Cultural Tourism DC
Open House: Around the World Embassy Tour
Dates: May 1
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Massachusetts Avenue; Connecticut Avenue/
International Drive; Lower New Hampshire Avenue/
Georgetown
Metro: see individual embassy listings
Admission: Free
For more info: www.culturaltourismdc.org

Embassies from Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas invite the public to visit free of
charge to sample extraordinary delights from many diverse cultures. This family friendly event showcases art, music, traditional dress and much more. Here is your chance to meet embassy staff and explore the architecture of historic mansions and dynamic new structures.

 

Washington National Cathedral
Pageantry: The Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan
Dates: May 1
Time: 4 pm
Location: Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin
Avenue, NW
Metro: Tenleytown (Red line); entrance to the parking garage
is at Wisconsin Avenue and Hearst Circle
Admission: Free
For more info: www.nationalcathedral.org

The pageantry of the Highlands returns to Washington as the Saint Andrew’s Society of Washington, DC, marches into Washington National Cathedral for the 70th Annual Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan. Accompanied by its Pipes and Drums and Colour Guard, close to 100 society members pay tribute to their Scottish ancestors. After the blessing, all are welcome to enjoy entertainment by Saint Andrew’s Society Pipes and Drums and Highland dancers.

 

U.S. National Arboretum
Festival: Potomac Bonsai Festival
Dates: May 1 - 2
Time: 9 am - 5 pm
Location: U.S. National Arboretum, Administration Building
and Grounds
Admission: Free

This annual festival features something for everyone, from the casual observer to the accomplished bonsai artist, including demonstrations, exhibits, vendors, lectures, and workshops. Potomac Bonsai Association members and prominent visiting bonsai artists will share their expertise.

 

Washington, DC Jewish Community Center
Festival: A Community Israel Celebration
Dates: May 2
Time: 2 - 7 pm
Location: Washington, DC Jewish Community Center,
1529 16th Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.shalomdc.org

Come spend the day enjoying Israeli artisan crafts, captivating film offerings, excellent culinary delights, and activities for all ages. At 6 pm enjoy the music of platinum recording artist Rami Kleinstein. Known as one of Israel’s greatest composers, he has been elected Israeli Radio and Television “Singer of the Year.” For additional activities at other sites, please visit www.shalomdc.org.

 

The Phillips Collection
Music & Art: Gorenman plays Rachmaninoff
Dates: May 2
Time: 4 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room, 1600 21st
Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: Included in museum admission; free for Phillips
members; Sunday Concerts are not ticketed and seating is
general admission; early arrival is recommended
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

In this rare all-Rachmaninoff piano recital, Yuliya Gorenman presents a panoramic view of the composer’s works, including several Etudes-Tableaux, preludes, and the Sonata No. 2.

 

National Geographic Museum
Film: Hananpacha
Dates: May 4
Time: 12 noon
Location: National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th Street, NW
Metro: Farragut North (Red line)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.nationalgeographic.com

In the native Quechua language of the Andes, Hananpacha means “the world above.” This work by independent filmmakers Carlos and José Vallejo offers a stunning visual ode to the Lake Titicaca region of Perú. Featuring spectacular aerial photography, this strictly visual film with no narration or dialogue allows this unique part of the world to speak for itself.

 

National Geographic Live!
Presentation: Empire of Ice: Encounters in a Changing Landscape
Dates: May 4
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: National Geographic Live!, 1600 M Street, NW
Metro: Farragut North (Red line)
Admission: Members $15 / General Public $18
For more info: www.nationalgeographic.com

For a National Geographic-supported expedition, writer Gretel
Ehrlich circumnavigated the Arctic Circle to document the indigenous cultures inhabiting its starkly beautiful landscapes as advancing climate change threatens traditional ways of life. In her new book, Empire of Ice: Encounters in a Changing Landscape, and in this presentation, she tells the story of her journey to explore the “ecology of culture.”

 

Decatur House on Lafayette Square
Music & Tour: Jazz on Jackson Place
Dates: May 6
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Decatur House on Lafayette Square, 1610 H Street, NW
Metro: Farragut West / North
Admission: $25
For more info: www.decaturhouse.org

Jazz on Jackson Place, the summer series of Music and Merriment at Decatur House, celebrates International Cultural Awareness Month with a performance featuring Le Zhang. A jazz singer and composer, Zhang leads the wave of Chinese artists who bring the power of traditional Chinese musical arts to the home of American jazz. Included in the admission fee is the live concert, a historic house tour, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres.

