A Cherry Blossom Prelude of Embassy Events in DC

Taste of Iceland Festival 🎉 

The 2024 Taste of Iceland festival, organized by Inspired by Iceland, is coming to Washington D.C. from Friday, March 8^th - Saturday, March 9^th . Iceland is known as the land of fire with its unique volcanology and ice with its intense winters. This cultural festival showcases the best of Icelandic culture, including food, beverages, music, nature, and more!

The Taste of Iceland festival celebrates the traditions and culture of Iceland with the people of North America. Featured events will be hosted at restaurants and organizations such as Brasserie Beck, Eaton DC, Mind Your Body Oasis, Old School Hardware, Songbyrd, and Wild Days.

Most events are free and open to the public. Event tickets are required and guests should arrive promptly to guarantee entry. Registration for tickets are available on the Taste of Iceland website including reservations which are required for the prix-fixe Icelandic dinner.

• Dates: Friday, March 8^th - Saturday, March 9^th  

• Price: FREE for most events and open to the public. Event tickets are required and can be found through the registration on the Taste of Iceland website.

Events List

Check out the following international embassy and cultural events happening from Monday, March 4^th - Sunday, March 10^th . 

Monday, March 4^th, 2024

1. International Movie Night: Honja saneun saramdeul (Aloners) (5PM - 7PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: A solitary woman re-evaluates her isolated existence after her neighbor dies alone in his apartment.

   • Host Organization: Georgetown Neighborhood Library/DC Public Library System

2. Rights. Resources. Representation – Why We Need Feminist Foreign Policy (6PM - 8:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: In honor of International Women’s Day 2024 the German Embassy Washington invites you to the panel discussion “Rights. Resources. Representation – Why We Need FFP“ and the opening of the exhibition “75 years of the basic law: A look at the German constitution in the context of women's rights”.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of Germany

3. From Vienna to White House: Yoichi Okamoto and the American Century (7PM - 9PM) (FREE!) 🎨 

   • Description: This exhibition explores the history documented by Okamoto in his masterful photographs from his arrival in Europe to his work at The White House and celebrates the art he created in the process.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of Austria

4. Screening of "A Son" Tunisian Film (7PM - 9PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: As part of the "Mois de la Francophonie", the Tunisian Embassy is proposing a screening of the film "A Son" directed by Mehdi Barsaoui.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of France and Embassy of Tunisia

5. The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq Book Talk (7PM - 8PM) (FREE!) 📕 

   • Book Description: A work of great historical significance, The Achilles Trap is the definitive account of how corruptions of power, lies of diplomacy, and vanity--on both sides--led to avoidable errors of statecraft, ones that would enact immeasurable human suffering and forever change the political landscape as we know it.

   • Host Organization: Politics and Prose Bookstore

Tuesday, March 5^th, 2024

1. The Age of Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (3:30PM - 5:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Join the Human Rights Institute on Tuesday, March 5th for our annual Drinan Chair Lecture on Human Rights, delivered by Professor Soledad García Muñoz. Also featuring an introduction by former commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Margarette May Macaulay.

   • Host Organization: Human Rights Institute at Georgetown Law

2. Book Lecture: Revealing Secrets (5PM - 6PM) (FREE!) 📕 

   • Book Description: Mr. John Blaxland and Ms. Claire Birgin will discuss their book on the unofficial history of the Australian Signals intelligence.

   • Host Organization: The Institute of World Politics

Wednesday, March 6^th, 2024 

1. The Intelligence Customer: What Do We Want? (4:30PM - 6PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: United States Ambassador Gordon Sondland will deliver a lecture addressing the relationship between ambassadors and the intelligence community.

   • Host Organization: The Institute of World Politics

2. Ghana Independence Day Celebration (5PM - 7PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: On behalf of the Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (GHPAC), please join us in celebrating Ghana’s Independence Day on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This celebration will include remarks from members of the Congressional Ghana Caucus and will take place in Rayburn House Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

   • Host Organization: Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective

3. Migraaaants : Scenes From The Play & Discussion at AFDC (7PM - 9PM) ($5.04 for AFDC members, $9.31 for general admission) 🎭️ 

   • Description: Expats Theatre brings "Migraaaants or There’s Too Many People On this Damn Boat" to the Alliance Française of Washington, DC!

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

4. Tunisian Concert: Echoes of Hope (6:30PM - 8:30PM) (FREE!) 🎶 

   • Description: As part of the "Mois de la Francophonie", the Embassy of Tunisia is proposing a concert of classical music by Yahya Mhirsi and Fatma Souf.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of France

5. Washington Wizards German Heritage Night (7PM - 9PM) ($30 - $107)

   • Description: Come out and celebrate German Heritage Night with the Washington Wizards when they take on the Orlando Magic on March 6th!

