Festive Embassies and December Markets

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Event Highlight: Winter Lantern Festival (Saturday, November 25^th )

It was a chilly, frosty night when we took the Silver Line out to Tyson’s Corner. The air had become a frigid 40°F with your breath visible if you exhaled hard enough. We felt stiff like a robot as we walked down the steps of the Metro station. It took roughly 40 minutes to reach this particular destination since the Metro had single tracking again. In the distance, a dazzling display of light and sound flashed as an eager crowd started to form.

The Winter Lantern festival was held in Tyson’s Corner featuring over 1,000 handmade Chinese lanterns. It was an amazing experience walking through different sections of the parking lot, each with their own story and characters. The lantern frames were crafted from a combination of Chinese silk cloth and steel wire. Modern LED lights were embedded into different parts of the frames to give off different color combinations.

We saw familiar characters from Chinese folklore including the Monkey King known as Sun Wukong. Other characters were less known to us but stood out including varying dragons, moving tortoises, and a large, multicolored salamander of sorts. Overall, the experience was fun, and we would recommend checking it out solo, with friends, or with the family!

Dates: November 24^th to February 18^th , 2024

Opening hours: Fridays–Sundays, various sessions throughout 17:00 to 21:00

Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Location: 8025 Galleria Drive, Tysons, VA 22102

Ticket Price: $25.99 per adult person, $17.99 (kids aged 4-13), and $20.99 (military or senior 65+ years of age).

Website

Looking Ahead! 👀 

1. Callas Forever Movie Directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Monday, December 4^th, 6PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Film Description: Join us for a screening of the biographical movie portraying Maria Callas in her late career.

   • Host Organization: Italian Cultural Institute/Embassy of Greece

2. Qazaq Concert Performance (Tuesday, December 5^th, 6:30PM - 9:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Experience the Melodies of Kazakhstan in DC at the Qazaq Concert and dive into the heart of Kazakh culture for an exciting evening of music.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of Kazakhstan

3. Holiday Evening with the House of Ukraine (Wednesday, December 6^th, 6:30PM - 9PM) ($84.21)

   • Description: Experience the customs and holiday traditions of Ukraine at the Ukraine House.

   • Host Organization: Embassy Experiences

4. A Night at the Embassy of Botswana - Safari and Diamonds in The Skies (Thursday, December 7^th, 6PM - 9PM) ($83.71)

   • Description: You are cordially invited to join us at the Embassy of Botswana for a night filled with fun and information on the country's culture, economy, business and tourism.

   • Host Organization: Mer Events

5. Annual Christmas Gala (Friday, December 8^th, 7PM - 10PM) ($161.90)

   • Description: Our annual Christmas Gala returns to the Embassy of Slovakia for an encore performance by the New York Virtuosi.

   • Host Organization: The Embassy Series

6. Museum of the Bible Tour With Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) (Saturday, December 9^th, 10AM - 4PM) ($21.04)

   • Description: Christian booklovers and others are invited to spend a day in Washington, DC at the Museum of the Bible.

   • Host Organization: Private organizer

7. A Night in Havana - Dance to Latin Band After Salsa Lessons (Saturday, December 9^th, 7PM - 10PM) ($28.52 - $39.19)

   • Description: Attend on your own or with friends to dance to a Latin band after salsa lessons. A partner or prior dance experience not needed to attend.

   • Host Organization: International Events Washington DC

8. Embassy Row Chocolate Tour: Special Holiday Guided Tour (Sunday, December 10^th, 12PM - 2PM) ($42.25)

   • Description: Travel the world - in under two hours - through the world of chocolate and a holiday guide!

   • Host Organization: Embassy Experiences

International Events List (November 27^th - December 3^rd )

Check out the following international embassy and cultural events happening from Monday, November 27^th until Sunday, December 3^rd .