 

European Union
Open House: Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House
Date: May 8
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Admission: Free
For more info: www.europe-in-dc.com

Join the European Union Embassies for a day of family fun, food, and culture. This event will give visitors a look inside the embassies and Ambassadors’ residences, many of which are among Washington’s most interesting architectural treasures. Learn how GREEN EUROPE is good for the economy and the environment. Free shuttle buses with two routes will drop visitors off at various embassies.

 

U.S. Navy Museum
Tour: Join the Navy - See the World
Dates: May 8
Time: 1 pm
Location: U.S. Navy Museum, 805 Kidder Breese Street, SE
Metro: Navy Yard, New Jersey Avenue exit (Green line)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.history.navy.mil

Join the staff of the U.S. Navy Museum for a family tour and hands-on educational activity focusing on the U.S. Navy’s “Great White Fleet.” Experience how sailors in the Navy lived on board ships at the turn of the 20th century. Learn of the exotic foreign lands and cultures the fleet visited during its years on the high seas.

 

U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum
Exhibit: Potomac Bonsai Association: Private Bonsai Collections
Dates: May 8 - 16
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum, Special Exhibits Wing
Admission: Free

Bonsai enthusiasts from three local clubs display their creations from their private collections. Come enjoy this rare exhibit.

 

Embassy of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Nepal and American University-Tenley Campus
Dance: Evening of Nepalese Dance
Dates: May 9
Time: 2 - 5:30 pm
Location: Greenberg Theater, American University-Tenley
Campus, 4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Metro: Tenleytown-AU (Red line)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.nepalembassyusa.org

The performance will showcase ethnic, classic and folk dancers from Nepal. Exhibits and handicrafts by the Nepalese people will be available. Visit www.american.edu for directions and parking. Presented by: Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal and American University-Tenley Campus

 

The Phillips Collection
Music & Art: Marcolivia, violin and viola
Dates: May 9
Time: 4 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room, 1600 21st Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: Included in museum admission; free for Phillips
members; Sunday Concerts are not ticketed and seating is
general admission; early arrival is recommended
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

Following music by Béla Bartók and Robert Fuchs, the program concludes with a lively selection of jazz, tango, and swing duos arranged for two violins.

 

Goethe-Institut Washington
Film: Berlinale Favorites: Sixty Years of Outstanding Film
Dates: May 10
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Goethe-Institut Washington, 812 7th Street, NW
Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Red line)
Admission: $4 - $6
For more info: www.goethe.de/washington

The Berlinale (the Berlin International Film Festival) is not only Berlin’s largest cultural event, but also one of the most important dates on the international film industry’s calendar. Founded 60 years ago, the festival has become known for championing political, provocative movies. Dieter Kosslick, creative director and manager of the Berlinale, has assembled his selection of the seven films most worth seeing from the festival’s 60 years.

 

Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco and Arts Club of Washington
Film & Reception: Nuba of Gold and Light
Dates: May 11
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Arts Club of Washington, 2017 I Street, NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue and Orange lines)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.artsclubofwashington.com

Award winner and Official Selection in many world film festivals,
Nuba of Gold and Light tells the story of Arab Andalusian
music, with Nuba as its symphony. For more than 14 centuries
this musical form has developed within some of Morocco’s
most remote areas and Arabia. This film, written and produced
by Izza Genini, reveals how the history of Nuba and the classic melodies of Andalusia still blossom and resonate with generations around the world. The film will be followed by a reception featuring Moroccan refreshments.

 

The Phillips Collection
Music & Art: Leading European Composers - Spain
Dates: May 13
Time: 6 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room, 1600 21st Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: $15; includes admission to the special exhibition.
Registration required: www.phillipscollection.org/calendar
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

José Luis Greco’s compositions conjure images of faraway lands and push instruments to their boundaries. His program includes pieces for string quartet and mezzo soprano. Part of Preview Spain: Arts and Culture 2010 in partnership with the Spanish Embassy

 

The Embassy Series
Concert: Embassy Series: Classical Portugal
Dates: May 14
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Portuguese Ambassador’s Residence,
2125 Kalorama Road, NW
Admission: $100; reservations required - call 202.625.2361 or
order online at www.embassyseries.org
For more info: www.embassyseries.org

In honor of European Union Week violinist Rodolfo Vieira and pianist Diana Vieira, two of Portugal’s great prodigies, will present a delightful program. Enjoy the special hospitality of the Portuguese Embassy during a pre-concert wine reception (6:30 pm) and a buffet following the concert featuring Portuguese wines and drinks.

