Each year, the nonprofit Honor Flight Network transports thousands of veterans (21,189 last year alone) from all over the country to Washington D.C. to celebrate their service.
Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, can seem superficially like a Mexican version of Halloween – same time of year, involving elaborate dress and decorations. But Dia de los Meurtos is a serious holiday nothing like the frivolity of Halloween. During the two-day event, people remember and celebrate their beloved family members… Continue reading
33 Years in High Heels
The first 17th Street High Heel Race, which took place at midnight on Halloween back in 1986, was a fairly small and casual affair. However, the basic building blocks were there: drag queens, a quick sprint, and, of course, high heels. As The Washington Blade reported at the time: “…high heels [were] clearly the fashion… Continue reading
The Talking Dead: Soul Strolls at Congressional Cemetery
Every October, Congressional Cemetery hosts Soul Strolls, twilight tours of the cemetery grounds featuring actors who share the stories of some of the graveyard’s interred residents.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, Dancing Queen
Eleanor Holmes Norton has long been an icon in the District and beyond. She became a civil rights activist when young, and furthered her work for equality as the assistant legal director of the ACLU in the late 1960’s. She was the first female Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and wrote the first… Continue reading
The Art of a Round Museum
It’s World Architecture Day on Monday Oct. 6th, and one of our most famous buildings is celebrating with a week of activities – it’s the Hirshhorn, of course, in all its Brutalist glory. Let’s take a look at how the Hirshhorn got its start and the unique round spaces it provides for modern art. a… Continue reading
Relying on the youth to save our planet
This past week has seen youth all over the world stand up for protecting our environment. Youth climate activist Greta Thunberg was here for several days to meet with legislators and with other young activists. At a press conference last week in front of the Supreme Court, lead plaintiff Kelsey Juliana, of the lawsuit Juliana… Continue reading
Cars at the Capital
One interesting way to look at our past is through the history of our cars. The Historic Vehicle Association is curating that history, and as part of that, they’ve put historic cars in a glass case right in the middle of the Mall for the past five Septembers. Alan Beam was the 4th man to… Continue reading
Art All Night
One of the best nights in D.C. is tomorrow – Art All Night takes over several areas of the city with an explosion of creativity. There are many performances scheduled and many venues with art and music inside, but lots of the fun is also just walking the streets and seeing the strange things there…. Continue reading
The Last Blooms of Summer
Summer is mainly over, and the heat has wilted most of the gardens in D.C. But the Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral seems to hang on the longest, filled with blossoms and winding paths. The garden was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. 100 years ago, and augmented by Florence Bratenahl,… Continue reading