Festival

Street Closures for The National Christmas Tree Lighting Tonight

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ARealSidler

From DDOT:

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has provided the following information associated with the National Christmas Tree Lighting and Jingle All the Way 8K Race. In conjunction with these events, there will be several street closures and parking restrictions that motorists should take into consideration.

2012 National Christmas Tree Lighting

On Thursday, December 6, 2012, the ceremony for the Lighting of the National Christmas Tree is scheduled to take place from 4:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the Ellipse near the White House.

Road Closures:

Beginning at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2012, through the completion of the ceremonies there will be no northbound or southbound traffic allowed on the following streets:

15th Street, NW, between E Street/ Pennsylvania Avenue and Constitution Avenue, NW.
17th Street, NW, between Constitution Avenue and New York Avenue, NW.

Info on Jingle All The Way 8K Race after the jump. (more…)

Columbia Heights Tree Lighting Extravaganza This Saturday

By Prince Of Petworth

From an email:

The lighting ceremony will be Saturday, December 1st at 6:30pm at the Civic Plaza with students caroling and hot beverages. This year in addition to the tree lighting ceremony our partner, Collaborate to Impact, and several local restaurants are organizing multi-site happy holiday hours to raise funds for three nonprofits serving our area. Tickets for the happy hours can be purchased ahead of time for $20 at participating restaurants, Latin American Youth Center or at CTI’s website. You can also purchase tickets at the ceremony for $25. For more information people can check out facebook.com/chtreelighting or email us at [email protected].

Dupont’s 26th Annual High Heel Race is Tonight

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

The High Heel Race website says:

The High Heel Race is one of Washington, DC most unique events with a rich history of “Crossing The Line Since 1986”. On the Tuesday before Halloween, thousands of spectators pack the Dupont Circle Neighborhood to watch hundreds of costumed drag queens show off their extravagant outfits and race down Historic 17th Street, NW.

Location: 17th Street, between P and S Streets NW near Dupont Circle

Race Time: Begins at 9 p.m. Participants and spectators gather as early as 6 p.m.

MPD shares road closures for the event:

The Metropolitan Police Department wishes to inform the public and members of the media about street closures that will be in affect in conjunction with the 26th Annual High Heel Race scheduled for Thursday November 1, 2012. The following streets will be closed beginning at 6:30 pm and are expected to reopen by 11:00 pm:

17th Street, NW – from P Street to S Street, NW
Q Street, NW – from 16th Street to 18th Street, NW
R Street, NW – from 16th Street to 18th Street, NW
Corcoran Street, NW – from 16th to 18th Street, NW
Church Street, NW – from 16th Street to 18th Street, NW
Riggs Street, NW – from 16th Street to 17th Street, NW

Columbia Heights Day and Oktoberfest this Saturday

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From Columbia Heights Day:

More than 12,000 people are expected for this community festival featuring live music, food trucks and more than 60 local businesses and nonprofits. There is also a KidsZone activity area for families with a petting zoo, games, arts and crafts and special performances.

WHAT: 6th Annual Columbia Heights Day
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10 am to 6 pm
WHERE: Tubman Elementary Field, 11th & Kenyon St. NW

Main Stage:

10 am – QuietMind Yoga workshop
11:30 am – Tara Trinity
12:15 pm – Organized Disruption
1:15 pm – Dyverse City
2 pm – Cupcake eating contest.
3 pm – The Chariots
4 pm – Black Masala

KidsZone Stage:

1 pm – Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project
1:30 pm – DanceEthos Modern Dance Company
2 pm – BloomBars presents, Ella
2:30 pm – DancePlace presents, Youth Step Group
3 pm – School of Rock


11th and Park Rd, NW

From Meridian Pint:

I would like to welcome you all to Oktoberfest in Columbia Heights. As we approach the end of the 16 day celebration known around the world as Oktoberfest, Meridian Pint will be celebrating with our first annual Oktoberfest Neighborhood Festival. Traditionally ending on the first weekend of October, we have chosen October 6th to host this block party style event in conjunction with this years Columbia Heights Day Festival.

Included in this celebration will be The Edelweiss Band, a dog show, a moon bounce, face painters, several local farming vendors as well as a charity dunk tank. The charity dunk tank proceeds go to benefit the Harriet Tubman Elementary School and will provide an opportunity to dunk some of your favorite local business owners and managers. Additionally, Meridian Pint will host a large adults only outdoor beer garden featuring 6 German Oktoberfest beers while indoors we’ll have nearly 24 American Oktoberfest beers all paired with authentic bratwursts from our outdoor grill.

