What:
Twenty-seven local artists open their studios to the public to meet, learn, enjoy and buy art.

Where:
Across the Mid City corridor (with many studios located on or near popular 14th St. NW)… from Dupont Circle to Scott Circle and Logan Circle and North to Florida Ave. NW

When:
Saturday and Sunday, May 19 & 20, 2012
12:00-5:00 pm (Some studio times vary. See Tour Map for exact days/times for each artist.)

Description:
“On the 90-minute flight from Potomac Airfield (VKX) to Dare County Regional Airport (MQI) or First Flight Airport (FFA), the pilot will point out landmarks while flying over the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic coastline. Flights leave on Friday or Saturday and return the following Friday or Saturday, at your time of choice.”

This deal is available for the next four days until May 18, 2012. Visit Groupon for details! (limited quantity available)

Description:
“Pay $27 to get up close and personal with a three-hour sightseeing tour of some of our country’s most impressive landmarks from iGuide Tours (a $55 value). Simply pick a date (tours run seven days a week), meet at the Old Post Office Pavilion, and hop aboard your plush cruiser as it whisks you through our dear District on one of three tours of your choice.

• Marvel at the brand-new MLK Memorial and peek in on Barack at the White House on the We the People Tour
• Come face-to-face with heroes during the Old Glory Tour
• Capture our nation’s capital in the dramatic low-light of sunset during the DC Night Tour

iGuide’s seasoned team of expert guides will not only impart valuable info on each stop that you can share with your friends, but also use high-quality digital cameras to take pictures and videos for you to remember the experience.”

This deal is only offered through May 16th, 2012, so visit Living Social today for details.

All week the Kennedy Center has been sponsoring performances by street artists at various locations around the city and on its own Millennium Stage as part of Look Both Ways: Street Arts Across America. Wednesday through Friday you can still catch lunchtime performances from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Farragut Square, and evening shows at the Kennedy Center, but even bigger things are planned for Friday night and Saturday. At Friday night’s LOOK UP! Night Street Fair, the Old Post Office Pavilion from 8 to 10 p.m. will host jugglers, unicyclists, and street puppeteers, and from 9 to 10 p.m. the Old Post Office walls facing Pennsylvania Avenue will be the site of a large-scale vertical dance performance put on by Project Bandaloop. It all wraps up on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at Yards Park with Street Arts in the Park, where literally dozens of dancers, musicians, magicians, puppeteers, and even rope-jumping champions will perform. All performances are free, including those at the Kennedy Center.

Embassies, Redux

If you missed last week’s ambassadorial open houses, don’t fret, and if your appetite for embassies was only whetted, rejoice, because this week 27 more embassies are opening their doors to the public as part of the European Union Embassies’ Open House. Many will have food and drink to sample, or even full meals to purchase. At the Open House site you can find a map showing all 27 European embassies participating (which includes the historical oddity of the French hosting the Germans, whose own embassy is undergoing renovation), along with the routes of free shuttle buses to carry visitors from Metro stops to embassies and back again.

Circle Dance

This Sunday, from 3 to 9 p.m., join a dozen Washington, D.C. dance companies in Dupont Circle for an afternoon of performances and instruction. At Dance in the Circle you’ll be able to watch and learn from cloggers, hip-hop dancers, flamenco dancers, and modern dancers, among others. As night falls, the parquet floor will turn into a dance party. Rain pushed this event back nearly a month, so don’t be misled if you see it listed with an April date.

Description:
“The Comedy Zone Revue is a show like no other in the area. The evening begins with dinner and live jazz from The Old Dominion Trio. The next portion of the show features a variety of performers – dancers, magicians, celebrity impersonators, acrobats — the list goes on. Each week offers something new! The Revue then turns the mic over to the weekend’s headliner for a hilarious whirlwind wrap-up sure to send you home in stitches!”

