My wife and I went to a few of the earlier iterations of this festival, but we have been away from…read moreit for a couple of years, and came back having scored a couple of free tickets. We both agreed that had we paid full price would would have been dissatisfied. Maybe I am just remembering with false nostalgia, but it seems to me that the price of admission has been going up while the number of separate stages and number of acts has been going down. Too many of the acts that we saw were overly electrified, and the amplification of the instruments overwhelmed the voices of the singers. A number of the acts seemed to be much more rock-ish and less bluegrass-y. Too many in the audiences were shouting at each other so that they could hear each other over the music, making the experience even less pleasant. The lack of any brochures that we could carry around to keep track of the schedules at various stages made it harder to find what we might have wanted; I thought the explanation for the no-brochures -- we are ging green" might well be an excuse for cutting a cost. And given the lack of brochures, the paucity of signage listing the various acts and times and stages was especially telling. I don't expect to be back

This festival by far exceeded my expectations, I won two free tickets on Yelp and my only…read moredata-point about the event was the then, only one very negative review by someone who, apparently needed to be hammered to enjoy anything. At this year's event there were literally dozens of beer tents, and kudos on the distribution of stainless steel pint glasses. But this festival has so much more to offer than just beer. Free kayaking, boat rides, food trucks and stages tucked into intimate pockets of forest make this festival a must visit event . We were able to take a guided pontoon boat tour with Trey of Anacostia Riverkeeper, seeing the river firsthand and hearing about the ecology and policy issues therein was definitely a highlight. This event reminds me of camp out jam session and we left feeling like we had considerable more outdoor time than just a few hours. Getting to the festival was super easy via metro then shuttle ride. Very kid and dog friendly.

Tenth Annual Celebration of Chinese New Year (Year of Dog) was another opportunity for everyone to…read morelearn more about Chinese and Asian cultures. The venue (enormous new high school with huge auditorium) was a perfect venue with plenty of parking. The program was very good and things moved quickly. At the end, everybody went to the school cafeteria for FREE Chinese refreshments - noodles, spring rolls and dumplings. Although, it was unheard off that festival food is free it is unfortunate that visitors could not have a better experience of Chinese cuisine. Bottom line, free event, nice cultural immersion with a lot of space for the improvements in future.

For decades, the Lebanese are having the great festival and I am almost feeling guilty for not…read moreknowing about it, as if I missed something very important. For a half price of the restaurant cost you can experience the Lebanese delicacies and maybe try something new - like a Jallab ( It's made by diluting the syrup made of grape molasses, dates and rose water with water) The host (Lebanon men and women) were gracious and welcoming. Music over speakers was great, food and drinks even better. I felt like I had something very healthy. Vegetables and meats were savory; falafel (poor men burger) was made right there at that moment and it was extremely light, crispy with great taste. Actually, there was nothing to complain except about the size of my stomach that could not try more delicious food. I am sorry that I did not witness any dances or national costumes, or any cultural program with live music at the time I was there. If there was a program with times I would have timed it better. There was a section for the kids and parking was available at this fee free festival. I was happy to support Lebanese-American community.

Thank you so much, Sydney and Jollof Festival, for allowing me to participate in this event!…read more There was a bit of a confusion in terms of how to redeem our tickets and the check-in process - it seemed a bit disorganized, as there was a line to 'enter' the festival on one side of the festival, but people were coming through the other side. The security seemed to be overwhelmed with the questions from the patrons and how to get their waistbands, since the event planners didn't seem to relay any of the protocol, procedures, and how to check people in... With persistence, we were able to get our wristbands and our tickets - the front staff didn't explain what the tickets were for... we did find out that the 'meal ticket' is to gain entry to the 'Orange Ticket Holder' area to sample various vendors' jollof rice, and the Yelp red tickets were to use to cast votes at the vendors that were located outdoors. We were able to check out: +Fly Chef +Hajara's Kitchen +Yvoni's There was a DJ playing some beats, vendors who were selling jewelry/accessories and clothing, and a bar located in the middle to order beverages. The hubs and I had a great time sampling the jollof rice and speaking with the business owners! Definitely a packed event! Street and lot parking can be found in the area. Thank you for a fun Saturday! +jollof tasting & contest +friendly vendors +music +local businesses +at Union Market

