Tag: The Scene – NBC4 Washington

Taylor Swift corn maze, pumpkins, hay rides and more fall fun in Maryland and Virginia

Taylor Edwards — Tue, Sep 17 2024 03:08:40 PM

Is that… the smell of pumpkins, crisp apples and corn?

Fall season is here so it’s time to pull out boots and jackets to really set the cozy mood.

As the leaves turn orange and prepare to fall from the trees, now is the perfect time to pick some apples, get lost in a corn maze or pick out the perfect pumpkin for decorating or baking!

Here are some fall festivals to check out in Virginia and Maryland.

Maryland corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Maryland Corn Maze: Taylor’s Version

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 3
📍 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, Maryland
💲 $17.95
🔗 Details

Maryland Corn Maze (Taylor’s Version) is open for all Swifties and non-Swifties alike!

Can’t get enough of Taylor? Visit the maze on Oct. 2 to listen to singer Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience live concert.

Answer Swift-themed quiz questions to find your way out of the maze. Don’t miss out on the Flashlight Nights if you want a challenge.

Pick your own pumpkins and explore the farm yard complete with a bounceyard, rodeo roping area and slingshots.

Gaver Farm Fall Fun Fest

📅 Through Nov. 5 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily)
📍 5501 Detrick Rd Mt. Airy, Maryland
💲 $14.50-$23 (Kids under 24 months are free)
🔗 Details

Gaver Farm has all of your fall fun needs. From sunflowers to pumpkins to apples — there’s just about everything for everyone.

This family-friendly affair offers over 65 attractions including the “Fun to the Core” Corn Maze, animal meet-and-greets, a zipline and pedal karts.

Guests can pick their own pumpkins, apples and sunflowers after riding a free hayride out to the fields. Don’t miss out on the sunflowers — the farm expects blooms through Sept. 22! The farm provides all the tools needed to make picking seamless.

Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 3
📍 22222 Davis Mill Road Germantown, Maryland
💲 $11-$22 (Make a reservation ahead of time to avoid higher prices)
🔗 Details

The Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival is bigger and better than ever!

Hunting for the perfect pumpkin? This year, guests have three options. You can drive to the pumpkin patch for the classic picking experience, get a pumpkin at the festival’s market or visit the Pumpkin Yard to get pre-picked pumpkins.

You aren’t just limited to picking your own pumpkin. Once you purchase a ticket, you can take hayrides, visit some backyard buddies, turn through the Twisted Corn Maze and jump in the Corn Pool.

Magnolia Meadow Farms

📅 Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
📍13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont, Maryland
💲 $15 (online)/$20 (walk-in)
🔗 Details

Magnolia Meadow Farms says it is home to Maryland’s largest corn maze along with family-friendly activities like mini ziplines and a barrel train.

Don’t miss out on Moonlit Maze Nights on Oct. 5 and Oct. 26 where you can try out the corn maze under the stars for a good cause.

If you don’t want to stick to just pumpkins, you’re in luck! You can wander into three different fields to have your pick at sunflowers, pumpkins, gourds or cut flowers.

If you tire out from the fun, private campfires are available on-site. Reserve a campfire in case you want to get your own views of the farm away from the crowds.

Montpelier Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 13-Nov. 3
📍 1720 North Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
💲 $19.95 in advance/$24.95 at the gate
🔗 Details

Spend all day at the Montpelier Farms Fall Festival with its 7-acre corn maze, Barnyard Basketball and other fall activities. Try your hand at pumpkin bowling or tug of war. When it gets chilly at night, cuddle up by the public bonfire with loved ones.

If you want to pick your own pumpkins, you can visit the patch without purchasing a ticket to the festival — just pick your favorite (or favorites) and buy it there!

Virginia corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Cox Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 5
📍 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, Virginia
💲 $10-$25
🔗 Details

Cox Farms has just about everything you can think of when it comes to fall fun. The Fall Festival is a family-fun affair and there are many activities that you can choose from. You can ride the hayride, visit several attractions like themed slides, taste different apples and feed goats.

If you’re looking for a corn maze filled with surprises, the Cornundrum is just for you. Wind through the maze and you’ll come across pirates, caves and the Vortex!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Go back for spooky scares at their Fields of Fear starting on Sept. 20.

Great County Farms

📅 Aug. 31 through Sept. 30
📍 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
💲 $12-$16 (advance tickets are highly recommended for weekends)
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for fresh pressed cider, apple picking and a fun corn maze, Great County Farms is for you!

You can visit the apple orchard, get lost in their 15-acre corn maze and the 15-acre play area that features the Farm Ninja Obstacle Course.

On weekends, guests can enjoy perfect fall activities like live music and visiting a snack bar complete with kettle corn and roasting marshmallows. You can even learn how to learn to press a bushel of apples!

Want to beat the weekend crowds? No worries! Guests can visit the farm during the week along with the weekend.

Wayside Farm

📅 Sept. 21 through Oct. 27
📍 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, Virginia
💲 $17-$25 (Depending on ticket type)
🔗 Details

With great power comes great responsibility, and if you have great navigation skills, you can use that power to guide your group out of Wayside Farm’s Spiderman-themed corn maze! Make sure not to get lost in the mazeverse.

There are plenty of fun activities to choose from, including pig races and pumpkin smashing. If you’re interested in the pumpkin patch, reserve a spot in advance. The ticket will cover the first $20 worth of pumpkins.

Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 5 (closed on Tuesdays)
📍 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, Virginia
💲 $18.95-$22.25 (weekend tickets must be purchased in advance)
🔗 Details

If you love the zoo and autumn equally, Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village might be the place for you. There’s a whole bunch of family-friendly activities to enjoy such as a kiddie hay maze, animal petting and feeding and pony rides (for an extra fee).

Up the fun factor on the weekends and Columbus Day with live entertainment, face painting, free cider, apple and pumpkin cookie tasting.

Here's how you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month around the DMV

Maggie More — Wed, Sep 11 2024 12:35:51 PM

Hispanic Heritage Month is about to start with a bang, running from Sept. 15 until Oct. 15. Whether you’re a part of the Latino community or just want to join in the celebrations, there’s plenty to do, see and eat around D.C.

From street fests galore to trivia nights, here’s how you can honor Hispanic Heritage Month in and around the District.

Hispanic Heritage Month events

Family Day: Hispanic Heritage Month

📅 Saturday, Sept. 14, 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
📍 Great Hall, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
💲 Free
🔗 Details

If you’re a fan of words in two languages, the Library of Congress has a chance for you to make your own book inspired by cartoneras, books with hand-painted covers made from recycled cardboard. The tradition started in Argentina, but has since spread across Latin America. Got questions? The library’s Hispanic Division staff experts will be there too.

Latinas in Aviation Global Festival

📅 Sunday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
📍 College Park Aviation Museum, College Park, MD
💲 Free
🔗 Details

This College Park event is likely to stun, starting with a fly-in at 10 a.m. that’s followed with air demos, a bilingual story time, community art, food and giveaways. The day ends with performances by Sol y Rumba Band and Sol y Mariachi.

Hispanic Festival

📅 Sunday, Sept. 15, 12:30 – 5:30 p.m.
📍 Lane Manor Splash Park, Hyattsville, MD
💲 Free
🔗 Details

If you’re in full county fair mode this fall, but you want to add a little Latino flair, the Hispanic Festival in Prince George’s County might just do the trick. Play some carnival games, check out foods from different Latin cultures, enjoy music and other live entertainment and then browse for some artisan wares. Parking and entrance to the fest are both free.

Live! At the Library: Latino Poets Spotlight

📅 Thursday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
📍 Hispanic Reading Room, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera will join fellow poets Ruth Behar and Maria Kelson to read from their works and discuss Latino poetry. Poet Dan Vera is the moderator for the discussion. If you like what you hear — or you’ve read it already and came in as a fan — there will be a book signing after the panel.

Festival del Rio Anacostia

📅 Saturday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
📍 Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Bladensburg, MD
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the outdoors at this festival put on by Prince George’s County for the 9th year in a row. The party will include crafts, food, live animals, free boat rides and fishing demos, so it’s a great chance to get out of the city and touch some grass (or water).

Trivia Night: Con Mucho Mucho Amor

📅 Tuesday, Sept. 24, 5-6:45 p.m.
📍 Kogod Courtyard, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
💲 Free, with snacks and drinks available for purchase
🔗 Details

The National Portrait Gallery is teaming up with New Columbia Pub Quiz to host a happy hour trivia night focused on Latin culture.

Test your knowledge of Latin American art, history and culture in the U.S., individually or as part of a team of up to six people. The questions are inspired by the Portrait Gallery’s collection, so if you don’t have Walter Mercado’s psychic abilities, a stroll through the museum could help you out.

The event is free, but the Portrait Gallery recommends registering ahead of time.

Festival Latinoamericano

📅 Friday, Sept. 17, 5-9 p.m.
📍 Arlington Mill Community Center, Arlington, VA
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Arlington County is hosting a community festival to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, complete with live music, artistic presentations, games, and of course delicious food.

Fotos y Recuerdos: Hispanic Heritage Month Festival

📅 Saturday, Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
📍 Kogod Courtyard, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
💲 Free
🔗 Details

The National Portrait Gallery promises a family-friendly “day of art, dancing, museum tours, story times, book signings and more” at this party co-hosted by Lil’ Libros. The bilinqual book, game and toy company will highlight Latino trailblazers with their books and portraits from the Portrait Gallery.

The best part? It’s free, and there’s no registration required.

Fiesta DC

📅 Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
📍 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC
💲 Free, with food, drink and art available for purchase
🔗 Details

Self-billed as “the nation’s largest Latino festival,” this parade and street fest will include food, art, live performances and dancing. The big headline event is Sunday’s “Parade of the Nations,” giving all the different Latino communities of D.C. the chance to showcase their culture in the District.

Artists in Conversation: Latin Social Dance Workshop with Ballet Hispánico

📅 Friday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.
📍 Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd., Fairfax, VA
💲 Free, but registration is required
🔗 Details

The City of Fairfax and George Mason University are teaming up to bring a new dance company to Virginia. Ballet Hispánico, a dance company designed to uplift and unite different Hispanic cultures, will host an interactive dance workshop to teach visitors how to salsa, merengue, cha cha and more.

The event is free to the public, but you have to register ahead of time.

Fiesta Fairfax

📅 Saturday, Oct. 5, 2 – 7 p.m.
📍 Old Town Square, Fairfax, VA
💲 Free
🔗 Details

This community Hispanic Heritage Month celebration brings cultural performances, music, food and educational exhibits to the City of Fairfax. You can watch folklorico performances on the Old Town Square stage, then learn how to salsa and practice with a live band. Plus, you can learn about city nonprofits that work the Latino community.

All Month Long

Cuba Libre

📍 801 9th St. NW, Washington, DC
🔗 Details

This popular Cuban restaurant in downtown D.C. has a couple of Hispanic Heritage Month specials all month long: The Cuban Pork Feast for Two comes with two free desserts, while the Guava BBQ Ribs are only $28.

The restaurant also hosts a DJ dance party every Friday and Saturday night. If you’ve always wanted to try merengue, salsa or bachata, or you just enjoy a good reggaeton hit, Cuba Libre Nights are a great opportunity no matter the time of year.

¡Presente!

📍 National Museum of American History, Washington, DC
🔗Details

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino is still in progress, so it will be a few years yet before it gets its own building. But the entity already exists, and is showcasing Latino history and culture in the National Museum of American History.

The ¡Presente! gallery is a semi-permanent exhibit in the Molino Family Latino Gallery, first set up in 2022. Visitors can learn about the history of Latinos in the U.S., read the wide variety of immigration stories, and learn how Hispanic and Latino culture has changed over time in the U.S.

TikTok food critic Keith Lee boosts business at Virginia restaurants

Aimee Cho, News4 Reporter — Fri, Aug 23 2024 09:03:43 PM

A TikTok food critic with millions of followers demonstrated how he can make or break a restaurant with a single video when he visited the D.C. area this week.

Las Vegas native Keith Lee stopped by Okonomi Asian Grill — also known as the “Asian Chipotle” for its custom rice bowls — in Fairfax, Virginia, and business has been booming.

“I literally opened this by myself,” owner Alex Kang said. “So, six months I was doing 130-hour workweeks.”

There were times when he only got six orders a day.

“I can’t sustain this with six orders,” he said. “That’s like 60 bucks. What can you do with 60 bucks?”

Ever since Lee posted a video about Okonomi, they’ve had to put signs on their door saying they can only serve people who order online because they’ve been so busy.

“It’s definitely wild,” Kang said. “I mean, it’s any restaurant owner’s dream to have this much exposure.”

Lee also went to the Flavor Hive food truck in Alexandria where one of the specialties is the walking nacho. Customers bring their own bag of chips – any size, same price – and they fill it up with meat and toppings.

“We had people bring in a size for a whole village,” owner Shihan Chowdhury said. “We still fill it up.”

Flavor Hive also serves quesadillas and tacos.

“It looked really good,” customer Alexia Urieta said about Lee’s TikTok. “When you saw the picture, you could see the flavor in the picture. So. really wanted to come out and try it.”

For those who can’t afford the food, Flavor Hive will give it to them for free.

“Some people will come and say, ‘Hey I don’t get paid until this day, I don’t get paid until that day, can I pick up a meal?’ We’re always open to that,” Chowdhury said.

Lee donated $3,000 to Okonomi because they’ve been dealing with theft issues recently. Kang said he’ll use some of the money to feed local teachers and the rest to provide bonuses to his staff.

Country's oldest mini-golf course gets $1M restoration in DC

Mark Segraves, News4 Reporter — Thu, Aug 22 2024 10:20:27 PM

The oldest continuously operating miniature-golf course in the country — not far from the Jefferson Memorial — recently received a $1 million restoration.

The Miniature Golf Course at East Potomac Golf Links was built in 1931 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“We don’t have the clown’s mouth and no volcanoes and no dinosaurs around, but again, we maintain the historical elements of the miniature-golf course with the wishing well. We have the, you know, the Capitol and the White House and Mount Vernon right behind me here,” National Links Trust Executive Director Damian Cosby said as he showed some of the holes on the course. “Those were all here when this miniature-golf course originally opened, and so we wanted to keep those elements and maintain them and restore them.”

The course was in bad shape when the National Links Trust took it over in 2020. But over the past several months, it’s been restored to its original design.

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“And the great thing about it is you don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy this space,” Cosby said. “You don’t have to know anything about golf. You know, again, it’s fun, it’s engaging, it’s really accessible, it’s affordable, it’s a great place to take your kids, take your family, take a date if you’d like. It’s just really fun and it’s just a really easy way to get into the game.”

The course is open year-round, seven days a week from 8 a.m. until dark. Starting in September, it will stay open until 9 p.m.

Literature, history, romantasy: Top authors headline National Book Festival this weekend

Andrea Swalec — Tue, Aug 20 2024 12:37:54 PM

The National Book Festival returns to downtown D.C. this weekend, bringing top authors to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The free, daylong celebration of books will be held Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Big names, books and topics on the program include:

Sandra Cisneros marking 40 years since the release of “The House on Mango Street”
Doris Kearns Goodwin discussing her book “An Unfinished Love Story”
A hundred years after James Baldwin’s birth, Ayana Mathis, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Eric Deggans will discuss the lasting influence of his work on writers
James Patterson talking about “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians”
Max Greenfield, the “New Girl” actor, talking about his children’s books
A Literature to Life performance of Erika L. Sánchez’s novel “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”
As popularity of the romantasy genre surges, Rebecca Yarros will talk about her books on the main stage

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden told News4 that this year’s festival includes more activities for young readers.

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Go here to see the full lineup and offerings for bookworms of all ages.

‘Emily in Paris' pop-up brings a bit of Paris to DC bar

Maria Chamberlain — Fri, Aug 09 2024 08:53:16 PM

Bonjour, oui oui, I’m in Paris! Or at least you’ll feel like you’re in Paris after stepping inside Morris American Bar.

Fans of the hit Netflix show, “Emily in Paris,” will get the chance to experience cocktails and appetizers inspired by L’esprit de Gigi, the café at the center of the Emmy-nominated show.

The “Emily in Paris” pop-up is happening now and will run through Nov. 1. On-street, metered parking is available, though it can be hard to come by.

The opening comes just as the Paris 2024 Olympics are wrapping up. The bar will be switching back and forth between NBC’s live coverage of the Olympics and “Emily in Paris” on their projector screen, until the Olympics end on Aug. 11.

On Aug. 15 from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., the pop-up will host an “Emily in Paris” watch party for the Season 4 premiere. No tickets are needed but reservations are strongly advised.

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What to expect

French apéritif Lillet and “Emily in Paris” have created the immersive experience, complete with a photo booth corner where guests can don a beret and red scarf for a très chic Instagram story.

At the heart of the collaboration are two Lillet x “Emily in Paris” limited-edition bottles, Lillet Blanc and Lillet Rosé. Two new “Emily Lillet Royale” cocktails are featured on the menu. “The Savoir Spritz,” named after the French PR company where Emily works, includes your choice of Lillet rosé or blanc, cava and soda. “The Sylvie” contains Lillet Rouge, Martell blue swift cognac, dry vermouth and orange blossom water.

You can take home an “Emily in Paris” Lillet Blanc or Lillet Rosé bottle with a complimentary Lillet spritz glass for $25. Or purchase the complete collection online.

Here’s a full list of the menu

Tart Flambee – Flatbread, onions $14
Bread Basket – Baguette with cultured butter and sea salt $8
Jambon Beurre – Baguette, jambon, cultured butter with chips and cornichon $13
Charcuterie – French style charcuterie and cheese with accoutrement $24
Plateau Fromage – French cheese assortment with accoutrement $20
Strawberry and Lillet Rosé Sorbet $8
Macarons – 6 assorted macarons $12

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202 Creates: DC to honor artists, from dancers to go-go musicians

Mark Segraves, News4 Reporter — Wed, Aug 07 2024 04:38:38 PM

D.C. will kick off a monthlong celebration of local arts and music.

