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Axios
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Your D.C. Weekend: Bourbon & Bluegrass, Greek festival
Get ready for a banjo-pickin', tumbler-swillin' good time: It's the annual Bourbon & Bluegrass festival this weekend. Why it matters: It's the 10th anniversary of what Washington City Paper's called "The Best Music Festival in D.C." Plus: Now that the Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival is no more, it's a good chance to get your bluegrass fix without leaving the city. State of play: The festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at President Lincoln's Cottage near Petworth. The artist Swamp Dogg will headline the event and play both days. The seminal R&B, funk and soul singer and musician's latest album was named one of the best country albums last year by NPR. The festival coincides with the D.C. showings of " Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted," a documentary about — yep — Swamp Dogg awaiting a custom paint job on his L.A. pool while hanging with celeb pals like Johnny Knoxville. Catch the flick Saturday at Capitol Hill's Miracle Theatre, followed by a Q&A with Mr. Dogg himself, or Sunday at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring. Throughout the weekend, you can also check out performances by acts like Goldbug Revival (a D.C.-based indie folk group that works at the NIH by day) and Hubby Jenkins, formerly of the Rhiannon Giddens band and the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Plus: Join in on a jam session, check out food trucks, play lawn games, take historic tours of the property and sip bourbon (obvi). Know before you go: A one-day adult ticket is $55 ($77 with drinks), and it's $82 for both days ($124 with drinks). Those between ages 7-20 are $39 a ticket ($55 for the weekend), and littles under 6 are free. President Lincoln's Cottage is located at 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW. More fun weekend events: 🇬🇷 The annual Saint Sophia Greek Festival runs Friday-Sunday near the Observatory Circle, with live Greek music and folk dancing, a marketplace, kids' games, a taverna with Greek beer and wine, and, of course, all the baklava, spanakopita and gyros your heart desires. (Free admission) 🪞 Head to Berryville, Virginia, for the Luckett's Spring Market Friday through Sunday, with hundreds of vintage vendors selling furniture and garden goods — plus a beer garden, food trucks and live tunes. (Tickets are $23 for general admission, $55 for the early-buyer weekend pass.) 🍜 Fiesta Asia will host its street fair-meets-homage to Asian culture on Saturday in downtown D.C. Come by for a karaoke contest, performances by dancers and martial artists, shopping, a parade, and ramen and sushi cookoff battles. (Free admission)
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Trump planning grand DC parade on his birthday: Here's the expected route
Donald Trump's birthday could see a grand parade being thrown by the administration. June 14, Trump's 79th birthday also coincides with the Army's 250th anniversary and officials are in talks about holding this parade, according to Mayor Muriel Bowser. The current status of the planning for the grand parade is still in its "early stages", as per reports. The parade route is expected to originate from Arlington, Virginia. and then span the four-mile stretch towards the White House, according to details from Bowser and the Washington City Paper. ALSO READ | 'No guarantees': USCIS's alarming Green Card warning lists deportable activities According to an NY Post report, DC has a team called the Mayor's Special Events Task Group (MSETG), that coordinates planning of major activities, which may also include the planning for this grand parade. Bowser was quoted telling reports, "I understand that I think it was Homeland Security; maybe the White House reached out to our special events task force, which is what most people wanting to do a parade do in the district.' 'So I would say it's at its early stages. Yes, they have reached out,' Bowser continued, affirming that talks about the Grand Parade are in full swing. It is not new for Donald Trump to wish for a big military parade in Washington DC. Back in 2017, while serving his first term, he had wanted military tanks and vehicles to parade the streets of Washington DC on Inauguration Day. However, that plan was scrapped by officials, based on fear that the city's infrastructure could face damage. His aspirations for a military parade yet again surfaced after he witnessed a French military parade in 2017 on Bastille Day, as per reports. It is yet to be seen if his wishes are fulfilled by the Trump administration and DC officials this time around.
