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

For more information, visit: http://film.dc.gov/DC/FILM/For+The+Community/Casting+Calls

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.

To help people get around the work zone, Metro will operate free shuttle buses between the Fort Totten and Glenmont Metrorail stations. Customers should build an extra 40 minutes into their travel plans if they need to pass through the work zone.

Metro will conduct several projects in the area of the closure during the Labor Day Holiday weekend. Track workers will replace two old track switches at the Silver Spring Metrorail station, install 750 new track fasteners, 1,720 new crossties, 525 feet of new track, 500 new rail insulators, new heater tape, new tunnel safety lights and install communications cables in support for upgraded cell phone access. The track switch replacement is work recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board. The cell phone service project is a Congressional mandate to improve cell phone access at Metrorail stations.

This will be the largest maintenance shutdown in Metro’s 34-year history. Officials anticipate having more than 500 track maintenance employees and three contractors working during the Labor Day Holiday weekend.

During the Labor Day Holiday weekend, all Red Line trains will operate between the Shady Grove and Fort Totten Metrorail station. The Fort Totten Metrorail station on the Red Line will remain open.

Metro will operate free shuttle bus service between the Fort Totten and Glenmont Metrorail stations.

Riders who wish to avoid the closure of the Red Line between the Fort Totten and Glenmont Metrorail stations can use the following Metrobus lines during the Labor Day weekend:

• C8 (College Park-White Flint) line, which serves the Glenmont Metrorail station.
• J2 (Bethesda-Silver Spring) line, which serves the Silver Spring, Bethesda and Medical Center Metrorail stations.
• Q1, 2, 4, 6 (Veirs Mill Road) line, which serves the Shady Grove, Rockville, Wheaton, Forest Glen and Silver Spring Metrorail stations.

By completing this work during the Labor Day Holiday weekend, Metro will save more than $1 million in late-night maintenance costs that would have resulted in 150 days of single-tracking.

To alert customers about this work, Metro will send e-Alerts, use social media, post signs in key stations, and make train and system announcements.

Additional information on the Labor Day holiday weekend closure of the Red Line between the Fort Totten and Glenmont Metrorail stations will be available in the next couple of weeks. Riders are encouraged to check Metro’s web site at www.metroopensdoors.com for upcoming details on Red Line train and shuttle bus schedules.

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.

“This summer, we’re taking a great family experience and enhancing it with the Family Fun Deal,” said Joe Urschel, Newseum executive director and senior vice president. “The Newseum is a great place for families to experience history and share stories across the generations, and it’s also a lot of fun, with our Elvis exhibit, 4-D theater, interactives and more.”

“Family Fun Deal” tickets, like all Newseum tickets, are valid for two consecutive days.

In March, the Newseum opened “Elvis: His Groundbreaking, Hip-Shaking, Newsmaking Story,” an exhibit that includes rare artifacts on loan from Graceland. Other temporary exhibits now on display include “Athlete: The Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss,” “First Dogs: Presidential Pets in the White House,” and “Inside Tim Russert’s Office.” Popular permanent Newseum features include the 4-D film “I-Witness,” the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery, the Berlin Wall Gallery and the NBC News Interactive Newsroom.

The Newseum opened in April 2008 and offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology, interactives and hands-on exhibits. Within its seven levels of galleries and theaters, the Newseum takes visitors behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made.

The Newseum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For additional information, go to http://www.thedistrict.com/newseum.cfm.

To reserve tickets in advance, click here.

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

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

Spring is nearing an end, but tourism in Washington, D.C. isn’t slowing. With the passing of great events like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, DC tours and attractions continue to thrive.

Our nation’s capital is one of the most spectacular places to visit because of the enveloping aurora around its monuments and landmarks. There’s a substantial amount of history and knowledge to be uncovered by visiting Washington and viewing some of its greatest attractions. As Memorial Day approaches, parks are blistering with festivities and exhibitions. Some of the greatest events occurring on or around Memorial Day are as follows:

• PBS’ National Memorial Day Concert, opening at 5 p.m. on the West Lawn (Sunday, May 30th)
• National Memorial Day Parade, beginning at 2 p.m. and proceeding from Constitution Avenue and ending at The Whitehouse (Monday, May 31, 2010)
• Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally, departing from the Pentagon at 12 p.m. (Sunday, May 30th)
• GI Film Festival (May 12-16th)
• Arlington National Cemetery Tour, beginning at 11 a.m. (Monday, May 31st)
• Navy Memorial, beginning at 11 a.m. (Saturday May 29th)
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial, beginning at 1 p.m. (Monday, May 31st)
• WWII Memorial, beginning at 9am (Monday, May 31st)
• Air Force Memorial, beginning at 9 a.m. (Monday, May 31st)

The Memorial Day festivities are just a sliver of what you can find in D.C. Other than simply visiting let’s say, The Washington Monument, or Lincoln Memorial, there’s a large amount of activities and/or tours to engage in. This includes Ford’s Theatre Tour, Ghost Tours, Lincoln Assassination Tour, and Old Town Alexandria Tour; all of which are walking tours. You may also want to check out places like The Capitol Visitor Center, Whitehouse Visitor Center, or The U.S. Capitol Building; all of which are highly popular amongst tourists.

Washington also has a plethora (over 150) of museums. Some of their most popular include The Smithsonian National Museum(s), The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Newseum, Mount Vernon estate and Gardens Museum, and The National Museum of Crime and Punishment, which exhibits excellent depictions of historically famous crime scenes. There are also some newer establishments/museums that may be of interest including:

• The German-American Heritage Museum
• Ford’s Theatre
• The Capital Visitor Center
• The National Museum of American History (renovations)
• Lincoln’s Cottage

For a thorough list of things to do in DC, feel free to check out http://www.thedistrict.com, where you can find detailed information on everything from government buildings to parks and recreation! Also, be sure to check out the rates for accommodations and travel. A trip to Washington, D.C. may not be the most lavish of all your vacation expenditures, but it’s certainly one that you will not forget.

National Train Day is a FREE coast-to-coast celebration hosted by Actor/ Model Taye Diggs. You and the kids can tour Amtrak train cars, explore interactive and educational exhibits, enjoy live entertainment.

From 11 am to 4 pm, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® will have a model circus train, and you can learn about Ringling Bros. history with the railroad, and get silly with hilarious clowns from The Greatest Show On Earth^® who actually lived and toured the United States on the mile-long Ringling Bros. circus train!

For more information, visit www.nationaltrainday.com/events/dc