202 Creates is a celebration of the arts in D.C. that starts Aug. 29.

“It highlights all of the robust vibrancy of the arts and culture in our city,” said LaToya Foster, director of D.C.’s Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment. “You have Art All Night, you’re going to have Jazz at the Wharf […] and there’s so many other events as well that we’re going to be rolling out between the end of August and the end of September.”

The big finale of 202 Creates will be the 39th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. Nominations are open until Friday in award categories including excellence in arts education, visionary leadership, excellence in go-go music and excellence in nightlife.

Step Afrika! is a past winner. Founder C. Brian Williams thanked D.C. officials for helping artists flourish.

“D.C. as a city has just been very supportive of Step Afrika! and of the arts in general,” he said.

Award winners will be announced at the end of September. Go here to learn more about the 202 Creates lineup and how to nominate and vote for Mayor’s Arts Awards contenders.

Where to find county and state fairs in DC, Maryland and Virginia

Emily Martinez — Tue, Jul 30 2024 07:22:34 PM

Carnival rides, games and that deep-fried fair food are essential for many people’s summer.

A bunch of counties in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are bringing back their annual county fairs with fun activities including petting zoos, auto shows and live entertainment.

Here’s a list of all the fairs coming soon to the DMV.

The Montgomery County Agriculture Fair
Aug. 9-17
Montgomery County Agricultural Center: 16 Chestnut Street Gaithersburg, Maryland
Details

This Agricultural Fair in Maryland is prepping for huge events, including: Animal and barn exhibits, a monster truck tour, carnival rides, and a red-eye rodeo.

Parking at the fair costs $15. The fair is also transit accessible! Free shuttle buses and parking will be available at Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus and the Lakeforest Mall (R.I.P.). Check the date of your ticket, too: They’re offering discounted prices for all-day ride wristbands on certain days.

The fair is closed on Aug. 9 because of severe weather.

Prince William County Fair
Aug. 9-17
10624 Dumfries Rd, Manassas, Virginia
Details

The PWC Fair is geared up and ready to go. The huge schedule includes dog shows, pageants, wine tasting, auto shows and more. Gate admission tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children.

Arlington County Fair
Aug. 14-18
Thomas Jefferson Community Center: 3501 Second Street South Arlington, Virginia
Details

Admission to the Arlington Fair and the associated outdoor stage is free, but bring cash for the individual rides. The kid’s court will have moonbounces, music performances and a pie-eating contest with registration.

Tickets to ride are $1.25 each, with rides costing between 3 and 6 tickets. There are different deals when you get tickets in bulk, and you can check out those prices (and the price of parking) on their website.

Maryland State Fair
Aug. 22-Sept. 8
2200 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Details

This state fair has horse racing, live entertainment, and a kiddie fair for small children. Puppy yoga will also be offered with the purchase of a ticket. Admission for those aged 6-11 is $8.25 and $13.25 for those 12 and older.

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DC State Fair
Sept. 7
Franklin Park
Details

The free state fair showcases local makers, organizations and food vendors. There’s also competitions for the best mambo sauce, best honey and top photographers. Registration is still open for entertainers and volunteers, as of July 30.

Anne Arundel County Fair
Sept. 11-15
1450 General’s Highway (Route 178) Crownsville, Maryland
Details

These five jam-packed days will be filled with livestock auctions, carnival rides, indoor exhibits and Friday-and-Saturday-night concerts. They are also accepting volunteer applications. Admission is $10 for people 10 years and older.

Charles County Fair
Sept. 12-15
8440 Fairgrounds Rd, La Plata, Maryland
Details

Sheep shows, pie-eating contests and lawnmower races will all be included alongside your typical carnival rides. Food vendors and drinks will be available on-site for purchase — but parking is free. Admission for those aged 11 and older is $10, and free for those 10 and under.

The Great Fredrick Fair
Sept. 13-21
797 E Patrick St, Frederick, Maryland
Details

They call themselves the “greatest of all time,” and it’s for a reason. This fair has plenty of carnival rides, live barn stock, concerts and motorsport shows. Tickets for admission, parking and concert events are now available for purchase online. Alcohol and food will be available on-site.

Stafford County Fair
Oct. 27-20
121 University Boulevard Fredericksburg, VA 22406
Details

Pony rides, vendors, and carnival rides will be there all four days. Registration is also now open for the Miss Stafford County Fair pageant, if you know any girls or young women ready to talk about a platform of their choice.

Past events

Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair
Jul. 26 to Aug. 4
2400 Airport Ave, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Details

Register for their pageant, or join their karaoke night and demolition derby: There’s a whole range of activities to try. Admission for those aged four to 59 is $15, and $10 for those 60 and older.

Annual 4-H Fair and Carnival at Frying Pan Farm Park
Aug. 1-4
2739 West Ox Rd, Herndon, Virginia
Details

Visit farm animals, see tractor demos, and potentially milk a cow or goat! Carnival games and rides will be included. Parking is $10 after 4 p.m. on Friday and all day during the weekend.

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Paris Olympics watch parties in the DC area where you can cheer on Team USA

Sophia Barnes — Wed, Jul 24 2024 11:32:17 AM

The Paris Olympics are finally here!

Team USA is racking up medals, and we’re having a golden time watching all the action.

Bars and restaurants around the D.C. area will be showing the games with happy hour deals and specials.

When’s the best time to go to an Olympics watch party?

Because the Summer Games are in Paris, which is six hours ahead of D.C., the Olympic action kicks off overnight – often as early as 2:30 a.m. But competitions often go until 6 p.m. ET. Go here for the full Olympics schedule.

Many D.C. bars and restaurants plan to show NBC’s Primetime in Paris coverage which begins every night at 8 p.m. NBC4 Washington will highlight the can’t-miss moments, celebrate Team DMV and track the medal count in our Paris Olympics newsletter and in our mobile app.

D.C. bars and restaurants can ask to stay open 24 hours and serve alcohol until 4 a.m. during the Olympics.

Washington Spirit Official Watch Parties

Cheer on Spirit players Trinity Rodman and Casey Krueger and the rest of the U.S. Women’s National Team in their quest for a medal at the Paris Olympics.

Washington Spirit has planned official watch parties for every game. Find details on Washington Spirit watch parties here.

Bars and restaurants screening the 2024 Paris Olympics

Atlas Brew Works’ Alexandria Brewery & Tap Room
2429 Mandeville Lane, Alexandria, Virginia

The longstanding D.C. beer maker Atlas Brew Works just opened up its Alexandria brewery and tap room this summer, and now they’re bringing Olympics specials to Virginia.

Happy hour deals will be available until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday during Olympics prime time coverage. Pick up two slices of Andy’s Pizza and select drafts for $10 and $5 select drafts.

All three locations in Alexandria, Ivy City and Navy Yard will offer a “medal-winning flight” of top beers from the Opening to Closing Ceremony.

Bluejacket
300 Tingey St SE, Washington, D.C.

The craft brewery near The Yards Park will show the Summer Games from July 26 to Aug. 11. Daytime viewing specials run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They include $8 sausages, $9 frozen drinks, and $10 liters of beer. The full bar stays open late, too.

The Brighton
949 Wharf St SW, Washington, D.C.

The Wharf bar shows sports on a big projector screen. During the Opening Ceremony, you can order a $10 special cocktail, the Captain America, Miller High Life buckets and more.

The Brighton will also host watch parties as the U.S. faces Germany in the Olympics in women’s soccer on Sunday, July 28, followed by a Washington Spirit game.

Duffy’s Irish Pub
Dupont Circle: 2153 P Street NW, Washington, D.C.
Cap Hill East: 1901 C St. SE, Suite B, Washington, D.C.

The Dupont pub will open at noon on Friday, July 26 to screen the Opening Ceremony, while the Capitol Hill East location is set to open at 2 p.m.

Specials include $18 Miller Lite pitchers and discount buckets.

And if you need a reason to root for Ireland: Duffy’s will offer discounts on Guinness and Harp beers whenever one of the Emerald Isle’s athletes earns a medal. Here’s all the info.

Franklin Hall
1348 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC

The beer hall is known for its sports watch parties will show the Paris Olympics on its screens. Keep an eye on their Instagram, Facebook or X for any extended hours. It’s located at 14^th Street and Florida Avenue NW.

Franklin Hall is family-friendly on weekdays, but 21+ on Saturdays and Sundays.

Michele’s
1201 K St NW, Washington, D.C.

The Olympic Celebration at the restaurant in the Eaton Hotel highlights its French flair. Sample from a seasonal menu that includes cheese boards, ratatouille and Olympics-themed cocktails.

Michele’s will show the Summer Games on TVs in its back dining room.

Nellie’s
900 U Street NW, Washington, D.C.

Watch NBC’s primetime programming while sipping from $15 beer buckets from July 26 to Aug. 11. Here are more details.

metrobar DC
640 Rhode Island Avenue NE, Washington, D.C.

The Metro-themed bar near the Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood station will show the Paris Olympics during their regular hours.

Morris American Bar
1020 7th St NW, Washington, D.C.

Morris American Bar is getting a French twist for the Paris Olympics and the new season of “Emily in Paris.”

Watch screenings of the Summer Games and the Netflix show projected onto a 15-foot screen starting Aug. 2. Parisian-themed cocktails, little Eiffel Towers and neon signs will set the mood.

Keep an eye on their Instagram for details on the schedule and special French food events. The pop-up will run until November. Reservations are available here.

Settle Down Easy
2822 Fallfax Drive, Falls Church, Virginia

Watch parties for the Opening Ceremony, soccer, rugby, hockey, volleyball and more are on tap at this brewery in Falls Church. Here’s a full list of events.

Shaw’s Tavern
520 Florida Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

All the TVs will be showing the primetime re-air of the Opening Ceremony at 7:30 p.m. with sound. You can make reservations at shawstavern.com; specify “Olympics” when you book. Here’s more info.

Tom’s Watch Bar
1250 Half Street SE, Washington, D.C.

Tom’s Watch Bar in Navy Yard has tons of screens, big, medium and small and their claim to fame is “all the sports. All the time.” Head over for “360-degree viewing” of “every event.” Here’s more info.

Thirsty Crow
3400 11th St. NW, Washington D.C.

Head to this Columbia Heights basement pool bar to watch “all the Olympic coverage” while chowing down on fried “Olympic rings” made with tempura batter, tamarind salt and curry ketchup.

Thirsty Crow’s happy hour with $10 drinks and select half-priced dishes runs 5-8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and all night on Sundays.

Wunder Garten
1101 First St. NE, Washington, D.C.

The beer garden plans to show the Opening and Closing Ceremony plus lots of soccer, and other events that happen while they’re open.

The NoMa staple plans to open early for lots of the soccer games; see details here.

Some DC bars to extend their hours during Paris 2024 Summer Olympics

Sumner Bradley — Tue, Jul 23 2024 02:59:04 PM

Is that… the smell of pumpkins, crisp apples and corn?

Fall season is here so it’s time to pull out boots and jackets to really set the cozy mood.

As the leaves turn orange and prepare to fall from the trees, now is the perfect time to pick some apples, get lost in a corn maze or pick out the perfect pumpkin for decorating or baking!

Here are some fall festivals to check out in Virginia and Maryland.

Maryland corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Maryland Corn Maze: Taylor’s Version

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 3
📍 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, Maryland
💲 $17.95
🔗 Details

Maryland Corn Maze (Taylor’s Version) is open for all Swifties and non-Swifties alike!

Can’t get enough of Taylor? Visit the maze on Oct. 2 to listen to singer Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience live concert.

Answer Swift-themed quiz questions to find your way out of the maze. Don’t miss out on the Flashlight Nights if you want a challenge.

Pick your own pumpkins and explore the farm yard complete with a bounceyard, rodeo roping area and slingshots.

Gaver Farm Fall Fun Fest

📅 Through Nov. 5 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily)
📍 5501 Detrick Rd Mt. Airy, Maryland
💲 $14.50-$23 (Kids under 24 months are free)
🔗 Details

Gaver Farm has all of your fall fun needs. From sunflowers to pumpkins to apples — there’s just about everything for everyone.

This family-friendly affair offers over 65 attractions including the “Fun to the Core” Corn Maze, animal meet-and-greets, a zipline and pedal karts.

Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 3
📍 22222 Davis Mill Road Germantown, Maryland
💲 $11-$22 (Make a reservation ahead of time to avoid higher prices)
🔗 Details

The Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival is bigger and better than ever!

You aren’t just limited to picking your own pumpkin. Once you purchase a ticket, you can take hayrides, visit some backyard buddies, turn through the Twisted Corn Maze and jump in the Corn Pool.

Magnolia Meadow Farms

📅 Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
📍13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont, Maryland
💲 $15 (online)/$20 (walk-in)
🔗 Details

Magnolia Meadow Farms says it is home to Maryland’s largest corn maze along with family-friendly activities like mini ziplines and a barrel train.

Don’t miss out on Moonlit Maze Nights on Oct. 5 and Oct. 26 where you can try out the corn maze under the stars for a good cause.

If you don’t want to stick to just pumpkins, you’re in luck! You can wander into three different fields to have your pick at sunflowers, pumpkins, gourds or cut flowers.

If you tire out from the fun, private campfires are available on-site. Reserve a campfire in case you want to get your own views of the farm away from the crowds.

Montpelier Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 13-Nov. 3
📍 1720 North Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
💲 $19.95 in advance/$24.95 at the gate
🔗 Details

If you want to pick your own pumpkins, you can visit the patch without purchasing a ticket to the festival — just pick your favorite (or favorites) and buy it there!

Virginia corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Cox Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 5
📍 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, Virginia
💲 $10-$25
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for a corn maze filled with surprises, the Cornundrum is just for you. Wind through the maze and you’ll come across pirates, caves and the Vortex!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Go back for spooky scares at their Fields of Fear starting on Sept. 20.

Great County Farms

📅 Aug. 31 through Sept. 30
📍 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
💲 $12-$16 (advance tickets are highly recommended for weekends)
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for fresh pressed cider, apple picking and a fun corn maze, Great County Farms is for you!

You can visit the apple orchard, get lost in their 15-acre corn maze and the 15-acre play area that features the Farm Ninja Obstacle Course.

Want to beat the weekend crowds? No worries! Guests can visit the farm during the week along with the weekend.

Wayside Farm

📅 Sept. 21 through Oct. 27
📍 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, Virginia
💲 $17-$25 (Depending on ticket type)
🔗 Details

Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 5 (closed on Tuesdays)
📍 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, Virginia
💲 $18.95-$22.25 (weekend tickets must be purchased in advance)
🔗 Details

Up the fun factor on the weekends and Columbus Day with live entertainment, face painting, free cider, apple and pumpkin cookie tasting.

Second corpse flower waiting to bloom at the US Botanic Garden, which is closed Wednesday

Maggie More — Thu, Jul 18 2024 05:08:11 PM

Something is about to stink up the District — and we swear this isn’t a joke about politics.

The Amorphophallus titanium, better known as the corpse flower, is a rare, 8-foot-tall flower that blooms for just a few days every few years. The U.S. Botanic Garden has several. One just bloomed, and another is expected to do so soon.

The U.S. Botanic Garden stayed open until 8 p.m. on Monday so everyone could check out the unusual plant.

Those two plants have been on display to the public since July 13, and you can visit them now.

The second corpse flower still hasn’t opened, which is lucky for visitors that can’t stop by on Wednesday, July 24, when it is closed due to “an official government function.”

After Wednesday, through Aug. 30, The Conservatory is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. It’s free and no tickets are required.

Why are they called corpse flowers?

Corpse flowers have their morbid name because, when they bloom, the smell is often compared to rotting flesh. The plant features a tall spike, called a spadix, surrounded by a flower that is purple on the inside.

The plant also generates heat when it blooms, allowing the smell to travel further.

That may sound horrendous to humans, but for corpse-attracted pollinators like carrion beetles and flies, it smells like a delicious meal. Once the creepy-crawlies are lured in, they help the plant propagate.

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According to the botanic garden, the blooms usually stand for three to four days, and the powerful stench is “mostly just during the first 12-24 hours when the female flowers are receptive to pollination.”

The two corpse flowers at the botanic garden that are set to bloom are Accession 2019-0033 and Accession 2007-1033.

Accession 2019-0033 is the fifth bloom from a plant that the botanic garden created in 2017, via pollination, and then planted in 2018. It’s about six years old, and this is the first time it has ever bloomed.

Accession 2007-1033 has longer story. In 2018, the plant almost died because of rot. Part of the plant did die in 2020, but “a large number of sprouts came up,” and 2007-1033 was the one chosen by the botanical garden’s horticulture team to recover the plant.

The plant is four years old, and this is the first bloom since it was recovered in 2021.

Why does the U.S. Botanic Garden have multiple plants known above all else for smelling bad?

Amorphophallus titanum is an endangered species, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The plants at the botanic garden are there as part of a conservation effort, and to give the public the chance to see this unusual plant up close.

The population of the corpse flower plant has gone down by more than 50% over the past century and a half, according to the IUCN, which estimates that less than 1,000 individual plants still exist in the wild.

Deforestation is the main reason for the plant’s decline, the botanic garden’s website reads, as logging and oil palm plantations take away the corpse flower’s forest habitat.

By keeping corpse flowers in the botanic garden, scientists can study the genetic makeup of the plants. Eventually, they hope to put that information into a database.

That information will help scientists broaden the gene pool and create more diversity among new plants — hopefully keeping the species alive for many more years to come. (We wouldn’t want too many corpse flower corpses, after all!)

This weekend isn’t the first corpse flower bloom of the year. There were other events in April and May, according to the botanic gardens. You can learn more about those previous blooms, and the plant itself, here.

But if you want to witness a relatively rare botanical event, the plants are already on display to the public, and it’s possible that both will bloom anytime between Friday and Monday.

Who knows? It might even be a breath of fresh air compared to some of the other stuff going on around town recently.

Editor’s Note (Monday, July 22, 2:15 p.m.): The U.S. Botanic Garden said the flowers may bloom over the weekend of July 19-21, and one was open by Monday morning. This article has been updated.

Editor’s Note (Wednesday, July 24, 1:03 p.m.): The second flower still has not opened as of this writing, and the U.S. Botanic Garden is closed all day for an official government function. This article has been updated.

