Starting today, eight of its Washington-area institutions, including the National Zoo reopened to the general public. 

Visitors will need to reserve free timed entry passes online for each location. 

The REACH - glows with the D.C. debut of approximately 100 stunning Winter Lanterns crafted by Chinese artisans made up of 10,000 colored LED lights.

Also included in this event is the Chinese Four Symbols and 12 Zodiac Signs, Panda Grove, and Mushroom Garden display. Along with the beautiful lantern displays, visitors can enjoy performances and artisan demonstrations, food trucks, and more.

Besides enjoying the magical winter lantern display, visitors will be able to enjoy short performances and activities by artists from local artists.

Located at the REACH Outdoor Space | Admission is free, open to the public | January 22, - Februrary 02nd

The 6th edition of Georgetown GLOW returns Friday, December 6, 2019 – Sunday, January 5, 2020, with 11 commissioned light art works on display from local, regional, and international artists. Lit from 5 pm - 10 pm nightly throughout Georgetown, GLOW is the only free, curated outdoor public light art exhibition in the region. 

GLOW 2019 programming includes special promotions and events at many of Georgetown’s shops and restaurants, including A Book Hill Holiday, plus themed historic, food, photography, and curator walking tours. Several Georgetown hotels are also participating in a Stay Local campaign to encourage visitors to make a night or weekend of it in Georgetown with staycations during GLOW. 

Visit georgetownglowdc.com for more on each artist and installation, tour information, an installation map, transportation and parking directions, and more. For a guide to the holidays in Georgetown, visit georgetowndc.com/guide/holidays.

NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM GALLERY AND ENTRANCE CLOSURES COMING MONDAY, OCT 7
Due to the National Air and Space Museum’s construction project, the Museum entrance on Independence Avenue will close on Monday, October 7, and remain closed until 2022. All visitors will enter via the Jefferson Drive (Mall) side of the Museum.

The Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery will close for renovation, along with the Albert Einstein Planetarium and the Museum’s main store, and Planetarium store. These areas are all scheduled to reopen in 2022. A temporary store will be open on the second floor during the construction. 

A portion of the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall will also be closed.  Some artifacts have been removed from display, including the North American X-15, and the Moon rock (scheduled to return later this year). Others will remain on display but will be re-positioned within the gallery to accommodate for the renovation. 

For more information about the National Air and Space Museum’s renovation project, visit: https://airandspace.si.edu/about-transformation

Click here to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter for the latest news and renovation schedule.

Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease on the Guinness Brewery in 1759. Ten years later, the first exportation of Guinness was shipped to England. Arthur Guinness died in 1803 and in the decades following, Guinness was exported around the world. The highlight of Arthur’s day occurs at 17:59–the year the factory was founded–when everyone in the pub raises their glass and toasts to Arthur Guinness. This year, we will be celebrating Arthur’s Day with $1 pints of Guinness for the first 100 people, plus Irish dancers, live Irish music, and Guinness stations with pour-perfect pints, a ripple machine to print images on the foam, and Guinness glass engraving. We will also be launching the first Milk Stout from the Guinness Brewery in Baltimore!

Hello and Happy (early) Fourth of July to all our hotel and concierge friends!

In case you’re looking for something fun for yourselves or to suggest to your guests, Boqueria Penn Quarter and Dupont Circle are thrilled to be offering 4 days of our bottomless Brunch from Thursday July 4 – Sunday July 7.  Remember…Boqueria’s concierge referral program applies to reservations booked for brunch too.  I’m happy to share details for those unfamiliar with the program. Details provided here.

We're conducting the only inside-the-secure zone transportation-included tours on the National Mall during the 4th of July (Yes, we're open!), but our availability is limited. We will be conducting tours with a $150 per hour rate per cab and a two-hour minimum. Because of congestion, there may be an additional fee for pick-up. 

Due to the restrictions enforced during this year and the limited times to enter the secure zone for our cabs, we highly recommend advanced reservations. 

Best regards, 

Barry & Steph

Barry Ivan Silber & Stephanie Compton
Co-Owners, Adventure DC Tricycle Tours
www.adventuredctours.com  
202-669-7274

For the first time in almost twenty years, the NSO will perform a free concert in the Great Upper Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, led by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. The NSO is committed to engaging all communities across Washington, D.C. Sharing live classical music is at the heart of their mission – music is for everyone, regardless of age, background or zip code.

The NSO Community Concert series aims to create excitement and appreciation for live symphonic music, engage and inspire audiences of the future, and ensure that all Washington, D.C. residents have access to participating in the arts.