   • Host Organization: Washington Wizards

Thursday, March 7^th, 2024

1. Bonjour, Bonnard! (5PM - 8:30PM) (Free admission for members, $20+ for non-members) 🎨 

   • Description: In partnership with the Embassy of France, celebrate all things Bonnard’s Worlds with tours, tastings, art activities, and more.

   • Host Organization: The Phillips Collection/Embassy of France

2. Embassy Chef Challenge 2024 (6PM - 10PM) ($150) 🔥 

   • Description: Join us for the ultimate celebration of culinary diplomacy with this year’s competition and tasting experience featuring food and drink from around the world.

   • Host Organization: Events DC and Union Station

3. International Women's Day Agora at The Ven (5PM - 9PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: Enjoy an evening out celebrating woman-owned small businesses, hearing from inspiring speakers, entrepreneurs, creatives in the D.C. area.

   • Host Organization: Yas Media & Friends

4. Gender Parity Through Sports: Women Athletes Leading the Way (7PM - 9PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: This program is one of a series the Embassy of France is hosting to celebrate Olympic values in preparation of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of France

5. Smoke and Ashes: Opium's Hidden Histories Book Talk (7PM - 8PM) (FREE!) 📕 

   • Book Description: Moving deftly between horticultural histories, the mythologies of capitalism, and the social and cultural repercussions of colonialism, in Smoke and Ashes Amitav Ghosh reveals the role that one small plant had in making our world, now teetering on the edge of catastrophe.

   • Host Organization: Politics and Prose Bookstore

Friday, March 8^th, 2024

1. Taste of Iceland Festival (Friday March 8^th - Saturday March 9^th) (Multiple events with multiple times) (FREE!) 🔥 

   • Description: Taste of Iceland is on tour and making its first stop in D.C. on March 8-9. During the two-day festival, Washingtonians can transport themselves to Iceland through a series of events inspired by and in celebration of Icelandic culture through food, crime fiction, music, design, books, and more.

   • Host Organization: Inspired by Ireland

2. International Women’s Day Festival (10AM - 5:30PM) (Multiple times for multiple events) (Price varies per event) 🎨 📽️ 

   • Description: Join NMWA on Friday, March 8, to celebrate International Women’s Day! We will host both virtual and in-person programs that engage with, highlight, and celebrate women in the visual and performing arts.

   • Host Organization: National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA)

3. Women’s Leadership in the Regional Agenda on Health and Resilience (10AM - 1:30PM) (FREE!)

   • Description: A high-level conversation about how health systems become more resilient, inclusive, equitable, and sustainable with women's leadership.

   • Host Organization: Inter-American Commission of Women CIM/OAS

4. International Women's Day Party (6PM - 10PM) ($17.85)

   • Description: Let's celebrate the incredible women around the world at the International Women's Day Party including social networking, art and culture!

   • Host Organization: The America-Eurasia Center

5. Offenbach's La Vie Parisienne at the Embassy of France (8PM - 10PM) ($50+) 🎶 

   • Description: Join us at the French Embassy for a mesmerizing night of music with Offenbach's La Vie Parisienne presented by L'Opéra Comique de Washington.

   • Host Organization: L'Opéra Comique de Washington/Embassy of France

Saturday, March 9^th, 2024

1. Women’s History Month Festival (11:30AM - 3PM) (FREE!) 🎨 

   • Description: This one’s for the ladies (and everyone else, too) as the Portrait Gallery hosts its annual Women’s History Month festival for all ages ! Come see our newest portraits of Oprah, Beyoncé, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and other inspiring women. Join the celebration in the Kogod Courtyard, featuring performances and workshops from The Washington Ballet, art activities, spotlight talks, scavenger hunts and story times– there will be something for everyone!

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

2. Celebrate Italian Cinema: Angelina Film Screening (2PM - 5PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: Oscar-winning Italian actor Anna Magnani plays Angelina, a commanding working class presence who, along with other women in her community, fights for the right to move into a new block of apartments built on the ruins of her hometown after the Second World War.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

3. LAS MÍSTICAS DE MÉXICO Art and Musical Experience (6PM - 7:30PM, 8PM - 9:30PM) ($33 for student admission, $55 for general admission) 🎨 🎶 

   • Description: 2024 opens with LAS MÍSTICAS DE MÉXICO, an immersive music and art installation experience that surrounds the audience in a multi-sensory journey through the mystical creative expressions of four centuries of Mexican women artists.