Picture-perfect sunflower fields to visit in the DMV

Sumner Bradley — Tue, Jul 16 2024 04:18:11 PM

As summer reaches its peak, fields of sunflowers are beginning to bloom across the DMV, creating picture-perfect landscapes that are great for a day trip or a scenic drive.

These sunny spots not only offer stunning views and photo opportunities, but in some cases they also allow visitors to pick their own sunflowers, making for an idyllic summer outing.

We’ve compiled a few sunflower fields within driving distance of downtown D.C. that will help you get the perfect summer photo or bouquet.

Maryland:

McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area

Address: 16898-16500 River Road, MD 20837
Hours: Anytime, no permit required
Distance from downtown D.C.: 29.3 miles

Each spring, The Maryland Department of Natural Resources plants sunflowers on the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area to provide a food source for mourning doves and other wildlife species.

Because the sunflowers in the area are for feeding wildlife and maintaining the ecosystem, you can’t pick these sunflowers. The “cutting, destruction, or removal of any plants,” including sunflowers, is strictly prohibited. Still, the area’s serene fields are the perfect spot for sunflower photos!

Find the 2024 sunflower map here. The sunflower fields are past their peak, so check the photo at the bottom of the website to see if you’re interested in visiting.

MARYLAND, July 17, 2017 — Visitors enjoy sunflowers at Mckee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Maryland, the United States, July 16, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu via Getty Images)

Summers Farm

Address: 7503 Hollow Road, Middletown, MD 21769
When: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday from Aug. 17 through Sept. 8
Distance from downtown D.C.: 51 miles

Celebrate Summer Farms’ 5th annual Flower Festival with their 8-acre flower field. It has thousands of sunflowers and zinnias in bloom, and you can take frame-worthy photos as you walk through and pick your own flower bouquet. The event will have music, local beer and wine, and food directly from the farm.

Admission includes a wagon ride to the flower field, one free flower bloom of your choice (with more flowers available for purchase) and 45+ activities including a corn maze, tetherball, farmer golf, cornhole, Jenga, and more.

Prices and details can be found here.

Southern Maryland Sunflower Festival

Address: Farm Heritage Conservancy: 6960 Serenity Farm Road, Hughesville, MD 20637
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 31 & Sept. 1
Distance from downtown D.C.: 44 miles

Start off meteorological autumn by visiting the Southern Maryland Sunflower Festival. The farm has six acres of pick-your-own sunflowers, photo opportunities, hay rides, a local art show, vendors, a petting pen and more.

Prices and details can be found here. Don’t forget to bring your own shears!

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Virginia:

Messick’s Farm Market

Address: 6025 Catlett Road, Bealeton, VA 22712
When: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
Distance from downtown D.C.: 58 miles

Head over to Messick’s Farm Market to experience sunflowers in peak bloom! You can pick your own for $1.49 a stem, but Messick’s also offers pre-picked stems available for purchase. No tickets or reservations are needed.

More information can be found here, or on their Instagram.

Past events

Burnside Farms

Address: Nokesville Farm: 11008 Kettle Run Road, Nokesville, VA 20181
When: TBD, but expect 3-4 weeks of sunflower time in late July/early August
Distance from downtown D.C.: 41 miles

Visit Burnside Farms for over 70 acres and 30 varieties of sunflowers! The farm will be open for sunflower picking, viewing, and sunflower mazes. The farm’s iconic Sunflower Sunsets are not to be missed! For tickets and details, click here.

Great Country Farms

Address: 18780 Foggy Bottom Road, Bluemont, VA 20135
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., July 20 – Aug. 11;
Distance from downtown D.C.: 58 miles

Celebrate summer with Great Country Farms’ “Summer of Sunflowers and Peaches”! Bring your own clippers or purchase some from the farm’s market. Cut your own flowers for $1 per stem, then feed some goats and frolic in the play area.

If you’d rather photograph the sunflowers than cut them, the farm also has a sunflower photo contest that runs the length of the flower’s season.

Check out the details here.

National Portrait Gallery exhibit is love letter to James Baldwin

Fri, Jul 12 2024 09:37:44 PM

A new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery honors civil rights activist, author and playwright James Baldwin.

The exhibit — “This Morning, This Evening, So Soon: James Baldwin and the Voices of Queer Resistance” — features a larger-than-life portrait of Baldwin and includes artwork from contemporary artists who Baldwin surrounded himself with.

There are photographs of Baldwin with singer Nina Simone and with Bayard Rustin, a gay civil rights activist who was one of the main organizers of the March on Washington.

It also includes work from his mentor Beauford Delaney, a fellow gay, Black artist.

“The nexus or genesis of this exhibition was really to think about elements of chosen family, of community, of love,” Director of Curatorial Affairs Rhea Combs said. “Things that I think are really foundational to the ways in which James Baldwin wrote, the way in which he understood the world.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hilton Als consulted on the exhibition, which runs through April.

Sabrina Carpenter announced her ‘Short n' Sweet' Tour dates and she's skipping DC

Sumner Bradley — Thu, Jun 20 2024 04:19:25 PM

Singer Sabrina Carpenter announced her 2024 North American tour dates, and fans in the D.C. area are upset that the District didn’t make the list.

Carpenter is scheduled to kick off her “Short n’ Sweet Tour” in San Francisco on Aug. 10, marking the first show out of 30 planned for the U.S. and Canada.

The singer will headline arenas in cities across the continent, including Baltimore, Maryland and Charlottesville, Virginia. Other major stops are set for New York City; Nashville, Tennessee; Toronto, Ontario in Canada; Los Angeles, California and Austin, Texas.

However, despite the extensive list, the nation’s capital is noticeably absent from her tour itinerary… and D.C. fans are not happy.

“Please artists, start coming to D.C. again! What’s going on?” said one TikTok user.

“I don’t consider Baltimore to be a part of the DMV,” said another. “So, because of that, I feel like a lot of artists are skipping out on a key part of the country.”

It’s not the first time D.C. has been snubbed by a major pop star. Swifties may still be nursing their wounds from when Taylor Swift skipped over the District during her spectacular Eras tour.

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While D.C. fans of Sabrina Carpenter may be feeling overlooked, they won’t need to go beyond Maryland or Virginia to see this show.

Carpenter’s tour will make a stop in Baltimore, providing a nearby option for those willing to make the trip. The tour will come to CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore on Oct. 5.

The stop closest to Virginia fans is a bit farther away from the District: The tour will be in Charlottesville at the John Paul Jones Arena on Oct. 20.

Carpenter is planning to release her newest album “Short n’ Sweet” on Aug. 23. The singer hasn’t shared her full tracklist; however, she confirmed that “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” are both included.

Here’s the full list of tour stops and dates:

Aug. 10, San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
Sept. 23, Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Sept. 25, Toronto, Ontario – Scotiabank Arena
Sept. 26, Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Sept. 29, New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Oct. 2, Hartford, CT – XL Center
Oct. 3, Boston, MA – TD Garden
Oct. 5, Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Oct. 8, Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 11, Montreal, Quebec – Centre Ball
Oct. 13, Chicago, IL – United Center
Oct. 14, Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
Oct. 16, Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Oct. 17, Saint Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
Oct. 19, Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
Oct. 20, Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena
Oct. 22, Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Oct. 24, Orlando, FL – Kia Center
Oct. 25, Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Oct. 28, Austin, TX – Moody Center
Oct. 30, Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Nov. 1, Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Nov. 2, Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center
Nov. 4, Vancouver, British Columbia – Pacific Coliseum
Nov. 6, Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Step Afrika! celebrates their 30th anniversary at Arena Stage

Taylor Edwards — Sun, Jun 16 2024 03:30:32 PM

Step Afrika! is back in Washington D.C. to celebrate its 30th anniversary at Arena Stage.

Founder C. Brian Williams and some of the company’s troop members stopped by NBC4 to share the theme of their new show “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.”

The production tells the story of the Great Migration, a pivotal moment in American history when African Americans left the South for the North, according to Williams.

Jacob Lawrence is a well-known African American painter who created the series “The Migration Series,” depicting the Great Migration era. The collection of all 60 panels is on display at the Phillips Collection in D.C.

“Step Afrika! is so honored to be able to interpret his work and bring those paintings to life,” Williams said. “So if you love the visual arts, if you love dance, if you love music, I think this show has so many elements in it that is really a must-see production.”

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Stepping is an important part of African American culture and it plays a big role in storytelling in their shows.

“Step is an art form created by African fraternities and sororities,” Williams said. “Step Afrika! is the first professional company to demonstrate stepping’s unlimited artistic possibilities and to really introduce stepping to the American Theater.”

Williams said that the production allows the company to expand on the type of stepping he did back at Howard University. When attending the HBCU, he learned how to step as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

The show “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence” will be performed at Arena Stage until July 14.

‘Music was my way of staying sober': Musician shares how Elton John's music and personal life inspired him

Taylor Edwards — Wed, Jun 12 2024 01:32:50 PM

A one of its kind tribute show comes to D.C. this Sunday to celebrate musician Elton John’s music and legacy.

In “Tom’s Elton Tribute,” Tom Cridland devotes himself to honoring John’s classics with his live performances where he takes on the persona of John, complete with elaborate outfits and glasses.

Cridland’s musical journey started during the pandemic when he learned to play the piano. John wasn’t just an inspiration musically but personally too.

“During the lockdown, I thought, Elton’s music has been kind of like a soulmate to me in good times and bad,” Cridland said.

When he was comfortable playing the piano, he started performing John’s music in public.

“I just wanted to get good enough at the piano to be able to play Elton John’s music in bars or in casual places like that,” Cridland said. “You know, things just kind of went quicker than I thought they might.”

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Before he started performing, Cridland began listening to John’s music regularly when he met his wife Deborah at university when he was 18. He was struggling with sobriety before he started making music.

“I gave up drinking because my drinking was getting out of hand,” Cridland said. “Music was my way of staying sober.”

He set John as an example of sobriety because the singer was doing concerts and living a “larger-than-life existence.”

“I find that immensely inspiring when it came to getting sober,” Cridland said. “It’s like Elton’s music was there all the time and it’s a source of comfort.”

Not many have the chance to meet their idol but Cridland met John and had a conversation with him.

“I just wanted to say thank you for being a source of inspiration when it comes to staying sober,” Cridland said. ‘We talked about recovery and he was very gracious.”

“Tom’s Elton Tribute” will perform at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on Sunday night.

The Weekend Scene: EU Open Houses, Motown music and Mother's Day ideas

Maggie More, Tommy McFly, News4 Scene Reporter and Sophia Barnes — Thu, May 09 2024 03:59:02 PM

Just before Sophia left for her vacay in Paris (Bonjour!) and Ireland (Sláinte!), she made Doug pinky-promise that this weekend’s weather in D.C. would be better than last. Her OOO reads, “You’re welcome!”

In the meantime, TikTok Maggie is filling in. (Hey, everyone!)

Your mom called to let us know she’d love to take advantage of the weather for some quality time – so we planned out some options for you both, based on what she might like.

You could get your own piece of France (or Germany, or the Czech Republic, or the Netherlands, or…) at the EU Open House.

Or, the Anacostia Art Center has a new Motown DC exhibit. That means we have a bonus “Embassy of Detroit”… right?

Weekend highlights

Free pick
European Union Open Houses
Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Details

You can go around Europe in a day – without a passport – when dozens of embassies open their doors to the public this Saturday.

Last weekend, other embassies from around the world shared their culture. Tommy visited the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago, just one place going all-out for the tour with soca dancing, steel drums and carnival vibes.

This weekend, countries from Austria to Spain will share music, dance, kid-friendly crafts and cuisine. You can find a list of each embassy’s offerings here (Scroll down to “Plan Your Day”).

Take a peek at The Weekend Scene newsletter for pro tips for a full day of globe-trotting.

Motown DC
Opening reception Fri, 6 to 9 p.m., through July 7
Details

We heard it through the grapevine that Washington D.C. was the home of Motown legend Marvin Gaye — and that’s not the only connection we have to Motown.

A brand new photo and memorabilia exhibit just opened at the Anacostia Arts Center in Southeast. It’s called “Motown D.C.,” co-curated by Beverly Lindsay-Johnson and Nikki Graves Henderson.

The opening reception is on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., but you can stop by the exhibit until July 7. More information here.

Arts and Culture Festival at the National Museum of Asian Art
May 10-12, 1100 Jefferson Dr SW, Washington, D.C., free
Details

More details and an exact schedule will be released soon, but the museum gave us a look at what we could expect.

“Activities like mindfulness practices will be integrated alongside arts and cultures resources that support mental health. Programming also includes panel discussions, interactive experiences, culinary pop-ups and art-making projects,” according to a press release.

Maryland Craft Beer Festival
May 11, noon to 5 p.m., Carroll Creek Linear Park in Frederick, Maryland, $15-$85
Details

Dozens of Maryland breweries will be pouring all the samples you care to drink. Live music and local food vendors will be on tap, too.

Greenbelt Green Man Festival
May 11-12, begins at 10 a.m., Roosevelt Center, free
Details

Music, fairy gardens and an environmental focus: Could this festival be more spring?

Kids will love body paint and fairy gardens while the whole family enjoys live music.

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival
May 11-12, Woodmont Triangle in Bethesda, Maryland, free admission
Details

More than 120 artists are expected to show and sell their fine art wares along Norfolk, Auburn & Del Ray avenues. Come to refresh your home décor, stay for live music, entertainment and restaurants.

Mother’s Day Guide

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, a time to celebrate moms and the other female caregivers that helped raise you.

Now, we know Mother’s Day can be complicated, and we’re thinking of you if it’s a hard day.

But if the hardest part of your Mother’s Day is figuring out what to do with her, we have the secret: Your mom is just a person, so think about what she likes! Flowers are great and all, but she might want something a little more personalized.

It’s like the Spice Girls said: If you wanna praise your mother, you gotta get with her taste. (On second thought, maybe their song “Mama” is a better fit.)

Moms come in all kinds of flavors, and we came up with something to serve up no matter which spice best describes her.

☕ Posh Mom

If your mom is always dressed to impress, consider taking her to high tea at one of D.C.’s fancier hotels. The St. Regis, the Willard and the Watergate all have options, but act fast: Despite the $$$$, reservations are hard to come by.

As an alternative if you can’t go out, try getting some macarons and swing by Teaism, and put together afternoon tea at home.

🏀 Sporty Mom

If your mom is your coach, your number one fan, and a sports fanatic, treat her to tickets and help her support her team!

The WNBA is having a moment right now, so next week’s Mystics home opener is a great way to celebrate. They’re up against the New York Liberty. Tickets here.

😱 Scary Mom

We’re of the opinion that all moms are scary when they break out the first-middle-last-name combo in their Mom Voice™️.

But if your mom loves spooking and getting spooked all year long, check out Laurel’s House of Horrors. While they’re best known for their events in the fall, their “Halfway to Halloween” haunted house is just as sure to make you scream. Tickets here.

🌿 Ginger Mom

Not every mom can be a redhead (although, if she’s always wanted to try going 👩‍🦰 ginger, consider treating her to a day at the salon?).

If, on the other hand, your mom enjoys the power of the natural world, like the health benefits of ginger root, the Green Man festival might be the perfect fit. (This also works for moms that love Ren Fest season!) Tickets here.

🌱 In British tradition, the Green Man is a symbol of the natural world. From the Festival website: “The Green Man symbolizes the life that is found in the natural plant world, and in the earth itself.”

🍭 Baby Mom

We’re taking this to mean the “young at heart” mom. If your mom can party with the best of them after all these years, why not try taking her to a drag brunch?

💅 Perry’s in Adams Morgan has one of the longest-running drag brunches in D.C., and Red Bear Brewing Company has a specialty “I Am Your Mother” drag brunch from noon to 2 p.m.

On the other hand, if you know a mom who just had a baby — or, honestly, if you know any moms at all — ask them if they could use a break! The thing she might enjoy most this Mother’s Day might be a day off.

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Concerts this weekend

Bottled Up, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Quarry House Tavern, $19.84

D.C. art pop band versed in synth-pop, funk and post-punk. Is Quarry House’s dance floor big enough? Details.

Decemberists, 6:30 p.m. Friday, The Anthem, $51-$76

The storytelling, progressive folk-rock veterans are on tour ahead of their ninth LP, due out in June. Don’t miss scrappy, rootsy indie rockers Ratboys opening the show. Details.

Cloud Nothings, Friday, Black Cat, $27/$30

No indie band can boast a more consistent catalog of melodic rock over the past 15 years. Details.

Kara Jackson, 7 p.m. Sunday, Songbyrd, $15/$18

The Chicago folk singer is an incredible poet, approaching delicate topics with frank openness. The songs on her debut LP, “Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love,” are relationship scenes and stories — biting and often witty — sung with a touch of soul. Details.

Things to Do in DC

National Gallery Nights: Art Prom ticket lottery open
Through Thursday at noon

“Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939”
Through Feb. 23, 2025, National Portrait Gallery, free

CiNoMatic
Weds., Alethia Tanner Park, free

Andy Cohen talks about new memoir, “The Daddy Diaries”
Thurs, Sixth & I in Northwest D.C., $12-$38

Eurovision watch party
Thurs., 3-5:30 p.m., Wunder Garten in Northeast D.C., free

‘90s cover band White Ford Bronco turns 16
Fri., The Bullpen, $22

Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival
Fri. and Sat., The Kennedy Center, $40-$60

George Lopez: ALLLRIIIIGHHTTT! Comedy Tour
Fri. and Sat., The Kennedy Center, $39.50-$104.50

EU Open House
Sat., May 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free entry

That’s So Vintage Market
Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dock5 at Union Market in Northeast, $8-$24

Spring Fest Beer Festival
Sat. and Sun., Dacha Navy Yard in Northeast D.C., $50-$170

Eurovision dance party
Sat., 9 p.m., DC9 Nightclub in Northwest D.C., free to $5

Mystics vs. New York Liberty in home opener
Tues., May 14, 7 p.m., Entertainment and Sports Arena, $30+

Things to Do in Maryland

Greenbelt Green Man Festival
Sat. and Sun., begins at 10 a.m., Roosevelt Center, free

Friday Night Live! with The Dead Flowers
Fri., 6:30-8:30 p.m., College Park City Hall Plaza, free

Artisans Market
Sat., noon to 4 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, free entry

Things to Do in Virginia

Torpedo Factory Art Center 2nd Friday
Fri., 7-10 p.m., Alexandria, free

Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival
Sat., May 11, Prince William County Fairgrounds in Manassas, $45 – $89

Del Ray House & Garden Tour
Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $45-$75

Don your fanciest hat for these Kentucky Derby events around DC

Maggie More — Tue, Apr 30 2024 05:41:52 PM

This unusually warm weather makes a mint julep sound good, and it’s the perfect weekend for it: The Kentucky Derby kicks off this Saturday. While D.C. will be cooler and more damp by the time we’re off to the races, a little rain can’t stop a celebration as big as the 150th Derby.