National Symphony Orchestra: Community Concert at the Basilica

• Location: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
• Address: 400 Michigan Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C. 20017
• Date: Friday, May 31, 2019
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Performance Duration: 65-70 minutes, with no intermission
• Cost: Free

Repertoire:

• WAGNER: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
• SAINT-SAËNS: Slow movement from the Organ Symphony
• HOLST: “Venus” from The Planets
• DEBUSSY: Clair de lune, arr. Caplet
• RESPIGHI: Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No.2

Astronomy Festival on the National Mall

Saturday, June 22, 2019; 6 - 11 pm;

in front of the Smithsonian Castle (1000 Jefferson Dr. SW)

Rain Location: Smithsonian Castle

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with Telescope Views of the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn

at the Largest Annual Astronomy Outreach Event in The US

In Washington, DC, on Saturday June 22th from 6 to 11 pm, visitors will be a given a free guided tour of the sky at the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall.  This free public festival is organized by Dr. Donald Lubowich, Coordinator of Astronomy Outreach at Hofstra University.  The Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (AFNM) will feature solar, optical, and radio telescope observations; hands-on activities, demonstrations, hand-outs, posters, banners, and videos; a planetarium show under a 25-foot blow-up dome, and a chance to mingle with astronomers.  

This year the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall will be presented in association with the Smithsonian Solstice Saturday events (www.si.edu/solsticesaturday).  The National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Museums will be open until midnight featuring free parties, programs, and performances.  Representatives from some of the nation’s foremost scientific institutions, organizations, and universities will present exciting demonstrations and answer questions about the latest astronomical discoveries or careers in science.

Dr. Lubowich and local amateur astronomers will set up twenty-five telescopes on the Mall. Starting at 6 pm, visitors will be able to view sunspots with the help of specially filtered telescopes.   After dusk and until 11 p.m. telescopes will provide close-up views of Jupiter and its moons, the Saturn with its beautiful rings, colorful double stars, and star clusters that sparkle like diamonds on black velvet.

“Bringing astronomy to the National Mall and partnering with astronomical organizations gives us a very special opportunity to encourage children to pursue their interest in science or math and to promote public understanding of science,” said Dr. Lubowich. “Gazing at the rings of Saturn or the Moon’s craters captures the imagination, no matter how old you are.”  AFNM started in 2010 as part of a NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars program, which brought an astronomy festival to outdoor concerts throughout the US, and was co-sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Science Organization: American Physical Society, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Carnegie Science/ Carnegie Academy for Science Education. Chandra X-ray Center/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, International Dark Sky Association, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center, National Air and Space Museum, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Science Foundation, Naval Research Laboratory, Science for Society & the Public, the Science Place, Society of Physics Students, and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Colleges and Universities:  American University, Georgetown University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, Montgomery College, and Rice University/E-planetarium.

Astronomy clubs and organizations who will bring telescopes: Amateur Observers’ Society of NY, Astronomical Association of Greenbelt, Catawba Valley Astronomy Club, Goddard Astronomy Club, National Capital Astronomers, Amateur Radio Astronomers, and the Washington Area Astronomy Meet-up.

Metro: Smithsonian.  Parking is available at 600 Maryland Ave., SW; S. of the National Air and Space Museum. Update at  www.hofstra.edu/physics

Hofstra University | Hempstead, New York|11549 | www.hofstra.edu

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History has announced that the Nation’s T. rex has returned to the museum where it will be the centerpiece of the new 31,000-square-foot fossil hall opening June 8, 2019. The Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton will be featured in the reopened hall alongside more than 700 specimens, including dinosaurs, plants, animals and insects, some never before displayed at the National Museum of Natural History. The exhibition will depict a journey through time of more than 3.7 billion years of life on Earth. Visitors will discover their impact on life’s story as it plays out today and their role in shaping its future.

The new hall will be called The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils—Deep Time, in recognition of a $35 million gift from David H. Koch, the largest single donation in the history of the museum.

“The return of the Nation’s T. rex is an important milestone in the countdown to the grand opening of the new hall in June 2019,” said Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the National Museum of Natural History. “This hall will be unlike any other—it begins in the past and ends in the future. Using extraordinary fossils, compelling interactive and multimedia experiences, and the latest science, visitors will be inspired by the fascinating story of our evolving planet and the life that has inhabited it and understand the critical role they each play in determining its future.”

