Washington DC Bed and Breakfast | Visitor Info Blog | American Guest House

The Capital Fringe Festival is still here, until the 25th of July! The Festival serves as a way for local artists to showcase their work, which comes in the form of plays, poetry, comedy and musicals. The Fringe movement has a unique history dating back to its beginnings in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947 and as of 2005, it’s here! Each show contains its own unique style as it is purely that of the artist who created it. This is a wonderful way to become familiar with local performing artists without being subjected to filtered art. The Fringe Festival in essence is about adventure, exploration and art!

Fringe showcases a wide array of performances and has a large selection to choose from. Please see the Show Listing for more information. Shows vary in audience and some are appropriate for all ages while others are strictly for a more mature crowd. Performances are also held at various locations, which you can find under the listing.

To obtain tickets, please see the Box Office Information. A great way to save some cash and view multiple shows is by purchasing a Fringe Button. It also gives the wearer special discounts at local shops, restaurants and museums.

If you have some spare time, this is a great way to enjoy some of what DC has to offer. If you’re really enjoying it, you may want to think about applying for the Fringe Fanatic award! Look no further for a grand adventure for it is here at the Fringe Fest!

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

Slapsticon is a film festival that strives to bring life back to some of the old silent comedies that paved the way for all our future films! On July 17th, their special feature will include three lost films created by one of the most prominent film pioneers of the 20th century, Sir Charles Chaplin. This is a real treat for any Chaplin fan! The films start at 8pm and include A Thief Catcher (1914), Mutual Outtakes (1916-17), and The Bond (1918).

Slapsticon

This festival also includes many other film shorts by other great comedians including Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Hal Roach,  Harpo Marx, and Abbot & Costello. The festival runs between July 15-18 and is located at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. The film program runs all day. See the link for details on the films to be shown.

Film Program

To join, you must Register beforehand. This is a festival that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and is a great way to get out of the July heat! So, be sure not to miss out on the laughs. As the great Chaplin once said, “a day without laughter is a day wasted.”

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

Ever thought of trying an alternative way of seeing what DC has to offer without walking everywhere but still getting your exercise? Then try a bike tour! Hop on to one of the rental bikes from Bike and Roll conveniently located by the Smithsonian museums and The Mall. The address is 1100 Pennsylvania Ave, NW on 12th St. across from the Federal Triangle Metro (blue and orange lines).

Bike and Roll

You can take a guided tour of the Capital Sites, Historic Old Town Alexandria and Mount Vernon (see Alexandria location). It’s a fun and healthy way to see our cities wonderful sites and at a reasonable price! You can rent a bike and take your own tour or join in on one of theirs. They offer a variety of bikes, such as road, cruiser, comfort, performance and tandem. Rentals include helmet, bike tube, pump, lock, city map, and handlebar bag. The prices vary by bike type and the amount of time it’s used. They also offer trailer carriages, so young members of the family can come along for the ride. Electric scooters and wheelchairs are also available as rentals. For some real excitement, take a Monement Night Tour and enjoy the sites as the sun sets. See the links below for more information.

Bike Rentals

Electric Scooter and Wheelchair Rentals

Bike Tours

Family Bike Adventures

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

Does an evening at the theatre seem like something you would love to do, but find yourself on a tight budget? Fear not! For the Shakespeare Theatre come upon its Free for All season where they open up free showings for the general public. Currently, the revival of the playwright’s classic, Twellfth Night, is performing at the Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street, NW located by the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro). See the link below for details.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Free for All

Once this promotion ends, there are still other discounts available. The Shakespeare Theatre offers tickets at $10 for patrons under 35 that can be purchased every Tuesday morning during the season at 10am. They also offer discounted tickets to groups of 10 or more, students and seniors.

For their full Calendar of performances see below:

Calendar

Playing in the month of July is Mrs. Warren’s Profession and Avenue Q. Both are highly rated comedic performances that cater to the adult audience. Avenue Q is a Tony award winning piece of musical theatre that has traveled across the country. Now, it’s in our neck of the woods! For more information about the plays and Box Office, please see: Plays.

So go to laugh, cry and experience the classics like never before! - Vanessa, Innkeeper

Want something our of the ordinary, interesting and free to do on Saturday? Check out the Free Summer Saturdays program at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. They have demonstrations, workshops, tours and performances open to the public. The event last until September 4th, 2010. Their activities change weekly, so see the link below for what’s currently available.

