Things to Do: Foster's Lobsta Palooza National Harbor (MD)

Just came across this event and had to share...

Foster's Lobsta Palooza will be held on the waterfront of Maryland's National Harbor on Saturday, July 30th. Below is more information about the event, taken from their website.

SESSION ONE: Saturday, July 30 11am – 3pm
SESSION TWO: Saturday, July 30 5pm – 9pm

Join us for this 1st ANNUAL Maryland Tradition! The Festival is an ALL-YOU-CARE-TO-TASTE extravaganza complete with thousands of lobsters, lots of beer and wine, live music and SO MUCH MORE.

• ALL GUESTS ENJOY A WONDERFUL WATERSIDE SEAT – UNDER THE GIANT FOSTER’S TENT. Seating is communal and each table WILL BE FILLED to capacity (8 persons) where all guests can enjoy a relaxing meal.



• FANTASTIC FOOD MENU from Foster’s Clambake including all you care to eat LOBSTER along with New England clam chowder, corn bread, coleslaw, corn on the cob and brownies for dessert. Complimentary tea and lemonade also provided.



• HEAVY SEAS CRAFT BEERS. Enjoy four fantastic styles of Heavy Seas beer during the four hours your are here.



• GREAT WINE. Enjoy BOTH red and white wines during the four hours your are here.



• LIVE MUSIC on The Main Stage! Enjoy the Sounds of local and regional favorite bands as they rock the waterfront.



• ALL SHOW FEATURES are undercover- so Rain or Shine- you should be fine.
  

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE

For more information, http://www.harborfests.com/

Things to Do: emPOWER Happy Hour @ Tabaq 6/2

Come NETWORK with a purpose at the emPOWER Happy Hour on Thursday, June 2 at TABAQ BISTRO on U Street.

Each month, emPOWER Magazine hosts a happy hour benefitting a different non-profit organization in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area.

This month's beneficiary is Thursday Network and their I EMPOWER Scholarship receipient, Frank Ugboh, Frank Ugboh is a senior at Laurel High School in Prince George's County (MD). A stellar student, Frank maintains a 3.9 grade point average and has received several awards for his academic achievements including the Jesse Wise Award, awarded to the student whose contributions to the school are marked by the qualities of leadership, courage, and dignity, as well as the 2010 Upward Bound Outstanding Scholar in recognition of exemplary academic performance. Frank also is an avid devotee of community service, allowing him to "provide opportunities for those in need". Through his work at the Patriots Technology Training Center and Oakland Presbyterian Church, Frank has shown exemplary leadership by contributing to the development numerous after-school and tutoring programs.

To assist Frank with his college expenses, we are requesting a $5 minimum donation.

Let's arm Frank with everything he needs to be successful at the next level!

June 2, 2011
5:30 PM

MINIMUM DONATION: $5

TABAQ BISTRO
1336 U Street, NW
Washington, DC

RSVP: http://empowermagazine.eventbrite.com/

Questions? Contact Rita Lassiter, President, at president@thursdaynetwork.org.

Things to Do: Art Soiree

On Cinco de Mayo, in the midst of going to various happy hours and celebrating the holiday, I along with some friends ended the night at an event called Art Soiree. It was held at Cities Restaurant downtown. A friend of mine forwarded me the invite, I RSVPed but I had no idea what to expect.

When we arrived we each paid $10 for admission (I typically don't pay for events at restaurants unless it's for charity and in this case it was). We arrived to the sounds of lively music and a very diverse crowd. As we walked around there were several pieces of art stationed to the back of the restaurant. Each piece had a Discman (yes as in a Sony Discman, old school right) that you could listen to to learn more about the piece in front of you.

Throughout the evening there was a DJ playing all types of music along with musicians (guitarist, drums and trumpet players) who were playing along with him and even a local rapper. It was definitely something I enjoyed and can't wait for the next one, which will be held on May 26, 2011 from 7:00PM - midnight at Puro Lounge in Georgetown.