Monday, November 27^th , 2023

1. Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue at the Crossroads: A Conversation with Avdullah Hoti (2PM - 3:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti discusses the recent rise in tensions between Kosovo and Serbia and his vision for a peaceful settlement.

   • Host Organization: Johns Hopkins SAIS Foreign Policy Institute.

2. Taiwan Lecture by Dmitri Alperovitch (5PM - 6:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: The Alperovitch Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS is delighted to welcome Mr. Dmitri Alperovitch for a lecture on Taiwan and the future of Sino-American relations.

   • Host Organization: The Alperovitch Institute

3. Angel of Gaza- Telling the Toll of the Lost Children Film Screening (7PM - 9PM) (Pay what you can!)

   • Film Description: "Angel of Gaza" is a moving story of Malek, a young Gazan girl whose name means "Angel" in Arabic. During her 7 year journey, she draws and journals to find the home and family she lost

   • Host Organization: Filistia Films

Tuesday, November 28^th , 2023

1. Exploring East Asia’s Future with Ernest Bower, President of BowerGroupAsia (12:30PM - 2PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join SAIS Consulting Club and Korea Club in welcoming BowerGroupAsia CEO and President Ernest Z. Bower for a speaker session & Q&A at SAIS.

   • Host Organization: SAIS Korea Club

2. The Importance of Public Diplomacy in US Foreign Policy (4PM - 5:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath and Mark Toner for a conversation on the importance of public diplomacy!

   • Host Organization: School of International Service

3. Sciences Po Transatlantic Forum (6PM - 8PM) ($100+)

   • Description: Please join us to enjoy the evening and conversation with fellow Sciences Po alumni and Francophiles in D.C.

   • Host Organization: Sciences Po American Foundation

4. State of Silence Book Talk (7PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Book Description: In State of Silence, political historian Sam Lebovic uncovers the troubling history of the Espionage Act.

   • Host Organization: Politics and Prose

5. YADI Networking Mixer: Conversation and Exchange (6PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Come join us at YADI Networking-Exchange, a fun and exciting networking mixer event where you can meet new people and exchange ideas.

   • Host Organization: YADI Leaders

6. Trivia Night: Family Ties (5PM - 6:45PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join the National Portrait Gallery and our friends from New Columbia Pub Quiz for a happy hour trivia night highlighting the stories of iconic families and communities featured in the museum’s collection.

   • Host Organization: National Portrait Gallery

7. Black Space: A Sankofa Music Series ft. Amadou Kouyate (8PM - 9:30PM) ($23.31)

   • Description: Get ready for an electrifying night of Sankofa rhythms at Black Space, where the sensational Amadou Kouyate will take you on a musical journey.

   • Host Organization: Multiple organizations

Wednesday, November 29^th , 2023

1. Ambassador Insider Series: Pakistan (5PM - 8PM) (Free for Capitol Hill staff, $28.52 for foreign diplomats, $71.21 for general admission)

   • Description: Join us for an exclusive event, "Ambassador Insider Series: Pakistan," where you'll learn about Pakistan and meet interesting people.

   • Host Organization: The Washingtonian Diplomat

2. Citizenship and Belonging: A Conversation with Otros Dreams en Acción (5PM - 6:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join the museum in a moderated conversation with members from Otros Dreams en Acción (ODA), an organization of globally recognized thought leaders who are transforming popular understanding of belonging.

   • Host Organization: National Museum of American History

3. A Love That Kills Film Screening (5PM - 6PM) (FREE!)

   • Film Description: The two million Spanish women who are victims of domestic violence and the death each week of a woman at the hands of her partner is not fictional.

   • Host Organization: SPAIN Arts and Culture

4. Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East (6PM - 7PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: The career of Sunny Jain is a celebration of cultural diaspora: deep-rooted tradition that ripples outward, changing—and being changed by—the cultures that it touches. He is a composer, drummer, dhol player, and thought leader.

