Columbia Heights will come alive with music, food and drinks during the 11th annual Columbia Heights Day this weekend.
The festival is set to take place on 11th St. between Park Road and Kenyon St. NW this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Event organizers with the Columbia Heights Initiative are expecting around 8,000-10,000 people the day of the event.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Saturday,” said Brianne Dornbush, executive director with the Columbia Heights Initiative. “Our team has been working around the clock to ensure this is the best festival to date.”
This year’s festival is slated to have 13 food vendors, more than 100 artisan and businesses, two stages with live entertainment and a beer garden sponsored by DC Brau.
And here’s an added bonus for kids: the festival will include a family fun field at Harriet Tubman Elementary that will have clowns on stilts, balloon animals, moon bounces and other attractions.
Parents can also have their children undergo health and dental screenings as part of an effort to spread awareness about vaccinations.
“We hope residents from Columbia Height, around the District and visitors to our great city will come and join us to celebrate our neighborhood,” Dornbush said.
Photo via Facebook / Columbia Heights Initiative
The Columbia Heights Initiative plans to make its 10th Columbia Heights Day festival the biggest street celebration yet.
The festival will take place on 11th Street NW between Park Road and Kenyon Street from noon to 6 p.m. on September 12. Organizers at Columbia Heights Initiative, a local business group that plans and hosts events around the neighborhood, are planning for nearly 12,000 people throughout the course of the festival. In addition to the usual food and music, this year’s festival will feature a beer garden sponsored by Meridian Pint, a carnival area for kids and an adult-sized obstacle course.
“This year is our 10 year anniversary, which is awesome, so we’re really trying to blow it out,” said Brianne Dornbush, a community representative for Columbia Heights Initiative.
For the first time this year, vendors at the fair will be divided into four themed areas: health and wellness, community organizations, art and transportation.
“In previous years we just kind of put vendors at tables and didn’t think much about the placement,” Dornbush said. “This year we took a different approach so that if someone is looking to better their health, for example, they’ll have 14 or so organizations in one place to help them do that.”
A carnival for kids will also be set up on the field of Harriet Tubman Elementary School, which will include games and bounce houses.
But adults won’t be left out of the inflatable fun. Columbia Heights Initiative plans to set up an inflatable obstacle course for adults along 11th Street. Teams can also sign up to compete in a Zorb soccer tournament, in which the top half of players bodies are inside giant, clear inflatable balls. The tournament will also be held at Harriet Tubman Elementary, and teams can register online.
The Columbia Heights Initiative is also planning other future events at the Harriet Tubman field, including Friday night movie screenings throughout the Fall and a Halloween party. The first movie screening will be Ghostbusters on Sept. 4.
Photo via Facebook/ Columbia Heights Initiative
Columbia Heights on 14th Street NW. Saturday’s festival is t 11th and Kenyon Streets NW.(Luis Gomez Photos)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
Columbia Heights will celebrate its neighborhood this Saturday, October 6, with the Columbia Heights Day Festival from 10 am until 6 pm at Harriet Tubman Elementary Field (11th and Kenyon Streets NW).
Columbia Heights Day Initiative, an independent grassroots nonprofit that organizes the Columbia Heights Day Festival, expects more than 12,000 people at the sixth annual event.
The day-long celebration includes everything from yoga workshops to live music, a cupcake eating contest, a KidZone, a petting zoo, local vendors and an entire row of delicious food trucks.
For more information on Columbia Heights Day and for a schedule of events, visit the festival websiste.
Get an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories or subscribe to Borderstan’s daily email newsletter.
Organizers of the DC State Fair and Columbia Heights Day were forced to postpone or cancel Saturday’s events. (Photo from Bryan at foodnewsie.com)
From Laura Herman of LauraLikesThis. Laura is also a contributor over at Brightest Young Things and you can find her on Twitter @Lmhhabs. Email her at [email protected].
It seems like we all have two options this weekend:
- Give in to earthquaccaneapocalypse and plan to wait out the storm (Come on, Irene) with lots of bottled water, candles and movies, or
- Brave the storm, get up and go this weekend, because there are still a ton of things going on.
Of course please be safe if Hurricane Irene lives up to all the hype, but I’d encourage you to grab your slicker and get on this weekend lineup:
Friday, August 26
- Michael Jackson Birthday Celebration for the ages “Celebrate MJ“ at 9:30 Club (815 V Street NW) presented by DJ Dredd. Doors at 9, tickets $15. Go prepared to dance.your.face.off.
- You could also go check out weekly Friday Night Frights at Black Cat (1811 14 Street NW) and stick around for the Modern Man show at 9 pm, with openers Harper Blynn (really good) and The Dustys.
Saturday, August 27
- UPDATE: Organizers were forced to cancel Columbia Heights Day. The good news is that the DC State Fair has only been postponed and entries for DC State Fair have been reopened.
Columbia Heights Day and the DC State Fair are on today — rain or shine. Head uphill to C-Heights to celebrate the neighborhood festival featuring live music, vendors, a petting zoo (if that’s your thing?), and lots and lots of food trucks. Last year, my friend was crowned “King of Columbia Heights” and we stole his scepter later in the night. Good times, good times. Follow @ColHeightsDay for more info. Location for both events is 11th and Kenyon Streets NW on the Harriet Tubman Elementary School Field.
- For something indoors, check out the Demont “Peekaso” Pinder Solo Exhibition at Lamont Bishop (1314 9th Street NW).
- At night , it’s a pretty fair toss up between two reliably awesome dance parties: Bliss at U Street Music Hall (1115A U Street NW), or On and On at Black Cat (1811 14th Street NW).
Sunday, August 28
- Artjamz also wraps up its summer residency at the Corcoran this weekend, so stop by and check it out. Plus, museums are always a good rainy day activity.
- While you’re inside, purchase a discounted Deals For Deeds ticket to next Sunday’s Local 16 Pig Roast (Sunday, September 4). $10 supports a good cause and gets you food and two drinks.
There you have it. What are YOU doing this weekend, Borderstan? Let us know what we missed, and stay dry out there.
Saturday, August 28: Columbia Heights Day runs from 10 am to 6 pm at 11th and Kenyon Streets NW. (Columbia Heights Day)
Beautiful summer weather is predicted for Saturday–a great day to live in the city and spend it outdoors. One option is Columbia Heights Day. This neighborhood festival to the north runs from 10 am to 6 pm at 11th and Kenyon Streets NW (Harriet Tubman Elementary School Field).
On foot, how far is 11th and Kenyon… from say… 14th and U? Google Maps says it is 1.1 miles–an easy walk or bike ride. It’s three blocks from Columbia Heights Metro–two blocks east and one block north.
What You’ll Find
The organizers of Columbia Heights Day are promising a multitude of activities, including bands, a cupcake-eating contest, a dog show and a King and Queen Contest.
- Bands on stage throughout the day.
- 80-plus businesses and community groups.
- Dog show at 10:30 am.
- A kids’ stage and a petting zoo.
- Taste of Columbia Heights with local eateries plus popular food trucks.
- Specials at restaurants and bars.
- Cupcake-eating contest.
- First-ever “DC State Fair” with prizes for best homemade pie or cupcake, homegrown tomato and more.
- A King and Queen of Columbia Heights competition (really?).