For more information about the next Art Soiree event, see below.

Garden Fete at Puro Lounge
You can expect to hear great music, view amazing art, and mingle with an enthusiastic crowd at this European inspired chic-oasis in the heart of Georgetown. The evening will feature performances by Robert Kupstas' Quartet and will showcase passion and love fueled artwork by DC's own Natalie Cartner. To learn more, visit: http://www.theartsoiree.com/ or www.facebook.com/artsoiree .

Puro Lounge
1529 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC

Dress code: Fashionable Cocktail Attire
Entrance fee: $10 from 7pm-12am
Please RSVP at artsoireedc@gmail.com

Things to Do: Jazz in the Garden 2011

It's that time of the year again and I'm so excited, I can barely contain myself. This Friday, kicks off the start of the 11th Annual season of Jazz in the Garden hosted by the National Gallery of Art.

This weekly event will begin May 27 and run through September 9, and last from 5:00 - 8:30PM each and every Friday throughout the summer. It's the perfect time to grab a date or even find a group of friends. Pack your picnic basket, bring a blanket and enjoy an evening in the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Gardens. If you'd prefer, you can purchase food and alcohol (wine and sangria) there. My advice is to get there early so you can get a seat in the shade with a view of the performance. And if you didn't know this event is FREE!!!

For more information, http://www.nga.gov/programs/jazz/

For a complete listing of upcoming performances, see below.

Origem (Brazilian jazz)
May 27

DC Jazz Festival presents Mark Prince (progressive jazz)
June 3

Deanna Bogart ("blusion," blues fusion)
June 10

John Lee (guitar fusion jazz/rock)
June 17

Sheila Ross (jazz vocalist)
June 24

Rumba Club (Latin jazz/salsa)
July 1

Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet (vocal ensemble)
July 8

Con Candela (Cuban jazz)
July 15

Elikeh (Afro-funk from Togo)
July 22

Incendio (acoustic Latin guitar world fusion jazz)
July 29

Alan Wonneberger and Company (double drummers)
August 5

Chuck Redd (jazz vibraphonist)
August 12

Alex Brown (jazz pianist)
August 19

Bill Burke (8-string tap-style guitarist) and Bruce Ewan (blues band)
August 26

Bruno Nasta (jazz violinist) and The U.S. Naval Academy Band—The Next Wave (jazz ensemble)
September 2

The Greg Hatza ORGANization (Hammond B-3 organ)
September 9

Step Afrika! Partners with The Phillips Collection to Celebrate Legendary Artist Jacob Lawrence

For Immediate Release
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Step Afrika! Partners with The Phillips Collection to Celebrate Legendary Artist Jacob Lawrence

The visual and performing arts come together to produce an innovative collaboration centered around Lawrence's The Migration Series

STEP AFRIKA! is partnering with The Phillips Collection to give birth to a new artistic experience inspired by Jacob Lawrence’s epic masterpiece The Migration Series. In an innovative collaboration between the visual and performing arts, Step Afrika!—Washington’s highly celebrated dance company and the Nation’s Capital first and only Cultural Ambassador—draws inspiration from Lawrence’s iconic series on view at the Phillips and its role as a center for its study and display. The dynamic new performance, featuring jazz, vocals, drums, dance, and visual imagery, premieres at the Atlas Performing Arts Center on June 15–26, 2011.

To Phillips Director Dorothy Kosinski, the project’s synergy is palpable: “This year we celebrate 90 years of creative innovation at The Phillips Collection. What better time to deepen our engagement with Lawrence by contributing to an endeavor that bridges artistic disciplines, builds community, and connects us to a partner as inspiring and cutting-edge as Step Afrika!.”

Step Afrika’s! new collaboration with The Phillips Collection will première during Step Afrika!’s Home Performance Series 2011 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center beginning June 15th thru June 26th. Step Afrika! will perform excerpts from the piece at The Phillips Collection on August 18 as part of the museum’s popular after hours series Phillips After 5. Deemed “a virtuosic performance” by Washington Post Pulitzer-winner Sarah Kaufman, the award winning dance company will unveil new stepping choreography chronicling the historic journey from South to North in the United States, emulating several panels of Lawrence’s legendary The Migration Series.

