Don't SWEAT It, Check Out These International DC Events!

Reviewing The Week (Monday, June 26^th - Sunday, July 2^nd )

So guess what: MORE wildfire smoke coming in from Canada! Our neighbors to the North decided to gift us a drifting present. However, this second time, the majority of the smoke was caught up in the Midwest region making areas like Chicago hazardous. Reader, if I were you, we would seriously invest in an air filter for your apartment or whatever you are living in. This is just the beginning of the wildfire season and it is only going to get worse as the summer drags on.

This week, we attended some international events including the Melodies of Friendship concert, the Ozark Highballers concert, and Canada Day at the Embassy of Canada. Read about one of these events below 😄!

Check Out These Cool Organizations! 👇️ 

1. Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

2. John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

3. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

4. Wolf Trap Foundation for the Founding Arts 

5. Italian Cultural Society (ICS)

6. Romanian Festival DC 2023

7. DuPont Business Improvement District (BID)

8. Busboys and Poets

9. Embassy of Indonesia 

Newsletter Recommendation: Curious Caravan

Beyond international embassy and cultural events in the DC area, there is a lot to uncover and see when it comes to hidden gems of the city. We are talking about local music, culture, and art spots, however, to do that one needs a guide. Who better than Curious Caravan? 

Curious Caravan run by the awesome Paige Muller is a curator of custom experiences in DC or whichever city she happens to be in at the moment. She is a passionate explorer with an impressive website, social media presence, and also has a newsletter dedicated to finding fun events in DC.

When we first moved to DC, we stumbled on the Curious Caravan by accident when we were trying to find things to do. One of her megalists that encompasses everything that you could do in a month impressed us with the sheer variety of activities, both free and paid!

It is clear that the Curious Caravan is one of the top experts in the DC area for finding things to do in the local music, arts, and activity scenes. We highly recommend that you check her out on Instagram, visit her linktree, and sign up for her newsletter.

Follow, Like, and Share!

Event Highlight: Melodies of Friendship - Celebrating 70 Years of the U.S.-Korea Alliance (Wednesday, June 28^th )

It was a day when the air quality in DC was at Code Red meaning it was unhealthy for everyone to be outside for extended periods of time. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library was only a 10 minute walk from where we worked so we figured why not just brave the mass of Canadian air particulates? Walking indoors, we were greeted by someone who worked at the Korean Cultural Center (KCCDC) who informed us that the free concert was happening on the 5th floor. We ended up going up five floors through the building and was surprised to find an empty auditorium. There was a group of instruments being set up along with a projector screen overhead playing an advertisement for the city of Busan in South Korea (the city is a candidate for the World Expo of 2030 event).

Soon enough, the room filled up to capacity with curious members of the public filtering in to see the Melodies of Friendship concert celebrating 70 years of the U.S.-Korea Alliance. Some welcoming remarks ensured from the Director of the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA) Ben de Guzman as well as Director Junghoon Kim from the KCCDC. The first band that played was Rami Seo’s World Music Ensemble with Rami Seo being one of the premier performers on the traditional zither gayageum instrument. Other instruments included the guitar, bass, saxophone, drums, and a stunning series of vocal pieces from Eun Young Choi. A surprise guest was Sebastian Wang playing the Samul nori genre of percussion originating from Korea.

Finishing off the night, the illustrious group known as the Sirius Company played songs combining the traditionally GoGo and R&B genres getting the audience to stand up and groove. There were pop and jazz influences in the songs with the Sirius Company even playing a couple of classics from the legend himself Michael Jackson. Thank you to the KCCDC, MOAPIA, Rami Seo’s World Music Ensemble, Sirius Company, and MLK Jr. Memorial Library for such an amazing night.

International Events List (July 3^rd - July 9^th )

Check out the following international embassy and cultural events happening from Monday, July 3rd to Sunday, July 9th below!