Enjoy a wonderful day of festivities up and down 11th Street while celebrating the tradition of Oktoberfest. 11th Street will be closed from Park Street to Monroe Street for this family friendly festival so be sure to come hungry and thirsty.

Event Date: Saturday, October 6
Event time: Noon to 6pm
Meridian Pint hours: Noon to 3am

Judging Beers – Oktoberfest by Jack Van Paepeghem

By Prince Of Petworth

Jack Van Paepeghem works at Meridian Pint and is a Certified Cicerone® You can read his previous post about homebrewing here.

In America, Oktoberfest unfortunately resides in the category of celebrations like Saint Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo where history falls to the wayside and the focus of the festivities is getting wasted on indiscriminate beer and booze while mocking traditional garb and customs. Fortunately I’m here to judge the beer found in those ridiculously massive and tacky boot glasses and not the people wielding them. In fact, Oktoberfest was originally dedicated to the celebration of the marriage of Prince Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Bavaria in the year 1810. The celebration included horse races, brass bands, food aplenty, and beer, of course, in the expansive fairgrounds known as “die Wiesn.” The ceremonial tapping of the cask which kicks off the party has even historically determined the political attitudes toward the Mayor of Munich based on his success in letting the beer flow properly to the people. But the beer in the cask has not always been what we know as “Oktoberfest” beer.

You may remember the story of how the German Pilsner came to being by modeling itself after its slightly older Czech brother in the year 1842. Well, the evolution of German Oktoberfest beers begins just one year earlier in Vienna, Austria where brewer Anton Dreher had begun making toasty amber beer by using British-devised pale malting techniques and employing a clean bottom fermenting yeast which leaves some residual caramel sweetness. This was the birth of the style known as “Vienna Lager;” try the Devils Backbone version for a spot on interpretation of the style or Elliot Ness by Great Lakes Brewing Company for a hoppier and higher alcohol version. But here’s where it gets tricky. Dreher was working with Gabriel Sedlymayer of Munich’s Spaten brewery and the two decided to cold condition, or, lager, the beer in caves during summer months which would be ready to drink by late September to October. The beer was referred to as “Märzen” because it was brewed in March and contained a slightly higher alcohol content to preserve it through the summer months.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Fiesta DC Festival Photos

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user pablo.raw

Thanks to all who uploaded so many great photos of Fiesta DC (and all the other great festivals) from over the weekend.

For fans of Fiesta DC – how did this year’s downtown compare to previous year’s in Mt. Pleasant?


Photo by PoPville flickr user ep_jhu


Photo by PoPville flickr user schmiddi


Photo by PoPville flickr user schmiddi

Barracks Row Fall Festival This Saturday

By Prince Of Petworth

From a press release:

Barracks Row Main Street Capitol Hill is hosting this year’s Barracks Row Fall Festival on Capitol Hill on Saturday, September 22, 2012. The festival now ten years old, opens at 11a.m. and closes at 5p.m. [8th Street, SE south from Pennsylvania Ave by Eastern Market Metro]

This year’s festival includes:

Military Chefs Cook-Off – all branches of the US armed forces, including the White House, compete for Top Chef trophy awarded by Commandant of the Marine Corps.

DC State Fair joins Barracks Row Fall Festival this year showcasing several competitions including Funkiest-looking Vegetable Grown in DC, Best Home Brew, Best Bike Accessory, Best Pie, etc.

Marines from the past – meet a dozen Marines dressed in uniforms from Revolutionary War to today’s desert camo. Let them tell you how those wars were fought!

For the kids – petting zoo, art, crafts, and contests – don’t miss the pumpkin seed spitting event! Cartoons at the renovated Meader Theater (National Community Church) run all day long.

Aerialists from The Trapeze School New York perform on yards of bright silk at tree top height.

At 1:30 p.m. 16 members of all-girl Island Band, Batala, drums up the spirit of the Caribbean.

At 2:00 pm meet the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders for autographs and photo-op!

At 2:30 p.m. at main stage swing band, Blue Sky brings back the sounds of Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey; free dance instruction, too.

The Georgetown Chimes, arrive on stage at 3:30 p.m. for acapella concert.

The Home of the Commandant and Marine Barracks Washington open for docent- lead tours from noon until 4:00 p.m.