 

Kennedy Center
Dance: Multiplicity: Bach
Dates: May 14 - 15
Time: 8 pm
Location: Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater,
2700 F Street, NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue and Orange lines); free
Kennedy Center shuttle from Metro; Metrobus 80
Admission: $22 - $65
For more info: www.kennedy-center.org

Founded in 1979, Spain’s Compañía Nacional de Danza enjoys a reputation as one of Europe’s premier contemporary dance companies. Choreographer Nacho Duato has molded the classically trained troupe into one that is equally comfortable with classical and modern dance. Duato dances with his company in its DC debut of Multiplicity: Bach, which was commissioned in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death.

 

Meridian International Center
Festival: Meridian’s International Children’s Festival
Date: May 15
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Meridian International Center, 1630 Crescent Place, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle (Red Line) or U Street/African-American
Civil War Memorial/Cardozo (Green and Yellow line); then
15-20 minute walk
Admission: $10 per person ($5 for 4+ people), special
discount for DCPS students
For more info: www.meridian.org

Meridian International Center produces the International Children’s Festival every May as an educational fun-fair that brings together the DC community and the Diplomatic Corps, as embassies host booths representing their country and culture. The day also features vibrant music and dance performances from around the world! This year Meridian is proud to partner with Cultural Tourism DC for the 4th Annual International Children’s Festival. And then stay for the Alliance Francaise’s Kids World Cinema (4 – 5 pm), which starts immediately after the festival.

 

Washington Walks
Walking Tour: Washington Walks:
Embassy Row Walking Tour
Dates: May 15
Time: 10 am (about 2 hours)
Location: Massachusetts Avenue
Metro: Tour embarks from outside the Dupont Circle Metrorail’s
South exit (Red line)
Admission: $15 (children 3 and under are free). No reservations
necessary. Simply show up and pay the walk fee in cash
when you arrive. Groups of 25 or more should notify Washington
Walks in advance. Your guide will be wearing a blue
and green Washington Walks badge.
For more info: www.washingtonwalks.com

Revel in the Beaux-Arts grandeur of Washington’s Massachusetts Avenue, better known as Embassy Row. Starting at Dupont Circle you will be introduced to the families who decided to showcase their fortunes in the Nation’s Capital in the 1880s and ‘90s. For 50-plus years they reigned supreme. Misfortune eventually drained the resources of many families, with embassies, clubs, and other institutions ultimately purchasing the mansions. Our walk ends outside the magnificent Phillips Collection museum, former residence of steel heir and avid art collector Duncan Phillips.

 

DC Dragon Boat Races
Boat Races: DC Dragon Boat Festival on the Potomac
Dates: May 15 - 16
Time: 10 am
Location: Thompson’s Boathouse Center/Kennedy Center
Waterfront, Georgetown, 2900 Virginia Avenue, NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU (Orange and Blue lines)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.dcdragonboat.com

Sponsored by the Chinese Women’s League of Washington, DC, the 9th Annual Dragon Boat Festival takes place in front of the Thompson Boat Center. Teams from the local area, as well as from out of state compete in a two-day event. Besides watching the race and enjoying the beautiful Potomac River, spectators can indulge in free cultural performances and hands-on activities.

 

Goethe-Institut Washington
Film & Workshop: Kids World Cinema
Dates: May 16
Time: 2 - 4 pm
Location: Goethe-Institut Washington, 812 7th Street, NW
Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Red line)
Admission: Free - reservations required (rsvp@washington.goethe.org)
For more info: www.goethe.de/washington

Significant international children’s films and accompanying craft workshops come to Washington venues over two consecutive weekends. This trio of films comes from Latvia, England, and Germany. The films and craft workshop on May 16 are for children 6+ years old. Reservations required.

 

The Phillips Collection
Music Art: Royal String Quartet with Maestro Eugene Indjie, cello, viola,
and violin
Dates: May 16
Time: 4 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room, 1600 21st
Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle (Q Street exit)
Admission: Included in museum admission; free for Phillips
members; Sunday Concerts are not ticketed and seating is
general admission; early arrival is recommended
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

Shortlisted in 2007 for the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Chamber Music Award, the Royal String Quartet performs the fourth quartet of Poland’s most prominent female composer, Grazyna Bacewicz; Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concert in F minor in a quintet version; and a quartet by Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki.

