bring together residents, visitors and the AAPI community for an exceptional experience of authentic cuisine and culture from some of DC’s most well-known restaurateurs and performers.”
For details and a list of participants and performances, please visit: https://theredeye.
The REDEYE Night Market will be held in accordance with all health and safety protocols as outlined by the Executive Office of the Mayor and DC Department of Health.
La Famosa will partner with local rum distillery, Cotton & Reed, to host a holiday-themed coquito class and demo. Led by chef/owner Joancarlo Parkhurst and GM/Beverage Director, Phil Guernsey, the class will teach guests how to make Puerto Rico’s popular Christmas drink, coquito. Held at the Cotton & Reed Distillery on Sunday, December 12 at 1PM, the event includes:
- Demonstration of a no-cook coquito recipe
- Demonstration of a new seasonal cocktail, La Pera made with house-made spiced rum, fresh passionfruit and pear nectars, ginger beer, and grated nutmeg
- Seasonal bites from the La Famosa kitchen, including Coquito Bread Pudding (a new creation from Parkhurst not on the La Famosa menu), assorted Puerto Rican holiday cookies including Mantecaditos and Besitos de Coco, and Mezcla Sandwiches (mezcla is a cheese spread made with ham and pimento peppers)
- Take-home recipe cards for: Coquito, Pumpkin Spice Coquito, La Pera, Coquito Bread Pudding and Coquito Latte
- One 750 ml bottle of Cotton & Reed Mellow Gold Rum
- One bottle of La Famosa’s coquito base
Tickets, which can be purchased here, are available for $75 each.
In celebration of Black History Month, Hotel Zena hosts – Black Her-Story Makers Market – on Saturday, February 26. The event highlights 18 DC-area Black female artisans, makers, and business owners who all share a forward-thinking mission and will showcase their creations and services.
What: A trunk show event highlighting 18 DC-area Black female artisans, makers, and businesses. With a DJ playing music and craft cocktails and menu of snacks on offer from Figleaf, guests and locals will enjoy an afternoon celebrating Black visionaries. There will also be a sweets counter to build your own cookies and doughnuts, from Chef Caitlin’s Confectionery Counter. Following the event, all participating makers will have the opportunity to showcase their items in Hotel Zena’s Z-Shed shop which will feature a curated collection of local women makers during the month of March for Women’s History Month.
When: Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 12:00pm – 5:00pm EST
Where: Figleaf Bar & Lounge at Hotel Zena: 1155 14th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005
Participating Women Makers: Bath Nut; 3Shades Chic; Black Nerd Coffee; Cheryl’s Bracelet Bar; Carra Hosiery; Ajahmure Beauty; Lizzmore; The Popcorn Bag DC; Creative Pounds; Eight Royale; Soultry; Pillow Byrd; Garçon Mélaniné & Co; Black Mint Interiors; Charismatic Creations LLC; Therapy With a Twist; Janet and Jol; Faith Hunter, Spiritually Fly
The Wharf and Kirwan’s Irish Pub are excited to celebrate all things Irish at Ireland at The Wharf. During the festival, guests can thrill to the sound of bagpipers, listen to live music from 19th Street Band, Danny Burns and the Ben-David band on the main stage, watch authentic Irish dance performances from the Boyle School of Irish Dance and lift a pint in the Guinness beer garden on District Pier. The event is free to the public and all ages are welcome; guests must be 21+ to consume alcohol.
WHEN: Saturday, March 19, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
WHERE: District Pier at The Wharf, 101 District Square SW, Washington, DC 20024
Anime Movies Days at The Wharf Return (3/26-3/27)
The Wharf is celebrating the globally popular Japanese genre of anime with an outdoor anime movie festival on March 26 & 27 on Transit Pier. Anime Movie Days at The Wharf includes favorites like Steamboy, Okko’s Inn, A Letter to Momo, The Sky Crawlers, and more. Anime movie screenings take place each day at 2pm, 4:30pm, and 7pm. Tickets are $10 per person, and drinks and snacks are available at the Cantina Bambina concession window.
Anime Movies Days at The Wharf Return (3/26-3/27)
The Wharf is celebrating the globally popular Japanese genre of anime with an outdoor anime movie festival on March 26 & 27 on Transit Pier. Anime Movie Days at The Wharf includes favorites like Steamboy, Okko’s Inn, A Letter to Momo, The Sky Crawlers, and more. Anime movie screenings take place each day at 2pm, 4:30pm, and 7pm. Tickets are $10 per person, and drinks and snacks are available at the Cantina Bambina concession window.
For those who are not able to travel to the UK for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee this June, Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is holding a Jubilee ceremony on Wednesday, June 8. The event will honor Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, who this year became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
Beginning at 4pm, in the hotel’s courtyard, guests will enjoy a ceremonial celebration featuring an authentic Scottish bagpiper, a champagne sabering and slices of a cake fit for a queen.
Executive Pastry Chef A.J. Thalakkat will create an impressive, towering cake to honor Queen Elizabeth, and will share slices with guests as they toast her majesty with a taste of sabered champagne.
All guests donning festive hats or fascinators will be eligible to win prizes for most authentic, fabulous and over-the-top – prizes awarded at 5pm. Cocktails are available for purchase, and Life-sized cutouts of the Royals will create perfect photo opportunities. No reservations are necessary for Fairmont’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration.