NBC’s live coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, but you can watch live Derby Day coverage on USA Network and Peacock from 12-2:20 p.m. ET. You can also stream Derby Day coverage on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Get the full viewing guide here.

However, if you want an excuse to dress to the nines, break out an ostentatious hat, and sip some bourbon here in the District, here are some parties, rooftop events and more you can check out.

Where to Watch the Kentucky Derby in DC

Derby de Mayo
Sat., 12-3 p.m., 901 U Street NW, D.C.
Details

D.C. landmark bar Whitlow’s is hosting a 2-in-1 celebration for what just might be this year’s biggest drinking holiday. The bar is hosting a bottomless brunch from noon to three, featuring Dragon Fruit margaritas, Jalapeno and Cucumber margaritas, and tequila Jell-O shots.

There will be a prize for the best Derby hat or sombrero, so no matter what direction you choose, commit to the ‘fit!

Run for the Rosés
Sat., 3-7 p.m., 1940 11th Street NW, D.C.
Details

If you’re still riding the high of last summer’s Barbie-pink shenanigans, Lulu’s Winegarden has the perfect Derby party for you. Their annual “Run for the Rosés” comes with eight different rosé bottle options for just $40, rosé magnums and frozen mint juleps to enjoy during the indoor-and-outdoor viewing party.

There are also, of course, bourbon specials. The party itself is free, but you’ll have to pay for food and drinks.

Kentucky Derby party
Sat., 3 p.m., 2007 18th St. NW, D.C.
Details

This is the 12th annual Kentucky Derby event hosted by Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. If you couldn’t tell from how long the event has been running, it’s a popular one — and unfortunately, the reserved indoor seating is already sold out.

But never fear! The first-come, first-served rooftop terrace party is open to anyone, and that’s free. The bar opens early at 3 p.m. to serve mint juleps with whiskey from what WTOP calls one of the best lists on the East Coast. Sip away and watch the races on their many TVs.

Derby Day at Wren
Sat., 4-7 p.m., 1825 Capital One Dr., Tysons, VA
Details

Wren, a Japanese-American fusion restaurant on the 11th floor of the Watermark Hotel in Tyson’s Corner, is hosting its very own Derby Day watch party on May 4.

The ticketed party will feature live music, specialty cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and of course the race itself. There will be prizes for the best hat and the best dressed.

Kentucky Derby Experience
Sat., 3-8 p.m., Maryland 5 in Waldorf, MD
Details

The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is an equestrian event space — so it’s no wonder they’re ready to party in honor of the Kentucky Derby. They promise an event filled with “excitement, elegance, and of course, horse racing,” for everyone from the most season horse racing fan to those just looking for a fun day out.

150th Kentucky Derby Party
Sat., 12:30-6:30 p.m., Laurel Racetrack, MD
Details

This ticketed event hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club features a “mouthwatering buffet spread,” and a photo booth to capture your fancy outfits and hats.

The organization is sure to give the Derby gravitas, since they’re the same organizers that sell tickets to the second race in the Triple Crown: The Preakness Stakes.

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Other Derby-adjacent events

Happy to celebrate without the horses as long as you’ve got a mint julep in hand? Interested in Derby vibes but not necessarily attached to the one in Kentucky? We’ve got you covered.

Virginia Gold Cup & Jack Russell Terrier races
Sat., 10 a.m., 5089 Old Tavern Rd., The Plains, VA
Details

The Virginia Gold Cup, which organizers call “Virginia’s answer to the Kentucky Derby,” has been running for more than 100 years. It comes with a tailgate contest and a horse race of its own.

A fan-favorite part of the ticketed event are the Jack Russell Terrier races, where dogs jump over obstacles to be the first to reach a lure at the end of the course.

Derby Day Pig Roast
Sat., 2-6 p.m., 917 V St. NW, D.C.
Details

If you want a taste of the south, American Ice Company is hosting their annual Kentucky Derby Cookout, complete with roast pork, macaroni salad, baked beans and cornbread. There are two all-you-can-eat tiers — one that includes all-you-can-drink beers, one with just the food — and extra juleps and alcoholic lemonade for purchase.

There will also be live music on the patio, and dogs are encouraged.

La Grande Boucherie opens in long-vacant bank building in downtown DC

Tommy McFly, News4 Scene Reporter — Mon, Apr 22 2024 07:40:50 PM

If you’ve walked along 14th Street in downtown D.C. anytime since 1990, you’ve seen a vacant, historic bank.

The bank building at 14th and G streets now has new life – and it’s delicious.

The new French restaurant La Grande Boucherie opened in the long-vacant bank building. The Scene got a First on 4 grand tour and a history lesson.

“La Grande Boucherie, for us, is a concept that ages well. When we opened our doors, we always feel like we’ve been around for a while,” Mehdi Limani of La Grande Boucherie said. “If you see any of our locations in New York and Chicago and here, they are all unique and beautiful and gorgeous.”

The restaurant’s tables are filled with French favorites and steakhouse showstoppers. Limani showed off seared salmon with braised leeks and potatoes, seared scallops, tuna tartare and a niçoise salad.

The building had been vacant for more than 30 years. Built in 1925, it was the home of Federal Bank and several other banks over the decades until, in 1990, National Bank emptied its vault for good.

In the early 2000s, the building was the intended home of an Armenian museum. Then Lincoln Property Company acquired it a few years back.

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The millwork, lighting and flooring in the building are all historic, said Brandon Ernst of Lincoln Property Company.

“During the construction of this, we had scaffolding all the way to the ceiling, and we had people laying on their backs, hand-painting the ceiling,” Ernst said. “There were weeks and months that went into this, and this is what it looked like back in the ‘20s and the ‘30s.”

La Grande Boucherie is just the first offering at the building, Limani said. An Italian concept is planned for late spring or early summer, to be joined by a Japanese concept, he said. A speakeasy will open in the bank’s original vault, he said.

La Grande Boucherie seeks to provide something for everybody, Limani said.

“From lunch to late-lunch menu – if you want to leave the office and come here, have a nice glass of wine, dinners, brunches also,” he said. “We will focus on la joie de vivre – the joy of living.”

‘Beauty with a cause': Dutch Tulip Days blooms at Netherlands ambassador's DC residence

Juliana Valencia, News4 Reporter — Wed, Apr 10 2024 12:56:29 PM

More than 15,000 tulips are adorning the halls of the home to the Netherlands ambassador to the United States.

It’s a beautiful backdrop set against the serious themes that will be discussed during this year’s Dutch Tulip Days from April 10 to 12.

“We tried to combine beauty with a cause,” Birgitta Tazelaar, Netherlands ambassador, said.

This year’s themes revolve around believed and shared values between the Netherlands and the U.S., sustainability, innovation and freedom, Tazelaar said.

“We celebrate freedom because we should not take it for granted. And we only have to look at Ukraine to see what freedom actually means,” Tazelaar said.

There’s a nearly 10-foot-tall 3D-printed replica of the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, Virginia. The original was gifted from the Dutch to the U.S. for support during and after World War II.

The replica is meant to represent freedom. It’s recycled waste and plant-based material structure represents sustainability.

A garden box highlights sustainability with plants native to the Netherlands that require less water and fertilizer.

There are tulips in yellow, red, white and purple along the grand staircase of the home.

Over the next three days, the residence will host hundreds of visitors, including politicians, entrepreneurs and invited members of the public.

“We’ll talk about innovation during these days when it comes to, for example, the semiconductor industry and cyber security. Those are also that they demand a lot of innovation in order to protect ourselves,” Tazelaar said.

Once Dutch Tulip Days ends, the thousands of tulips will be donated to various charities around D.C.

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Washington DC Apr 9

Jazz in the Garden 2024 to include zydeco, a Juneteenth celebration and horn-heavy funk: Here's how to get tickets

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Jazz in the Garden 2024 to include zydeco, a Juneteenth celebration and horn-heavy funk: Here's how to get tickets

Allison Hageman — Tue, Apr 09 2024 01:27:37 PM

If you need an excuse to dream about summer Fridays, the National Gallery of Art has released its Jazz in the Garden lineup.

Cue thoughts of clocking off work, dressing in linen, packing snacks and taking the Metro to the Sculpture Garden for an evening of dancing and sangria. Plus, lounging on lush green grass and admiring the garden’s modern art.

This summer, the concert series features 10 genre-spanning acts starting with zydeco then a Juneteenth jazz celebration and ending with a D.C.-based saxophonist. The series kicks off the weekend after Memorial Day and wraps up the second Friday in August.

It’s not known as “D.C.’s favorite summer concert series” for nothing. You’ll need to enter a ticket lottery to get in. Each concert is on a Friday night from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Here’s how to plan to start each weekend on the National Mall:

How to get Jazz in the Garden tickets

Anyone who wants to attend Jazz in the Garden can join the lottery the week prior to the event. Lottery winners will be notified the Monday morning before the concert.

“Those who are selected are welcome to register for up to four passes. Registration is required for all ages 2 and above,” the gallery said on its website.

Jazz in the Garden schedule

May 31: Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas
Genre: Zydeco

Lottery opens: Monday, May 20, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, May 24, noon
Results announced: Monday, May 15, 10 a.m.

June 7: Anderson Quartet
Genre: Indigenous fusion

Lottery opens: Monday, May 27, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, May 31, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 3, 10 a.m.

June 14: 8 Ohms Band
Genre: Horn-heavy funk and Soul

Lottery opens: Monday, June 3, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, June 7, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 10, 10 a.m.

June 21: Muneer Nasser Quintet
Genre: A Juneteenth jazz celebration

Lottery opens: Monday, June 10, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, June 14, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 17, 10 a.m.

June 28: Josanne Francis
Genre: Caribbean steelpan

Lottery opens: Monday, June 17, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, June 21, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 24, 10 a.m.

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July 12: US Air Force Band’s Airmen of Note
Genre: Big band jazz

Lottery opens: Monday, July 1, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 5, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 8, 10 a.m.

July 19: Jake Blount
Genre: Afrofuturist roots

Lottery opens: Monday, July 8, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 12, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 15, 10 a.m.

July 26: Brent Birckhead
Genre: Contemporary jazz

Lottery opens: Monday, July 15, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 19, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 22, 10 a.m.

Aug. 2: Plena Libre
Genre: Afro-Latin fusion

Lottery opens: Monday, July 22, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 26, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 29, 10 a.m.

Aug. 9: Leigh Pilzer’s Seven Pointed Star
Genre: Jazz septet

Lottery opens: Monday, July 29, 10 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, August 2, noon
Results announced: Monday, August 5, 10 a.m.

2024 RAMMY Awards: Vote for your favorite bar, brunch, sandwich and more

NBC Washington Staff — Tue, Apr 09 2024 09:00:00 AM

Which D.C. restaurant has the best brunch? Whose sandwich is a must-have? D.C. area foodies had the chance to vote for their favorites for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s 2024 RAMMY awards.

The categories available for public voting were: best bar, favorite gathering place, favorite fast bites, best brunch and hottest sandwich spot. Voting (once per category) ran through Friday, May 31, 2024, at 5 p.m.

The winners will be announced Sunday, July 21, at The RAMMY Awards Gala.

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Allison Hageman, Sophia Barnes and Maggie More — Sun, Apr 07 2024 02:12:20 PM

Is that… the smell of pumpkins, crisp apples and corn?

Fall season is here so it’s time to pull out boots and jackets to really set the cozy mood.

As the leaves turn orange and prepare to fall from the trees, now is the perfect time to pick some apples, get lost in a corn maze or pick out the perfect pumpkin for decorating or baking!

Here are some fall festivals to check out in Virginia and Maryland.

Maryland corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Maryland Corn Maze: Taylor’s Version

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 3
📍 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, Maryland
💲 $17.95
🔗 Details

Maryland Corn Maze (Taylor’s Version) is open for all Swifties and non-Swifties alike!

Can’t get enough of Taylor? Visit the maze on Oct. 2 to listen to singer Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience live concert.

Answer Swift-themed quiz questions to find your way out of the maze. Don’t miss out on the Flashlight Nights if you want a challenge.

Pick your own pumpkins and explore the farm yard complete with a bounceyard, rodeo roping area and slingshots.

Gaver Farm Fall Fun Fest

📅 Through Nov. 5 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily)
📍 5501 Detrick Rd Mt. Airy, Maryland
💲 $14.50-$23 (Kids under 24 months are free)
🔗 Details

Gaver Farm has all of your fall fun needs. From sunflowers to pumpkins to apples — there’s just about everything for everyone.

This family-friendly affair offers over 65 attractions including the “Fun to the Core” Corn Maze, animal meet-and-greets, a zipline and pedal karts.

Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 3
📍 22222 Davis Mill Road Germantown, Maryland
💲 $11-$22 (Make a reservation ahead of time to avoid higher prices)
🔗 Details

The Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival is bigger and better than ever!

You aren’t just limited to picking your own pumpkin. Once you purchase a ticket, you can take hayrides, visit some backyard buddies, turn through the Twisted Corn Maze and jump in the Corn Pool.

Magnolia Meadow Farms

📅 Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
📍13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont, Maryland
💲 $15 (online)/$20 (walk-in)
🔗 Details

Magnolia Meadow Farms says it is home to Maryland’s largest corn maze along with family-friendly activities like mini ziplines and a barrel train.

Don’t miss out on Moonlit Maze Nights on Oct. 5 and Oct. 26 where you can try out the corn maze under the stars for a good cause.

If you don’t want to stick to just pumpkins, you’re in luck! You can wander into three different fields to have your pick at sunflowers, pumpkins, gourds or cut flowers.

If you tire out from the fun, private campfires are available on-site. Reserve a campfire in case you want to get your own views of the farm away from the crowds.

Montpelier Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 13-Nov. 3
📍 1720 North Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
💲 $19.95 in advance/$24.95 at the gate
🔗 Details

If you want to pick your own pumpkins, you can visit the patch without purchasing a ticket to the festival — just pick your favorite (or favorites) and buy it there!

Virginia corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Cox Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 5
📍 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, Virginia
💲 $10-$25
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for a corn maze filled with surprises, the Cornundrum is just for you. Wind through the maze and you’ll come across pirates, caves and the Vortex!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Go back for spooky scares at their Fields of Fear starting on Sept. 20.

Great County Farms

📅 Aug. 31 through Sept. 30
📍 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
💲 $12-$16 (advance tickets are highly recommended for weekends)
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for fresh pressed cider, apple picking and a fun corn maze, Great County Farms is for you!

You can visit the apple orchard, get lost in their 15-acre corn maze and the 15-acre play area that features the Farm Ninja Obstacle Course.

Want to beat the weekend crowds? No worries! Guests can visit the farm during the week along with the weekend.

Wayside Farm

📅 Sept. 21 through Oct. 27
📍 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, Virginia
💲 $17-$25 (Depending on ticket type)
🔗 Details

Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 5 (closed on Tuesdays)
📍 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, Virginia
💲 $18.95-$22.25 (weekend tickets must be purchased in advance)
🔗 Details

Up the fun factor on the weekends and Columbus Day with live entertainment, face painting, free cider, apple and pumpkin cookie tasting.

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Carissa DiMargo, Jordan Young and Sophia Barnes — Mon, Apr 01 2024 06:47:22 AM

Is that… the smell of pumpkins, crisp apples and corn?

Fall season is here so it’s time to pull out boots and jackets to really set the cozy mood.

As the leaves turn orange and prepare to fall from the trees, now is the perfect time to pick some apples, get lost in a corn maze or pick out the perfect pumpkin for decorating or baking!

Here are some fall festivals to check out in Virginia and Maryland.

Maryland corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Maryland Corn Maze: Taylor’s Version

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 3
📍 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, Maryland
💲 $17.95
🔗 Details

Maryland Corn Maze (Taylor’s Version) is open for all Swifties and non-Swifties alike!

Can’t get enough of Taylor? Visit the maze on Oct. 2 to listen to singer Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience live concert.

Answer Swift-themed quiz questions to find your way out of the maze. Don’t miss out on the Flashlight Nights if you want a challenge.

Pick your own pumpkins and explore the farm yard complete with a bounceyard, rodeo roping area and slingshots.

Gaver Farm Fall Fun Fest

📅 Through Nov. 5 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily)
📍 5501 Detrick Rd Mt. Airy, Maryland
💲 $14.50-$23 (Kids under 24 months are free)
🔗 Details

Gaver Farm has all of your fall fun needs. From sunflowers to pumpkins to apples — there’s just about everything for everyone.

This family-friendly affair offers over 65 attractions including the “Fun to the Core” Corn Maze, animal meet-and-greets, a zipline and pedal karts.

Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 3
📍 22222 Davis Mill Road Germantown, Maryland
💲 $11-$22 (Make a reservation ahead of time to avoid higher prices)
🔗 Details

The Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival is bigger and better than ever!

You aren’t just limited to picking your own pumpkin. Once you purchase a ticket, you can take hayrides, visit some backyard buddies, turn through the Twisted Corn Maze and jump in the Corn Pool.

Magnolia Meadow Farms

📅 Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
📍13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont, Maryland
💲 $15 (online)/$20 (walk-in)
🔗 Details

Magnolia Meadow Farms says it is home to Maryland’s largest corn maze along with family-friendly activities like mini ziplines and a barrel train.