Bloomingdale Block Party and Pig Roast Coming Sunday, October 7th

By Prince Of Petworth

From an email:

Mark your calendars!

Do you remember last year’s North Capitol Main Street neighborhood block party? There was the pig roast, the flamenco music, the beer zone, and yes, of course the rain… and all of us huddled under tents in a grand community moment.

Well, the party is back this year, in October (instead of August) this time. This time as well — bigger, better, longer, more fun and hopefully seasonally free of those storm clouds. We’re smoking another 300 pound pig, and the chefs of Boundary Stone and Rustik Tavern will be providing several side dishes for accompaniment. We’ll have music: a jazz band, a rock band, a DJ. There will be vendors in an artist village. You’ll find children’s activities, and pet activities, too.

Other fun moments… Do you remember last year’s pizza eating contest? It will be making a comeback, and we’ll possibly even add a wings eating contest (still TBD). We’ll make sure to keep you posted once we are ready to accept contestants.

Stay tuned! And mark your calendars for Sunday, October 7th.

Snallygaster Craft Beer Festival Coming to Yards Park Sat. Oct. 13th

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user caroline.angelo

From a press release:

The team behind acclaimed beer destinations such as Birch & Barley, ChurchKey, Rustico and Bluejacket will present Washingtonians with an unprecedented craft beer festival called Snallygaster. Named for the fearsome and mythical dragon-like beast said to terrorize the region at the turn of the century, this celebration of artisanal craft beers, fine food and fun is showcasing no fewer than 100 unique and exquisitely crafted beers all handpicked by famed beer director Greg Engert. Snallygaster is on Saturday, October 13 from 1 to 5PM at Yards Park (located at 3rd and Water St. SE) and is an event to benefit Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food &Agriculture.

Beer enthusiast can expect the absolute best in Oktoberfest style beers at the inaugural Snallygaster, including German style and German-inspired beers, exciting autumn seasonals, plus a bevy of coveted international finds, and unheard of rarities. Highlights include one-off beers brewed specifically for the event, an impressive collection of cask ales, assorted barrel-aged brews, and even a host of Franconian gravity-poured, rubber-clad kegs, hardly ever tasted stateside.

From a group that firmly believes beer and food are the happiest of pairs, comes a menu of fantasticfestival fare to tempt and delight the palates of Snallygaster attendees. Red Apron Butchery is offering their classic handmade hot dogs, a German-inspired bacon bratwurst, and their new Pork-strami sandwichwith bacon kraut and fontina cheese wiz. The team at Rustico is serving up a Heavenly Meatball Hero with red sauce, while Chef Kyle Bailey and his team at ChurchKey and Birch & Barley are shelling out sud-friendly snacks like Disco Fries, Tater Tots and Fried Piggy Tails. Arcadia will be offering a seasonal treat with a Fall Harvest Wrap, highlighting the bounty of fall produce sprouting up at the farm. Of course in the spirit of Oktoberfest, guests can also expect some classics like spit-roasted turkey legs & Tiffany MacIsaac’s pretzels. Buzz Bakery is providing sweets and pint-size offerings for the kids, while Dolcezza serves up scoops of their amazing artisanal gelato.

Live music, a mix of DJ’s, and recreational activities are providing the day’s entertainment. Special features include musical acts presented by One Love Massive such as Nappy Riddem and DJ John Jazz and recreational lawn games like corn hole and bocce from the DC Bocce League. A kid-friendly zone near Yards Park’s fountain will include face painting, bubble machines, entertainers, plus educational and farm & kid-friendly activities with Arcadia Farm & their Mobile Market.

Snallygaster is being held at The Yards Park (located at 3rd and Water St. SE) on October 13, 2012 from 1 PM to 5 PM. Guests will be asked to pay a $5 donation at the door to benefit Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture. Children under 21 that are accompanied by a parent will be admitted at no cost. Food and beverage tickets ($1 for 1 ticket) will be sold separately with items costing on average between 4 and 9 tickets. Advance ticket packages include the “Rodan Pass” including admission, entry through will-call, 25 food + drink tickets, and a customized mug, priced at $25 and the “Gargantuan Pass” offering 1 hour of VIP early access to the event at 12PM, 25 food + drink tickets, and a specialty Snallygaster t-shirt, priced at $50. To purchase tickets, see the full beer list or get ongoing updates about the event visit here.

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