Pumpkins and Diplomacy, Embassy Events in the Fall

Event Highlight: Chuseok Family Festival (Saturday, October 7^th )

Held in tandem with the National Museum of Asian Art and the Korean Cultural Center, the Chuseok Family Festival was off to a rough beginning Saturday morning with rain and wind. It was only after 12pm when the wind pushed the murky clouds away that the festivities officially commenced. Chuseok, otherwise known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, is one of the biggest holidays in South Korea.

Visitors were able to take pictures in traditional Korean clothing known as hanbok. There was also a charye table display which is a traditional feast prepared for a family’s ancestors available for viewing on the inside of the museum. Traditional performances were held throughout the day including a Pansori and Namdo Minyo performance by the Korean traditional music institute and performing arts center known as Washington Sorichung. Of course, the rest of the National Museum of Asian Art was available for viewing as well.

While the rain spoiled the beginning of the event, the staff and performers bravely forged on enabling the public to enjoy the entire experience. Thank you to the National Museum of Asian Art and Korean Cultural Center for making this event possible in the first place!

Looking Ahead! 👀 

1. Capital City Africa Week Festival and Ghana Week DC (Free and paid events) (Monday, October 9^th - Saturday, October 14^th)

   • Description: The Capital City Africa Week Festival celebrates the diversity and richness of Africa through a series of cultural, economic and sporting events presented in the U.S. nation’s capital.

   • Host Organization: Events DC and others.

2. Latin American Design (LAD) Week ($25+) (Wednesday, October 11^th - Sunday, October 15^th)

   • Description: Welcome to the first annual LAD show of its kind in the United States for collectible art, design, and fashion from Latin America in the nation’s capital.

   • Host Organization: NOVA BOSSA

3. Washington West Film Festival ($25+) (Thursday, October 12^th - Monday, October 16^th )

   • Description: Washington West originated from the founder Brad Russel that a world class film festival could bring some of the best new films to greater Washington, DC, and could create inspiring stories rather than just watching them. Come join us for several film screenings!

   • Host Organization: Washington West Film Festival

4. Qatar American Institute for Culture (QAIC) Impart Summit (Free and paid events ) (Monday, October 16^th - Sunday, October 22^nd)

   • Description: The Summit and Festival, which takes place between National and DC Design Weeks, will include engaging panels and workshops, an exhibition and a pop-up shop meant to celebrate art, design and innovation from Qatar, the United States and the broader Arab and Islamic Worlds and foster the exchange of ideas.

   • Host Organization: QAIC

5. Auner Quartet Ritus Classical Concert (FREE!) (Thursday, October 19^th, 7:00PM - 9:30PM)

   • Description: Join us for an evening with the Auner Quartett in concert at the Austrian Cultural Forum (ACF) DC.

   • Host Organization: Austrian Cultural Forum (ACF)

6. Kids Euro Fest at the MLK Library (FREE!) (Sunday, October 21^st, 10:00AM - 2:00PM)

   • Description: Join us for a fun-filled day for the whole family with European performances, arts and crafts, games, and more!

   • Host Organization: European Union Delegation to the United States

International Events List (October 9^th - October 15^th )

Check out the following international embassy and cultural events happening from Monday, October 9^th until Sunday, October 15^th .

Emoji Notes:

👗 = Fancy dress code.

Monday, October 9^th , 2023

1. Capital City Africa Week Festival and Ghana Week DC (Free to paid events) (Monday, October 9^th - Saturday, October 14^th )

   • Description: The Capital City Africa Week Festival celebrates the diversity and richness of Africa through a series of cultural, economic and sporting events presented in the U.S. nation’s capital.

   • Host Organization: Events DC and others.

2. Jasper Francis Cropsey’s Autumn - On the Hudson River (FREE!) (5:00PM - 5:30PM)

   • Description: Sketchbook Club is recommended for families with children of all ages with the National Gallery of Art.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

3. Ben Fountain — Devil Makes Three with Marion Winik Book Talk (FREE!) (7:00PM - 8:00PM)

   • Description: Join Ben Fountain and Marion Winik for a series of book talks at Politics and Prose.

