Thursday, December 1, 2016

Get Out! - The Events Column

Photo by Thomas S Mann
We wanted to share some events and activities that list members might be interested in. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 16,500+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events @ fastmail.net.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

Thursday, December 1 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM, Humanitini: No Taxation Without Representation. What does the future hold for DC’s political autonomy, and Congressional representation? We’ll ask a panel of experts approaching the issue from various creative avenues. This panel is part of a year-long series of events celebrating the 225th birthday of the nation’s capital. Free, but reservations are required at: http://bit.ly/2gZdAVn. In the Langston Room at Busboys & Poets, 14th and V Streets NW.  

Friday, December 2 from 3 - 6 PM, The Importance of Freedom of the Press. How Free Is Freedom of Press? In 1766 Sweden’s Parliament passed the world’s first Freedom of the Press Act and abolished censorship of all printed publications, including those imported from abroad. In light of this 250 year anniversary, on December 2, the Embassy of Sweden and the Newseum have organized an event in House of Sweden about the importance of freedom of the press. The program will begin a dialogue that explores how communication has changed in two and a half centuries and will attempt to define what the terms “communication” and “journalism” mean today. The program also will explore the impact social media platforms and other evolving communications technologies have had on free speech. Free, but please register at http://bit.ly/2fPQLhG. At the House of Sweden, 900 K St. NW.

Friday, December 2 at 7 PM (6:30 for Cafe food), The 8th Annual World AIDS Day Cabaret at Georgetown Day School. Approximately 35 students will participate and there will be 15 - 20 musical acts over the course of 90 minutes. The Internet Cafe will have tables of food and treats - so arrive by 6:30 so to get food and sit back down to enjoy the show. Admission: $5 for students and staff; $10 for other adults. At Georgetown Day School, 4200 Davenport St. NW. More info: http://bit.ly/2fJOBFs 

Saturday, December 3 at  9:30 AM, Petersburg National Battlefield park ranger Aaron Rowland heads a roundtable discussion on what General Ulysses S. Grant called “the saddest affair I have ever witnessed in war” - the Battle of the Crater. This program is part of the NPS’ Civil War roundtable series. Free. In the Rock Creek Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW. For more information call 202-895-6070.

Saturday, December 3 from 10 AM - 1 PM, Tenley Winterfest Children's Book Sale. The Tenley-Friendship library's entrance lobby will be filled with great books for kids - and cookbooks for adults. Yetis optional; bargains guaranteed. The library is at 4450 Wisconsin Avenue NW. For the full schedule of Tenley Winterfest 2016 events, go to: http://www.tenleywinterfest.org/

Saturday, December 3 from 11 AM - 5 PM, Turkish Arts & Crafts Holiday Sale. Great bargains on perfect handmade gifts—silk scarves, toys, knitted and crocheted items, pottery, leather goods, jewelry and more. Puppets! Kilims! And all made by Turkish artisans, primarily women -- your purchases support the good work of the nonprofit Anatolian Artisans organization, (website: www.anatolianartisans.org). At the Stacey residence, 3917 Ingomar St. NW.

Saturday, December 3 from 1 - 4 PM, Bethesda’s “Winter Wonderland.” Celebrate the holiday season in downtown Bethesda with a variety of performances, a visit from Santa Claus, live ice sculpting, and more! Watch as blocks of ice are transformed into magnificent pieces of art. The ice sculptor will use chainsaws, ice picks and other tools to transform the ice and awe the audience. A student concert and visit from Santa will follow the presentation. Free. In Veterans Park, located at the corner of Woodmont and Norfolk Avenues in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle. Full details at: http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/winter-wonderland 

Saturday, December 3 from 5 - 7 PM, Cathedral Commons’ 2nd annual neighborhood holiday Tree Lighting event. Join us in front of Giant as we celebrate with sounds of the season from Lafayette Elementary and Thomas Circle Singers, free giveaways for kids, food & drink offerings, plus free photos with Santa in our residential lobby on Newark Street at Wisconsin Avenue. The tree lighting countdown will take place at 7 PM.

Saturday, December 3 at 7:30 PM, Caroling and Student-Produced Dance Performance: Posada: Camino a Belen (The Way to Bethlehem). This family-friendly winter showcase is intended to reflect a posada, a nine-day festive anticipation of Christmas in Mexican culture. Beginning with caroling in front of Dahlgren Chapel at Georgetown University at 7:30 (lyrics in Spanish and English will be provided), the event then moves to additional locations on the Georgetown campus to recreate the journey of Mary and Joseph, ultimately landing at Gaston Hall at 8 PM for a diverse program featuring traditional dances from four Mexican states. A reception follows with authentic foods. Free. More info: https://performingarts.georgetown.edu/DanceEnsembles16-17. Georgetown camps map at http://bit.ly/2fR3i7Z.  

Sunday, December 4 from 12 PM - 3 PM, Celebrate 100 Years of the Cleveland Park Fire Station. Join Engine Co. 28 - Truck 14 Firefighters & EMS personnel, CPCA, Mayor Bowser, DC FEMs Chief Dean, & Councilmember Cheh for a short ceremony at 12 noon followed by an Open House from 1 - 3 PM. There will be music and yummy food for all; clowns, fire hats, climbs on fire trucks, and photos with firefighters for the kids; and a free history booklet on Cleveland Park and our firehouse – all in all a wonderful neighborhood event.celebration. Free. At the Firehouse - Cleveland Park, 3522 Connecticut Ave NW.