When:
Friday and Saturday Nights
7pm

Where:
Comedy Zone Revue
Windows Over Washington Restaurant
Double Tree Hotel Crystal City
300 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, VA 22202

Admission:
$11.00 through Goldstar
(Save up to 50%)

ZooFari VIP Package:

• Thursday, May 17, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Samples from 100 of DC’s Top Restaurants
• Exclusive Access to the LivingSocial Lion Lounge
• Appearances by Mike Isabella, Spike Mendelsohn, and Todd Gray
• Includes After-Hours Viewing of Lions and Tigers, Valet Parking, and Take-Home Treat

Description:
“Set against the Zoo’s lush backdrop, this delicious event offers samples from restaurants like Graffiato, Central Michel Richard, BLT Steak, Marcel’s, Proof, and Restaurant Eve, as well as local and international vintners like Barrel Oak Winery and J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, plus specialty retailers such as Georgetown Cupcake and Edward Marc Chocolatier. In the exclusive LivingSocial Lion Lounge, decked out like a vintage carnival, you’ll find a zydeco band, a photo booth, and “adult” versions of limeade and chocolate milk. Former Top Chef contestants Mike Isabella (Graffiato) and Spike Mendelsohn (Good Stuff Eatery; We, the Pizza) as well as Todd Gray (Equinox, Watershed) will make appearances. No party is complete without dessert, and Isabella, Gray, and Mendelsohn will close out the evening by judging a pastry competition. The challenge: create the best cake—with a zoo theme, of course. ”

When:
Thursday, May 17, 2012
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Where:
National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008

This deal is only offered until May 13, 2012. So hurry over to Living Social today for details! Limited Quantity Available.

This is an annual event that takes place nationwide, and it’s great fun for the kids. Many comic shops have artists and writers signing their work, along with costumed characters handing out the free comics.

There are plenty of comic book shops participating in and around Washington, DC, and you can see the full list on the FCBD website.

Travel tips for getting to the games this weekend

“Washington sports fans taking Metrorail to either the Capitals game at Verizon Center or the Nationals game at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 5, should plan for extra travel time this weekend and sign up for MetroAlerts to stay informed about changes to bus and rail service.

Depending on where they are traveling from, customers may want to modify their usual route and plan for some additional travel time as Metro continues its massive rebuilding effort to improve safety and reliability.

This weekend scheduled work will take place on portions of the Red, Green, Blue and Orange lines. The work will begin at 10 p.m. Friday, May 4, and continue through system closing on Sunday, May 6.

To help ease crowding, Metro plans to operate extra “gap trains” after the games to help move crowds out of Gallery Place and Navy Yard stations. Metro will also have extra staff at key stations for customer assistance and crowd control.

Tips for getting to Verizon Center this weekend

• The closest station is Gallery Place, served by Metro’s Red, Green and Yellow lines.
• Customers traveling from Virginia should consider taking the Yellow Line for a direct trip Gallery Place. Yellow Line service will operate on normal weekend intervals between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square.
• Riders on the eastern end of the Red Line or northern end of the Green Line, can consider driving and parking at Fort Totten to connect with either the Red or Green lines.
• Customers from points south and east should consider Green Line stations south of downtown. Green Line service will operate normally between Branch Avenue and Fort Totten throughout the weekend.
• Blue and Orange line customers should consider walking from Metro Center to avoid transferring. Metro Center is about six blocks away from the arena.
• Many Metrobus routes stop nearby, including the 70, 74, X2, 80, P6, 42, D3 and D4.
• The DC Circulator also is an option.

Tips for getting to Nationals Park this weekend

• The closest station is Navy Yard on Metro’s Green Line, but Capitol South on the Orange and Blue lines is a short walk (about 8 blocks or 0.8 miles) to the north of the ballpark. Blue and Orange line customers should consider walking from Capitol South to avoid transferring.
• Riders on the eastern end of the Red Line or northern end of the Green Line, may consider driving and parking at Fort Totten to connect with the Green Line.
• Those who drive and park also may consider parking at stations on the southern end of the Green Line. Anacostia station, for example, is one stop from Navy Yard, is conveniently located off of DC-295 and provides secure garage parking. Green Line service will operate normally between Branch Avenue and Fort Totten throughout the weekend.
• Metrobus routes that stop within walking distance include the 74, P1, P2, V8 and V9.
• The DC Circulator also is an option, especially for customers traveling from Union Station.

For riders who drive and park at Metro stations

• Consider parking at stations that are not directly impacted by scheduled weekend track work.
• Riders on the eastern end of the Red Line or northern end of the Green Line should consider driving and parking at Fort Totten to connect with Red or Green line service to downtown.
• If you typically take the Beltway and park at Greenbelt, consider driving to New Carrollton and taking the Orange Line to your destination instead.
• Anacostia station and other stations south of Navy Yard on the Green Line also provide options for getting to Navy Yard or Gallery Place.
• Customers traveling from points south might also consider using Yellow Line service from Huntington Station, which is easily accessible from the Capital Beltway.