   • Host Organization: Politics and Prose

Tuesday, October 10^th , 2023

1. Ghana Week DC - Travel and Tour Operators Forum (FREE!) (11:00AM - 2:00PM)

   • Description: Explore Ghana, the land of rich culture, heritage, warmth and rhythm. Discover where nature is still pure and warmth flows easily.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of Ghana

2. Anita Frumento and Elena Buttiero Performance (FREE!) (12:10PM - 1:00PM)

   • Description: Pianists Anita Frumento and Elena Buttiero present a program The Divine Comedy of Dante by Cesare San Fiorenzo (1875) and his friendship with Giuseppe Verdi.

   • Host Organization: The Church of the Epiphany

3. Tuesday Talk— From Massachusetts to Texas: American-Made Stoneware (FREE!) (12:00PM - 1:00PM)

   • Description: Join us for a Tuesday Talk by DAR Museum Curator Carrie Blough examining stoneware in the collection.

   • Host Organization: Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum

4. Embassy of Portugal: Evening at the Residence of the Ambassador ($169.25) (6:30PM - 9:00PM) 👗

   • Description: Join us for an evening at the Embassy of Portugal featuring celebrations and dinner.

   • Host Organization: Embassy Experiences

5. Storytelling Night: Immigrants Celebrating Independence and Individuality (Pay what you can!) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

   • Description: Independence permeates every step of the immigrant journey. Come hear speakers from around the globe share stories about finding themselves.

   • Host Organization: KAMA DC

6. Author Talk - Family Meal with Bryan Washington (FREE!) (6:30PM - 8:00PM)

   • Description: Join us for a special conversation with author Bryan Washington for his new novel Family Meal. In conversation with writer Nicole Chung, Bryan will explore his new novel about friendship and loss.

   • Host Organization: DC Public Library

Wednesday, October 11^th , 2023

1. Capital City Africa Week Festival and Ghana Week DC (Free to paid events) (Monday, October 9^th - Saturday, October 14^th )

   • Description: The Capital City Africa Week Festival celebrates the diversity and richness of Africa through a series of cultural, economic and sporting events presented in the U.S. nation’s capital.

   • Host Organization: Events DC and others.

2. Latin American Design (LAD) Week ($25+) (Wednesday, October 11^th - Sunday, October 15^th )

   • Description: Welcome to the first annual LAD show of its kind in the United States for collectible art, design, and fashion from Latin America in the nation’s capital.

   • Host Organization: NOVA BOSSA

3. Ghana Week DC - Ghana Business Investment Forum (FREE!) (5:00PM - 8:00PM)

   • Description: Come to a Business Investment Forum focusing on unleashing opportunities in Ghana's dynamic business landscape.

   • Host Organization: Events DC and others.

4. Jasper Francis Cropsey’s Autumn - On the Hudson River (FREE!) (5:00PM - 5:30PM)

   • Description: Sketchbook Club is recommended for families with children of all ages at the National Gallery of Art.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

5. Out of Eden Performance (FREE!) (6:00PM - 7:00PM)

   • Description: Out of Eden is a concert of art songs—spanning from the classical era to the contemporary— which narrates a journey through death of self, transcending the blissful ignorance and idealism of oppressive patriarchal constructs.

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

6. Film Screening : "Delicious": Gastronomy and Movies at the French Embassy ($11.54) (7:00PM - 9:00PM)

   • Film Description: France, 1789, before the Revolution. A chef who has been sacked by his master frees himself to open the first restaurant.

   • Host Organization: Villa Albertine in Washington D.C.

7. Embassy of the Czech Republic Dance Soirée: Live Band, Dinner, and Dances ($64.80 - $75.47) (6:30PM - 9:30PM) 👗

   • Description: Enjoy an evening of live music and dancing at the Embassy of the Czech Republic with a dinner buffet feast of Czech delicacies & Czech beer.

   • Host Organization: International Club of DC

8. LAD | Talk: Designers & Artisans: Partnerships for a Sustainable Future ($44.52) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

   • Description: Join high-level speakers for an inspiring discussion about how designers and artisans can co-build a sustainable future, ecologically, socially and financially.

