Next weekend, enjoy over 30 FREE music, dance and artistic performances at Washington, DC’s premiere center for the arts, The Kennedy Center and their annual Open House.

The range of entertainment of as varied as the number of performers.

Here’s just a sampling of the many free performances:

• The Kennedy Center’s own Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Suzanne Ferrell  who was one of one of George Balanchine’s most celebrated ballerinas.
• Washington’s own, National Symphony Orchestra
• Children’s Musical Album Grammy winners – Dan Zanes and Friends
• Dance under the stars outside on the patio with the Godfather of Go-Go – Chuck Brown
• Folk singer Lila Downs, will perform her Academy Award nominated song "Burn it Blue" form the film Frida.

And if you bring the children, take them to the hands-on NSO Instrument "Petting Zoo", where they can all learn all about the instruments of the symphony orchestra.

Plus, you can wander the center and enjoy it’s great architecture and stunning views of the Potomac River, Georgetown, the Watergate complex  and the National Mall.

Click here for the most updated schedule of performers and performances.

The Kennedy Center 24th Annual Open House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2700 F Street, NW
Washington DC. 20566 (map it)

Date and Time – Saturday, September 13, 2008.  Noon – 11:00 p.m.

Tickets – FREE, no tickets required.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Foggy Bottom/George Washington University station (23rd and I St.) – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

Take Metro and use the free Kennedy Center shuttle on Saturday. It runs 10:00 a.m. – Midnight.

Parking - limited parking is available at the Kennedy Center for $15.00, but expect it to be full early.

 Images – from personal collection; ©2008, Jon Rochetti

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Post from: The DC Traveler

National Symphony Orchestra Labor Day concert
West lawn of the US Capitol Building
E. Capitol and First Streets, NW 
Washington, DC   (map it)

Dates and Times – Sunday, August 31, 2008, 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 3:20 p.m.

Tickets – FREE , no tickets required, but all attendees are subject to a security search

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Capitol South – Blue and Orange lines, or Federal Center SW – Blue and Orange lines, then a 4-5 block walk from either station or use the DC Circulator.

Parking – Parking will be difficult in the area, so try to take Metro.

Image – NSO

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The word tattoo, when it’s used to describe the concert, is different from inking an image of a fire-breathing dragon or some cool zodiac symbol on your arm. A tattoo is a drummer’s or bugler’s signal to call soldiers or sailors to their quarters at night, or a military exercise presented as entertainment.

The 90-minute tattoo features over 100 soldiers, dressed in different era uniforms, who take the audience through America’s history from the point of view of American soldiers.  The story starts with George Washington’s revolutionary Continental Army and ends with the U.S. fighting soldier of the future.

So grab a seat on the bleachers or bring a blanket to sit on the lawn.

Twilight Tattoo
Fort McNair
4th Street and P St. off Maine Ave. SW, use the second gate at P Street 
Washington, DC (map it)
202-685-2888

Dates and Times – Every Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.  May 7 – July 2, 2008

Admission – FREE, no tickets needed.  No food or drinks are allowed, but will be available for sale.  Vehicles may be searched at the entrance gate by base MPs. 

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Waterfront – Green line, then a 3-block walk.

Parking – Free parking.

Images – Revolutionary war – public domain, modern soldier – public domain – DOD/USAF/Stacy L. Pearsall 2007 – Baqubah Search, Iraq, Army Band,  Fife & Drum

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Post from: The DC Traveler