Ticket made possible through Yelp Elite Squad…read more First introduction to the Jollof Festival was unorganized. With 2 entrances open for guests to arrive, only 1 was designated for ticketing which was unmarked. Signage had directions for way-finding only for the festival itself rather than the ticketing portion. This made for getting into the festival a longer (even if you arrived close to opening time there was a minimum of 1 hour wait in peak DC summer heat) excursion. With not being able to properly check in, no designated between VIP or general ticket holders, a wristband shortage, a line down the block, and abundance of under trained staff, and increasingly agitated guests, it was visibly rough for everyone there. For tickets above general entry that included a Jollof Rice Tasting, visitors had to stand along to the Union Market garbages for their 5 (realistically 4 samples due to shortages) of jollof. The option to taste the samples in the venue itself was open to visitors, but had no tables or chairs to accommodate so folks were eating a box of jollof either standing or on the concrete ledges only at the edge of the interior building. Despite this, the festival itself was lively with all the external contractors independant to the festival really carrying the enjoyment factor. The Dj was well placed in the center and had festival goers moving. The bar was also centrally placed with more access to alcohol and beverages. Food vendors brought BBQ pits, making jollof fresh, and added a modern twist to these familiar food palettes. We spoke to some of the chefs and they are incredibly proud of the food they're sharing. Mascot was on point! Jewelry vendors were fair and approachable.

This is incredible. Much like the "Graffiti House" near Culpeper, if you're a civil war history…read morebuff, add this to your list. City of Fairfax has done well with this. The Blenheim House is the main attraction, as it was used as a makeshift hospital by US and confederate soldiers. On the walls are signatures of it's residents, and some of them are quite funny. You will see US or confederate soldiers writing crossing out one another's, or a regiment definitely showing you "we were here." This is good for all ages. The property is stunning. I love the wood fences, and the grounds has plenty to explore. Once a year is civil war day. By all means a complete recommendation, as cannon demonstrations, and living history type of events. This is a gem of northern Virginia. By all means spend time and learn really interesting information.

I'm not sure why I have never thought to review Blenheim before, but this came up on my Yelp…read moreactivity as a 3 star place, which is simply not true! I would like to describe my very personal experience. Five years ago I got married here. I toured countless venues in Fairfax county and Fairfax city. This was the first place I went to that I couldn't really see myself being married at, and the price was right. As a wedding venue, there are great indoor and outdoor spaces, and it is especially beautiful on a fall day. The staff went above and beyond with professionalism. Kaveh, who works for the city of Fairfax, was the person who ran the show, and he could not have done a better job. The wedding had about 100 guests and I would say that it's absolutely perfect for that size. As mentioned in previous reviews, this historic property changed hands during the Civil War several times. It was primarily used as a union encampment/hospital. The most interesting aspect is the preserved building with around 115 Union soldiers' signatures inscribed in it. If you choose to get married here, you can even have a tour aspect to your wedding as an add-on, which certain family members like my grandfather loved. This is a beautiful property and the staff work very hard to preserve it and share it with others. As a wedding venue, I thought it was perfect. It's also a nice place for a picnic and the grounds are open when they don't have events.

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... :/

I have two dear friends who are history nerds like me, and one of them found out about the tours of…read morethis historic place. We went on 10/31 - BOO! We arrived early and spent several minutes enjoying the displays in the small visitor center. There is so much history there, we were surprised to keep discovering things none of us knew before. And one minored in history in college! After reading and admiring most of the displays, it was time to start the tour. It's a short walk from the visitor center, along a path made of oyster shells, to the house itself. It must have been so grand back in the 1800's - it's huge and the sweeping front drive would allow one to see the entire front of the building. We had a docent and their "shadow", a new docent learning the ropes, who were very informative and easy to be around. The tour actually starts in the "dependency", which we learned is just a fancy word for "outbuilding". ;) Fascinating to see how the enslaved persons would have cooked on a fireplace, although we weren't there for a demonstration. They do have those, though, so check for dates and times. Next was the big house and we covered the main rooms and a few rooms upstairs. Each room that is furnished had a story about the people who lived or visited. Many of the furnishings are original pieces; some returned from people who had acquired them over time, and some that remained when the last owner lived there. It's well worth an hour of your time if you like history and seeing some beautiful architecture, furnishings, and the like.

I enjoyed the demonstration. Kathy and Barbra taught me a lot. Between the cooking it felt like a…read morehistory lesson on much more, while also feeling like we were gossiping in the kitchen

Thank you so much, Wheaton Film Festival and Andrew, for allowing me to participate in this event!…read more The WFF schedule was jam-packed, with informal networking, panel discussions, a dinner reception, short film screenings, and an awards presentation! Checking in was a breeze, as your name(s) were checked off, so no need to show your QR ticket codes. They had the evening's agenda, sponsor information, as well as sticky name tags. The festival took place in the ballroom, which was on the 2nd floor, at Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad - plenty of parking in the lot, which was great! The staff were all friendly, and everyone was super excited to check out the winners' work! The after party, in which all attendees are invited to, was at Limerick Pub. Thank you for a fun Saturday! +networking opportunities +friendly staff +at the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad ballroom