Monday, July 3^rd , 2023

1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 5:30PM)

2. Crossing Borders Exhibit (FREE!) (10:00AM - 11:00AM)

3. Virtual J-Film | It's a Summer Film! (FREE!) (ALL DAY!)

Tuesday, July 4^th , 2023

1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 7:30PM)

2. Crossing Borders Exhibit (FREE!) (10:00AM - 11:00AM)

Wednesday, July 5^th , 2023

1. Capital Arts Collective (FREE!) (10:00AM - 2:00PM)

2. A Siamese Love Tale (Somapa Thai Dance Company) ($12) (10:00AM - 11:30AM)

3. Holy Beasts (XV Ibero-American Film Showcase) (FREE!) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

4. Bollywood & Bhangra Beatz - 6 Week Class ($150 for all 6 classes, start: July 5^th, 2023) (7:00PM - 8:00PM)

Thursday, July 6^th , 2023

1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 10:30PM)

2. UNESCO Italy Photographic Exhibit (FREE!) (11:00AM - 12:00PM)

3. Blue Talks: Ocean Conference (Embassy of France) (FREE!) (2:30PM - 6:30PM)

4. Florbela (XV Ibero-American Film Showcase) (FREE!) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

5. Opening Reception: RE/ENVISIONING Exhibition (FREE!) (6:00PM - 8:00PM)

6. La Redención (XV Ibero-American Film Showcase) (FREE!) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

7. Chocolate Feast in Spain: Exquisite Chocolates and Truffles Masterfully Paired with Cava, Red, and White Wines from Spain ($60.54) (7:00PM - 8:30PM)

Friday, July 7^th , 2023

1. 2023 Romanian Weekend at the Wharf Program Day 1 (FREE!) (5:00PM - 7:30PM)

2. PARIS ON THE POTOMAC: Photo Exhibit Opening Reception ($5 - $10) (7:00PM - 8:30PM)

3. ArtWalk DuPont (FREE!) (6:00PM - 8:00PM)

4. July First Fridays Foreign Affairs Joint Networking Social Mixer (FREE!) (6:00PM - 8:00PM)

5. Embassy Row Rooftop White Night in Havana Under the Stars with Latin Band and Salsa Lessons ($28.52 - $39.19) (6:30PM - 9:30PM)

6. Evening at the Embassy of Nicaragua ($64) (6:30PM - 9:00PM)

7. Machuca (XV Ibero-American Film Showcase) (FREE!) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

8. #FilmsOnTheGreenDC | "Leap!" and Dance Performance at the MLK Memorial (FREE!) (8:00PM - 10:30PM)

9. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 8:30PM)

Saturday, July 8^th , 2023

1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (9:30AM - 10:00PM)

2. The Joy of African Movement (FREE!) (9:00AM - 10:00AM)

3. Family Day at the National Academy of Sciences: Science and Poetry (Donate what you can!) (Waitlist) (11:00AM - 3:00PM)

4. 2023 Romanian Weekend at the Wharf Program Day 2 (FREE!) (12:00PM - 7:00PM)

5. Children and Young Teens (6-12 Years of Age) - Mexican Folkloric Dance ($16.25) (1:00PM - 2:00PM)

6. Teens / Young Adults Dance, Learn and Exercise - Mexican Dance ($13.50) (2:00PM - 3:00PM)

7. Jazz in the Parks: Presenting Ben Williams (FREE!) (5:00PM - 8:00PM)

8. Malawi Independence Day Gala and Auction ($105) (7:00PM - 10:30PM)

Sunday, July 9^th , 2023

1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 7:00PM) (FINAL DAY!)

2. 2023 Romanian Weekend at the Wharf Program Day 3 (FREE!) (12:00PM - 7:00PM)

3. Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle Free Film Screening (FREE!) (2:30PM - 4:30PM)

4. Volunteer for Balinese Kecak Workshop at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (FREE!) (3:30PM - 5:00PM)

5. Chai with Rani -Mumbai Street Food Served ($28.52) (4:30PM - 6:30PM)

6. Inspired by Szymborska (FREE!) (5:30PM - 9:00PM)

7. DC Area Mongolians Naadam Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 5:00PM)