2007 Summer Activities in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. loves displays, celebrations and events. It has always drawn tourists to special events that are national in nature and also special festivals or parades and celebrations. This year the regular line-up has some new features.

This June and July, our nation's capitol, will put on some great festivals. Some are newer traditions than others, but all are a celebration of people. The National Capitol Pride Parade is one of the newer events. It is actually one of the nation's largest gay and lesbian pride festivals in the country. The festival will last for 9 days, from June 2nd through June 11th, with a street fair, a parade and entertainment by members of the community. Thousands attend this event every year and it has been steadily growing. http://www.capitalpride.org/flash/index.html

Living in Memphis, I really know barbecue. Each year in May, we have the world's biggest barbecue cook off downtown at Tom Lee Park, where thousands from all around the globe come to compete with their renditions of ribs, roasts, butt roasts and pulled pork. Well, there's a similar event in Washington D.C. this year, June 23-24. Here, cooks from all over the country compete for the title of Safeway's National Barbecue Battle. This event benefits the D.C. Boy's and Girl's Clubs. As in Memphis, there will be huge tents in case of rain, and free food can be sampled as folks roam around the area of Pennsylvania Ave. between 9th and 14th Streets, with the nation's capitol building looming in the background. Cooking demos and interactive events, plus fun for children are also part of this weekend celebration. Restaurateurs covet prizes like this one and the one from Memphis because the medals and trophies draw people to their restaurants like magnets. As people walk the area, they'll be entertained by lively reggae, rock and blues music played by bands nearby. It should be really fun this year. Be there Sat. from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Another fun event in June in D.C. is the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This event takes place on the National Mall where the Smithsonian is located, along with the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and other landmarks. Tents will be set up for visitors to the various exhibits and demonstrations. The event has been taking place for over 40 years and, in a nutshell, it celebrates the culture and heritage of a handful of countries or regions of the world each year. This year 41st Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival will take place June 27-July 1 and July 4-8, 2007. I've actually been to one of these and it was incredibly fun. Anything the Smithsonian does is professional and extremely well planned. This summer's Festival will focus on the cultures connecting along the Mekong River Valley, Northern Ireland and the historical roots of the Colony and state of Virginia. At the Mekong Exhibitions people will get to interact with artisans and craftsmen, listen to folk opera, hear native musicians and see dancing from the area. The other events will be structured in a similar way. This is a must-see for visitors to D.C.

http://www.dccaribbeancarnival.com/
Everybody loves Caribbean stuff, right? Especially now, with the Hispanic influence so impacting our own culture, the Caribbean culture is growing ever more popular. It's a relaxed, "island" attitude and the casual and gay lifestyle that draw so much enthusiasm. Well, D.C. has been throwing celebrations of this culture for over ten years now and this year's celebration is expected to beguile and entertain hundreds of thousands. It is one of the fastest growing carnivals in the country. The parade will take place on June 23rd, with musicians and masqueraders from just about every Caribbean nation taking part. Then, Sunday, June 24th, there will be food and crafts exhibitions from vendors peddling their local products in the open and under tents.