The Cherry Blossom Festival in DC kicks off the tourist season and the spring event season at venues all around town. After three months of winter hibernation, the city comes back to life to make the most of temperate spring weather before “hazy, hot, and humid” becomes the norm. I’ve scoured some event calendars for the big events so I can have all the info in one place — text descriptions courtesy of the websites I’ve linked to.
DC Environmental Film Festival
16-26 March 2006
Collaborating with over 50 local, national and international organizations, the Festival presents 100 outstanding films from around the world for 11 days in March. From 23 countries, the films include 45 premieres and promise to expand and challenge our understanding of life on earth. Dedicated to diversity, these environmental screenings and discussions reflect the astonishing variety of our planet. Through the opportunity to experience documentaries, features, animation, archival and children’s films, we encourage audiences to explore our world.
National Cherry Blossom Festival
25 March – 9 April 2006
The 2006 festival marks the 94th celebration of the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, DC in 1912.
Smithsonian Kite Festival
25 March 2006
Grounds of the Washington Monument
This year, as the Smithsonian Kite Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary, we reminisce about the decade of its origin – the 1960s. Whether or not you can personally recall that legendary decade, we challenge you to help recreate it in the sky over the National Mall with your grooviest, most far-out kite. With psychedelic kites “blowin’ in the wind”, perhaps we can all experience a little bit of that peace, love and harmony.
Anime Film Marathon
1 April 2006, 11am, 1:30pm, 4pm, 7pm
Meyer Auditorium at the Freer Gallery
In celebration of this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival, the Freer presents a day-long festival of four animated films, all presented in glorious 35mm. This year’s festival celebrates the work of anime masters Hayao Miyazaki and Katsuhiro Otomo.
45th Annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival
8 April 2006, 11am – 6pm
12th Street and Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Kenny Endo in Concert
8 April 2006, 1pm
Meyer Auditorium at the Freer Gallery
A true innovator of musical fusion, Kenny Endo blends traditional Japanese music with influences from around the world. He opened for The Who in 2004, appeared with Bobby McFerrin in 2003, and has performed in Cairo, Paris, Brussels, London, and Hong Kong. He is joined by an ensemble of musicians on koto, shakuhachi, vibraphone, euphonium (brass), and taiko.
Hokusai exhibit
4 March – 14 May 2006
Sackler Gallery
An unprecedented exhibition of works by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), whose iconic woodblock print “The Great Wave” is one of the most recognized images in the art world, is on view at the Sackler Gallery March 4 through May 14, 2006.
Mt. Fuji Seen below a Wave at Kanagawa from Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji
Katsushika Hokusai
Too cool — I can’t believe I’m going to get a chance to see this Hokusai print in person…
Comments
I hear the prints were really great! My friend took his girlfriend and she almost swooned. I live in Japan and haven’t seen the originals-uramayashiiiii!