The Hill
08-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump to get his military parade in second go around
Washington City Paper first reported on the parade, set for June 14, noting it will stretch almost 4 miles from the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., to the White House. An Army official confirmed the parade's length to The Hill, and said that 'there are plans for a parade that will involve the Army,' adding that nothing is yet solidified. The official noted that the Army had planned to celebrate its 250th anniversary with a 'robust capability increase in what you would see in previous years.' Planning began last year and the event has since expanded, with the number of units participating now increased. The official also said Washington's local government has been involved in the planning, with engineers in both the Army and city doing 'route reconnaissance.' 'The Army is very excited to celebrate its 250th anniversary with the entire county. Our intention is for Americans to be proud of their Army and also proud of their nation. It's too early to say yet whether or not we're having a parade but we're working with the White House as well as several government agencies to make the celebration a national level event,' Army spokesperson Col. Dave Butler told The Hill. President Trump, in his first term in 2018, ordered the Pentagon to plan a large military parade after he visited Paris and was inspired by a French Bastille Day event. But that event, set for Nov. 10, was canceled after defense officials quoted the price tag at $92 million and were slow to plan it, citing more pressing issues. The event also was heavily criticized both publicly and in private within the administration. Washington officials also complained that heavy military equipment such as tanks would damage the city's roads and cost the city millions of dollars for public safety. The Defense Department could use its training budget to pay for flyovers and use vehicles from nearby bases, but the event would also require outside costs such as pay for Secret Service and police, and the renting and construction of stands and barriers.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
White House denies a military parade is scheduled for Trump's birthday
The White House is denying reports that it plans to hold a military parade in Washington on President Donald Trump's birthday in June — though local officials have been in contact with the administration about a celebration. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Takis Karantonis, the chair of Virginia's Arlington County Board, on Monday confirmed discussions with administration officials about plans for a military parade this summer. A local newspaper, Washington City Paper, reported that the parade would be held on June 14, which happens to be the birthday of both the U.S. Army and Trump. Bowser said the plans appeared to be calling for a 'military' parade that would stretch from the Pentagon to the White House, and noted that the use of heavy equipment would likely cause millions in damage to Washington's streets — a concern that emerged when Trump floated the idea in his first term. But the administration says any concerns are premature. 'No military parade has been scheduled,' the White House said in an email response to questions from POLITICO. Both Bowser and Karantonis said the parade plans appeared to be in the preliminary stages. The mayor told reporters that administration officials had contacted Washington's special events task force while Karantonis said in a statement that the Secret Service had reached out to the county to begin discussions of security for a parade. Trump directed the Pentagon to explore staging a military parade in the nation's capital in his first term, after witnessing Bastille Day celebrations in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2017. 'I don't know. We're gonna have to try and top it,' he said later, 'but we had a lot of planes going over and a lot of military might, and it was really a beautiful thing to see.' The reaction in Congress and around Washington was frosty. Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy criticized the plan, saying 'insecurity is loud.' Also critical were prominent Democrats, including Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Army combat veteran, and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, a West Point graduate who now serves as ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. When Trump canceled the planned parade in August 2018, accusing city officials of price gouging, Bowser responded on Twitter, 'Yup, I'm Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad).' Bowser is again warning about costs for a parade this June. 'Military tanks on our streets would not be good,' she said. 'If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.' Karantonis urged the White House to balance the pomp of any public event against the uncertainty many families in Arlington County are dealing with as a result of broad cuts to the federal workforce instituted by the DOGE Initiative. 'At this time, it is not clear to me what the scope of the parade would be,' Karantonis said. 'But I would hope the Federal Government remains sensitive to the pain and concerns of numerous active military and veteran residents, who have lost or might lose their jobs in recent federal decisions, as they reflect on how best to celebrate the Army's anniversary.'
Politico
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
White House denies a military parade is scheduled for Trump's birthday
The White House is denying reports that it plans to hold a military parade in Washington on President Donald Trump's birthday in June — though local officials have been in contact with the administration about a celebration. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and Takis Karantonis, the chair of Virginia's Arlington County Board, on Monday confirmed discussions with administration officials about plans for a military parade this summer. A local newspaper, Washington City Paper, reported that the parade would be held on June 14, which happens to be the birthday of both the U.S. Army and Trump. Bowser said the plans appeared to be calling for a 'military' parade that would stretch from the Pentagon to the White House, and noted that the use of heavy equipment would likely cause millions in damage to Washington's streets — a concern that emerged when Trump floated the idea in his first term. But the administration says any concerns are premature. 'No military parade has been scheduled,' the White House said in an email response to questions from POLITICO. Both Bowser and Karantonis said the parade plans appeared to be in the preliminary stages. The mayor told reporters that administration officials had contacted Washington's special events task force while Karantonis said in a statement that the Secret Service had reached out to the county to begin discussions of security for a parade. Trump directed the Pentagon to explore staging a military parade in the nation's capital in his first term, after witnessing Bastille Day celebrations in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in July 2017. 'I don't know. We're gonna have to try and top it,' he said later, 'but we had a lot of planes going over and a lot of military might, and it was really a beautiful thing to see.' The reaction in Congress and around Washington was frosty. Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy criticized the plan , saying 'insecurity is loud.' Also critical were prominent Democrats, including Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Army combat veteran, and Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, a West Point graduate who now serves as ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. When Trump canceled the planned parade in August 2018 , accusing city officials of price gouging, Bowser responded on Twitter , 'Yup, I'm Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, the local politician who finally got thru to the reality star in the White House with the realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/demonstrations in Trump America (sad).' Bowser is again warning about costs for a parade this June. 'Military tanks on our streets would not be good,' she said. 'If military tanks were used, they should be accompanied with many millions of dollars to repair the roads.' Karantonis urged the White House to balance the pomp of any public event against the uncertainty many families in Arlington County are dealing with as a result of broad cuts to the federal workforce instituted by the DOGE Initiative. 'At this time, it is not clear to me what the scope of the parade would be,' Karantonis said. 'But I would hope the Federal Government remains sensitive to the pain and concerns of numerous active military and veteran residents, who have lost or might lose their jobs in recent federal decisions, as they reflect on how best to celebrate the Army's anniversary.'