   • Host Organization: NOVA BOSSA

Thursday, October 12^th , 2023

1. Washington West Film Festival ($25+) (Thursday, October 12^th - Monday, October 16^th )

   • Description: Washington West originated from the founder Brad Russel that a world class film festival could bring some of the best new films to greater Washington, DC, and could create inspiring stories rather than just watching them. Come join us for several film screenings!

   • Host Organization: Washington West Film Festival

2. ARPAS DE VERACRUZ MUSIC WORKSHOP - harp, violin, jarana, requinto, voice ($35) (5:30PM - 7:30PM)

   • Description: SON JAROCHO ~ VERACRUZ MUSIC WORKSHOP: Harp, Violin, Jarana, Requinto, and Voice, taught by Master Artists and Son Jaroch experts from Veracruz, Mexico. Professional musicians, experts of Son Jarocho, will convene to teach several of these instruments.

   • Host Organization: Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble

3. The Development of Filipino National Identity (FREE!) (5:30PM - 7:30PM)

   • Description: Join us for a lecture with visiting chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Dr. Emmanuel F Calairo.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of the Philippines and others.

4. Austrian Embassy Viennese Waltz Lessons and Dance Soiree ($28.52+) (6:00PM - 10:00PM) 👗

   • Description: Learn how to dance the Viennese Waltz, as it is danced in Vienna. No partner or prior dance experience needed to sign up.

   • Host Organization: International Club of DC

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

   • Description: Step onto foreign soil as we invite you to experience an energetic, culturally magnificent Central American nation at the Embassy of Nicaragua.

   • Host Organization: Things To Do DC

6. LAD | Design Talk: Fashion as Resistance: A Talk with Carla Fernández ($44.52) (6:30PM - 8:30PM)

   • Description: Join internationally-acclaimed Mexican fashion designer Carla Fernández, winner of the LAD 2023 Designer of the Year Award, and Tanya Meléndez-Escalante, senior curator of education and public programs at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) as they discuss Fernández's Manifesto of Fashion as Resistance.

   • Host Organization: Nova Bossa

Friday, October 13^th , 2023

1. Maryland International Agriculture and Environment Conference ($60+ but free for farmers, farm workers, military, and first responders) (8:00AM - 6:00PM)

   • Description: The vision for this international conference is to be an international catalyst that will result in developing relationships with like minded individuals, local and global partners who understand the importance of sustainable farming practices and the environment.

   • Host Organization: Smithsonian Education Research Center

2. Joanna Ho, Gary Gray Jr., and Oge Mora - Say My Name & I'm From (FREE!) (10:30AM - 11:30AM)

   • Description: Join three authors for a book talk as they delve into their children’s books with varying themes and messages.

   • Host Organization: Politics and Prose

3. Women's Music Talks About Women - Four Hand Piano Concert ($23.18+) (6:30PM - 7:30PM)

   • Description: Come and experience the power and beauty of women's music as it tells stories and evokes emotions!

   • Host Organization: Italian Cultural Institute

4. The Invisible Hands film screening with solo set by Alvarius B ($23.18) (7:30PM - 10:00PM)

   • Description: Made over the course of five years, Invisible Hands is a documentary film about Alan Bishop and the formation of his band, Invisible Hands.

   • Host Organization: Lost Origins Gallery

5. Austrian Embassy Viennese Ball: A Night in Vienna, Live Orchestra, Dancing ($139.49+) (7:00PM - 11:30PM) 👗

   • Description: Enjoy a grand celebration of Viennese music, food, wine, and dancing at the Austrian Embassy.

   • Host Organization: International Club of DC

6. French Embassy Concert & Wine Reception: Music of Modest Mussorgsky ($71.21) (7:00PM - 9:30PM) 👗

   • Description: Join us for a delightful evening of music at the French Embassy followed by a wine reception.

   • Host Organization: International Club of DC

7. Mojgan Ghazirad — The House on Sun Street - with Chinelo Okparanta (FREE!) (7:00PM - 8:00PM)

   • Description: Join these authors for a book talk about international events in Tehran and sexuality.

