Hello Friends!  Happy Friday.

This weekend is shaping up rather nicely.  There will be beautiful weather and lots of fun things to do.  In the spirit of Earth Day, ThatKellieGirl will be volunteering at the White House Garden Tours.  I love flowers and the White House Kitchen Garden is a great model on how to and what to grow in your home garden.  Afterwards, I am attending a tea with my God Daughter and her Mother.  As you know, I always am excited to don a hat and a pair of gloves! 🙂

There also are several festivals either kicking off or closing out this weekend.  Whatever you do don’t miss them.

Starting us off is The Water Street Project which is an 11 day-long  temporary arts exhibition in a vacant building underneath Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown.  The project’s grand opening is tonight at 8PM.

The U.S. National Parks Service celebrates National Park Week with activities and promoting people to visit their local national park.

Activist Van Jones will discuss and sign his new book, Rebuild the Dream at Busboys and Poets (14th & V Sts NW) at 6:30PM.

The Earth Day Rally will take place on the National Mall as well as a “Float In” with Ralph Nader marking the 40^th anniversary of The Clean Water Act and to say no to dirty, polluted water.  Here is a list of Earth Day activities and events in the area.

And Filmfest DC is closing out this weekend, so try to find time to see some provocative, exciting, and often brave stories from varying perspectives and showcasing important voices.

Whatever you do, stay safe, have fun and keep the faith. 🙂

Peace and Blessings, ThatKellieGirl

Perch on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial while enjoying jazz performances and spectacular views of the Tidal Basin. Local and regional jazz programming and music will be showcased as this signature Festival stage returns in 2012. Some of the artists include Akua Allrich Quintet, Thad Wilson Quartet and Will Smith & The W.E.S. Group.

April 19-22

Jefferson Memorial

2 15th Street NW

Click here for the schedule.

FREE

—————————————————————————

Capital Canvases For A Cause featuring Ras Benefiting YoungLives….A monthly community event to support local artists and community-based organization with wine, hors d’oeuvres and networking. All art sales are split 50/50 between artist and non-profit.

Friday, April 20

Long and Foster

721 D St NW

6-8PM

Free

———————————————————————–

Clash of the Kings is a concert showcasing some of hip-hops most exciting artists and a celebration of excellence and innovation. The show will feature Maimouna Youssef, Gods’illa, Toki Wright and Tomorrow Kings.

Friday, April 20

St. Stephen’s Church

1525 Newton St NW

7-11PM

10 bucks

————————————————————–

Bringing you another edition of Play it Cool.  This is a “come-as-fly-as-you-wanna-be” event.  Munch will start off spinning with a Guest DJ spinning later in the evening.

Friday, April 20

Blackbyrd

2005 14th NW

8PM-2AM

Free

——————————————————————–

Bringing the Music of AKSHAN from Jamaica to the DMV.  AKSHAN is a crooner releasing his new album ISLAND ROCKER.

Friday, April 20

The Water Street Project

401 Water St NW

9PM-12AM

FREE

———————————————————————-

The White House will open its gardens and grounds to visitors this weekend.  These Garden Tours are free and open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees (including small children). The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets on each tour day beginning at 8:00AM. Tickets will be distributed — one ticket per person — on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, April 21st from 9:00AM to 4:00PM,

Sunday, April 22nd from 9:00AM to 3:00PM

Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located at 15th and E Streets

FREE

——————————————————————–

WOMA in collaboration with the District of Columbia Public Library, invite you to the first in a series of films showcasing women who exemplify womanifesting. To celebrate NATIONAL POETRY MONTH, we present: A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde.  The film viewing will be followed by a reflection on the contributions of Audre Lorde and a discussion of what womanifesting looks like in poetry.

Saturday, April 21

Shaw Library

1630 7th St NW

2:30-5PM

Get tickets here

———————————————————————-

A part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Cherry Blast will be in an amazing warehouse with beautiful views of the Anacostia River and the monuments.  There will be extreme activation of space with light, visual art, dancers, music, and art performances!

Saturday, April 21

Lightbox

2235 Shannon Place SE

8PM-2AM

10 bucks include 1 drink

Get tickets here

—————————————————————-

Come back for the funky Fatback party…sunk, soul, boogaloo and more!

Saturday, April 21

LIV

2001 11th St NW

10PM-3AM

Free

———————————————————————–

———————————————————————-

———————————————————————-

Come celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday! Enjoy jugglers and jesters, music, song and dance, stage combat workshops, and more. It’s the one day of the year when the Folger reading rooms are open to all—plus, birthday cake for everyone!

Sunday, April 22

Folger Shakespeare Library

201 East Capitol St. SE

Noon to 4PM

FREE

Click here for schedule

———————————————————————

Soulful Flow Yoga on the west bank of the Anacostia River.  All levels are welcomed. Bring a mat, towel and water (in a reusable bottle).

Sunday, April 22

Pump House at Diamond Teague Park

1st Street and Potomac Ave. SE

3-4PM

Free

——————————————————————

In celebration of Ella Fitzgerald’s 95th birthday, Brad Linde presents an Ella-inspired concert with the seventeenpiece Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra featuring the incredible vocals of Christie Dashiell, recently featured with Howard University’s vocal jazz group, Afro Blue on NBC’s The Sing-Off.

Sunday, April 22

National Portrait Gallery

Kogod Courtyard

800 F St NW

3-5PM

FREE