 

U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum
Demonstration: Creating and Training Bonsai
Dates: May 16
Time: 1 - 2:30 pm
Location: U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum, Lecture and Demonstration Center
Admission: Free

Drop in at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum for a free demonstration on how bonsai are created and trained. A member of the Potomac Bonsai Assocation will give advice and answer your questions during the demonstration.

 

Goethe-Institut Washington
Film: Berlinale Favorites: Sixty Years of Outstanding Film
Dates: May 17
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Goethe-Institut Washington, 812 7th Street, NW
Metro: Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Red line)
Admission: $4 - $6
For more info: www.goethe.de/washington

The Berlinale (the Berlin International Film Festival) is not only Berlin’s largest cultural event, but also one of the most important dates on the international film industry’s calendar. See May 10 event description.

 

Kennedy Center
Concert: Adams Conducts Josefowicz
Dates: May 20 - 22
Time: Thursday 7 pm; Friday 1:30 pm; Saturday 8 pm
Location: Kennedy Center, Concert Hall, 2700 F Street, NW
Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue and Orange lines); free
Kennedy Center shuttle from Metro; Metrobus 80
Admission: $20 - $85
For more info: www.kennedy-center.org

The National Symphony Orchestra performs works focused on Russia. Britten’s Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, John Adams’s The Dharma at Big Sur, Stravinsky’s Feu d’Artifice, and Adams’s Doctor Atomic Symphony. John Adams, conductor. Leila Josefowicz, violin. Thursday, May 20 the performance is followed by a free discussion with John Adams, Leila Josefowicz, and NSO Director of Artistic Planning Nigel Boon.

 

Washington Walks
Walking Tour: Washington Walks: Embassy Row Walking Tour
Dates: May 22
Time: 10 am (about 2 hours)
Location: Massachusetts Avenue
Metro: Tour embarks from outside the Dupont Circle Metrorail’s
South exit (Red line)
Admission: $15 (children 3 and under are free). No reservations
necessary. Simply show up and pay the walk fee in cash
when you arrive. Groups of 25 or more should notify Washington
Walks in advance. Your guide will be wearing a blue
and green Washington Walks badge.
For more info: www.washingtonwalks.com

Revel in the Beaux-Arts grandeur of Washington’s Massachusetts Avenue, better known as Embassy Row. Starting at Dupont Circle you will be introduced to the families who decided to showcase their fortunes in the Nation’s Capital in the 1880s and ‘90s. For 50-plus years they reigned supreme. Misfortune eventually drained the resources of many families, with embassies, clubs, and other institutions ultimately purchasing the mansions. Our walk ends outside the magnificent Phillips Collection museum, former residence of steel heir and avid art collector Duncan Phillips.

 

Cultural Tourism DC
Walking Tour: WalkingTown DC: Spanish Stroll
Dates: May 22
Time: 10 am - 12 pm (rain or shine)
Starting Location: Organization of American States Building,
17th Street, NW and Constitution Avenue, NW (in front of the
Queen Isabella statue); nearest Metro Farragut West, 18th
Street exit (Blue and Orange lines)
Ending Location: The Kennedy Center; Foggy Bottom (Blue
and Orange lines)
Admission: Free; reservation required: www.WalkingTownDC.org
For more info: www.CulturalTourismDC.org

Take a nine-block stroll through memorials and sculptures that commemorate Hispanic history and influence in the New World. Stops include the gardens of the Organization of the American States, Virginia Avenue statuary, and the Kennedy Center statue of Don Quixote, the most prominent mythical figure in Spanish literature, better known to theater-goers as The Man of La Mancha. Presented by WashingTours & Events

 

Asia Heritage Foundation
Festival: National Asian Heritage Festival: Fiesta Asia Street Fair
Date: May 22
Time: 10 am - 7 pm
Location: Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between 3rd & 6th Streets
Metro: Capitol South or Eastern Market (Blue and Orange lines)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.asiaheritagefoundation.org

The 5th Annual National Asian Heritage Festivals’ signature celebration – the Fiesta Asia Street Fair – features outdoor craft exhibits, live performances, food and open market vendors, interactive displays, martial arts demonstration, talent show, cooking demonstrations, flash mob dancing, and many more activities. Come join us for a day of celebration!

