Festival

L’Enfant Cafe Bar’s 2013 Bastille Street Party, French Maid Race is on July 13th

By Prince Of Petworth

L'Enfant Cafe Bar Bastille Street Party
Photo courtesy Lenfantcafe.com

From a press release:

“To celebrate their 9th Annual Bastille Day Block Party and French Maid Race, L’Enfant Café Bar adds aerialists to a line-up that includes a French maid race, can-can dancers, masquerade ball and raffle for two round-trip tickets from Washington (DCA) to Paris (CDG), courtesy of U.S. Airways. The party runs 3-11 p.m. on Saturday, July 13. Says co-owner Jim Ball, “We are sticklers to tradition and will celebrate Bastille Day on Saturday night – along with the French. Vivre le time difference!”

In less than a decade, this event has grown to become the largest Bastille Day party in the Western Hemisphere. Co-hosted by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette – who look a strikingly similar to L’Enfant’s co-owners Jim Ball and Christopher Lynch – L’Enfant’s Bastille Day Block Party will take over Vernon Street, NW, between 18th and19th Streets. Doors open at 3p.m. The street party concludes at 11p.m.

Entry to D.C.’s most revolutionary summer party is $6.

Guests are invited to chill to DJs and enjoy five street bars serving beer:

Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe, white wine and a vodka cocktail. A food truck station will offer refreshments from popular purveyors including DC Slices, Rito Loco and Pleasant Pops.

French maid relay race will start at 6 p.m. L’Enfant will provide costumes for 40 competitors. Racers must each wear the extremely short black and white dress to participate. The winner is the first to fill a Champagne glass with soupspoons of water by running back and forth across the street the coupe. Says Ball, “It’s got all of the fun and excitement of the Grand Prix, and none of the elegance.”

After the race, DJ booths will be rolled into Vernon Street and Queen Marie Antoinette will gift all attendees with a mask.”

Full Schedule of events after the jump. (more…)

Dupont ANC invites 91-year-old Veteran, Father from Maine as special guest in Pride Parade

By Prince Of Petworth

From Mike Silverstein, Commissioner, Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission:

Dupont Circle ANC has invited members of the Gardner Family of Machias, ME to be their honored guests at this year’s Capital Pride Parade. They live about an hour from the Canadian border, a four hour drive to the Portland Airport, and none of them have even been to Washington (at least not since the end of WWII).

91-year-old Harlan Gardner, a World War II veteran and retired mailman, featured his family in an ad for Equality Maine that many considered a game changer in the Marriage Equality referendum in Maine.

With four generations of his family seated around the table at their home, Mr Gardner mentioned that he and his wife Dotty had “been together for 59 years,” and that “marriage is too wonderful a thing not to share.” Harlan mentions how proud he is of his granddaughter Katie, and Dotty says she “hopes to see Katie and (her partner) Alex married legally.”

The ad resonated in Maine, went viral on the internet, and was the subject of a column in the New York Times that called Mr Gardner “the unlikely hero” of the Maine referendum campaign. Marriage equality forces in other states took note of the themes underscored in the Gardner Family ad, and sought to capture the “family values” issue for equality.

Harlan and Dotty Gardner, their granddaughter Katie Kurz, and Katie’s partner Alexandria (correct spelling) Patel will be flying down to Washington with Katie and Alex’s 13-year old daughter Mikayla. Other members of their family are hoping to meet them here.

Commissioners and community members have donated frequent flyer miles to help bring the Gardners to Washington, and a member of a classic car club has offered to drive them during the parade in a fully restored Chevy Corvair convertible from the early ’60s.

Dupont Circle ANC 2B is host to the parade, which begins and ends within its borders. The Parade is this Saturday, June 8th and it steps off at 430pm at 22nd & P Streets, NW.

Could the Caribbean Festival Return to DC This Year?

By Prince Of Petworth

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Caribbean Festival 2007

The Post’s Tim Craig tweeted this interesting tidbit yesterday:

“DC Council approves transfer of $107,000 to try to bring the D.C. Caribbean Festival back to D.C. instead of being held in Baltimore.”

If it does return to DC do you think it should remain on Georgia Ave or move downtown like Fiesta DC recently did?

Back in May 2012 we learned the Annual Caribbean Carnival/Festival would be located in Baltimore. The festival has not been without controversy.

You can read previous coverage about the festival here.

The 4th Annual Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival next Sat!

By Prince Of Petworth

What: The fourth annual Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival presented by Events DC, featuring seven bluegrass bands including The Hackensaw Boys and more. The festival will celebrate local music, food, and culture as well as the revitalization of the Anacostia River.

The Festival will include seven hours of performances by local bluegrass bands, DC’s favorite food trucks, Sierra Nevada beer, bike giveaways from BicycleSPACE and tours of the island, local music busking stages, and a children’s area with crafts and games.

When: Saturday April 27th 1:00pm – 8:00pm

Where: Kingman Island located on the Anacostia River- 575 Oklahoma Ave NE Washington, DC (at the entrance to RFK Stadium).