Don’t miss out on Moonlit Maze Nights on Oct. 5 and Oct. 26 where you can try out the corn maze under the stars for a good cause.

If you don’t want to stick to just pumpkins, you’re in luck! You can wander into three different fields to have your pick at sunflowers, pumpkins, gourds or cut flowers.

If you tire out from the fun, private campfires are available on-site. Reserve a campfire in case you want to get your own views of the farm away from the crowds.

Montpelier Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 13-Nov. 3
📍 1720 North Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
💲 $19.95 in advance/$24.95 at the gate
🔗 Details

If you want to pick your own pumpkins, you can visit the patch without purchasing a ticket to the festival — just pick your favorite (or favorites) and buy it there!

Virginia corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Cox Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 5
📍 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, Virginia
💲 $10-$25
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for a corn maze filled with surprises, the Cornundrum is just for you. Wind through the maze and you’ll come across pirates, caves and the Vortex!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Go back for spooky scares at their Fields of Fear starting on Sept. 20.

Great County Farms

📅 Aug. 31 through Sept. 30
📍 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
💲 $12-$16 (advance tickets are highly recommended for weekends)
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for fresh pressed cider, apple picking and a fun corn maze, Great County Farms is for you!

You can visit the apple orchard, get lost in their 15-acre corn maze and the 15-acre play area that features the Farm Ninja Obstacle Course.

Want to beat the weekend crowds? No worries! Guests can visit the farm during the week along with the weekend.

Wayside Farm

📅 Sept. 21 through Oct. 27
📍 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, Virginia
💲 $17-$25 (Depending on ticket type)
🔗 Details

Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 5 (closed on Tuesdays)
📍 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, Virginia
💲 $18.95-$22.25 (weekend tickets must be purchased in advance)
🔗 Details

Up the fun factor on the weekends and Columbus Day with live entertainment, face painting, free cider, apple and pumpkin cookie tasting.

‘Holland in Virginia': Tulip and daffodil festival springs forth

Patrick J. Maguire and NBC Washington Staff — Wed, Mar 27 2024 11:21:30 AM

Spring is finally here, and so are all the beautiful blooms that accompany it.

D.C.’s cherry blossom season is in full swing, but just across the state lines, Burnside Farms’ Festival of Spring is blooming in Nokesville, Virginia.

The festival opened Sunday, March 24, and runs through April 14, but could extend longer depending on flower conditions, according to Burnside Farms’ Instagram page.

“We’re still early in our season and we estimate about 25% of our tulips are in bloom. Full bloom is expected to begin later in the first week of April and usually lasts about 10 days,” Burnside Farms said on Tuesday.

Burnside Farms said they’ve planted more than 150 kinds of tulips and 30 varieties of daffodils.

“It’s like Holland in Virginia,” Burnside Farms said.

Day-of-tickets for the festival are on sale for $25 to $31 before fees. The festival is closed March 27 and 28 due to forecasted rain.

Advanced purchase tickets range from $19 to $25 per person and include five flowers per visitor. Here’s more information.

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Country Calling: New Ocean City music fest to feature Eric Church, Lainey Wilson, Tyler Childers

Allison Hageman — Wed, Mar 20 2024 01:26:03 PM

Yee haw! A new country music festival is galloping into Ocean City, Maryland, this fall.

Eric Church, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Tyler Childers, Martina McBride, Brothers Osborne and others will perform at the Country Calling Festival, set for Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5. The festival will feature a total of 25 artists across three stages on the boardwalk at the Ocean City Inlet Beach.

Check out the full County Calling 2024 lineup here.

If the name and feel of the festival feels familiar, that’s because it’s produced by the team behind Oceans Calling, a popular music festival offering beachside vibes for reggae-rock fans. This year’s Oceans Calling fest will be held Sept. 27-29, the weekend before its country counterpart.

Like at Oceans Calling, attendees of Country Calling will be able to enjoy epic sunsets from the Ferris wheel or have an adrenaline rush on the classic rides of the Jolly Roger at the pier amusement park.

After one too many hoedowns, music fans will find food available at curated vendors and restaurants along the boardwalk. Think mid-Atlantic beach fare such as fries, soft-serve ice cream, Orange Crush cocktails, pizza and more.

How to get County Calling tickets

Presale tickets become available Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m. Tickets for the general public will go on sale an hour later.

The festival offers both one-day and two-day tickets for general admission (GA), GA+, VIP and platinum. Two-day general admission tickets start at $199, and one-day general admission tickets start at $155.

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Where to see cherry blossoms in DC, Maryland and Virginia

Sophia Barnes — Fri, Mar 15 2024 09:32:06 AM

Did you know there’s a special word in Japanese just to describe cherry blossom viewing? It’s hanami — and there’s no better way to spend a few hours in D.C. during cherry blossom season.

Washington, D.C.’s, most famous cherry trees along the Tidal Basin are approaching peak bloom, and you can see beautiful cherry blossoms throughout D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

So, it’s time to start planning your perfect bloom-filled day! Maybe you’re eager to see the splendor of the Tidal Basin trees, or maybe you’d rather avoid those crowds by visiting another cherry tree enclave.

Here are spots to see the cherry blossom trees in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Remember to tag @nbcwashington on social media or email isee@nbcwashington.com for a chance to be featured!

Sign up for The Weekend Scene newsletter — we’ll deliver things to do, free picks and cherry blossom joy every Wednesday.

Best places to see cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C.

Tidal Basin
South of the National Mall

The epicenter of cherry blossom spring fever is the Tidal Basin. Peak bloom is when 70% of the Yoshino trees in this area have flowers — it’s a spectacular sight to see, but expect thick crowds. Your best bet is to take public transit, bikes or scooters, then walk along the Tidal Basin Loop Trail.

Here’s our guide to visiting the Tidal Basin.

From the Water

The pedal boats returned to the Tidal Basin on March 15. Rentals are available 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Each boat can hold up to four people (with a weight limit of 805 pounds). A one-hour rental costs $38 on weekdays and $40 on weekends. During cherry blossom season, rentals are walk-up only; there are no prepaid reservations.

Or, add a boozy twist to your paddling experience with the Sea Suite Cruises’ line of boat tours.

New this year, you can even climb aboard a popular D.C. bar’s outpost on the Potomac. Whitlow’s on Water is decked out in tiki bar style and ready to set sail for private sightseeing charters or public guided tours, which start at $24 per person. The boat cruises past trees lining the Potomac and provides a glimpse of the Tidal Basin while you sip drinks from the bar.

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Potomac Paddle Club’s pontoon pedal boat – described as a “cycle boat tour meets booze cruise” – has BYOB options.

Would you rather row your own boat? Cherry blossom tours from Thompson Boat Center in Georgetown and The Wharf Boathouse begin March 29.

The Cherry Blossom Water Taxi offers audio tours on its Georgetown-Alexandria Sightseeing Route and Georgetown-Wharf Sightseeing Route if you download the app. Of course, you can also sit back and simply savor the views!

American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.

The American University campus in Northwest D.C. is a designated arboretum with over 3,000 trees of all types — including collections of cherry trees.

Congressional Cemetery
1801 E St. SE, Washington, D.C.

This dog-friendly cemetery has both Okame (Taiwan) cherry trees, which bloom on the early side, and Kwanzan cherry trees which typically bloom about two weeks after the famed Yoshino ones at the National Mall.

Oxon Run Park
1200 Mississippi Ave. SE, Washington, D.C.

This park could give the Tidal Basin a serious challenge: More than 200 cherry blossom trees have been planted there.

The Wharf
760 Maine Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.

Stroll down The Wharf or sit down on a restaurant patio, then look out across the Washington Channel for some cherry blossom views. You could also rent a kayak or canoe or board the Cherry Blossom Water Taxi. Bonus: Visit on March 23 for Bloomaroo, a family-friendly festival with live music, art and fireworks.

Hains Point (East Potomac Park)
1100 Ohio Dr. SW, Washington, D.C.

The Hains Point Loop Trail is one of the most bike-friendly places to see cherry blossoms. The 4-mile loop offers views of the Anacostia River, Potomac River, Washington Channel and The Wharf. Bike this tree-lined trail and see several different kinds of cherry trees including Okame, Takesimensis and Kwanzan.

Stanton Park
226 4th St NE, Washington, D.C.

This family-friendly park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood is filled with cherry blossom trees. Plus, it has a playground, a statue of Nathanael Greene and is within walking distance of the Supreme Court and the U.S. Capitol.

The U.S National Arboretum is a beautiful sight to see year-round, but when it’s surrounded by cherry blossoms it’s even more alluring.

U.S. National Arboretum
3501 New York Ave NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

The Arboretum has its own collection of cherry trees alongside numerous other plants. You can find a self-guided tour here.

Your Neighborhood

Check out this map to find cherry blossom trees throughout the District.

All the Neighborhood Cherry Blossom Trees in the District

Cherry trees on non-federal land in D.C., color-coded by type of tree and sized according to the tree’s diameter. Click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of the map to search for your address.

Source: D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) Street Spatial Database (SSD)
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington

Maryland cherry blossoms

Brookside Gardens and other Montgomery County Parks
Various locations

Twenty-five of Montgomery County’s public parks have cherry trees — here’s how to use their interactive map to find one. You can even look for a specific species!

Brookside Gardens is a standout spot because it has 26 Yoshino and weeping cherry trees that are particularly impressive — look in the Gude Garden.

South Germantown Recreational Park and its HeartSmart Trail are another option.

Centennial Park (Howard County)
1000 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, Maryland

Cherry trees have been planted in three spots in Centennial Park in Howard County. View some from your car, or walk the Lake Loop. Here’s a map.

National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Maryland, now boasts 200 cherry trees of their own.

National Harbor
Oxon Hill, Maryland

National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Maryland, boasts 200 cherry trees of their own. Try a kayak or paddleboard rental for some extra adventure.

Blossoms at Fort McHenry

Fort McHenry
2400 E Fort Ave, Baltimore, Maryland

The grounds of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, host cherry blossom trees.

Kenwood Neighborhood
Bethesda

Stroll through this Montgomery County neighborhood filled with cherry trees. Kennedy Drive, Dorset Avenue and Kenwood Avenue have some of the best views. The Kenwood trees often bloom three to four days after the Tidal Basin trees, according to Bethesda Magazine.

Virginia cherry blossoms

Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

More than 400 cherry trees grow throughout the Arlington National Cemetery. Most are Yoshino trees, but weeping Higan cherry trees, Kwanzan trees and more bloom annually.

At Founder’s Park in Alexandria, you can take in the fresh air, look over the water and bask in cherry blossom galore.

Founder’s Park
351 N Union St, Alexandria, Virginia

At Founder’s Park in Alexandria, you can take in the fresh air, look out at the water and bask in cherry blossoms galore.

Nearly 100 acres of a wide array of plants comprise Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct, Vienna, Virginia

A wide array of plants grow in the 100-acre grounds of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Fairfax Station, Virginia, but in the springtime, it becomes a haven of cherry blossom joy.

Old Town Alexandria

The 100 block of Wolfe Street, near the waterfront and Roberdeau Park, is a good place for a selfie, according to Visit Alexandria. With cherry blossom-themed food and drink, art installations, special tours, shopping events and more, Old Town is a cherry blossom destination.

Van Gogh Bridge on Lake Anne
The Green Trail, Reston, Virginia

This spot is for the photographers: The few cherry trees around the bridge make a gorgeous photo backdrop. To get there, follow Reston’s Green Trail over Lake Anne.

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Solar Eclipse in DC: What to know about timing, festivals and more

Allison Hageman and Sophia Barnes — Sun, Mar 10 2024 02:52:43 PM

Is that… the smell of pumpkins, crisp apples and corn?

Fall season is here so it’s time to pull out boots and jackets to really set the cozy mood.

As the leaves turn orange and prepare to fall from the trees, now is the perfect time to pick some apples, get lost in a corn maze or pick out the perfect pumpkin for decorating or baking!

Here are some fall festivals to check out in Virginia and Maryland.

Maryland corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Maryland Corn Maze: Taylor’s Version

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 3
📍 389 Gambrills Road, Gambrills, Maryland
💲 $17.95
🔗 Details

Maryland Corn Maze (Taylor’s Version) is open for all Swifties and non-Swifties alike!

Can’t get enough of Taylor? Visit the maze on Oct. 2 to listen to singer Kanin Wren’s Taylor Swift Experience live concert.

Answer Swift-themed quiz questions to find your way out of the maze. Don’t miss out on the Flashlight Nights if you want a challenge.

Pick your own pumpkins and explore the farm yard complete with a bounceyard, rodeo roping area and slingshots.

Gaver Farm Fall Fun Fest

📅 Through Nov. 5 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily)
📍 5501 Detrick Rd Mt. Airy, Maryland
💲 $14.50-$23 (Kids under 24 months are free)
🔗 Details

Gaver Farm has all of your fall fun needs. From sunflowers to pumpkins to apples — there’s just about everything for everyone.

This family-friendly affair offers over 65 attractions including the “Fun to the Core” Corn Maze, animal meet-and-greets, a zipline and pedal karts.

Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 3
📍 22222 Davis Mill Road Germantown, Maryland
💲 $11-$22 (Make a reservation ahead of time to avoid higher prices)
🔗 Details

The Butler’s Orchard Pumpkin Festival is bigger and better than ever!

You aren’t just limited to picking your own pumpkin. Once you purchase a ticket, you can take hayrides, visit some backyard buddies, turn through the Twisted Corn Maze and jump in the Corn Pool.

Magnolia Meadow Farms

📅 Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 27
📍13001 Creagerstown Road, Thurmont, Maryland
💲 $15 (online)/$20 (walk-in)
🔗 Details

Magnolia Meadow Farms says it is home to Maryland’s largest corn maze along with family-friendly activities like mini ziplines and a barrel train.

Don’t miss out on Moonlit Maze Nights on Oct. 5 and Oct. 26 where you can try out the corn maze under the stars for a good cause.

If you don’t want to stick to just pumpkins, you’re in luck! You can wander into three different fields to have your pick at sunflowers, pumpkins, gourds or cut flowers.

If you tire out from the fun, private campfires are available on-site. Reserve a campfire in case you want to get your own views of the farm away from the crowds.

Montpelier Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 13-Nov. 3
📍 1720 North Crain Hwy, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
💲 $19.95 in advance/$24.95 at the gate
🔗 Details

If you want to pick your own pumpkins, you can visit the patch without purchasing a ticket to the festival — just pick your favorite (or favorites) and buy it there!

Virginia corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking

Cox Farms Fall Festival

📅 Sept. 14 through Nov. 5
📍 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville, Virginia
💲 $10-$25
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for a corn maze filled with surprises, the Cornundrum is just for you. Wind through the maze and you’ll come across pirates, caves and the Vortex!

The fun doesn’t stop there. Go back for spooky scares at their Fields of Fear starting on Sept. 20.

Great County Farms

📅 Aug. 31 through Sept. 30
📍 34345 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia
💲 $12-$16 (advance tickets are highly recommended for weekends)
🔗 Details

If you’re looking for fresh pressed cider, apple picking and a fun corn maze, Great County Farms is for you!

You can visit the apple orchard, get lost in their 15-acre corn maze and the 15-acre play area that features the Farm Ninja Obstacle Course.

Want to beat the weekend crowds? No worries! Guests can visit the farm during the week along with the weekend.

Wayside Farm

📅 Sept. 21 through Oct. 27
📍 5273 Harry Byrd Highway, Berryville, Virginia
💲 $17-$25 (Depending on ticket type)
🔗 Details

Leesburg Animal Park’s Pumpkin Village

📅 Sept. 21 through Nov. 5 (closed on Tuesdays)
📍 19246 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg, Virginia
💲 $18.95-$22.25 (weekend tickets must be purchased in advance)
🔗 Details

Up the fun factor on the weekends and Columbus Day with live entertainment, face painting, free cider, apple and pumpkin cookie tasting.

Vintage Cartier, Louis Vuitton on display at heiress' DC estate

Lilly Roser — Mon, Mar 04 2024 02:45:18 PM

Heiress and executive Marjorie Merriweather Post crossed the Atlantic via luxury liner to shop in Paris starting in the 1900s.

Known as one of the wealthiest women in the United States, Post’s high fashion and jewelry are now on display in her Northwest D.C. mansion-turned-museum.

The exhibit “Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Paris” includes a Cartier backgammon board, a Van Cleef & Arpels pin covered in rubies, an eye-shaped Hermès magnifying glass, an amethyst and diamond Cartier necklace and a handbag covered in pearls.

“She filled trunks and trunks with treasures from France for us to appreciate today,” said Megan Martinelli, who curated the exhibit at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens.

“We looked for a way to transport our visitors to France … namely to Paris,” Martinelli said.

Post ordered almost 40 trunks from Louis Vuitton to hold her extensive wardrobe as she traveled, according to the estate.

Born in 1887, Post was the only child of the couple who founded the Post cereal empire. When her parents died in the 1910s, she became the company’s owner at just 27.

As a young woman, Post “was understanding not only [how] to manage her personal wealth but also manage the company,” Martinelli said.

Over the course of her life, Post was married four times, merged the cereal company with Kraft Foods, had three children and built the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that is now owned by ex-President Donald Trump.

Post is also known for her philanthropic initiatives. During the Great Depression, she financially supported a Salvation Army feeding station in New York. She also received the Legion of Honour from France for funding a Red Cross hospital during World War I, according to the estate.

Post died in 1973 and her D.C. estate opened to the public four years later.

Post’s favorite pieces in her collection

Post’s high-end designer goods are laid out in the Dacha, a navy blue and yellow log-style house that Post built on the property to resemble Russian architecture she admired, according to the estate.

The exhibit includes a map of Post’s favorite restaurants, hotels and shops in Paris. In her scrapbook, she wrote about some of the destinations and her purchases.

Post wrote about what is believed to be her first piece of French couture: a Gustave Beer gown purchased in 1904. The dress is included in the exhibit and is covered in silk, ribbon roses, tan-colored tulle and lace.

The middle dress is believed to be the first French couture gown that Post owned. (Credit: Courtesy Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, photographed by Mark Finkenstaedt)

Visitors to the exhibit oohed and aahed at the gowns.

