Festival

Kickoff Festival (featuring a live concert with R&B artist and eight-time Grammy nominee Tank) for Gateway DC this Saturday

By Prince Of Petworth

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2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE via Gateway DC

“Grab your family and friends and celebrate the kickoff of Gateway DC, a new green multi-purpose space in Ward 8 that will offer the DC community a fun and innovative place to gather, eat and socialize. The festival, taking place from 12-4pm on November 16, will feature a live concert with R&B artist and eight-time Grammy nominee Tank; live music by the Red Carpet Affair Band; Ginuwine’s and TGT’s DJ, DJ Young Music; games for all ages, prizes, and a variety of food and drink from local vendors

Gateway DC, located just minutes away from the Congress Heights METRO station, is a versatile pavilion that will offer dynamic programing and events, delicious food options and a flexible meeting space. Gateway DC will serve as a central events and entertainment destination for both Ward 8 residents and the DC community at large. It fills a vital need for a dynamic, affordable and accessible space where people can gather, eat, connect and create.

The Kickoff Festival will welcome community members and all DC residents to the park to introduce the space and give them a taste of what’s to come. The Festival will also feature a canned food drive benefiting Ward 8’s Bread for the City SE Center. Guests will receive a welcome bag upon entering the festival, which includes a drink ticket. In return for donating two cans of food from the approved list on www.gatewaydc.com, attendees will receive a free food ticket that can be used at any of the food vendors during the festival.” (more…)

Back Story on Game of Thrones Costume at this year’s High Heels/Drag Race and Parade

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photos by pablo.raw

Thanks to Nancy for writing:

“I’d like to offer my humble greetings to the drag culture whose production quality in costumes and makeup puts my cheesiness to shame. I lived at 17th and Riggs from 1984-2007, and my kids [now in their twenties] grew up with the High Heel Race as their Halloween experience as much as or more than the school parties or trick-or-treating– I remember several years it was homework leverage, ie you can’t go see the Race until your homework is done. For some years lately I have wanted to present a chair-focused costume, as I have never seen a wheeler participant, so the Iron Throne seemed perfect. Daenerys Stormborn, of the House Targaryen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons, and Rightful Heir to the Iron Throne.”

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Cherry Blossom Festival Looking for Local Singers

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user zoeicaimages

From an email:

“The National Cherry Blossom Festival’s first annual Sing Into Spring competition is now underway. This is the first time in the Festival’s 86 year history that local D.C., Maryland and Virginia residents have an opportunity to score one of four coveted slots to sing in the National Cherry Blossom Parade – the largest annual spectator event in the region – on April 12.

Submissions are now being accepted online through November 15, 2013 and all local vocalists (ages 8 and up) are encouraged to participate. Twenty finalists will be selected to move forward and perform live at Hard Rock Café Washington, D.C. in early January 2014 in front of a panel of celebrity judges who will ultimately select to four winners to perform live in the Parade.”

Haunted House at Parker Flats Halloween Night

By Prince Of Petworth

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2035 2nd Street, NW

“This year we have scaled up significantly…Bloomingdale will be overrun by Zombies!

The event is completely free to anyone and everyone. We give out candy to the little ones at the end, and some adults who need a little comforting, and it’s all put on 100% by volunteers from Parker Flats. So now, in conjunction with the Thomas Street Halloween Festival, which started up again in 2012, 2nd Street has become quite the place to be on Halloween night.

If anyone wants to stop by the haunted house is located at 2035 2nd St. NW (The Parker Flats at Gage School Condo Building), and we open the gates at 6:30pm and run until 9:30pm. We recommend showing up nice and early because the line gets real long and if you want to go through more than once it can be a bit of a wait. We also encourage anyone who attends to make sure they stop by Thomas Street’s Festival that night as well. Between the Haunted House and Thomas Street, it is a fantastic way to spend Halloween night.”

Ed. Note: You can see all events here and you can schedule your own event listing here.

27th Annual High Heel Race is Tuesday, Parade Starts at 7pm, Race Starts at 9pm on 17th Street

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user Sanjay Suchak

From MPD:

“The Metropolitan Police Department would like to inform the public and members of the media about street closures in connection with the 27th Annual High Heel Race scheduled for Tuesday, October 29, 2013. The race will begin at 7:00 pm and end at 7:30 pm.

The following streets will be closed from 6:00 pm and are expected to reopen by 11:00 pm:

17th Street, NW – from P Street to S Street, NW”

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Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

Fall Festival and Flower Bulb Planting this Saturday 10:30am-2:30pm at 5th and K St, NW – Help with the Planting if You Can

By Prince Of Petworth

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“All the action starts at 5th and K Saturday morning. We have TONS (600 daffodil bulbs and 1,100 snowdrop bulbs) of bulbs and are hoping for a great turnout to plant in Cobb Park as well as along K Street. Vida Fitness is going to have free Zumba – should be a great event.”

Ed. Note: You can see all events here and you can schedule your own event listing here.

H Street Festival Crowd Estimated at 100,000 this Year

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

From a press release:

“On Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, an estimated crowd of 100,000 people attended the 2013 H Street Festival, making it the most highly attended and successful year in the event’s history.

Organized by H Street Main Street, the festival showcased over 50 artists and 80 performances on 10 stages accompanied by an array of local, regional and international cuisine, shopping, arts exhibits, educational events, seminars and conversations with local entrepreneurs, artists and community organizations spanning 10 blocks of H Street NE.

The annual event is one of the most popular festivals in the Washington, DC area. This year’s celebration attracted tens of thousands of foodies, art aficionados, wine and beer connoisseurs and music lovers to one of the city’s fastest-growing and most exciting areas.”

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