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

5. Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea (6:45PM - 8PM) ($20 for members, $25 for non-members)

   • Description: A new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, "Many Wests: Artists Shape an American Idea," examines the perspectives of 48 modern and contemporary artists who offer a broader and more inclusive view of this region, which too often has been dominated by romanticized myths and Euro-American historical accounts.

   • Host Organization: Smithsonian Associates

Thursday, November 30^th , 2023

1. Observe the Conservation of James Hampton’s Throne of the Third Heaven (2PM - 6PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: In this recurring program, conservators and registrars at SAAM talk with the public about the intricate methods and materials used by Hampton as they do their work.   

   • Host Organization: Smithsonian American Art Museum

2. Art Reception: Nicole Salimbene Solo Exhibition at The Silva Gallery (6PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us for a night of art to celebrate artist Nicole Salimbene and her exhibition 'Seed Scattering' at The Silva Gallery.

   • Host Organization: Latela Curatorial

3. Take My Eyes Film Screening (5PM - 6:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Film Description: One winter night, Pilar runs away from home. With her, she takes only a few belongings and her son, Juan. Antonio soon sets out to look for her. He says Pilar is his sunshine, and what’s more, “She gave him her eyes.”

   • Host Organization: SPAIN Arts & Culture

4. Washingtonian Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival (6:30PM - 10PM) ($84.78 - $107.10)

   • Description: Join us at Dock5 at Union Market for a delectable fare of mouthwatering bites and delicious spirits from across the country. Taste and enjoy a variety of premium whiskey, bourbon, and more! This event is 21+.

   • Host Organization: Washingtonian Media

5. ISU Space Café - NASA Chief Scientist A.C. Charania (6PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: As agency chief technologist, A.C. Charania serves as principal advisor to NASA’s administrator on technology policy and programs

   • Host Organization: International Space University US Alumni Association

6. Storytelling Night: Immigrants Celebrating Independence (7PM - 8:30PM) (Pay what you can!)

   • 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

7. Rogê Performance (6PM - 7PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Rogê is a Latin Grammy®-nominated and Brazilian Music Awards-granted artist, songwriter, composer, and musician, considered to be a principal part of the Brazilian popular music scene revival (MPB).

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

Friday, December 1^st , 2023

1. Policy, Governance and Thinking AS IF Democracy Matters (9AM - 6PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us for a conference that took four years in the making as concerned citizens from the US, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium & China will present their research and outputs of innovation in the areas of policy and governance.

   • Host Organization: The Forum on Democracy

2. US National Security and Ukraine: A Bipartisan Conversation (9AM - 10AM) (FREE!)

   • Description: What is the path forward for Ukraine aid in Congress? Can a bipartisan coalition hold in the face of a determined effort to cut off US aid?

   • Host Organization: Hudson Institute

3. Exhibition Tour: The Land Carries Our Ancestors (1PM - 2PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: This exhibition tour introduces works by contemporary Native artists from across the United States.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

4. Observe the Conservation of James Hampton’s Throne of the Third Heaven (2PM - 6PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us to watch ongoing treatment of James Hampton's The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly in a temporary conservation space on the museum’s first floor.

   • Host Organization: Smithsonian American Art Museum

5. ArtWalk Dupont (6PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join the Dupont Circle Business Improvement District on the first Friday of every month from 6-8 PM for ArtWalk Dupont!

   • Host Organization: Dupont Circle BID

6. December ArtWalk Dupont at Qatar America Institute for Culture (6PM - 8PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Come join us for ArtWalk Dupont, an art-filled evening showcasing talented artists! December's First Friday will feature a Holiday Market!

   • Host Organization: Qatar America Institute for Culture (QAIC)

7. Fashion Awards to Benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation (6PM - 12PM) ($55.20+)

   • Description: Celebrate fashion, music, and food and support the National Breast Cancer Foundation all at the same time!