Sunday, December 4 at 2 PM, Sustainability at Work. Marilyn Waite is an engineer and author with extensive international experience in the sustainability field. She will discuss careers that favorably impact the environment and also her book Sustainability at Work. Free & open to the public. At the Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW, http://www.dclibrary.org/node/54868 

Sunday, December 4 at 4 PM, Journalist Steve Roberts: "A Tale of Two Suburbs: Bethesda and Chevy Chase," Longtime Bethesda resident and journalist Steve Roberts will compare the evolution of Bethesda and Chevy Chase in an illustrated lecture, hosted by the Chevy Chase Historical Society at the Lawton Community Center, 4301 Willow Lane. Admission is free, and the community is welcome. Roberts will unveil his new book, Bethesda and Chevy Chase, which uses dozen of vintage photographs (many from the CCHS Archive) to show how the two areas developed along two different streetcar lines into distinctly different communities. Bethesda became a bustling commercial center; Chevy Chase, a planned enclave of leafy residential neighborhoods. Signature CCHS refreshments will be served.  Questions about the program may be directed to CCHS at 301/656-6141 or chevychasehistory @ msn dot com  

Sunday, December 4 from 10 AM - 12 noon, Breakfast with Santa. Kids are invited to the Volta Park Playground to get a free toy and have a photo taken with Santa. Mrs. Claus will be serving free coffee, hot chocolate, doughnuts and pastries. Volta Park is at 1555 34th St NW. Event flyer is at: http://bit.ly/2gqsouW   

Monday December 5 from 6 - 10 PM Global Day for Equal Opportunity. Come discover, celebrate and share initiatives for equal opportunity in the US and in France! Meet actors for equal opportunity, and youth-empowerment organizations, from DC and France, and take part in the discussion, to push for a more just society. Free tickets at: http://bit.ly/2gL2IKc. At Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St NW.

Monday, December 5 at 12 noon, Book Talk and Signing: "Capital Streetcars: Early Mass Transit in Washington, D.C." Meet author John DeFerrari of the “Streets of Washington” blog. DeFerrari’s latest book surveys the 100-year saga of the streetcar in Washington, DC. Copies of the book are available in the museum shop for purchase. Free. At the George Washington University Museum and Textile Museum, 701 21st St. NW, https://museum.gwu.edu/capital-streetcars.

Tuesday, December 6 at 6 - 7 PM, Christmas Concert: Carol of the Bells. At this unique holiday concert, the entire community is invited to sing along to “Carol of the Bells,” and we will repeat this song every 3 minutes for the entire hour. No other music will be performed. If you don’t know the Carol of the Bells, you can learn it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq73h6XZQGA. This performance will be a test of your ability to make it through the holiday season with your sanity intact. If you can stand a full hour of the song that pops up on lists of the top ten most annoying Christmas songs of all time (see http://bit.ly/2gN6X5s), you are indeed a strong person! But fortunately for us all, there will be no opportunity for you to prove it, as this is the weekly fake event!

Wednesday, December 7 at 7 PM, Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize winning-columnist for the Washington Post, will speak on his most recent book, Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting and Living with Books, at Tenley-Friendship Library. Light refreshments at 6:30 pm. Mr. Dirda will sign books that will be available for purchase at a nice discount. Free. At the Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Details at http://www.dclibrary.org/node/55185.

Wednesday, December 7 at 7 PM, Book Hill Talks - France Alive: A History Told Through Great Works of Art. Lecture # 2: 18th Century. Conversation, Love and Philosophy: 18th Century Fêtes galantes. Guest Speaker, Vanessa Badré. One painting has come to represent the intertwining of art and philosophy in the 18th century. It is a reception piece by Jean Watteau, “Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythira” (Musée du Louvre, Paris). A closer look at the painting raises many questions: are the couples setting out for the island  or leaving it? What is the role of classicism and the ancient past in the modern world?  What is fantasy and what is reality? What should be the mores of the times? Eighteenth century artists could not ignore the spirit of the time and the  philosophers of Enlightenment: as an age of reason and learning flourished in France and  England, spreading new ideas all over, we will look at how art and philosophy are intricately intertwined. Free. At the Georgetown Library, 3260 R Street NW, http://www.dclibrary.org/node/5488 

Thursday, December 8 at 6 PM, A Vintage Evening: Yuletide at Anderson House. Celebrate the holiday season at this Vintage Evening, featuring tastings of eggnog punch based on 100-year-old recipes. Tour the festively decorated mansion while learning about early 20th-century Christmas traditions and the historic inspirations for our decorations. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Reservations required - $15 per person at: http://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/events/public. Anderson House is at 2118 Massachusetts Avenue NW.  

Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 PM, The University of the District of Columbia’s free annual holiday concert. The UDC Chorale directed by Richard Odom, starts the evening with a program of choral music followed by the gospel sounds of The Voices, directed by Gerry Gillespie. The UDC Jazz Ensemble directed by Allyn Johnson closes the program with big band jazz sure to spread the holiday spirit. At the UDC auditorium, Theatre of the Arts Bldg. 46-East) 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW. 

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