Sunshine, politics and lots of free stuff are the trademarks of a summer spent in D.C. Although it's impossible to encapsulate the scores of activities available to D.C. visitors and residents during the long, lazy days of summer, the D.C. Caribbean Carnival, the National Capital Barbecue Battle, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the 2006 Independence Day festivities are just a handful of exciting upcoming events taking place soon in a District near you. Read on for more information and check www.culturaltourismdc.org for more activity ideas all summer long.
D.C. Caribbean Carnival and Parade June 24-25 Banneker Field, Georgia Avenue, NW www.dccaribbeancarnival.com
The 14th annual D.C. Caribbean Carnival will include the "Parade of the Bands," featuring 14 Caribbean-style musical groups. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on the corner of Georgia and Missouri avenues, NW, and will end at the D.C. Festival site of Banneker Field with live concerts, food and activites, according to the festival Web site.
Banneker Field has been renamed "De Savannah" after the location of Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival celebrations. Concerts will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The concerts feature live Soca music, which is a modern fusion of calypso and reggae music, by renowned musicians Iwer George, Fayann Lyons, Machel Montano and Xtatik.
In addition to the live music, there will be a wide variety of Caribbean food, as well as arts and crafts. Admission to the festival site is $10.
National Capital Barbecue Battle June 24-25 National Mall www.barbecuebattle.com
Also on the weekend of June 24-25 is the 40th annual National Capital Barbecue Battle on the National Mall from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The event, sponsored by Safeway grocery stores, has been listed as one of the nation's top 100 events by the American Tourism Industry Association and a top barbecue event by the Travel Channel and Discovery.com, according to their respective Web sites.
The Barbecue Battle will include competition between individual barbecue grillers, food from well-known barbecue restaurants from across the country, cooking demonstrations and - of course - free food. The event will also include top national and regional rock, reggae, jazz and blues performances on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $10.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival June 30-July 4 and July 7-11 National Mall www.folklife.si.edu
The 37th annual Folklife Festival, sponsored by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, features daily and evening music and dance performances, storytelling, crafts and cooking demonstrations from the featured cultures, according to its Web site.
This year, the Folklife Festival will focus on four different cultures, including Alberta, Canada; New Orleans; Native Basketry (basket weavers from North America) and Nuestra Musica (Latino music and culture).
The "Alberta at the Smithsonian" program highlights more than 120 of the best musicians, storytellers, cooks and craftspeople from Alberta, which has the fastest growing economy in Canada. The New Orleans program, called "Been in the Storm So Long," includes a special evening concert series of New Orleans jazz, gospel, brass bands, rhythm and blues and Mardi Gras music.
The Native Basketry program, called "Carriers of Culture: Living Native Basket Traditions," focuses on 80 Native American basket weavers through live demonstrations, dance performances, activities and discussions. Finally, the "Nuestra Musica: Latino Chicago" program will feature the Latino music from Chicago's diverse Latino communities through demonstrations, workshops and concerts.
Admission is free.
National Independence Day Parade, Fireworks and Capitol Fourth Concert July 4 National Mall www.july4thparade.com www.pbs.org/capitolfourth
It's no surprise that D.C. is the place to be for the most patriotic of U.S. holidays. The 2006 Independence Day Parade is a must-see for those residing in D.C. in the summer. The parade will begin on July 4 at 11:45 a.m. at Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, according to www.july4thparade.com. The parade will include invited bands, military and specialty units, floats, politicians and celebrities. Past parades have attracted over 300,000 spectators.
Also on July 4, the 26th annual "A Capital Fourth - 2006 Independence Day Concert" will take place from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building. The concert, sponsored by and aired live on PBS, features music by the National Symphony Orchestra and one of the largest fireworks displays in the country, drawing over 700,000 spectators. Jason Alexander will host this year's concert.
The best part? It's all free. Make sure to get to the West Lawn early, however, to ensure you get seats for the concert; crowds tend to gather early and linger on the Mall, so consider ditching the Smithsonian Metro station and use alternate Metro stations, such as Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines) or Archives-Navy Memorial (yellow and green lines) to avoid peak crowds.