“The Phillips Collection has invested substantial resources in educating teachers and students alike, encouraging and bringing about a heightened awareness of the Great Migration of African-Americans and its significant place in America’s history, “ says C. Brian Williams, founder and Executive Director of Step Afrika!. “ Coupled with our own research into the dance and music of the late 1800’s along with the countless stories of Southern migrants, Step Afrika! will produce a performance unlike any other in our 17 year history. It is an absolute must see for lovers of dance, art, history and culture.”

A recipient of the Mayor's Arts Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Arts in Education" and "Innovation in the Arts", Step Afrika! has been repeatedly recognized as one of the region’s most exciting arts organizations, also receiving a feature in Catalogue for Philanthropy as one of Greater Washington's “Best Small Charities.”

For tickets, call the Atlas box office at 202.399.7993 (press “2”) or purchase on line at www.stepafrika.org.

Things to Do: HELA Spa & DevaCurl Event

Join HELA Spa and DevaCurl for an exclusive event on Tuesday, May 24 from 5:00 - 8:00 PM at the HELA Spa in Chevy Chase, MD. There will be food, drinks and an opportunity to enter to win a Deva Curl Haircut. See the flyer posted below.

Things to Do: Bike to Work Day 2011

The other day I received an email from Capital Bikeshare (you know the company with those rental bicycles, the red ones with kiosks located all around the city) mentioned that Friday, May 20, 2011 is National Bike to Work Day. Below is some information I obtained from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association's website.

Registration for the region’s largest annual bicycling event is now open! National Bike to Work Day will be celebrated this year on May 20th, 2011 and it’s already shaping up to be bigger and better than last year — if you can believe it. In 2010, over 9,200 bicyclists registered with many more joining in at the last moment that morning. This year we’re going to break 10,000 cyclists!

Bike to Work Day is co-sponsored by us (the Washington Area Bicyclist Association) and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Commuter Connections. On May 20th, there will be 50 regional pit stops throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia (an increase of 15 from last year!) where participants can get their FREE Bike to Work Day t-shirt, enjoy FREE snacks and drinks, enter to win some excellent raffle prizes, meet other bike commuters and most importantly have some fun celebrating bicycling as a clean, inexpensive and fun mode of transportation.

Registration is FREE and the first 8,500 people registered will receive a FREE 2011 Bike to Work Day t-shirt. To register, click here.

Things to Do: Golden Triangle Summer Concerts

It's that time of the year again!!!

Come down to Farragut Square Park in the Golden Triangle area of DC for their FREE summer concert series every Wednesday in the month of June from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

Grab a blanket and dinner from your favorite Golden Triangle restaurant (there are usually tons of offers from local merchants that coincide with this weekly event, will post as soon as they are available) Relax in the park while enjoying some of the most popular local music talent in Washington DC.

Concert Schedule
June 1: Jah Works (reggae)
June 8: Sin Miedo (salsa)
June 15: Monster Band (funk, pop, dance)
June 22: Cazhmiere (top-40, dance)
June 29: Sam O & JFC (caribbean)

Hope to see you there! For more information, click here.

Things to Do: Philips After 5

On Thursday, May 5 from 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM, The Phillips Collection and Washington National Opera (WNO) will partner to celebrate a Roman Holiday as part of La Dolce DC, a city-wide celebration of all things Italian.

Join them at the Phillips' for the May installment of their monthly event, featuring live music, cocktails, intriguing artwork, and more. Explore Philip Guston, Roma, and let WNO's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists serenade you with excerpts from Don Pasquale, plus get a preview of this spring's hottest Italian fashions and taste some of DC's delicious and decadent Italian favorites.

Reserve today – These events sell out every month!

The Phillips Collection
1600 21st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202.387.2151
http://www.phillipscollection.org/