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Hey there! Like the old school East Coast vs West Coast rap battles, there’s a debate going on whether people from D.C. should be called Washingtonians or D.C.-ers (no. just … no) 🤔 Washingtonians on the West Coast say it’s confusing, but D.C. was named in 1791 and Washington wasn’t formed until 1853. We totally side with Jane Levey of the DC History Center on this: “My immediate response is that we got it first, so they can just suck it up. I mean, come on.”
Where do you come down on this debate? |
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🗓 Awesome Things To Do This Month. |
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Spring has finally, fully, sprung in the nation's capital putting an extra bounce in DC's step with longer nights, patio drinking, and growing anticipation for the easy days of summer, it’s the best time to get outside and explore! Plus, no humidity or mosquitoes yet!
There are tons of awesome things to get excited about this month: Experience new cultures without getting on a plane during a month of Passport DC events Get in the spirit of all things Stars Wars with dark side/light side May the 4th Be With You celebrations Stroll along and make pour decisions on a spring DC Wine Walk Listen to Chasten Buttigieg’s author talk as he discusses the adaptation of his New York Times best seller Stay up late for National Gallery of Art Nights
And that's just for starters . . .
Check out our guide of 80+ awesome things to do in DC this month! |
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✈ Ready for Take-Off! How to Navigate Passport DC Embassy Open Houses. |
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Passport DC returns to DC in May with a month of programming — including the always-popular Around the World Embassy Tour (May 6) and the EU Open House (May 13) — offering locals a chance to learn about many cultures, watch performances, and devour food and drink samples that are often worth waiting for in the event’s notoriously long lines.
Check out our tips to help navigate the crowds. What are your suggestions for going the distance at these events? |
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🍜 Take an International Culinary Journey Through DC. |
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With more than 175 foreign embassies, residences, chanceries, and diplomatic missions, DC is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation, and that goes for its cuisine too.
They say the best way to experience a culture is through its food, so download our Global Eats: Taste The World Without Leaving DC guide ($1.99) as a companion to this year’s Passport DC, or you know, because you’re hungry. |
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🎬 Lights! Camera! Action! DMV Outdoor Movie Guide. |
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Outdoor movie screenings are starting to pop up in neighborhoods across DC. They're a favorite with locals and a great way to experience a different side of the District. We're not focused on politics all the time, you know!
Whether you're looking for date night options, recent blockbusters or family favorites, there's an outdoor film series at a drive-in or at a park that's sure to fit the bill. Even better, most screenings are free! So mark your calendar for these upcoming outdoor flicks, and get your popcorn, blankets, favorite snacks, and bug spray (trust us on this) ready before showtime!
More screenings will be added as temperatures continue to warm up and events are announced, so stay tuned.
📣 Movies may be canceled because of weather or other reasons, so always check websites or social media before heading out. |
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📝 Golden Poetry Pops Up in Downtown DC. |
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We never quite got the hang of writing haiku, but we love seeing the results of Golden Triangle BID’s annual haiku contest posted in flower boxes all around the downtown neighborhood which covers 43-blocks from the White House to Dupont Circle.
Started in 2014, more than 1,600 people submitted entries this year from across the 50 states, including Puerto Rico and, of course, DC. This year's theme, Notes to Nature, encouraged poets to share how nature's surroundings inspire them.
Some of the haiku are funny, some are thoughtful, and some make you go hmm, but they're a fun and unique way to welcome spring and enliven the streets on your commute or leisurely stroll.
Have you seen them? Which is your favorite? |
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🎼 Are You Ready to Rock? Guide to Outdoor Music in DC. |
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If you want to see one of Smithsonian National Gallery of Art's "Jazz in the Garden” shows this summer, you’ll have to try your luck to get a ticket. Because so many people love the picnic-blanket-clad-sangria-filled Friday night concerts, tickets this summer will be doled out in a free lottery system.
But there’s no need for FOMO. Outdoor concerts are an intrinsic soundtrack of the city: enjoying salsa grooves with a picnic in a public park, or stumbling across a cover band performing along the waterfront on the way to dinner, and being pulled in to listen to a few songs.
We've scouted some awesome Jazz in the Garden alternatives to scratch that music itch, so get ready to get your groove on all summer long! |
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Ahhh! You can feel yourself relaxing just looking at this photo of the Southwest Duck Pond. This lovely pocket park is one of the most under appreciated in D.C.
The Duck Pond opened in 1972 and was designed by the landscape architecture firm Wallace McHarg Roberts & Todd. The center point of the quiet park is a water feature that somewhat resembles the “command” button on a Mac keyboard from a bird’s eye view perspective. Three gazebo-seized peninsulas jut out into the water, each providing space for intimate clusters of two or three lounge chairs.
The park is essentially a dense collection of private bubbles, with a dozen or so seating clusters located far enough away from each other for privacy, but close enough for a pleasant people-watching experience. The Duck Pond is a small square with just 480 feet to each side, but the canopy of shade trees makes it feel like a vast green living room.
You can feed the ducks, relax with a good book from the free library, or enjoy a host of free community events thrown by the SWBID including live music, holiday parties, and neighborhood dinners. The park is now more than a place just for nearby neighbors, it has become a destination location for everyone.
📍: Between 6th and I Street SW |
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🔗 ICYMI: DC Link Roundup. |
Arts + Entertainment Race Against the Clock at DC’s New Intense Escape Room (Thrillest) Art Exhibits in DC to Check Out Before They Disappear (Thrillest) What are DC's Biggest Summer Music Festivals? (CityCast) Where Music Begins: Atlantis Announces 10 Burgeoning Artists as Headliners (CityPaper) See D.C.’s Newly Crowned Best Rock Group Flowerbomb in Full Bloom (CityPaper) 2023 Spring Arts Guide (CityPaper)
Food + Bev 8 Delicious Doughnut Shops Around DC (Washingtonian) The Hottest New Pop-Ups Around D.C. (EaterDC) 6 New DC Rooftop Bars for Sipping in the Sunshine (Washingtonian) Where to Find Unconventional Happy Hour Deals in D.C. (EaterDC) 3 New-Wave Omakase Counters to Try Around DC (Washingtonian) New Restaurants are Coming to Dulles and National Airports (Axios) 5 of D.C.’s best restaurants for late-night delivery (WaPo)
Around Town Deanwood’s new neighborhood haunt (Axios) The Best Washington DC Dispensaries Open Right Now (Thrillest) What the new Navy museum could look like (Axios)
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Whether you’re local or just visiting, your DC adventure awaits. Allons-y! |
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