Thursday, May 24, 2018

Get Out! - The Events Column

DC Public Library - DIY corsages
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 17,700+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events @ fastmail dot net.

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

Friday, May 25 from 7 - 8 PM, Salute The Sunset Concert Series Featuring The US Army Concert Band. Headquartered in Washington, DC, The US Army Concert Band has performed in concert venues such as Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Hollywood Bowl. The musicians in this elite ensemble have been trained at some of the most prestigious music conservatories and universities in the country. Displaying their versatility, the Concert Band members perform a variety of styles, ranging from classical to popular. The communicative power of The US Army Concert Band is greatly enhanced when combined with other musical elements of “Pershing’s Own.” Free. On the Plaza Stage at National Harbor, 165 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD, https://www.nationalharbor.com/event/u-s-army-concert-band-2018-05-25/

Saturday, May 26 from 12 - 2 PM, Georgetown Trees - Walking Tour. Washington, DC has long been known as “The City of Trees.” But can you identify our trees by name and variety? Frederick Law Olmsted was good enough to label the ones that he had planted on the grounds of our Capitol but we don’t enjoy that luxury along our Georgetown streets and in our parks. Join Dwane Starlin, member of the Guild of Professional Tour Guides, and his guest speaker, Christopher “Topher” Matthews of the Georgetown Metropolitan, on a scenic stroll of one of DC’s truly green and well-shaded neighborhoods. Meet at the corner of Q and 27th Streets, NW (by the east garden gates of the Dumbarton House). The tour will start 12 PM sharp. It will take place rain or shine. General admission tickets are $20; $18 for members of Dumbarton House; cash or check only on the day of tour or buy online at http://dumbartonhouse.org/event/georgetown-trees. Children 3 years or younger are free, but must be in a stroller. No pets please.

Saturday, May 26 at 1 PM, Senator Charles Sumner: The Noblest Abolitionist of Them All.  Join Creators Syndicate columnist Jamie Stiehm for her talk on how Senator Charles Sumner paid a high price for his fierce attacks on the institution of slavery. The discussion will take place in the Peabody Room (3rd floor) of the Georgetown Library, 3260 R Street NW. https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60610

Saturday May 26 at 2 PM, Fighting Misinformation on Social Media. Challenge yourself this summer and learn all about how to spot, report and combat "fake news," misinformation and disinformation on social media. Free. At Chevy Chase Library, 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60339

Sunday, May 27 at 2 PM, Bhangra Dancers at Palisades. Join us for a Bhangra dance lesson and performance from the Dakshina Dance Company in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. All ages are welcome. Free. At the Palisades Library, 4901 V Street, NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60623

Monday May 28 at 6:30 AM, Memorial Day Memory Moment. This is the moment when your alarm clock goes off and you sit bolt upright in bed and then a half-second later, you realize your digital alarm clock was still programmed to ring this Monday morning, even though it’s a holiday. Another lost memory moment came and went on Sunday night, when you should have manually turned off the alarm to allow yourself to sleep in on Memorial Day. This is also the moment that you realize you did not need to haul your Supercan out to the curb the night before, as there are no city services today, either. And yet you are thankful that you had this Memorial Day Memory Moment now -- otherwise, you would have brushed your teeth, showered, dressed, gulped down a cup of coffee, and stumbled into your car and started driving down Connecticut Avenue in the reversible rush hour lane, only to be faced with cars coming at you head-on in a terrifying game of “chicken.” But because you are reading this item, you know that it’s the Weekly Fake Event, preventing this whole harrowing scenario from happening! Yay!

Monday, May 28 at 10 AM, Memorial Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony, followed by guided tours of the United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery. Visited by President Abraham Lincoln, the Soldiers' Home National Cemetery is notable for being the first national cemetery (est. 1861) and for serving as the final resting place for John Logan, who formalized Memorial Day celebrations in 1868. Tours of the cemetery will highlight the history of the Soldiers' Home Cemetery, notable people buried there, and the history of Memorial Day. Registrants are asked to gather at the bandstand adjacent to President Lincoln's Cottage 30 minutes prior to each scheduled event, so that Cottage staff can lead them over to the nearby Soldiers' Home Cemetery. Registration is free - go to http://bit.ly/2s3ulme. Tours of the cemetery take place at 10:45 AM and 12:30 PM. Memorial Day is also a discounted $10 admission day for tours of Lincoln’s Cottage - $5 for members or kids. Purchase online at http://www.lincolncottage.org/tickets/. Lincoln’s Cottage/United States Soldiers and Airmen’s Home is at 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW 

