Mount Vernon’s Popular Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour

Tickets on Sale September 1

Mount Vernon’s Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour celebrates the history of wine in Virginia with exclusive evening tours of the Mansion and cellar, appearances by “George and Martha Washington”, and live blues on the east lawn overlooking the scenic Potomac River.  Visitors can bring a blanket and relax on the lawn as they sample wines from 16 Virginia wineries on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 1, 2 & 3 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Tickets are $30 per person and are available at Mount Vernon’s Ford Orientation Center or through www.MountVernon.org beginning September 1.

To accompany the wine tasting, Fruit & Cheese boxes are available by advance purchase ($24 each; serves two).  A variety of hot and cold food and desserts including baguettes, gourmet sandwiches, and specialty sweets will be available on site from the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant.  Guests can take home a remembrance of Mount Vernon’s Wine Festival and Sunset Tour from the Shops at Mount Vernon, open until 9:30 p.m. each evening.  Cases of wine purchased at the Wine Festival can be transported by wine valets to the Shops for easy pick up at the end of the evening.

The interpreters will discuss Washington’s attempts at creating a vineyard and highlight various wine-related items inside the Mansion, such as Washington’s spirits case, as well as the basement’s brick vaults where Washington stored his wine.

Mount Vernon’s Wine Festival & Sunset Tour takes place rain or shine, tickets are limited and all sales are final.  This is a popular event; early ticket purchase is suggested.  Guests must be prepared to show identification for wine service.  Designated drivers will receive free Coca-Cola soft drinks.

All proceeds benefit the ongoing preservation and restoration of Mount Vernon and its educational programs.

Events, programs, and activities are subject to change.

Since 1860, over 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America.  Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.”  Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853.  A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.

Hours of operation: April-August, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March, September, October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November – February, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Regular admission rates: adults, $15.00; senior citizens, $14.00; children age 6-11, when accompanied by an adult, $7.00; and children under age 5, FREE.  Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, along with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon.

For more information: 703-780-2000; 703-799-8697 (TDD); Visit.MountVernon.org

Washington, DC Restaurant Week

Something smells good! It’s the Semi-Annual Washington, DC Restaurant Week!

From Monday, August 16 through Sunday, August 22, over 200 restaurants are offering a gourmet lunch or dinner at a great price:

  • Lunch: $20.10 for a three-course fixed-price meal
  • Dinner: $35.10 for a three-course fixed-price meal
  • Beverages, gratuity and tax are not included.

Visit the “DC Restaurant Week” Section of Open Table to view a list of participating restaurants and make a reservation.

Still hungry? Mark your calendar for Alexandria Restaurant Week which takes place August 20-29, 2010.

Lunch: $20.10 for a three-course fixed-price meal
Dinner: $35.10 for a three-course fixed-price meal

Beverages, gratuity and tax are not included.

Movies on the Potomac at the National Harbor

movies on the potomac, national harbor in DC

Looking for something fun and free to do this weekend? Head over to the National Harbor on Sunday for their free Movies on the Potomac. Every Sunday night through the end of September, a classic movie begins just after sunset. You are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, but coolers with food and beverages are not allowed.

Schedule:

Superhero Series:
August 8: Ironman
August 15: Batman
August 22: Incredible Hulk
August 29: Spider-Man

Spielburg Series:
September 5: The Land Before Time
September 12: Raiders of the Lost Ark
September 19: E.T.
September 26: Jurassic Park

For more information click here.

Fourth of July Celebration in Washington, DC

The Fourth of July celebration is always the biggest party in DC, and this year’s event is no exception. Plan a trip to the National Mall for a festive display of our nation’s patriotism. The Independence Day Parade runs right down Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets, starting at 11:45AM. This always draws a big crowd, so stake your claim on the curb early or you might miss it.

After the parade, there’s plenty of entertainment to be found at the Folklife Festival on the Mall until 5:00PM. Afterwards, you can take in a concert on the Washington Monument grounds, and listen to the US Navy Concert band.

Of course, the big event is the Capitol Fourth Concert on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and contemporary artists perform patriotic music, while the fireworks light up the sky. You don’t need tickets to attend this event but the “doors” open at 3:00PM and the best seats go fast, so get there early. Jimmy Smits will host this year’s event, and the performers include Reba McIntire, Gladys Knight, Darius Rucker, David Archuleta, and John Schneider. Plan for intense heat by dressing appropriately and drinking lots of fluids.

The grand fireworks show begins at dark, usually around 9:30PM. The fireworks are set off around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool but can be seen from miles around. There really are no “bad” seats (unless you’re sitting under a tree). Some of the favorite fireworks viewing spots for locals are the grounds of the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Air Force Memorial. The traffic at these locations is not nearly as chaotic as heading to the Mall, and you still have a great vantage point for all the ooohs and ahhhs.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July celebration in DC!

For more travel information and tips on visting the July 4 celebration in Washington, DC, visit: http://www.thedistrict.com/a_capitol_fourth_4th_of_july.cfm

Smithsonian Folklife Festival: June 24-28 and July 1-5

Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival starts this week and continues on July 1-5. The festival is always a large event that draws millions of people to the national mall, between the Smithsonian museums. On display will be a multitude of authentic living traditions, that will inform you about diverse cultures, in a fun and festive atmosphere.

The Festival is held outdoors and it’s sure to be sweltering out there, so prepare for the heat by dressing in light clothing and drink lots of water. You can always duck into one of the museums for a cool blast of air conditioning. There is no admission charge for the event but some of the vendors will be selling food and other items.

The Smithsonian metro station will put you right in the middle of the Festival site but the Federal Triangle and National Archives stations are also nearby.

For more information, click here: http://www.thedistrict.com/smithsonian_folklife_festival.cfm

For a full schedule of events, click here: http://www.festival.si.edu/2010/schedule_06_24.aspx

Photo caption: A view of the 2004 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The annual Folklife Festival highlights grassroots cultures across the nation and around the world through performances and demonstrations of living traditions. The Festival, which began in 1967, occurs for two weeks every summer on the National Mall and attracts more than 1 million visitors.

Photo Credit: Jeff Tinsley, Smithsonian Institution