Additional tips for customers

• Plan a route that gets you close to your destination without having to transfer.
• Sign up for MetroAlerts to be notified of Metrorail and Metrobus service disruptions.
• Give yourself plenty of extra time to get to the venue. Consider arriving at the game early and waiting until crowds disperse after the game ends.
• Be sure you load enough value for your entire roundtrip on your SmarTrip card or fare card to avoid lines at fare vendors after the game.

This weekend’s scheduled track work:

Green Line: Buses will replace trains between Greenbelt and Fort Totten to allow for NTSB-recommended switch replacement. Greenbelt, College Park, Prince George’s Plaza and West Hyattsville stations will be closed. Green Line trains will operate normally between Fort Totten and Branch Avenue. Customers using shuttle bus service should add up to 50 minutes to their travel time. Customers who normally drive and park at Greenbelt should consider using New Carrollton Station on the Orange Line as an alternate.

Red Line: Trains will single track in two locations throughout the weekend—between Forest Glen and Takoma, and between Van Ness and Dupont Circle. Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 24 minutes throughout the weekend. Customers should allow 20 minutes of additional travel time. Between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, additional trains will operate between Farragut North and New York Avenue only, providing service every 12 minutes in the downtown core. Customers on the eastern side of the Red Line may wish to consider using Green Line service as an alternate travel option between Fort Totten and Gallery Place.

Orange and Blue lines: Trains will single track between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory. Throughout the weekend, Orange and Blue line trains will operate every 20 minutes. Customers should allow about 10 minutes of additional travel time.

Orange Line: In addition, trains will share a single track between East Falls Church and West Falls Church.

Metrorail operates from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturdays and from 7 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. Off-peak fares are in effect all day and parking is free in Metro parking facilities.”

Originally commemorating an important Mexican victory against the invading French in 1861, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has become an opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture and pride. And Washington, D.C. is packed with parties taking advantage of the occasion. Wear beach clothes for the seven-hour Cinco de Mayo Fiesta organized by Living Social at the Park at Fourteenth, where you can enjoy four floors of live music, DJs, food, and drink specials for $30. Celebrate the day and mourn the passing of a beloved local hangout with hip-hop DJs and $3 beers at Queen Makeda’s Cinco de Mayo/Closing Fiesta (on 19th St. NW between U and T). You can also get $3 beers—and human cockfighting—at the H Street Country Club, on H between 13th and 14th Streets NE. For a more family-friendly, daytime vibe, you could head out to the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church, which will offer food and drink specials alongside piñatas and face-painting for kids. Or check out any of a dozen other parties, including ones at Ceiba, the Rock and Roll Hotel, and El Centro.

All-Embassies Passport

This weekend is the fifth anniversary of Passport DC, which opens many embassy doors in Washington, D.C. usually closed to the public. This Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 40 of them will be participating, many not only offering views of their mansions and grounds but food, art, dance, and music as well. Admission to all the embassies is free, and complimentary shuttles will be traveling three loops to carry visitors around. For shuttle maps and a complete list of participating embassies, visit the Around the World Embassy Tour site. The following day, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., 20 embassies will host educational booths at the Ronald Reagan Building as part of the International Children’s Festival. Admission is also free, and in addition to the booths kids can enjoy dance and music performances, see displays of traditional costumes, sample world cuisine, and take part in crafts and games.

Description:
“Pay $12 for one ticket to the AT&T National Golf Tournament at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda (a $25 value). Use your ticket for admission to any day of the tournament, whether you want to see the pros practice on Tuesday, June 26 or the last putt drop on Sunday, July 1. Featuring 120 pro golfers — such as Tiger Woods, Nick Watney, Justin Rose, Steven Stricker, Hunter Mahan, and more — this tournament is more than just a chance to see the best in the world compete; a portion of all profits go to fund area programs like the Tiger Woods Learning Center and local DC youth charities.”

Where:
Congressional Country Club
8500 River Road
Bethesda, MD 20817

When:
Tuesday June 26 – Sunday July 1, 2012

This deal is only offered through May 8th, 2012, so head over to Living Social today for more details!