“Oh, I love the dresses. These are beautiful,” one visitor said as she looked at dresses from Paris made of glass beads, velvet and satin ribbons.

“This [exhibit] is also kind of a history lesson of the French couture establishments,” the visitor said.

Post’s hobbies included going to French art markets and collecting 18th-century French decorative arts and antiques to furnish her homes, Martinelli said.

Post’s style can be seen through the interior design at Hillwood. (Credit: Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, photographed by Erik Kvalsvik)

Part of Post’s legacy is leaving the public with French couture, jewelry and antiques to enjoy forever, Martinelli said.

The exhibit will be open until June 16 at 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Entrance is donation-based. Go here for more information.

Fast foodies are getting fed up with price hikes at the drive-thru

Christine Romans | NBC News — Wed, Feb 07 2024 05:05:43 PM

Look no further than the fast-food drive-thru for evidence of inflation fatigue.

Food companies have been passing along higher labor and ingredient costs to consumers long after inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. Diners are getting fed up, eating less fast food and griping on social media that their go-to cheap meals aren’t so cheap anymore, according to data reviews by NBC News.

Sales show it. McDonald’s reported underwhelming results in the fourth quarter, and Yum Brands showed weaker-than-expected growth in its top brands, which include KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

Fast-food executives are taking note. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski told analysts Monday that consumers are becoming more discriminating with their dollars, and he promised the company would focus more on affordability this year.

Kempczinski noted that consumers earning $45,000 or less annually were favoring comparatively cheaper groceries over Mickey D’s, opting to cook their own meals more often.

“Eating at home has become more affordable,” he said. “The battleground is certainly with that low-income consumer.”

Some common grocery items have been falling in price. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, the food at home category rose only 1.3% between December 2022 and December 2023, but food away from home rose 5.2%.

Long known for its Dollar Menu, McDonald’s was recently pilloried online for a Connecticut restaurant’s $18 Big Mac combo meals and $7 Egg McMuffin.

McDonald’s told NBC News that pricing is up to franchisees and can vary by location but that the company strives to strike a balance for value.

In recent years, many fast-food companies have expanded offerings and tweaked their restaurants to try to attract as many customers as possible across income levels. McDonald’s recently upgraded its famous burgers and opened a new concept called CosMc’s, all while leaning into nostalgia.

But inflation-scarred diners may care more about price, said Laura Murphy, managing director of Bolt PR who specializes in food and beverage marketing.

“People are really telling fast food QSR [quick-service restaurant] industry leaders, ‘This is what we’re looking for, this is what we want: We want efficiency. We want affordability.’”

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Meanwhile, Taco Bell is leaning in on its value menu, promoting 10 items for $3 or less. The company told NBC News it “remains dedicated to offering our fans delicious food at affordable prices.”

This isn’t the first time in recent years that consumers have balked at menu price hikes, or taken to social media to gripe about them.

Yum CEO David Gibbs told Yahoo Finance last year that the company was planning more modest price increases than the ones it implemented in 2022. Amid the latest quarter’s disappointing results, Yum announced plans to juice sales at KFC by launching a smashed potato bowl and the chicken chain’s first loyalty program.

Some major food and beverage brands operating in the Middle East — including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Yum — have said conflict in the region and related boycotts have also dented business. Burger King’s parent company warned in November that the turmoil there threatened to pile on top of other global pressures, from the war in Ukraine to Covid-19, that have already driven up costs over the last few years.

That could potentially “have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations if we and our franchisees are not able to adjust prices sufficiently … without negatively impacting consumer demand,” the company told investors.

Bucking the trend, Chipotle’s sales rose 8.4% in the fourth quarter and foot traffic improved, too, after a 3% menu price hike back in October. The company credited the return of carne asada with helping drive the growth.

With prices for almost everything higher today than three years ago, even though inflation has slowed sharply, Murphy said what matters most in today’s fast-food industry are cost and convenience.

“Let’s go back to really making sure that we’re providing simple food in an affordable way that’s efficient, quick, and it gives people really the basics of what they’re looking for,” she said.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

Nia Phillips contributed to this report.

Hershey sued for selling Reese's without ‘cute looking' decorations shown on packaging

Mike Gavin — Tue, Jan 02 2024 08:00:40 PM

A Florida woman believes that recently-sold Halloween-themed Reese’s Peanut Butter products were all trick and no treat.

Cynthia Kelly is suing The Hershey Company because its holiday-shaped chocolates did not contain the carved decorative designs pictured on the Reese’s packaging. The lawsuit, which NBC South Florida reported is seeking $5 million in damages, states that the packaging included “explicit carved out artistic designs” like a smiling jack-o-lantern face, the eyes and mouth of a ghost or the laces of a football.

The proposed federal class action filed Thursday in Tampa, Florida district court alleges the company deceived Kelly and other customers who were expecting the carved decorations on the Reese’s products and using misleading packaging to boost sales.

The lawsuit said Hershey’s labels “are materially misleading and numerous consumers have been tricked and misled by the pictures on the products’ packaging.”

Kelly, the lawsuit states, would not have purchased the Reese’s chocolate pumpkin if not for the “cute looking” carving of a jack-o-lantern face she noticed while near the checkout registers at a supermarket. The lawsuit cites YouTube videos from other consumers expressing disappointment over the undecorated chocolates, one of which highlights the small text on the packaging that says “decorating suggestion.”

According to the lawsuit, the packaging for the same candies changed two to three years ago when the chocolate was accurately displayed without carved designs.

Todd Scott, a spokesperson for Hershey, told The Washington Post that the company does not comment on pending litigation.

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Restaurant that inspired ‘Ratatouille' reopens ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

Jeffrey Schaeffer | Associated Press — Thu, Dec 28 2023 06:12:36 PM

The Tour d’Argent already boasts a 320,000-bottle wine cellar, a world-famous duck recipe and a storied 441-year history. Now, the legendary Paris restaurant is about to serve up its “plat de résistance”: a front-row view of two of the biggest events of 2024 — the renaissance of Notre Dame Cathedral and the 2024 Summer Olympics.

A city landmark unto itself — and an inspiration for the restaurant in the movie “Ratatouille’’ — the Tour d’Argent recently reopened after its own renovation, which preserved revered traditions while adapting to the 21st century.

‘’It’s very reassuring for many customers to see that such establishments are still present in our history, and in French gastronomic history,’’ owner and CEO André Terrail told the Associated Press.

The restaurant claims to be the oldest in Paris, its 1582 opening date embossed on the doors. It says King Henri IV ate heron pâté here; ‘’Sun King’’ Louis XIV hosted a meal here involving an entire cow; and presidents, artists like Salvador Dalí, and celebrities including Marilyn Monroe have graced its tables in the generations since.

Cooks prepare food at La Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.

Today the Michelin-starred restaurant remains one of the most exclusive places to dine in the French capital, out of reach for most. The simplest fixed-price lunch menu runs to 150 euros ($167), and the most affordable fixed-price dinner is 360 euros – and that’s without even peeking at the 8-kilo (17-pound) book dubbed the ‘’bible’’ of its wine cellar.

But the reborn Tour d’Argent offers options for those who want to breathe in its rarefied atmosphere without investing in a full meal: A ground-floor lounge serving croissants in the morning, an adjacent bar serving fireside cocktails in the evening, and a rooftop bar open in the warmer months, where the restaurant’s breathtaking views are on full display.

Notre Dame Cathedral takes center stage in this Paris panorama, a construction site like no other. Artisans are mounting a new spire and roof on the monument, replacing those that collapsed in a 2019 fire that threatened to destroy the entire medieval cathedral.

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Piece by piece, the scaffolding that enshrouds the site will come down over the course of 2024, in time for its planned Dec. 8 reopening to the public.

For its neighbors at the Tour d’Argent, the restoration of Notre Dame is welcome news.

“Notre Dame is a landmark and probably had lost a little bit of attention to the Eiffel Tower,” Terrail said. After the fire, Notre Dame enjoyed an injection of funding, notably from the U.S. ’’Lots of love coming from abroad, making sure that the cathedral was renovated,” he said.

Clients enjoy a lunch at La Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.

Terrail had been mulling a makeover for the Tour d’Argent too, and finally made it happen after an 18-month closure prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID in a sense accelerated things, and also the Olympic Games, which are kind of an accelerator for everything in Paris,” he says.

“We have a front-row seat on the opening ceremony of the Olympics. It’s a great privilege. It starts just there,” he says, pointing at the spot where the unprecedented opening-day extravaganza will unfold along the River Seine on July 26.

The restaurant reopened to generally positive reviews, after years in which it had been seen as resting on its laurels. Michelin says the cuisine and service were rejuvenated ‘’without taking away from its nature.’’

The Tour d’Argent – which translates as ‘’Silver Tower’’ — has a redesigned dining room with an open kitchen, and a top-floor one-bedroom apartment that rents for nearly 9,000 euros a night.

Its signature dish remains pressed duck, cooked in its own blood and specially carved by servers in the air instead of on a board. Since 1890, the restaurant has been giving customers certificates with the number of each duck served. They’re now well past the one-million mark.

A waiter cuts a duck cooked at La Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.

The bustling kitchen staff use locally grown products and closely held recipes, like a seductive “mystery egg” starter in truffle sauce.

“You have to cook the egg white, but not the yolk,” explains executive chef Yannick Franques.

“People, when they come to eat, are quite surprised when they don’t know the mystery and often come to me asking how I manage to keep the yolk raw inside and the white part cooked. Unfortunately, I can’t say, I just can’t say,” he says, smiling.

‘’The secret’s the secret. Voilà.”

Clients sit at tables at La Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.

Angela Charlton and Alex Turnbull in Paris contributed.

The Weekend Scene: Find last-minute gifts and things to do before Christmas in the DC area

Sophia Barnes and Tommy McFly, News4 Scene Reporter — Thu, Dec 21 2023 07:30:19 AM

Subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter to get our picks delivered straight to your inbox — every Wednesday

Singer Huntley from Fredericksburg, Virginia, just got the Christmas gift of a lifetime: He won season 24 of “The Voice”!

Huntley quickly went from playing anywhere he could in Virginia – even park benches – to champion.

“Every time I get out there, I just feel like it’s where I belong,” Huntley told Tommy. “Going out there, just not knowing if that’s going to be enough and I felt I had to give it my all and I don’t want any regrets.”

We’ll share more of his D.C.-area shows in The Weekend Scene newsletter as soon as we hear about them. Until then, check out his “Holdin’ On” single and music video filmed in Fredericksburg.

The winter solstice on Thursday marks the official beginning of winter, but don’t expect a white Christmas in the D.C. area.

We’re wishing you peace, joy and many delicious cookies this holiday season!

Wrap up your holiday shopping

Present procrastinators don’t need to be Santa Claus to give a thoughtful present before the season ends! Running into a tried-and-true local store is basically as fast as two-day shipping, and more satisfying than Amazon.

Shop small at these six stores in the District open through Dec. 24, including D.C.’s glitteriest pop-up; a shop celebrating all things science and a spice store on a mission to uplift Black entrepreneurs.

It’s also your last holiday season to shop at Miss Pixies’ staple location on 14th Street NW before they downsize.

📱 ICYMI: We explored a few cute spots on TikTok!

Shopping for the person who has everything, or no space in their apartment? Museum memberships; adventurous activities and theater subscriptions can create memories that last forever with zero clutter. Add a thoughtful note to really delight your giftee.

No time to ship a gift? Here are 30+ experiences in the D.C. area that make great holiday presents, plus tips on getting the best deals.

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The best Christmas gifts for people who have everything? Fun experiences in the DC area

Disney’s “Frozen”

📅 12/20-1/21
📍 The Kennedy Center
💲 $35-$185
🔗 Details

Elsa, Anna and Olaf are coming to The Kennedy Center, and we can’t just let it go!

The Tony–nominated Broadway musical features your favorite songs from the movie, plus a dozen new tunes. It stopped at the Kennedy Center in late summer 2021, but we know a flurry of new “Frozen” fans have come of age. Plus, could there be better time of year to visit Arendelle?

Spectacular Factory at ARTECHOUSE

📅 12/20-1/3
📍 Southwest D.C.
💲 $25-$31 for adults
🔗 Details

Immerse yourself in the larger-than-life Spectacular Factory experience at ARTECHOUSE again for a limited time. The interactive digital art exhibit will be open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and through New Year’s for a festive and family-pleasing outing. The XR Bar will be pouring merry craft cocktails, as well.

Beyond the Light, an interactive journey inside a nebula, will return on Jan. 5.

The Hip Hop Nutcracker with Guest MC Kurtis Blow

📅 Through Fri.
📍 The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda
💲 $28-$68
🔗 Details

Melding the classic score with hip-hop moves, “The Hip Hop Nutcracker” is stopping in North Bethesda along its national tour. And to turn up the hip-hop bona fides, Kurtis Blow, one of the genre’s founding fathers, will kick off the performance with a short set.

Shows are scheduled for Wednesday to Friday at 8 p.m., plus there’s a 2 p.m. matinee on Thursday.

Free pick: Washington, D.C. Temple Festival of Lights

📅 Nightly through 1/1
📍 9900 Stoneybrook Dr, Kensington, Maryland
🔗 Details

The white towers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Kensington sparkle with more than 400,000 lights for the Christmas season with musical performances most nights. The display illuminates between 4:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. nightly. Free parking is available.

Everyone is welcome to attend; visitors are requested to “dress modestly, use clean language, and treat everyone with respect.”

If you’re in D.C., we recommend Georgetown Glow and Main Street displays across many neighborhoods.
Virginians should stop by the Neabsco Boardwalk Holiday Walk of Lights in Woodbridge; it’s open through Saturday. The Franklin Park Arts Center in Purcellville is another nice option.

Things to do in D.C.

Shaw’s Tavern 12th Annual Holiday Sing-along
Weds., 8 p.m., Shaw’s Tavern in Northwest D.C., free entry
FYI: Open bar available 7-8 p.m.

Champagne Gatsby Soiree with swing dance lessons
Fri., 7-10 p.m., The Embassy Row Hotel in Northwest, $25-$35

Murder mystery comedy show: Murder on 34th Street
Thurs., DC Improv, $25

Right Round: 80s Alt-Pop Dance Night w/ DJ lil’e
Fri., The Black Cat, $10 (advance) or $15 (day of show)

Emo Night Brooklyn
Sat., 9:30 Club, $28

Edlavitch DCJCC’s December 25 Day of Service
$20 program fee requested; registration required

Matzoball
Sun., Decades in Northwest D.C., $40+

Things to do in Maryland

Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk and Campfire
Thurs., 4-7 p.m., Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda, $6, Ages 6+

Screening: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Thurs., 7 p.m., Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington, $10

DIY Project Braided Rag Rug
Sat., 10 a.m. to noon, Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton, $25 (registration required)

“The Polar Express” at Bowie Playhouse
Sat., 1 p.m., free, tickets required

“Elf” at Bowie Playhouse
Sat., 5 p.m., free, tickets required

National Harbor fireworks and tree lighting show
Sat., 5:30 p.m., free

Things to do in Virginia

“Die Hard” at Arlington Drafthouse
Fri., 9:30 p.m., 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, $10

Tea with Santa
Sat., 11 a.m., Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town Alexandria, $65

“Elf” at Arlington Drafthouse
Sat., 3 p.m., 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, $8

Holiday Film: A Year Without A Santa Claus
Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., $8

Shop small: 6 DC stores open through Christmas Eve for last-minute holiday gift shopping

Sophia Barnes and Maggie More — Fri, Dec 15 2023 03:03:00 PM

Quick! How long do you have left to finish your Christmas shopping?

The days are dwindling until Santa comes to town, and there’s even less time before holiday shipping deadlines, but you still have time to find a thoughtful gift for everyone on your list.

But rather than rush-ordering a present from a big box store, why not make a quick stop at a cool shop in your own backyard?

No time to ship? These fun experiences in the D.C. area can be sent via email.

If you’re looking for a unique shopping experience and even more unique gifts all while supporting business owners, you have tons of options across D.C., Maryland and Virginia. American Express’ Small Business Saturday map can help you find shops right in your zip code, but we also wanted to share some of our favorites.

Here are some great small, local businesses that you can support this holiday season.

Because Science: For the STEM lover in your life

📍 1759 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Website

Holiday hours: Open daily 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Dec. 23, then 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The store will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Here’s a calendar.

Pro tip for quick and easy shopping: You can shop online and pick up at the store. Orders are usually ready within 24 hours, according to their website. Free gift wrapping will be available on Dec. 21 and 22, 6-8 p.m.

Because Science will likely have something for anyone with a nerdy bone in their body.

The Adams Morgan store is sorted by interest, ranging from easy-to-like biology gifts (think pretty bird puzzles and unusual animal plushies) to kid-friendly physics kits to brain teasers that will delight your STEM-minded coworkers.

Circuit board art, ornaments and accessories are made right in the store’s lab with reused materials. There are lots of options for about $20, while framed pieces start at $54. Custom-made designs are available, too.

Looking for an experience gift? A session at the Craft Lab may be just right.

Bonus: Because Science offers free electronics recycling so you can declutter before the gifts roll in. The store may even transform some of your old tech into art.

Miss Pixie’s: For the friend who loves thrift shops and estate sales

📍 1626 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Website

Holiday hours: Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. The store will be open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve; noon to 5 p.m. on Dec. 26 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 31. It will be closed Christmas Day.

Pro tip for quick and easy shopping: Peruse their Instagram, then call 202-232-8171 or email pixie@misspixies.com to ask questions or confirm a purchase. Local delivery starts at $45.

The vintage home store is a fun place to shop filled with quirky and surprising wares – plus tons of options for cards.

Ornate lamps, pretty glassware, vintage dishes, floral teapots, eclectic wall art and offbeat home décor all count as great gifts in our book. Miss Pixies also carries a rotating selection of local artisans’ work. The vintage-style posters of world maps and plants are crowd-pleasers, too.

Of course, you could go big for your friend or family member who has been desperate for a new ottoman, bar cart or bookshelf (if you really get their taste).

