I was super excited for the 4th Annual Best Martini in DC Contest and was really happy I went. It…read morewas a fabulous time and I am shocked more Yelpers were not in attendance. For $15 (in advance; $20 at the door), you received approximately 10 shot-sized martinis from DC mixologists and various small nibbles. In addition, attendees rate the martinis based on drink, taste, creativity, and presentation, and those scores, combined with scores from judges, are used to choose the winner, who happened to be Ed Howard from Crackle Bar. The martinis were all based around Absolut's® Wild Tea Vodka, which sponsored the event. I did not have any of the food, save for a sushi roll. Food was served on trays, and people basically crowded around the kitchen door, waiting for servers to appear with trays. I recommend eating before going. I enjoyed the location - Beacon Bar & Grill. The event was held beyond the bar/restaurant area in the function room area. The rich wallpaper, mirrors, and paintings were quite classy. While the event was crowded, I never felt like I was being pushed around or that lines were too long at any of the stations. Also, after ballots were turned in, attendees were invited to enjoy more martinis. After we were finished judging, Brian and I went to Beacon's bar, where we enjoyed $5 martinis (all day, everyday states the menu). We went back into the event to wait for results, and my now full-size martini glass was filled with whatever drink was left over from the event. I will say that ladies' restroom situation was not good - one private restroom near the restaurant entrance, and it had a fairly long line. The restroom was warm and clean though. A great event that will definitely be on my radar for next year.

Visiting the cherry blossoms has been a wonderful tradition in my family. We would pack a picnic…read moreand head towards the tidal basin. The parade is a wonderful way to celebrate the ending of the cherry blossom season. Hubby and I usually work during the parade in the telecast area. The cherry blossom festival organization is non-profit. The parade is free, however you can sit in a ticketed area for a closer view. Ticket sales help fund the various cultural activities that the festival sponsors. I love watching the cherry blossom & lantern balloons. There are usually funny characters, including clowns on tricycles.The musical numbers are fun. I enjoy seeing the park police on horses. Bonus points to the clean up crew.

After all these years, I finally had the chance to attend the National Cherry Blossom Festival…read moreParade. The weather was cooperative (very nice considering the recent patterns), except that standing in one spot too long without shade proved to get very hot after awhile. The section of the parade that was free for spectators was on Constitution Avenue right in front of the National Museum of American History (between 10th and 14th Streets). This section is easily accessible from the Federal Triangle Metro Station. The steps of the EPA made for some decent seats if you couldn't get to one of the large flower pots that lined the road. In at least one spot, they had a performance artist (singer) in between two marching bands -- that was so not cool -- it came out sounding like a bunch of noise. I couldn't hear the singer at all nor could I separate the music sounds for each performance. I think that was a bad call - I hope that someone on the coordination team noticed and won't do that again. Overall, not bad but I'm still not sure how I feel about the guy selling "fresh" pretzels out of a Petco shopping cart... :/

This was my first time coming to the Capital Pride Celebration. I was invited by a few friends so…read moreI decided to go and show my support. The vibes were festive, celebratory, and expressive. There were vendors, free giveaways, DJs, food, young adults, seniors, people in wheel chairs, people of every age, race, color, creed were there. What stood out to me were the Drag Queens completely decked out, approachable and available for photo-ops. The weather was hot. It's a good idea to come with an Iced water bottle to stay hydrated. The event was well organized. There were scheduled events all over the city. The website described what was going on from free to ticketed events.

I've attended a few times and can't believe that I have never reviewed Capital Pride. Granted, most…read moretimes I am here to work at a booth for my place of work, but every so often I get to be out and explore. (Apologies for such a late post for this review, I'm just that backed up on reviews). Like I said, when I am usually here, it is t be working a booth during the festival day...or, come to think of it, marching in the parade. Being on the side of things where you are participating in the events and having to deal with the organization is a a bit eye opening. Participating usually starts rather early and towards the last three months of the year prior. It moves rather quickly and you have to have all your ducks in a row. However, if you do, it goes rather smoothly. Especially if you already have an account and know what you are doing. Steps progress rather quickly and you will be uploading documents, attending mandatory meetings, and be upon your way to the day. The only downside here is that they seem to make the meeting (that could be an email) for participants mandatory. It's not easy to work that into your schedule, last minute I might add, when you are travelling for work. Come the day of the events and they run rather smoothly. The festival day is packed full of people and it is crazy how everything goes off without a hitch. Music is everywhere, people are having a good time, and the smells are wonderful. All the vendors offering food make it feel like you are at a state fair. Hopefully one of these years I'll have time to explore more and just be here on my own time. Wish it would be next year as DC will be hosting World Pride.