   • Host Organization: Politics and Prose Bookstore

8. ARPAS DE VERACRUZ MUSIC WORKSHOP - harp, violin, jarana, requinto, voice ($35) (5:30PM - 7:30PM)

   • Description: SON JAROCHO ~ VERACRUZ MUSIC WORKSHOP: Harp, Violin, Jarana, Requinto, and Voice, taught by Master Artists and Son Jaroch experts from Veracruz, Mexico. Professional musicians, experts of Son Jarocho, will convene to teach several of these instruments.

   • Host Organization: Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble

Saturday, October 14^th , 2023

1. La Fiesta del Barrio Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 4:00PM)

   • Description: Come for lively cultural entertainment, art, food, and dance, as well as health, seniors’ and children’s activities to celebrate the Latinx community of Mount Pleasant.

   • Host Organization: La Clinica del Pueblo

2. DC Wine Fest! Fall Edition ($49.15+) (12:00PM - 10:00PM)

   • Description: Enjoy the specially curated wineries as they serve patrons tastings over a multi-session, all-day, all-night vino experience at Union Market.

   • Host Organization: Craft Hospitality, LLC.

3. Fall Cider Fest (FREE to attend but $15 - $20 for cider tastings!) (1:00PM - 6:00PM)

   • Description: Enjoy a festival at the Gateway Park in Rosslyn full of cider tastings and fall celebrations.

   • Host Organization: Rosslyn BID

4. The Mother and the Whore (FREE!) (1:00PM - 4:35PM)

   • Description: Considered one of the towering achievements of 1970s French cinema, Jean Eustache's autobiographical The Mother and the Whore captures a disillusioned generation navigating the post-idealism 1970s as represented through a ménage à trois.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

5. Adams Morgan Porch Fest (FREE!) (2:00PM - 6:00PM)

   • Description: Adams Morgan PorchFest brings neighbors, tourists, and families together with one thing in common: a love of music and it’s 100% free.

   • Host Organization: Adams Morgan BID

6. USA vs Germany Watch Party with the German Embassy (FREE!) (2:30PM - 6:30PM)

   • Description: Come watch the USA vs Germany Watch Party with the German Embassy!

   • Host Organization: WunderGarten and the German Embassy

7. Jeremie Albino Performance (FREE!) (6:00PM - 7:00PM)

   • Description: Jeremie Albino’s grainy ballads are inflected with a joyous tenor that has found him a distinct space in the world of Americana, folk, blues, and country.

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

8. D.C. United vs. Medeama SC Football Game ($18+) (5:00PM - 7:00PM)

   • Description: The week will be anchored by the inaugural “Capital City Africa Cup”, played this year between the Ghanaian Men’s Premier League Team winner, Medeama SC, and the DC United Men’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Team at Audi Field.

   • Host Organization: Audi Field

Sunday, October 15^th , 2023

1. In Their Shoes 5K for Iraqi Children Foundation (FREE!) (7:00AM - 12:00PM)

   • Description: Join us for "In Their Shoes 5K" a heartwarming event supporting the Iraqi Children Foundation, where we run and walk for Iraqi children.

   • Host Organization: Iraqi Children Foundation

2. Turkish Festival (FREE!) (11:00AM - 6:30PM)

   • Description: Join us for a full day of Turkish festivities right here in Washington DC.

   • Host Organization: American Turkish Association of Washington, DC (ATA-DC)

3. Oktoberfest at the Swiss Bakery (FREE!) (11:00AM - 3:00PM)

   • Description: Join us for a day full of food, music, and beer!

   • Host Organization: The Swiss Bakery

4. Jazz Goethe Concert with the Airmen of Note (FREE!) (2:00PM - 3:30PM)

   • Description: The Jazz@Goethe series is set to continue on October 15th with a performance by the jazz quintet of the Airmen of Note. This event will take place on the historic U Street corridor, known for its rich jazz history, including legends like Duke Ellington.

   • Host Organization: Airmen of Note/Goethe-Institute

5. My Little Loves (FREE!) (2:00PM - 4:05PM)

   • Description: Jean Eustache’s second and final narrative feature, My Little Loves, follows Daniel as he navigates the bewildering world of early adolescence.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

Rate Issue No.34!

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