The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is back in Washington DC, June 29th to July 4th and July 7th to July 10th. You’ll find it on the National Mall between Fourth and Seventh streets, north of the National Air and Space Museum. The free festival features Basque culture of the Old World and the Americas (music, dance, craft and foodways), music of California, and the cultural impact of Immigration.
Ryan and Hays Holladay are Bluebrain, composers and producers of musical concept art. One of their works matched original musical compositions with locations through iPhone GPS to provide a unique tour of DC’s National Mall. They have also produced live events, and their 3rd and last DC Boombox Walk was at the U.S. Botanic Garden on Saturday at 3 PM. Sadly, we learned of the event at 2:45 PM on Saturday, but we expect to see documentation on the Web soon. You can hear some of the music here.
Image (“Young Beauty With Boombox, after Utagawa Hiroshige”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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As usual, we’re walking down to the Mall to see the Independence Day pyrotechnics. This year we’re taking umbrellas as well as water bottles. We’re leaving you these links:
“So You Want to See the National Fireworks on the Mall?” Brian Mosely, WeLoveDC
“July 4th Fireworks in Washington D.C., 2011 – Last Minute Guide to the Best Spots,” International Business Times
“Where to See Fireworks in Bowie, Annapolis and the D.C. and Baltimore Metro Areas,” Leslie Hunt and Josh Flynn, Bowie Patch
The District of Columbia hosts several events this weekend, as you may have heard. This city of 600,000 will be the location of the Rally to Restore Sanity, the March to Restore Fear, and dozens of counter-protests, spin-off rallies, and after-parties for each.
The 2010 National Book Festival. It’s free.
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, 10 AM to 5:30 PM
The National Mall in Washington, DC, between 3rd and 7th streets NW
Image (“National eBook Festival, after Peter Ferguson“) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
The Fourth of July will be celebrated in the District of Columbia with the traditional street closings and detours. Travel into and around Washington DC will be slow tomorrow as tourists jam the District to watch fireworks on the National Mall. Be careful who you cut off on the Wilson and Memorial bridges on your way in, though, because no one likes pyrotechnics more than the pistol-packing patrons of Champps sports bars in Northern Virginia.
Virginia’s new law permitting concealed weapons in saloons went into effect Thursday, and patrons of Champps celebrated with Glocks and iced tea. There are good reasons to pack heat in Virginia’s sports bars. You certainly need a semiautomatic firearm at Champps to defend your family against those dangerous Loaded Chips appetizers (cheddar, pepperjack, mozzarella, Asiago cream sauce, bacon, green onions, sour cream).
Have a safe and sane Independence Day.
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
The Dwight D, Eisenhower Memorial will be installed on a four acre plot on the National Mall, at the foot of Capitol Hill. The Eisenhower Memorial Commission has approved a design by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Fittingly, it resembles the large trash incinerators so common during the Eisenhower Administration (1953-1961).
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