   • Host Organization: Latin Fashion Week

8. Brian Lopez Performance (6PM - 7PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Singer/songwriter Brian Lopez has been influential in defining the desert noir sound of the American Southwest over the past two decades.

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

Saturday, December 2^nd , 2023

1. Friends of the National Arboretum's Winter Festival (10AM - 4PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Shop from over 30 local vendors and enjoy free holiday-themed family activities. Have a hassle-free holidays and get all your shopping done in one place!

   • Host Organization: Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA)

2. Heure du Contre Event (10AM - 11AM) (FREE!)

   • Description: The AFDC library is delighted to invite little readers ages 3 to 7 to our monthly reading program!

   • Host Organization: Alliance Française de Washington, DC (AFDC)

3. Global Holiday Market 2023 (11:30AM - 5PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us for our annual Global Holiday Market featuring art, jewelry, handcrafts, food, books, clothing, accessories, gifts & more from around the world!

   • Host Organization: One Journey Festival

4. Dupont Circle Holiday Pop-Up! (12PM - 5PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us for the 7th Annual Dupont Circle Main Streets Holiday Pop-Up!

   • Host Organization: Dupont Circle Main Streets

5. Her-Story Makers Market: Holiday Edition (1PM - 5PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: In celebration of the holidays, Hotel Zena, a cultural hub that celebrates female empowerment and diversity through art, design, and relevant programs is hosting A Her-Story Makers Market: Holiday Edition.

   • Host Organization: Hotel Zena

6. Maria by Callas Film Screening (2PM - 4PM) (FREE!)

   • Film Description: This documentary, honoring legendary soprano Maria Callas (1923—1977) on what would have been her 100th birthday, reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

7. The People’s Diva: A Tribute to Renée Fleming (6PM - 7PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Please join the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera in a very special performance honoring one of today’s greatest artists, Renée Fleming.

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

8. Concert by Candlelight: A Holiday Hammered Dulcimer Concert at Oak Hill (7PM - 8PM) ($55.20)

   • Description: Join us in the Renwick Chapel on Saturday, December 2 at 7 pm to enjoy a performance by Stephen Humphries on the hammered dulcimer.

   • Host Organization: Oak Hill Cemetery

Sunday, December 3^rd , 2023

1. Global Holiday Market 2023 (11:30AM - 3PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us for our annual Global Holiday Market featuring art, jewelry, handcrafts, food, books, clothing, accessories, gifts & more from around the world!

   • Host Organization: One Journey Festival

2. Exhibition Tour: The Land Carries Our Ancestors (3PM - 4PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: This exhibition tour introduces works by contemporary Native artists from across the United States.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

3. Sky Hopinka: Wandering Translations, Poems, and Film Lecture (2PM - 4PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join us for a conversation with Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians), artist, poet, and recently awarded MacArthur Foundation grantee.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

4. Turkish Dance Workshop with Yeliz Dingler December 2023 (2PM - 4PM) ($22.07 - $37.06)

   • Description: The American Turkish Association of Washington, DC and Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble proudly present a Turkish Dance workshop with Yeliz Dingler.

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

5. A Celtic Christmas Performance (4PM - 6PM) ($48+)

   • Description: The 40-year Washington favorite returns to the sanctuary of Dumbarton Church this holiday season, as we celebrate the comfort and joy of the time of year with the classic sounds of the Barnes and Hampton Celtic Consort.

   • Host Organization: Dumbarton Concerts

6. Atlas Presents Silent Film Series: The Merry Widow from 1925 (4PM - 6PM) ($29.25)

   • Film Description: The Merry Widow is a romantic drama/black comedy that was a critical and box office success – based on the 1905 Franz Lehár operetta of the same name. The film is a sumptuous delight for holiday audiences with Mae Murray – known as the girl with the “bee-stung lips” – and John Gilbert, whose performance as Prince Danilo in The Merry Widow was his breakthrough role in silent pictures.

   • Host Organization: Atlas Performing Arts Center

Rate Issue No.41!

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