When the fossil hall closed in 2014 for renovations, all specimens on display were removed for conservation and study by Smithsonian scientists. Several spectacular dinosaur fossils from the hall were disassembled and taken to Research Casting International in Ontario, Canada, where they were repositioned into dramatic, new and more scientifically accurate poses. Those fossils, including the T. rex, which is on loan to the Smithsonian for 50 years from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are being transported back to the museum for permanent installation in the new hall in a specially branded FedEx Custom Critical truck. The delivery is part of the company’s FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative.

What Is Deep Time?

Human history is only a tiny fraction of Earth’s history. “Deep time” is thinking about Earth’s past in terms of millions and billions of years to understand the events that shaped the planet and the species that live on it. Exploring Earth’s deep past will help people understand the world today and plan a sustainable future.

Main Messages of the Hall

Fossils reveal the mysteries of life’s 3.7 billion-year history. The Earth’s distant past is connected to the present and shapes the future. Life and the Earth have always changed and affected one another. Today, humans are profound agents of change. Appreciating the planet’s deep history helps people interpret the world today and predict how the human species and all life might fare in the future. Major themes woven in stories throughout the hall include:

• All life is connected—past, present and future—to all other life and to the Earth itself.
• Evolution: Life is continually changing through time.
• Ecosystems Change: Ecosystems changed through time and continue to do so.
• Earth Processes: Geological processes and global cycles cause ecosystem and evolutionary changes.
• Extinction: Mass extinctions have both periodically devastated and created new opportunities for life on Earth. Background extinctions occur one or a few at a time, scattered across the tree of life. Extinction of some species opens up opportunities for others to evolve.
• Human Connections: Humans, today’s world and the plants and animals people depend upon have intimate connections to deep time.
• Age of Humans and Global Change: Now, more than ever before, people are influencing life on Earth on the scale of geologic forces from the past. Humans are not only shaping the future but also the fate of life on Earth.

Background on the Renovation

Creating the new fossil hall involved the largest building renovation in the museum’s history. Interior walls that had been put into place during the past century were removed, structural columns were relocated, all electrical and mechanical systems were updated and windows and skylights were replaced to allow natural light to permeate the hall. In addition, spaces on the ground floor below, the substation in the basement and up to the building attics required infrastructure renovations and upgrades to make way for the dinosaurs. The project cost $125 million.

About the National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website and on Facebook and Twitter.

About:

Join City Winery for a very unique concert featuring the soulful music of winemaker Fred Scherrer and Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, and intimate connections they make between wine and music.

WACA MEMBERS CAN ATTEND FOR FREE WITH THE CODE "UNCORKED" 

What should you expect?

• 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Wine tasting lead by industry experts
• 8:30 pm - Intimate and engaging acoustic performance by two legends of the wine industry;
• Full concert menu will be available a la carte;

Wine tasting will include wines from the following wineries:

• Arrowood
• Cambria
• Carmel Road
• Matanzas Creek
• Scherrer Wines

(Wine tasting is included in the price of the ticket. Must be 21 to attend);

Winemaker Fred Scherrer, the child of a farming family, first gained notoriety making Zinfandel from his grandfather‘s 1904 vineyard in Alexander Valley. His winemaking operation has now grown to include vineyards throughout Sonoma planted in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. He is a humble farmer who believes that it is what is in the bottle that matters. His goal is to produce wines which exhibit the distinct character of the place where they are grown. His wines pair incredibly well with food and have an amazing ability to age, making them smart additions for any home cellar.

Michael Jordan has more than 40 years of experience in the restaurant and wine industry. He grew up working in the kitchens and dining rooms of his father’s two Italian restaurants, and served as executive chef, general manager and sommelier at many fine dining establishments.
Jordan is one of just 15 people in the world awarded both Master Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator Diplomas, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including Sommelier of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2008. Jordan also hosts a weekly radio show What’s Cookin’ with Wine on many AM radio markets across the country.
He joined Jackson Family Wines in September 2013. As the Director of Global Key Accounts, he travels the globe to work with key decision makers and hospitality industry leaders specializing in education and training sommeliers and service teams.

https://scherrerwinery.com/

https://www.jacksonfamilywines.com/

https://www.arrowoodvineyards.com/

https://www.cambriawines.com/

https://www.carmelroad.com/

https://www.matanzascreek.com/

Learn more about the City Winery Tour here!

Together with Notre‐Dame de Paris: A Benefit Concert at the Basilica

Featuring Notre‐Dame Organist Johann Vexo and the Choir of the Basilica Friday, April 26 at 7pm ‐ Great Upper Church of the Basilica

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception will host a special concert to benefit the Cathedral of Notre Dame on Friday evening, April 26, at 7 p.m. 