Free Summer Saturdays at the Corcoran Gallery of Art

Every Saturday they will have highlight tours from the hours of 12pm to 3pm. Outside, a Corcoran school alumni, Randolph Williams, will recreate works of art from the Gallery’s collection in chalk on the corner of 17th Street and New York Avenue for your viewing pleasure.

The Corcoran Gallery has a variety of collections ranging from contemporary to classic. Some of their recent acquisitions include “Raised by Wolves. Photographs and Documents of Runaways by Jim Goldberg” and “Sunrise on the Potomac by William Douglas MacLeod”. See below for a look at what else in new.

Recent Aquisitions

The Gallery’s primary goal is to share their collection with the public. They hold a variety of primarily American art from the 18th, 19th, and 20th century. However, they do have a collection of European art also on display. Regular admission price is $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and free admission for children under 12. See the links below for more Gallery information.

The Corcoran gallery is one of D.C.’s little known gems. Go to see something new and be inspired!

Directions

Regular Hours & Admission

Corcoran Gallery of Art home page

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

July 4th is one of our nation’s most celebrated events. What better way to celebrate such a momentous holiday than in our nation’s capital? Best of all, it’s FREE! On the 4th, there will be a beautiful parade down Constitution Ave from 7th St. to 17th St beginning at 11:45 am. There you will see invited bands selected by the Parade’s committee, military and specialty units, drill teams, national dignitaries, celebrities, fife and drum corps, floats, and equestrian teams. For more information, please visit: http://www.july4thparade.com/index.html

But the fun and excitement doesn’t stop there! Once the Parade ends, you can wander over to the Mall for the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, which will be open from 11am to 5pm on the 4th. The themes for this years festival include: Mexico Profundo: A Deeper Mexico, Asian Pacific American Connections and Smithsonian Inside Out. Admission is also free here and it’s located on the Mall between 7th and 14th streets. Come here to enjoy the live entertainment, eat the international cuisine, and learn about various things from martial arts and calligraphy to bee keeping! There’s all types of activities and fun for the whole family. For more information, please see: http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/FolklifeFest.htm

As the evening begins to set in, the show really begins! From 8pm to 9:30 pm there will be a free concert on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and Reba McEntire, Darius Rucker, Lang Lang and celebrity guest Jimmy Smits will host. Please see the link for Concert information: http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/faq.html

And finally, the highlight event: The FIREWORKS! At dark, around 9:15pm and weather permitting, an array of fireworks will be launched from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to appear over the Washington Monument. This event is also free! Come see and enjoy this magical spectacle that can be enjoyed by everyone! For more details, please click the link below: http://www.dcpages.com/Tourism/Fourth_of_July/

So, come celebrate in D.C. for a very special 4th of July that won’t easily be forgotten!

-Vanessa, Innkeeper

Summers in D.C. are more than a lot of fun, activities are often FREE.  Did you know the Kennedy Center (yes, the one you watch on TV and read about in the papers) has a FREE SHOW from 6 pm - 7 pm everyday! They call it the “Millennium Stage,” and just like the far-reaching, lesser known meaning of millennium, your time at this Kennedy Center venue will bring you GREAT JOY! (In case you didn’t get that, millennium can mean more than a thousand years … it’s lesser known meaning is “a period of great happiness or human perfection” … no worries, we were surprised, too … LOL)

In the month of June, visitors to the Millennium Stage can look forward to performances from the Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company of the United Kingdom, the band Forró No Escuro playing Brazilian dance music, the Fairfax Wind Symphony, Deviated Theatre, the U.S. Navy Band, and so much more.  For additional information, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/schedule.html.

(And don’t forget, if you stay at the American Guest House, you’ll be only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the fun.  Our convenient location near Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan makes us one of the best stops in DC!)

Enjoy your trip!

Your friends at the American Guest House

Free and fun for the whole family, come gaze at the stars and planets once per month at Rock Creek Park. 

The  FLEA MARKET at the Eastern Market in DC is located between the Capitol and Union Station and it has been around for the last 26 years.  The market is one of the most diverse in the nation where you can shop for antiques, arts, craft, collectables and imports from around the world.  The flea market operates every Sunday year round 10 to 5pm.

TICKETS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE - Getting tickets to tour the White House is possible, just contact your Congressman and request them.  Self-guided tours are from 7:30am to 11am.  Take lots of pictures and send us some (www.americanguesthouse.com )so we can post them here.  Enjoy it!!