It may be your last holiday season to shop at this 14^th Street institution: Miss Pixies has plans to downsize and relocate within Northwest D.C. by this spring!

The Spice Suite: For the foodie

📍 2201 Channing Street NE, Washington D.C.
🔗 Website

Holiday hours: The store is open Thursday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. They’ll be open Christmas Eve from noon to 5 p.m., but closed Christmas Day.

Pro tip for quick and easy shopping: You can look for gifts for your non-foodie friends, too. Check out their rotating selection of pop-ups from other Black-owned small businesses.

Owned by D.C. native and Howard University graduate Angel Gregorio, the store has a selection of creative spice blends; mixes for cookies, drop biscuits and other treats; hot sauces and foodie-approved apparel.

The Spice Suite isn’t just a store to help you step up your cooking game. It’s also a “dream incubator” that aims to share a space with other small businesses – so if you go, you can also find vendors selling natural beauty products, home goods and more.

The Holiday Shop by Salt & Sundry: For the socially conscious friend with luxury taste

📍 1401 S Street NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Website

Holiday hours: The Holiday Shop is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on most Sundays. Christmas Eve hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop will be closed Christmas Day.

Pro tip for quick and easy shopping: Check out the gift boxes that are ready to be handed to your lucky giftee. Options include the Sugar and Spice box with edible treats ($85) and The Crowd Pleaser with a brushed cotton throw and Virginia-made candle ($165).

Salt and Sundry took over the former Little Leaf space with a golden and glittery holiday shop that smells as nice as it looks.

Visit for festive but modern and chic housewares, self-care products, ornaments and hosting supplies like these dip-dyed candles. Décor, cards, stocking stuffers and edible gifts – including a tiny gingerbread house! – mean you can tick off several items from your list. Make sure to check out jewelry by Virginia artist Cindy Liebel and other items from the BIPOC Makers collection whether you visit The Holiday Shop or Salt and Sundry’s year-round locations on 14^th Street NW or at Union Market.

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Anacostia Arts Center: For the artist

📍 1231 Marion Barry Avenue SE, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Website

Holiday hours: Generally Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Check this page for more details.

Pro tip for quick and easy shopping: Preview what the stories have online before going. Here’s the vintage shop Dress to Manifest’s Instagram, and here’s the bookstore’s website.

The physical space for the Anacostia Arts Center houses several artists and small businesses, all with the goal of increasing equity and economic opportunities for communities in the District. Treat yourself and the people on your gift list to goodies from vegan soul food to vintage clothes – and even performances.

Our favorite on the list? Mahogany Books says it strives to elevate books written for, by, or about people of the African Diaspora (fun fact: They recently opened a location inside Reagan National Airport!).

Shop Made in DC: For a fast, reliable and very DC shopping experience

📍 Locations at Wharf, Logan Circle, Georgetown, Capitol Hill and Union Market
🔗 Website

Holiday hours: Vary by location; check all hours and locations here. Most locations are open until 7 p.m. or later from Monday to Saturday. On Dec. 24, all locations will be open until 3 p.m.

Pro tip for quick and easy shopping: Online orders can be picked up in 1-3 days. Check out the gift boxes for a ready-to-go present.

With locations across the District offering a wide range of goods and gift boxes, odds are you’ll find a great gift at Shop Made in DC. Scheduled through Dec. 23, Spotlight Maker pop-ups are a chance to meet the entrepreneurs behind locally-made products.

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Get in the Christmas spirit at these 14 holiday pop-up bars in the DC area

Allison Hageman and Taylor Edwards — Thu, Dec 14 2023 08:03:25 AM

It’s the ho-ho-ho-lidays which means weeks of getting merry and bright under the twinkling lights. Cue the fake (and real!) snow, it’s time to get those spirits bright.

We shook the snow globe to find creative cocktails in Santa Claus cups, global holiday traditions and grandma-inspired decor.

This year, winter served as a muse for many of the District’s bars. They offer a temporary escape from bleak city streets and create the feeling of hot cocoa warming your hands under the stars.

After you’ve walked through a wonderland of lights and visited holiday markets, head into these cozy and magical bars below to thaw with some holiday-themed spirits.

Chicken and Whiskey’s Holiday Pop-Up

📅 Ongoing
📍 Ballpark location (70 N Street SE, Washington, D.C.)
🔗 Details

Festive fun is on tap at Chicken and Whiskey’s “naughty v nice fiesta” in Navy Yard.

“Elf on the Shelf” figurines climb up the bar and Christmas ornaments drip from the ceiling as bartenders mix your holiday cocktails. Sing your heart out on a stage with a silver tinsel curtain at holiday karaoke on Wednesdays from 7 to 10 p.m.

Ivy and Coney’s Hanukkah Extravaganza

📅 Through Dec. 31
📍 1537 7th St NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details

This annual pop-up bar is back to celebrate Hanukkah and spin the dreidel! Visitors can expect homemade potato latkes and matzoh ball soup. For drinks, kosher wines, plum brandy, schnapps and beers will be aplenty.

Jane Jane

📅 Ongoing
📍 1705 14th St NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details

Get a taste of holiday nostalgia with Jane Jane’s decorations described as “A Christmas Story” meets your grandparents’ house with tinsel, vintage ornaments and poinsettias. The bar’s mulled cider and a Monte Carlo Toddy with bénédictine liqueur are sure to warm you up.

Joy on the Avenue with Del Ray’s Pop-Up Bar

📅 Ongoing
📍 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia
🔗 Details

The holiday spirit is in full swing at Joy on the Avenue. Enjoy holiday nibbles and sip on their “Gettin’ Lit” cocktails, all named after iconic holiday characters and themes. Holiday-themed wine and beer are also available.

Mercy Me’s El Chalet

📅 Dec. 7 to March 1
📍 1143 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details

Mercy Me is transformed into a chalet inspired by the winter festivities of Patagonia. Warm up by a firepit with cocktails like an Espresso Nog, a spiked hot chocolate and an infused hot toddy. The chalet will screen classic holiday movies from Dec. 20 to Dec. 24.

Mercy Me’s chalet pop-up bar. Photo courtesy of Mercy Me.

Miracle at Death Punch Bar

📅 through Dec. 31
📍 2321 18th Street NW Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details

If Old Saint Nick lived in D.C. he would be a regular at this pop-up bar. Every inch of the bar is decked with holiday décor like the North Pole itself. Were you naughty or nice this year? Let your friends or date choose which shot to drink.

Miracle on Exchange St.- Sense of Thai

📅 Ongoing
📍 20413 Exchange St, Ashburn, Virginia
🔗 Details

Miracle on Exchange St. brings a variety of Christmas-themed drinks at their pop-up bar at Sense of Thai. From the Chrismapolitan to Secret Santa, there are plenty of fun options to choose from. Miracle will also donate 10% of retail sales of Santa Pants, Christmas Carol Barrel and Santa’s Head mugs to the Seva Foundation.

Miracle Pop-Up Bar at Live!

📅 Nov. 24 to Dec. 24
📍 7002 Arundel Mills Cir #7777, Hanover, Maryland
🔗 Details

The second annual Miracle pop-up bar has opened at the Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland includes themed cocktails and an interactive light show. The bar will be decked out in kitschy and vintage-themed decor and some drinks featured include the Christmapolitan and the Snowball Old-Fashioned. There will be special holiday-themed nights including a cocktail class and an ugly Christmas sweater party.

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Misfit Toys on 18th

📅 Ongoing
📍 Tiki on 18th (2411 18th Street NW, Washington, D.C.)
🔗 Details

The Island of Misfit Toys finds a new home at Tiki on 18th in D.C. Choose from 10 hot or cold cocktails, each labeled with a misfit toy saying. For example, the “Ginger Snap” cocktail made with bourbon, apple cider and ginger, says, “Why am I such a misfit? I am not just a nitwit.”

Sippin’ Santa at Black Whiskey

📅 Nov. 24 to Dec. 31
📍 1410 14th St NW, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details

For the first time, Black Whiskey is hosting the beach-themed Sippin’ Santa pop-up bar! This Santa rides a surfboard instead of a sleigh and the bar has palm trees decorated with ornaments instead of a typical pine tree. There are eight holiday cocktails with the signature Sippin’ Santa being made with Demerara rum and gingerbread mix.

Snow Globe at Cantina Bambina

📅 Ongoing
📍 The Wharf (960 Wharf St. SW, Washington, D.C.)
🔗 Details

The Wharf’s dockside bar will “shake up your holidays” with their snow globe-themed bar. Enjoy Mexican Hot Cocoa and snacks like “Christmas Crack” under a warm blue glow. A bonus, the lights and decorations look like falling snowflakes.

Northern Lights in the Garden

📅 Ongoing
📍Hook Hall (3400 Georgia Ave. NW Washington, D.C.)
🔗 Details

Visit the Garden at Hook Hall to see the magic of the Aurora Borealis. At night, lights and fabric recreate the Arctic sky with swirling purples, blues and whites. Drink seasonal favorites around a fire pit or reserve a cabana with a hot tub for your crew.

You Sleigh Me! A Grinch Experience!

📅 Until Dec. 31
📍 8120 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, Maryland
🔗 Details

The Grinch takes over Whoville at the Fialova restaurant in the Bethesda Hotel in “A Grinch Experience.” Grinch-themed drinks include a ginger beer and vodka drink named “Max’s Mule.” Don’t want to order off the menu? Customize your drink with your choice of alcohol and top it off with toppings like toasted coconut shavings and graham crackers.

Wunder Garten’s 7th Annual Winterfest

📅 Dec. 1- 23
📍 1101 First Street NE, Washington, D.C.
🔗 Details

Inspired by beer gardens in Germany, this pop-up beer garden bar will satisfy your taste for beer in the NoMa neighborhood. The festival will host various holiday-themed days, the European Union’s Holiday Food Tour and sell fresh-cut trees.

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Winter Restaurant Week: Special menus and deals start MLK Jr. Day

Allison Hageman — Wed, Dec 13 2023 10:46:47 AM

Start the new year with delicious meals from Winter Restaurant Week. Diners can enjoy the special menus starting on Jan. 15 and ending on Jan. 21.

Restaurants in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia will offer multi-course brunches, lunches ($25 or $35) or dinners ($40, $55, $65). Some restaurants will include cocktail, wine and non-alcoholic pairings.

This year, select restaurants will offer extended brunch offerings in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15.

The website for Winter Restaurant Week will launch in mid-December with participating restaurants and their menus, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) said. Diners are encouraged to make reservations early.

Check back at The Scene and subscribe to The Weekend Scene newsletter for more restaurant week suggestions.

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This 23-year-old bought a $150 home beer brewing kit and turned it into a six-figure business

Charmaine Jacob,CNBC — Tue, Dec 12 2023 10:34:24 PM

When Anuksha Purohit was just 10 years old, she was appalled by the sight of a Starbucks barista throwing leftover cakes and sandwiches into the garbage.

A decade later, the memory helped inspire her to launch a startup that turns surplus bread into craft beer.

“When you go to a hotel breakfast buffet, they have a bread spread. On a plane, everybody gets a slice of bread and a bottle of water. Bread is so common and in all the meals that we have, which is why so much of it gets thrown out,” Purohit, now 23 years old, told CNBC last week on the sidelines of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit Asia in Singapore.

Purohit and three university classmates came up with the idea while they were stuck studying online during the Hong Kong protests and the city’s subsequent pandemic lockdown.

“All our friends were drinking alcohol. So we decided to make alcohol instead and become the cool kids on the block,” Purohit said candidly.

They bought a 1,218 Hong Kong dollar ($156) beer brewing kit on Amazon and experimented for three weeks before making a pot of beer from leftover bread.

“The beer wasn’t good when we tried it for the first time, but it made us realize this idea can work,” she said.

Breer

Beer from Hong Kong-based startup Breer is made from leftover bread and comes in flavors that pay homage to Hong Kong’s food scene.

It took the team about six months to nail down the taste before launching Breer in 2020.

Apart from a pale ale and hibiscus sour, the company also sells beers that feature flavors like egg tart and bolo bao, or pineapple bun — an homage to Hong Kong’s vibrant food scene.

The company said it made HK$2.5 million in revenue in the last two years. Breer said it has already hit HK$1.8 million in sales this year and expects HK$1.2 million in profits.

The startup hasn’t raised any funding, but has won about HK$6 million through startup and entrepreneur competitions without giving away equity.

Overseas expansion is not in the cards just yet, and Purohit said it would only happen if it can be done sustainably.

“We won’t ship outside of Hong Kong, but would rather work with local bakeries and breweries instead,” Purohit said. “Sustainability is not about a sacrifice. You don’t have to stop eating meat or you don’t have to stop driving your car, you can just drink while you’re drinking but choose the more sustainable option.”

How it works

Every year, each person in Hong Kong wastes about 71 kilograms (156 pounds) of food.

But that presents an opportunity for companies like Breer.

Breer collects leftover bread from local restaurants, bakeries and Hong Kong-style diners known as cha chaan tengs for free. The bread is then sent to contract breweries, producing up to 4,000 to 6,000 liters of beer at least six times a year.

Sammyvision | Moment | Getty Images

Pineapple buns, commonly known as bolo buns, are a popular snack in Hong Kong.

The amount of beer brewed per session fluctuates with demand, Purohit explained.

“If something like Covid suddenly happens again, demand will get hit and we’ll end up with so much stock. So we’ve decided to go with the flow and brew when people buy.”

There was even more bread waste during the pandemic when shops had a hard time estimating daily demand.

“Food estimation was askew. There would be demand for 15 kg of bread on Monday, but nobody would end up buying on Tuesday and shops will end up having more waste,” recounted Purohit. She added that Breer donates excess bread to the elderly and the poor, or for use as pig and chicken feed.

Tips for young entrepreneurs

Being a young entrepreneur comes with its own challenges, particularly difficulties in gaining trust.

When Purohit first started asking bakeries for leftover bread, she faced questions like “you just became of legal drinking age, how do you even know how to brew beer?” and “how do I believe you won’t just take the bread [for yourself]?”

But after two weeks of persistence, the first bakery she approached gave her 2 kg of leftover bread on the condition that she brings back the beer made from it.

And she did just that.

Breer

Anuksha Purohit founded Breer with three other friends when she was an undergraduate at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Purohit shared her tips for other young entrepreneurs.

1. Be passionate about what you’re doing
“If you have passion and purpose for something, the profits will flow. If there’s even an ounce of you that doesn’t like what you’re doing, you’re going to find reasons or excuses not to do it.”

2. You’ll never know if you don’t try
“I would not be here had if I hadn’t taken that one chance. You should definitely take the first step.”

3. Be careful with your money
“Money is not the only investment that you need. All the money we have earned has gone back into the business.”

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Waffle House charges employees for food — even if they don't eat it

Joseph Lamour | TODAY — Thu, Nov 16 2023 10:10:41 PM

Waffle House workers are asking their employer to end a long-standing policy that regularly docks their paychecks.

On Nov. 8, a coalition of Waffle House workers and supporters delivered nearly 13,000 signed petitions from Waffle House workers, service workers and other allies to Waffle House’s headquarters in Norcross, Georgia.

As first reported by The Messenger, Waffle House workers delivered their demands with support from Raise Up The South, also known as Union of Southern Service Workers, which is being built by service workers to combat low wages and improve working conditions.

“Waffle House workers from across the South are fed up. We’re sick and tired of making poverty wages, the constant threat of in-store violence, and mandatory meal deductions — whether we eat a meal or not while on a shift,” reads the beginning of the petition. “We refuse to be exploited — and so we’re getting organized.”

Waffle House did not respond to a request for comment on this story, but told The Post and Courier, “Waffle House is proud of its long record of effectively addressing any concerns our Associates report to us. We intend to do that directly with our Associates.”

Cindy Smith, a 29-year veteran of the chain who works in Georgia, was part of the coalition of workers present for the delivery of demands.

Smith says Waffle House’s mandatory meal deduction policy, which takes a portion of every employee’s pay for meals — whether or not the employee eats anything — has been part of her time at the restaurant for as long as she’s been an employee.

“The meal deductions have always been taken out, but it was only like $1.50 per shift. Then they decided to start bumping it up,” Smith tells TODAY.com, adding that workers weren’t notified about any changes. “Every day that you work now, it is $3.75 that comes out of your check. That’s more than I make an hour.”

Smith, who makes $2.92 an hour plus tips at the chain, says the fee is doubled if employees work a double shift whether or not they eat. “85 to 95% of us don’t even eat the Waffle House food. We’re still having to pay for it,” she says. (Georgia’s minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13.)

Other employees say their Waffle House locations take different amounts. Dreanna Colvin says her store deducts $3.15 a shift, and Gerald Green told The Messenger he paid $39 in three weeks for food he never consumed.

“I barely have any money to pay any bills,” Smith says. “We can’t even buy groceries.”

In addition to an end to paycheck deductions for meals, asking that the chain instead make it optional for employees to purchase discounted shift meals, Waffle House workers are demanding that Waffle House pay $25 an hour for all workers, cooks and servers, that it provide round-the-clock security and allow workers to weigh in about in-store safety.

“At one point, probably 2011, I was robbed at gunpoint,” Smith recalls, adding that safety has been an issue at the chain for a long time. “Waffle House didn’t reach out and I had to work my entire shift.”

Waffle House has made headlines for crimes that have been committed in stores, including physical fights that have sent celebrities to court, robberies and even murder. TikTok is littered with videos of several different melees in stores across the country, including one viral instance that made a star out of a Waffle House worker with quick reflexes.

“It’s the same fights when I used to work third shift. They start fighting in the building and out the door and they’re in the parking lot,” Smith says. “It’s been going on for years.”

Smith says their safety demands also extend to working during natural disasters. Waffle House is known for aiming to stay open 24/7 at all costs, including during hurricanes, floods and more. This reputation inspired FEMA to look to the chain’s locations to see how debilitating a severe weather event is. It was coined the “Waffle House Index” by former FEMA director W. Craig Fugate.