The concert will feature the Choir of the Basilica and Johann Vexo, the Notre Dame organist who was playing at the time the devastating fire broke out at the cathedral the evening of April 15.

Titled Together with Notre Dame de Paris, the concert is free and open to the public, with a freewill offering to benefit the rebuilding and restoration of this historic church that dates back more than 850 years.  The concert will celebrate the spiritual and cultural significance of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the world, as well as the hope for its future.

Organized by the Basilica and the Embassy of France in the United States, in partnership with the Friends of Notre‐Dame and the French‐American Cultural Foundation, the concert will be broadcast live through the generous support of the Knights of Columbus on the Eternal Word Television Network.

In solidarity with Notre Dame Cathedral, the Basilica began a special online collection the evening of the fire to support its restoration. To donate or learn more about this special collection, please visit www.SupportNotreDame.org.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Catholic church in North America and is among the ten largest churches in the world. Designated a national sanctuary of prayer and pilgrimage, the Basilica is the patronal church of the United States and the nation’s preeminent Marian shrine.  Often referred to as America’s Catholic Church, the Basilica will celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the laying of its foundation stone in 2020.  To learn more please visit  www.nationalshrine.org.

Luther Vandross Fans to Remember the ‘Velvet Voice’ with 
The American Pops Orchestra Concert at THEARC

WASHINGTON — In his life, he won eight GRAMMY awards, sold over 35 million records worldwide, and filled arenas around the world. On Sunday, April 7, The American Pops Orchestra will bring the music and style of the legendary Luther Vandross back to the nation’s capital. 
The American Pops Orchestra, conducted by Luke Frazier, will present “Here and Now: The Music of Luther Vandross,” beginning at 3 p.m. at THEARC DC at 1901 Mississippi Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. Frazier has worked with artists who were close to Vandross such as Patti Labelle and Vanessa Williams. 
The performance will include songs Vandross wrote such as “So Amazing,” as well as other widely known works that some may not realize have a Vandross connection, such as with David Bowie’s “Young Americans.” 
Singers will include Helen Hayes award-winner Nova Y. Payton, “The Voice” semi-finalist Rayshun LaMarr, Birdland Jazz Club’s Natalie Douglas, and many more. WAMU’s Tamika Smith will serve as host. 
APO’s mission is to present innovative programming, featuring groundbreaking concepts to develop and inspire a new audience to appreciate and enjoy live music. DC Metro Theatre Arts has called APO “an innovative group of artists [that] are reinvigorating the tunes you know and love with a contemporary flair that never fails to please.”

Following this performance, the final show of the season will be “I Am What I Am: The Music of Jerry Herman,” on May 18.

Tickets and further details about all the performances are at www.theamericanpops.org. 

THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA, founded by LUKE FRAZIER, presents innovative orchestral programming, featuring groundbreaking concepts to develop and inspire a new audience for the 21st century. This professional orchestra boasts outstanding musicians from New York and Washington, D.C. The American Pops features top performers from Broadway, film and television in critically acclaimed world premier performances. 
In addition to self-presented programming, other high-profile performances include the Hispanic Heritage Awards, which is nationally broadcast on PBS; theatreWashington’s Helen Hayes Awards; The Giving Pledge; the Beacon Prize, given by Human Rights First; and the DC Standing Ovation Awards, celebrating excellence in DC Public Schools. www.theamericanpops.org
 

Carpe DC Food Tours is again offering self-guided food crawls in collaboration with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Buy a ticket, check in the day of the tour (location revealed upon purchase), receive a passport listing included restaurants, pick

Penn Quarter: March 30th 11am-5pm 

This year, they are again offering Tastes of Spring Cherry Blossom Food Crawl in DC, featuring restaurants in Penn Quarter, on MARCH 30th.

Old Town Alexandria: April 7th 11am-5pm

NEW this year is the Tastes of Spring Cherry Blossom Food Crawl in Old Town Alexandria on April 7th.

6 Tastings: $80

8 Tastings: $96

More information about both tours and tickets can be purchased here: https://carpedcfoodtours.com/tastes-of-spring-cherry-blossom-food-tours/

April is Architecture Month 

Purchase tickets now for dozens of tours, lectures, and cultural events throughout the month of April, all across Washington.

Thinking of attending multiple events?

Join DAC and benefit from discounted event fees for Architecture Month and throughout the entire year.

All for less than the cost of attending 3 events at the non-member rate!