 

Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the United States (TECRO)
Walking Tour: WalkingTown DC: Historic Tour at Twin Oaks Estate
Dates: May 22
Time: 2:30 - 3:30 pm (cancelled in case of rain)
Starting Location: Meet at intersection of 34th and Woodley
Road, NW (close to Washington National Cathedral)
Admission: Free
For more info: www.CulturalTourismDC.org

Twin Oaks, a Georgian Revival mansion, is the largest privately owned estate in Washington, DC and was built in 1888 by Gardiner Hubbard, founder of the National Geographic Society. From 1937 to 1978, Twin Oaks served as the official residence of the Ambassador to the Republic of China to the United States and it remains the property of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

 

The Embassy Series
Concert: Embassy Series: Jazz Jazz Jazz
Date: May 22
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Icelandic Ambassador’s Residence,
2443 Kalorama Road, NW
Admission: $100; reservations required - call 202.625.2361 or
order online at www.embassyseries.org
For more info: www.embassyseries.org

Bjorn Toroddsen, jazz guitar, and Richard Gilmore, jazz trumpet will present hot jazz at the Icelandic Ambassador’s residence. Bjorn is considered the finest jazz artist in Iceland. He frequently performs with Richard Gilmore, and their program promises to be very exciting. Enjoy a warm buffet reception after the concert.

 

U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum
Workshop:Bonsai Basics
Dates: May 22
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Location: U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum, Lecture and Demonstration Center
Admission Fee: $129 (FONA/NBF $103) Registration required

Create your own bonsai in this all-day class designed for the beginner. Learn the horticultural, aesthetic, and cultural elements of bonsai, and then apply your new knowledge during the hands-on workshop. All necessary materials (plant, pot, soil, and wire) are provided. Some tools will be available. Please bring tools if you have them. Bring lunch for a noon break. Registration is required (202.245.2726 or www.usna.usda.gov).

 

Goethe-Institut Washington
and the Chinatown Community Cultural Center
Walking Tour: WalkingTown DC: German and Chinese Immigrant Communities
Dates: May 23
Time: 1 - 2:30 pm (rain or shine)
Starting Location: Chinatown Community Cultural Center, 616
H Street, NW, 2nd Floor; Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Red line)
Ending Location: Near Webster School, 10th and H Street,
NW; Gallery Pl-Chinatown (Red line)
Admission: Free; reservation required: www.WalkingTownDC.org
For more info: www.CulturalTourismDC.org

Visit some of the places in Downtown DC where German and Chinese immigrants lived between 1850 and 1950, and to some of the institutions that helped them develop a sense of community and assimilation. Among the institutions we will see (from the outside) are the Chinatown Community Church, the former synagogue of Washington Hebrew Congregation (now Greater New Hope Baptist Church), and the Webster School.

 

The Phillips Collection
Music & Art: Versailles Guitar Quartet
Dates: May 23
Time: 4 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room, 1600 21st
Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: Included in museum admission; free for Phillips
members; Sunday Concerts are not ticketed and seating is
general admission; early arrival is recommended
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

For their U.S. debut, the Versailles Guitar Quartet presents works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Charles Gounod, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Federico Mompou.

 

The Phillips Collection
Art Lecture: Painting Provence:
The Riviera of van Gogh and Bonnard
Dates: May 27
Time: 6 and 7 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room,
1600 21st Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: Donation
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

Gallery talk on how the golden light of the Mediterranean invigorated paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Pierre Bonnard.

 

U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum
Exhibit: Art Blooms: Satsuki Azalea Bonsai
Dates: May 29 - 31
Time: 1 am - 4 pm
Location: U.S. National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing
Museum, Special Exhibits Wing
Admission: Free

Breathtaking blossoms cover these late-blooming azaleas, miniature in form, but covered with full-sized flowers. This annual spring exhibit showcases the most spectacular examples.

 

The Phillips Collection
Music & Art: Jenny Q Chai, piano
Dates: May 30
Time: 4 pm
Location: The Phillips Collection, Music Room,
1600 21st Street, NW
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (Red line)
Admission: Included in museum admission; free for Phillips
members; Sunday Concerts are not ticketed and seating is
general admission; early arrival is recommended
For more info: www.phillipscollection.org

Jenny Q Chai specializes in contemporary music and has dazzled audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Rockefeller Center. Her program includes compositions by Claude Debussy and Nils Vigeland.