Tuesday, May 29, Wednesday, May 30, and Thursday, May 31, The Scripps National Spelling Bee - it's three days of very intense and gripping competition. Free and open to the public. On Tuesday, May 29, all of the spellers get to spell live. All 275 (or so) of them. If they miss their word, they are gone. Starts at 9:15 AM on Tuesday and runs all day. On Wednesday, all remaining spellers get to spell live. Starts at 8 AM, runs most of the day. Then at the end of the day, they choose the finalists for Thursday. This includes all spellers who didn't miss a word and also scored high on the Tuesday morning written test. They use the written test to get the number down to about 60 finalists. On Thursday, about 60 of the spellers compete, starting at 10 AM. They go until there are only about 10 left - about 2 PM. Then they adjourn, and the finals -- which are broadcast on ESPN - start at 8:30 PM. No tickets are required for the May 29, 30 and 31 (morning) events. For the 8:30 PM finals on May 31, they will hand out tickets (for free) starting at 7 PM. Everything is on a first-come, first-served basis. This is the first year they've required tickets for the finals, so it's not clear how many tickets they will hand out or how competitive it will be to get the limited number of tickets. For details about the schedule and free tickets, download the Scripps National Spelling Bee smartphone app - instructions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjJkQ6BcDmw 

Tuesday, May 29 at 7 PM, Howard Theatre’s Crucial Role in the Community Before and After the 1968 Riots - a panel discussion moderated by Author Dave Tevelin ("Death At The Howard"), featuring presentations by Sandra Butler-Truesdale, chairperson; DC Legendary Musicians (“Honoring the Musicians Who Played at the Howard”); Derek Hyra, associate professor, American University ("Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City”); Greg Gaskins, guitarist (“Performing at Howard Theatre"), and Jimi Smooth, Musical Artist ("Backstage Memories of the Howard"). A special performance by Greg Gaskins and Jimi Smooth will follow the panel discussion. This panel, adapted from the 44th Annual DC History Conference, Echo and Resonance: 1968, is presented in collaboration with the Historical Society of Washington, DC. Free. At the Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library, 1630 7th St. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60427 

Wednesday, May 30 at 6:30 PM, DIY Flower Crowns with Maker-in-Residence Tsedaye Makonnen. Join the DCPL Maker-in-Residence Tsedaye Makonnen for a floral crown design session. There will be an array of materials from faux flowers to colorful tissue paper and fabric to create your own flowers. Please bring any real flowers you would like to use and other materials to add to your customized crown. Some ideas are a Lego, a favorite shape or small action figure, anything vintage, a knickknack. Let's celebrate the warm weather and new season by adorning ourselves. This can also make a great gift. Free. At the Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Ave. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60630 

Thursday, May 31 at 4 PM, Learn to Tie a Tie and Make a Corsage. Prom is around the corner: Join us to learn how to tie a tie, and impress your date by making your own corsage and boutonniere. Supplies for corsages and boutonnieres will be provided, including flowers and storage boxes. Bring your own tie. Free. At the Mt. Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW, entrance on Lamont St., https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60076 

Thursday, May 31 at 5:30 PM, K-Pop Party. Come to the library to celebrate your favorite K-Pop songs and artists, learn some basic Korean phrases and enjoy Korean snacks. Recommended for ages 13 and up. This program is presented as part of  Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Free. At the Georgetown Library, 3260 R St. NW, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/60446 

Thursday, May 31 at 7 PM, Film Screening and Discussion: "All Souls Church, Ward 1 and Racial Justice." Jenice L. View, associate professor of George Mason University and member of the All Souls Church Unitarian congregation since 1959, will introduce the film she co-directed with Rahima Rice about the long history of All Souls Church as a force for social justice. Following the April 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Columbia Heights community was one of the neighborhoods that experienced riots. The All Souls Church Housing Corporation came together to reclaim the housing and dignity of the community. It grew from a sense of “faith in action,” that befitted the church's history. In the intervening 50 years, the Columbia Heights community has witnessed dramatic demographic changes, driven by political and economic forces outside of the neighborhood, including white flight, the rise and fall of black political power, the rise in immigration from Central America and gentrification. The film explores the historical role of All Souls Church and the contemporary possibilities regarding faith in action. At the Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 16th St. NW, entrance on Lamont St, https://www.dclibrary.org/node/59886   

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