   • Host Organization: Dupont Underground, Mexican Cultural Institute (MCI), and Baltimore - Emmanuel Episcopal Church

4. Black Girls Rock: Nia Dinero Performance (6PM - 7PM) (FREE!) 🎶 

   • Description: Nia Dinero continues to use her experience and talent to showcase her broad range of lyrical poise, edginess, sophistication, and excellence. Merging genres of hip hop, pop, and R&B, Nia brings a unique, cunning, and clever perspective to the art of rap that she calls “Hip-Pop.”

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

5. AreteArts: Afroprophetic: Art Transforming Minds and Nature (7PM - 9PM) ($27+) 🎨 

   • Description: A selection of African artworks is displayed, accompanied by musical performance and spoken word. Audience engagement through interactive live posting, with artists from across Africa.

   • Host Organization: Atlas Performing Arts Center

Sunday, March 10^th, 2024

1. Celebrate Italian Cinema: Rome, Open City Screening (2PM - 4PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: Rome, Open City is a chronicle of resistance set during World War II and a foundational work of neorealist cinema, (the title is taken from Rome’s status as an “open city” as of August 14, 1943).

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

2. LAS MÍSTICAS DE MÉXICO Art and Musical Experience (2PM - 3:30PM, 4PM - 5:30PM ) ($33 for student admission, $55 for general admission) 🎨 🎶 

   • Description: 2024 opens with LAS MÍSTICAS DE MÉXICO, an immersive music and art installation experience that surrounds the audience in a multi-sensory journey through the mystical creative expressions of four centuries of Mexican women artists.

   • Host Organization: Dupont Underground, Mexican Cultural Institute (MCI), and Baltimore - Emmanuel Episcopal Church

3. Extraordinary Cinema: Reimagining Disability in the Future: Short Films and Conversation (3PM - 5PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: Join us for FREE film screenings in the Justice Forum at the REACH. Catch two short films reimagining disability in the future: Neurodivergent (dir. Afton Quast Saler) and Shadow (dir. Bruce Gladwin). Featuring a post-screening panel including Day Al-Mohamed, Mathew McCullough, and Isaac Zablocki.

   • Host Organization: Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

4. Inna Faliks with the Inscape Chamber Orchestra Performance (3PM - 4:15PM) (FREE!) 🎶 

   • Description: Commemorate International Women’s Day with the world premiere performance of a new piano concerto by Grammy-nominated composer Clarice Assad. Ukrainian American pianist Inna Faliks is joined by the Inscape Chamber Orchestra and students from the DC Youth Orchestra and the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative.

   • Host Organization: National Gallery of Art

Looking Ahead! 👀 

1. "D-Day Legacy: Exhibition and Screening" with ABMC (Tuesday, March 12^th, 7PM-10PM) (FREE!) 📽️ 

   • Description: On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Embassy of France is proud to partner with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) for a screening of the documentary, "Our Promise: 100 Years of the American Battle Monuments Commission" and an exhibition of vintage-style prints by French artist DOZ.

   • Host Organization: Embassy of France

2. Concert Performance: Ernán López-Nussa Lekszycki (Wednesday, March 13^th, 7:30PM - 8:30PM) ($16.82 for student admission, $27.37 for general admission) 🎶 

   • Description: Experience the extraordinary talent of the renowned pianist, jazz composer and director Ernán López-Nussa.

   • Host Organization: Villa Albertine Washington DC

3. String Quartet Performance with Guest Artists Margarita Loukachkina, Piano and Matthew Maffit, Viola (Thursday, March 14^th, 6:30PM - 8:30PM) ($75+ for <21 years, $150 for adults) 🎶 

   • Description: Join us for an amazing string quarter performance at the Embassy of the Czech Republic celebrating musical diplomacy.

   • Host Organization: The Embassy Series

4. DCYO Tour Fundraiser: A Musical Evening at the Austrian Embassy (Friday, March 15^th, 7:30PM - 9:30PM) (FREE!) 🎶 

   • Description: Come join us for a wonderful evening at the Austrian Embassy, as we raise funds for the DC Youth Orchestra's upcoming European tour!

   • Host Organization: The DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYO)/Embassy of Austria

5. Francophone Embassies Walking Tour (Saturday, March 16^th, 2PM - 3:30PM) ($28.52 for members of the AFDC, $39.19 for non-members and general admission) 🚶‍♂️ 

   • Description: Learn more about the world of Francophonie on a walking tour across embassies on Massachusetts Ave and in Kalorama Historic Neighborhood!

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

Rate Issue No.55!

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