“I worked straight through the hurricane that came through Georgia that put the power out. I worked every single day, drove to and from work, even though we didn’t have any electricity at home,” Smith says of Hurricane Idalia. “During the snowstorms, I was transporting people, they put ‘em up in hotels, just to make sure the employees get to work.”

Smith says, the day of the protest, she and the group of ralliers present at Waffle House headquarters were hoping for the best outcome, but they were ultimately disappointed.

“We all stood out there. We were very quiet. We were not rude. We were not disrespectful,” Smith says. “We only sent three people in to deliver 13,000 signed petitions for them to tell us if we did not get off the property, they were going to call the police, and they threw all 13,000 petitions in the trash.”

In terms of next steps, Smith says they’re “hoping to get more people to stand behind us, whether they work for Waffle House or not.”

“Waffle House claims that their associates are family, but you’re letting your family live below poverty levels,” she adds. “We’re starving to death. But we’re still getting up every day and going into work.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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DC Michelin Guide: 2 restaurants with international food flair earn star

Allison Hageman — Thu, Nov 09 2023 01:28:28 PM

Two D.C. restaurants with culture-focused cuisine have earned a Michelin Guide star.

The Michelin Guide held its annual award ceremony in New York on Tuesday, an event that has been held in D.C. in recent years. A one star equals “high quality cooking, worth a stop,” according to a release from the Michelin Guide.

“The Michelin Guide inspection team is delighted [to] add the international flavors of Causa and Rania to the Washington selection of Starred establishments,” the International Director of the Michelin Guides, Gwendal Poullennec said in a release. “These world-class restaurants blend tradition with innovation to deliver a delicious meal and memorable experience.”

Causa is a Peruvian tasting counter by Chef Carlos Delgado in Shaw’s Blagden Alley. The Michelin Guide said the tasting menu, “takes diners on a journey of flavors inspired by the topography of Peru.”

Rania, a fine dining Indian spot in Penn Quarter, received a star for its “inventive” menu, the guide said.

“Thank you @michelinguide 🙏🥂 Rania and Chef Chetan Shetty are honored to receive one Michelin star this year,” Rania wrote on Instagram.

In addition, four D.C. hospitality professionals were honored with special awards:

Daniel Todd, The Dabney, Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award
Sarah Thompson, Queen’s English, Michelin Sommelier Award
Ryan Ratino, Jônt, Michelin Young Chef Award
Giuseppe Formica, Fiola, Michelin Outstanding Service Award

Chef Ratino said in a release he is honored that Jônt retained its stars and “will always have our eye on a third star!”

The Michelin Guide has awarded stars to 25 restaurants in the D.C. area. Here’s a full list of the delicious restaurants.

Earlier this month, the Michelin Guide released its new Bib Gourmand selections, including two stops perfect for breakfast lovers.

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‘Sip and Shop': Tysons Corner allows shoppers to shop with cocktails in hand

Taylor Edwards — Thu, Nov 09 2023 01:14:21 PM

Shopping can be a stressful experience sometimes, especially with the holiday season coming up, but Tysons Corner Center has a new way to add a little spirit to your outing to hunt for gifts.

Tysons Corner Center nowlets shoppers to put a “twist” on their shopping experience by allowing them to sip a drink from one of the mall’s restaurants while they shop.

“Shopping with a Twist” launched at the shopping center on Nov. 1. Shoppers 21 years old and older can purchase alcoholic beverages at participating restaurants and drink on The Plaza and in the common area of the mall.

And if you’re trying to pick up some gifts while enjoying your drink? Just look for signs at retail stores that say: “C’mon in with your drink.”

For a full list of participating retailers, go to the Tysons Corner Center website.

Tysons Corner Center says it’s the first indoor shopping center in the DMV region to allow public cocktail consumption to its shoppers.

“Shopping with a Twist” will be in allowed during normal center hours.

Where can guests purchase their “Sip & Stroll” beverage?

American Girl Bistro
Barrel & Bushel
California Pizza Kitchen
Earls Kitchen + Bar
Eddie V’s
La Sandia
Seasons 52
Shake Shack
TGI Fridays

Beverages must be in a disposable cup with the restaurant’s logo showing where it was purchased. Only beverages purchased from the restaurant will be allowed outside of the restaurant and into the shopping center.

Drinking is not permitted in parking garages or any parking areas.

Ticket lottery opens for 2023 National Christmas Tree Lighting outside White House

Taylor Edwards — Wed, Nov 01 2023 08:22:21 AM

We’re all still eating Halloween candy, but it’s not too early to start planning for the holiday season. Case in point: The ticket lottery for the National Christmas Tree Lighting outside the White House opened Wednesday morning.

The event will feature musical performances before the live Christmas tree lights up the night on Thursday, Nov. 30 at President’s Park (also known as the Ellipse), just south of the White House. The guest list and host haven’t been announced yet.

As usual, free tickets to the ceremony will be available through a lottery system, which opened Wednesday at 10 a.m. You can enter any time until Nov. 8 at 3 p.m.

To enter the lottery, visit recreation.gov and click/tap “TICKET LOTTERY” or call 877-444-6777, the National Park Service said. Lottery winners will be notified on Nov. 15.

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Important dates to know about the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony:

Nov. 1: Free ticket lottery opened at 10 a.m. ET
Nov. 8: Free ticket lottery closes at 3 p.m. ET
Nov. 15: Lottery results will be announced
Nov. 30: National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Dec. 2: The National Christmas Tree site opens to the public
Dec. 15: CBS Network will broadcast the National Christmas Tree Lighting special at 8 p.m. ET

Last year was the ceremony’s 100th anniversary. The ceremony was first introduced by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923.

What we know about the 2023 National Christmas Tree Lighting so far

Taylor Edwards — Tue, Oct 24 2023 06:30:00 AM

‘Tis the season for Christmas tree lights! OK, let’s have Halloween first, but it’s not too early to at least start thinking about the National Christmas Tree Lighting outside the White House.

As usual, free tickets to the ceremony will be available through a lottery system. You can enter between Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. (yes, you’ll still be eating leftover Halloween candy at that time) and Nov. 8 at 3 p.m.

To enter the lottery, visit recreation.gov and click/tap “TICKET LOTTERY” or call 877-444-6777, the National Park Service said. Lottery winners will be notified on Nov. 15.

Important dates to know about the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony:

Nov. 1: Free ticket lottery opens at 10 a.m. ET
Nov. 8: Free ticket lottery closes at 3 p.m. ET
Nov. 15: Lottery results announced
Nov. 30: National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Dec. 2: The National Christmas Tree site opens to the public
Dec. 15: CBS Network will broadcast the National Christmas Tree Lighting special at 8 p.m. ET

Last year was the ceremony’s 100th anniversary. The ceremony was first introduced by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923.

Newly renovated National Museum of Women in the Arts reopens

Ileya Robinson Williams — Fri, Oct 20 2023 02:54:26 PM

After more than two years of renovations, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., reopened this weekend.

This was the museum’s first time undergoing full renovations since its initial opening in 1987.

The museum, located at 1250 New York Ave. NW near Metro Center, is debuting brand-new galleries and exhibition spaces featuring the work of female artists.

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The museum also returns with its inaugural exhibition, “The Sky’s the Limit,” which focuses on 12 artists’ groundbreaking work in large-scale sculpture.

The weekend’s festivities includes art-making activities, interactive entertainment, live performances and spotlight conversations on special exhibitions. To celebrate its opening weekend, the museum offered free admission on Saturday, Oct. 21, and Sunday, Oct. 22. However, tickets are sold out.

Going forward, tickets will be $16 for adults and $13 for seniors. It’s free for visitors under 21, personal care attendants and visitors with disabilities.

View the full schedule of events here.

The National Celebration of Hip-Hop is back on at Nats Park: What to know

Taylor Edwards — Tue, Oct 17 2023 08:47:47 AM

After being postponed due to a potential government shutdown, The National Celebration of Hip-Hop festival has been rescheduled to Saturday, Oct. 28 at Nationals Park.

The event was originally scheduled to take place on the National Mall on Oct. 6-7.

The original lineup featured Ice-T and Public Enemy as the headliners. Now, Ice-T is the main headliner along with Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, The Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow and Terminator X.

According to the festival organizer Chasing Live, festivalgoers who registered for the free event were able to redeem tickets to the rescheduled event at no cost.

But because of the venue change, everyone else must get a paid ticket.

How to get a ticket to the The National Celebration of Hip-Hop

Attendees can choose from floor tickets, bowl tickets and VIP tickets.

Bowl ticket prices range from $32-$112 and are available for purchase on the Nationals Park website.

VIP and floor tickets can be purchased from Lyte, which implements what they call fair market pricing. Ticket prices fluctuate based on demand, so they can differ over time. According to the event’s website, they are using this to cut down on scalpers and activity from bots.

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The organizers encourage attendees to get tickets early to get the best price possible.

As of Tuesday, the lowest ticket price was $159 for regular VIP. If attendees want to purchase upgraded packages, the tickets range from $249-$389.

Accessible options are available from both websites.

Despite these changes, they maintain that the event will still provide “an unforgettable experience for hip-hop enthusiasts.”

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Grammy-nominated Tank and the Bangas to play DC benefit for JusticeAid

Mark Segraves, News4 Reporter — Fri, Oct 13 2023 09:10:58 PM

A Grammy-nominated band will perform a rare nightclub show in D.C. next week to benefit JusticeAid, a D.C.-based nonprofit working to get people more civically engaged.

Tank and the Bangas – nominated for a 2020 Best New Artist Grammy – will headline the benefit Monday at The Hamilton.

“D.C shows us so much love,” Tarriona “Tank” Ball said. “I have family there. Every time I come there, it’s an amazing crowd. I love D.C.”

Ball is the driving force behind the New Orleans-based group performing to raise money for JusticeAid, a non-partisan nonprofit that uses music and the arts to promote social awareness.

“Particularly in marginalized communities and minority, lower income communities, it’s important that everybody get out the vote,” said Kim Duckett Coaxum of JusticeAid. “In Virginia, for example, the entire legislature is up for election. This is a pivotal time.”

This year, JusticeAid chose to partner with Black Voters Matter, a non-partisan group focused on increasing civic engagement in states, including Virginia.

“Our role is to help people better understand why it is important that they’re participating in the process and really understand the process better,” said LaTosha Brown of Black Voters Matter. “And even to the extent that they think that things should be changed, how can they use their power as an individual, their power as a citizen, their power as a Virginian, to really be able to change and shift and make that state the state that they desire and the state that they deserve.”

For Tank, blending her music with social change is a perfect fit.

“It pays so much homage to those that came before me – to my grandfather, who was such a freedom fighter in New Orleans; to my mom, who desegregated the first school in the South in New Orleans,” she said. “It just means a lot to me to know that every vote truly does matter.”

“All of that is your life. Politics is life, and art is life,” she said. “So, to combine all of these things, all it does is take away the name of what it already is, which is basically life. And we have to connect these things together, so people won’t see it as such a divide. That’s where we come into play. We’re reminding you there’s no divide. We’re all in this together. Don’t forget.”

Tank and the Bangas will perform Monday night at The Hamilton Live in downtown D.C. Monday afternoon, MSNBC’s Joy Reid will moderate a forum on social justice. Both events are open to the public.

Taste, sip & savor: Your guide to Northern Virginia's 50+ wineries

Gina Cook — Fri, Oct 13 2023 11:34:03 AM

Is there anything better than sitting outside on a beautifully crisp autumn day with vineyards in the distance and a glass of vino in your hand? We think not. Now that summer is back, it’s time to get out and experience all the great wine and atmosphere Northern Virginia’s wineries have to offer.

We’ve curated a list of wineries in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties and broken down what you can expect at each location to make your trip easier. Need to find a winery that allows you to bring your own picnic, your children and your dog? Or do you want to bring a group of friends to a winery where you can get a break from kids? Maybe you just need to find a winery that has the full-bodied red you’ve been dreaming of. Regardless, we’ve got you covered.

Simply click on the map icons below or scroll to read more about each winery, including their hours, location, reservation requirements, special events and a lot more.

Now let’s raise a glass to Virginia wine country!

A note about the driving time from D.C.: All time estimates are based on Google Map directions from downtown D.C. We suggest looking up the best route to your winery of choice ahead of time to get a more accurate estimate of how long the drive will take from your starting point.

Nelson Hsu and Annetta Stogniew contributed to this report.

1st Capital City Africa Week Festival includes friendly soccer match between DC United, Ghana Premier League team

Taylor Edwards — Mon, Oct 09 2023 02:43:09 PM

Washington D.C.’s first-ever Capital City Africa Week begins Monday, dedicated to celebrating the diversity of Africa through cultural, economic and sports events through Oct. 15, with a special spotlight on Ghana.

The week of events is anchored by the inaugural Capital City Africa Cup at Audi Field on Saturday, Oct. 14. At 5 p.m., D.C. United will go against Ghana Premier League’s Medeama SC in a friendly match. Tickets were available for $20 as of Monday.

Throughout the week, there will be several events around D.C. celebrating Ghanaian culture, fashion, art and more. Here’s an overview of the schedule:

The festival kicks off Monday evening with a welcome reception at the True Reformer Building, which will also house a Ghanaian art exhibition.

There is also set to be a Ghana Village at Howard University’s Blackburn Center on Wednesday from 5-8 p.m and a fashion pop-up at the Rosewood Hotel from Thursday and Friday.

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The week is hosted by the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Ghana Tourism Authority, LIQUID SOUL-DC, Events DC, and D.C. United.

For more information, visit capitalcityafricacup.com.

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ZooLights at the National Zoo is coming back, but will cost $6 per ticket this winter

Maggie More — Sat, Oct 07 2023 02:31:43 PM

Spooky season has only just begun, but the holidays are never far behind.

Institutions around D.C. are already prepping for fan-favorite winter events, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is no exception. The zoo will glimmer and sparkle during its annual ZooLights event starting Nov. 24.

But the 15th year of ZooLights comes with one big change: a $6 price tag per ticket.

In previous years, ZooLights was free. Tickets for the event had to be reserved separately from normal zoo entry. But visitors could stop by the National Zoo later than normal, at no cost, to enjoy colorful holiday light displays and 3D glowing animal lanterns.

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“The ticket fee is needed to offset the significant increase in costs associated with running this event,” the National Zoo said in a press release.

Regular daytime passes to the zoo are still free. According to the release, on regular admission nights, the Zoo will close to all visitors at 4 p.m., then reopen to ZooLights ticket holders at 5 p.m.

If you’re a National Zoo member, you can reserve up to six entry passes to ZooLights for free, during three exclusive Member Nights, according to the release.

Here’s the full list of ZooLights dates:

Nov. 24, 25 and 26
Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 2 and 3. Nov. 30 is a Member Night.
Dec. 7, 8, 9 and 10. Dec. 7 is a Member Night.
Dec. 14, 15, 16 and 17. Dec. 14 is a Member Night.
Dec. 21, 22 and 23
Dec. 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30.

Tickets went on sale on Oct. 26. You can find them here.

ZooLights runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. most days. On Sundays, it ends an hour earlier, with the zoo closing at 8 p.m.

Visitors to ZooLights will get to look at “130 lanterns depicting ocean, desert, grassland, rainforest and polar habitats, and the animals that call them home,” according to the release.

If you stop by, you can also buy holiday snacks like s’mores, holiday cookies and seasonal gelato, and watch live musical performances from local artists and school groups.

Parking is available for pre-purchase online for $30 per vehicle. Zoo members can get one reserved parking pass for free.

It’s also accessible from the Cleveland Park and Adams Morgan-Woodley Park Metro stations on the Red Line.

ZooLights will take place rain or shine.

Meet the woman trying all the local coffee shops in DC

Juliana Valencia, News4 Reporter and Taylor Edwards — Fri, Sep 29 2023 01:29:25 PM

“When I said I would try every coffee shop in D.C., I meant it.”

That is the tagline to every video Domonique Panton has posted on her social media pages @AsToldByDomm about trying all of the local coffee shops in D.C.

The digital creator decided to start her coffee shop journey after retiring from professional track and field.

“I decided to retire and focus on my mental health and I wanted to have some type of adventure. I was already posting on TikTok about training workouts and I decided to hard pivot and post about my coffee journey,” said Panton.

She goes to two shops a week and tests them by giving them a rating of 1-10. To keep her taste buds consistent, she gets the order every time: a cold brew with oak milk and two sugars.

Overall, she said that DC’s coffee scene is pretty good and hasn’t rated anything below a 7.

Domonique Panton’s top four coffee shop picks:

Rue Cafe
- Neighborhood: Columbia Heights
- Address: 3906 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20011
SOMEWHERE Cafe
- Neighborhood: Navy Yard
- Address: 1239 First St SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
La Coop Coffee
- Neighborhood: Manor Park
- Address: 5505 1st St NW, Washington, D.C. 20011
Filter Coffeehouse & Espresso Bar
- Neighborhood: Foggy Bottom
- Address: 1916 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

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Panton has tried 74 shops in total and plans to go across the U.S. to try more recommendations sent to her. She’s already gone to New York to try a few.

“It’s really cool. I feel like I got to meet more people who like coffee and want to come on these coffee adventures with me and that’s actually the best part of it all.”

Coffee shops across the region are offering deals for National Coffee Day on Friday. Go here for more information.

National Celebration of Hip-Hop rescheduled due to potential government shutdown

Ileya Robinson Williams — Thu, Sep 28 2023 06:31:10 AM

As a result of the potential government shutdown, the National Celebration of Hip-Hop, originally set to occur on Oct. 6-7 on the National Mall, has been relocated and postponed.

According to the announcement posted on their website, these changes come in response to the government shutdown that could possibly go into effect on Oct. 1.

“The suitability of the event’s original venue, may be uncertain due to various factors related to federal personnel, including individuals connected to the National Park Service,” the announcement said. “This situation affects the National Mall and West Potomac Park, where the event was initially scheduled to take place.”

The celebration will now occur at Nationals Park in Navy Yard on Saturday Oct. 28.

Despite these changes, they maintain that the event will still provide “an unforgettable experience for hip-hop enthusiasts.”

Though it was previously stated that Public Enemy and Ice-T would be headlining, the lineup for Oct. 28 has yet to be released.

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