Biking and metro are encouraged. A free shuttle will run from Stadium/Armory Metro Station. Free parking is available in RFK Lot 6.

Who: The Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival presented by Events DC, is a collaboration between Living Classrooms, Councilman Tommy Wells’ Office, BicycleSPACE, Listen Local First and media partner WAMU’s Bluegrass Country. All are welcome to attend.

Cost: $10 Suggested Donations. Donations will support Living Classrooms’ environmental education programming for DC youth on Kingman Island. Tickets can be purchases ahead of time at: http://kingmanislandbluegrass.eventbrite.com

DC Emancipation Day Tuesday – Street Closures for Parade – Garbage and Street Sweeping Suspended

By Prince Of Petworth

dc_emancipation_Day
Photo by PoPville flickr user gc-dc

From DPW:

The DC Department of Public Works will observe Emancipation Day, Tuesday, April 16; however, rush-hour parking restrictions will be enforced. Vehicles violating these restrictions will be ticketed and towed. Other parking regulations, including expired meters, residential parking and street sweeping, will be suspended for the holiday.

Sanitation services will be suspended for the holiday and will resume Wednesday, April 17.

· In once-a-week trash and recycling collection neighborhoods, Monday’s collections will follow the regular schedule, while Tuesday’s collections will “slide” to Wednesday, Wednesday’s collections will be made Thursday and so on.

· In twice-a-week collection neighborhoods, Monday’s collections will follow the regular schedule while Thursday collections will “slide” to Friday. Tuesday and Friday collections will be made Wednesday and Saturday.

· Street sweeping will be suspended Tuesday and resume Wednesday, April 17.

Street closures for DC Emancipation Day Parade after the jump. (more…)

Happy Passover!

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user idit.

Happy Passover to my fellow members of the tribe out in PoPville. Though in a cruel twist of fate this is also the start of Craft Brewers Week. So if you don’t observe, I highly recommend hitting the Dogfish Head tap takeover tonight at Smoke and Barrel. Check out the full week’s craft brewers conference schedule here. Hag Samaech and happy wine and beer drinking to all!

2013 DC Elephant Walk Route and Photo from 1894

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo of the Elephant Walk in 1894 by PoPville flickr user StreetsofWashington

From Alert DC:

The Metropolitan Police Department wishes to advise the public of road closures associated with the Annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Elephant Walk scheduled to occur on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 8:00 pm. The streets will begin closing at 7:30 pm and re-open at 10:00 pm.

The Elephant Walk will proceed from Capitol Hill to the Verizon Center.

The walk will form at the New Jersey Avenue and Virginia Avenue, NW (Capitol Power Plant)

The route is as follows:

•North on South Capitol Street to Washington Avenue, SE
•Northwest on Washington Avenue to Independence Avenue, SE
•West on Independence Avenue to 3rd Street, SE
•North on 3rd Street to G Street, NW
•West on G Street, NW to the loading dock at the Verizon Center where they will disband.

Motorists and pedestrians are urged to use caution when traveling in this area due to heavy pedestrian, vehicle, and bus traffic in the above areas.


View 2013 DC Elephant Walk Route in a larger map

St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide Free Taxi and Traffic Advisory for Parade and Festival Sunday

By Prince Of Petworth

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From a press release:

If you plan on making a big night of it this St. Patrick’s Day, don’t rely on luck to get home safely. Together with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) SoberRide initiative, AT&T is proud to provide free taxi rides (up to $30) to anyone 21 and over in the greater Washington, DC area who may have had one too many Irish Car Bombs or pints of Guinness home.

AT&T customers can call #WRAP to get a safe, free ride home, while others can dial 800-200-8294 (TAXI). The program will be in effect beginning at 4:00 p.m. Sunday (3/17) and continue until 4:00 a.m. Monday morning (3/18).

WRAP’s SoberRide provides greater Washington, DC residents a safe way home on high-risk holidays, including the December/January holiday season, St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day and Halloween. Last St. Patrick’s Day, a total of 606 Washington-area residents took advantage of the program, preventing a would-be drunk driver from hitting the road every 71 seconds.

From MPD:

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE and SHAW TAVERN ST. PATRICK’S DAY NEIGHBORHOOD FESTIVAL

The Metropolitan Police Department wishes to advise the public and the media of scheduled events on Sunday, March 17, 2013 including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Shaw Tavern St. Patrick’s Day Neighborhood Festival. In conjunction with these events, there will be several street closures that motorists should take into consideration:

Shaw Tavern St. Patrick’s Day Neighborhood Festival

The 1800 block of 6th Street, NW (6th Street between Florida Avenue and S Street) will be closed from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Route

The parade will form on the National Mall and proceed westbound on Constitution Avenue, NW from 7th Street to 17th Street, NW, where it will disband. 7th Street will be closed between Constitution Avenue, NW and Independence Avenue, SW from approximately 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Streets leading to Constitution Avenue, NW will be closed during this time period.

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