Get a wee walk (5 kilometers = 3.1 miles) in before the gorging later in the day. There were…read moregenerations walking and the serious. Everyone is welcome and your $25 registration fee goes to two local charities. You get swag and free donuts, bagels, bananas, clementines, Starbucks coffee, water, and chances to win raffle prizes. There are people dressed in costumes, dogs, strollers, and people cheering you on as they give you water (and unofficially, beer) and call out your times (at each mile marker). It's a happy trot day and you can feel good about yourself. Plus, it's a nice walk past some of the prettiest streets of Arlington.

I went to a Story League Story Contest last night at Busboys & Poets on 14th and V. It was really…read moregreat! The theme was gossip, and we heard several stories about gossip, rumors, and "evil tongue" in general. The theme was a difficult one (do that many people have stories about gossip?), but the storytellers were funny, poignant, and honest, often all at the same time. At the end, the audience votes for their favorite storyteller, and the audience favorite wins a t-shirt. The judges' favorite wins $100. The judges last night included a "story expert," a local stand up comedian, and a writer for the Washington Post. I felt that the legitimacy of the judges added greatly to the legitimacy of the event. Seating at the venue (it was in a back room) was communal, so strangers were sharing booths and making new friends. Others ordered food, but I just had a drink (an eco-brew beer, because obviously they have that) because I couldn't have possibly held off dinner until 9. Turns out, I was sitting right next to the guy who ended up winning! Brushing shoulders with a local celeb, nbd. While most storytellers have signed up in advance, they allow for one or more volunteers who feel the urge right then to stand up and share. Don't order too many of those eco-brews, or else you might find yourself on stage.

Second annual Syria fest was a pleasant surprise. For a Syrian Community to be able to showcase…read moretheir culture in these difficult times deserves all respect. The feeling is that the organizer gave it all, even if that means having few vendors from Turkey and dancing by a skillful lady with the Latin heritage. It was the first time that I heard our national anthem being performed in any language but English as I am used to two anthems - American in English and who ever host it in their native language. Here is the short video: https://vimeo.com/287909944 Good Cultural tent and good food from Beirut restaurant made it all better. The theme of refugees was present everywhere at this festival - just a block away from the Trump hotel. You could buy art by refugees for any cost you offer, or buy a shirt to support the same. A tent with the chairs, so delicious food can be eaten in peace, would make the festival more enjoyable along more Arab music.

Giant bungee, inflatable slide, food trucks, live DJ are only a fraction of the fun here @ the…read moresmile project! Pretty "ok" place for a date night... Kind of like a college party.. (More to come in a few...)

This two day event is jam packed with food, swag, prizes, drinks and all things BBQ. Follow the…read moresocial media to plan your day. Be prepared to stand in lines. Enter from 7th Street. There is a free bike valet. Archives metro is close by. Get a brochure from Giant and read about all the guests & vendors. Stay hydrated. The shopping bags that Giant handed out were appreciated and filled quickly with swag. Some guests brought wagons to hold all of their items. There were so many drink & food give a ways. The prizes were varied and fun. IKEA medium sized bags or Costco bags are perfect for hauling items. Bring a sweat towel. Wear comfy shoes. Have fun!

Freeeebies, freeebies, and well...more freeeeebies!!!…read more What a time to be had at the bbq battle!!!! Only thing I didn't sample was the bbq....sheeesh!! I really didn't want to BUT of all the freebies and samples, one would think bbq would be at the top of the list but only stubbs had bbq samples. I was surprised that there were healthy options at the battle - non dairy, gluten free, cauliflower pizza, salad....What a time I had! I couldn't carry all my freebies - and live music - yessssss!! DJ Jazzy Jeff - ok DC! I am not a native DC'er but I was happy Backyard Band and the Chuck Brown Band was in the building (dare I say I am getting acclimated to go-go music). For $20ish bucks a ticket, I felt it was well worth it. As others have said - more seating would be better, I had to exit for a bit to have a sit down (I got a stamp and was let back in with no issue).