A Local Lens - January

A monthly series by E. David Luria, Founder & Director of the Washington Photo Safari

Willard Hotel

Called by many “the residence of presidents” since nearly every president since Franklin Pierce has either stayed there or attended an event there, the Willard Hotel on 14th Street and Constitution Ave NW is one of Washington’s most stately and historically rich hotels. 

A staging ground for peace and freedom, the Willard was the site of the Peace Congress in 1861, a last ditch effort to avert the Civil War; a mere 100 years later, in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his I Have a Dream speech at the hotel before delivering it on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Moreover, it is said that the term “lobbyist” was coined here because of solicitors seeking favors from President Grant while he enjoyed his brandy and cigar in the hotel lobby.

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Fall Festival Season is Upon Us!

I was all set up to write just about the same post, when I stumbled across this one by Jon Penndorf at The Hill is Home. So, without further ado, here's Jon's excellent write up of things to do this Fall in DC, courtesy of, and shamelesssly stolen from, The Hill is Home.

photo uploaded to flickr by ohad*The promise of cooler autumn temperatures and slightly less humidity means the good people of DC want to be outside meeting their neighbors and sampling deep-fried foods that may or may not be served on a stick.  That’s right — it’s street festival season in Washington DC!  There are lots of special neighborhood and cultural events scheduled for the coming weeks.  Here’s a smattering of places you can stretch your legs on streets closed to cars, sample unusual and delightful foods, hear live music, and maybe even find a few live animals to admire.

This weekend the grand opening of the Yards Park is sure to entertain.  The park is located at 3rd and Water Streets SE, not far from Nationals Park.  Events are planned for the entire weekend, including performances by the Trapeze School of New York.  More information can be found at http://www.capitolriverfront.org/.

Also this weekend the annual Black Family Reunion Celebration will be held on the National Mall from noon to 8:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.  Education pavilions, artisans, food, and music are all scheduled.  Find out more at http://www.ncnw.org/.

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It's a Festivus Miracle!

We here at DC Like a Local pride ourselves on our inclusiveness, and not just for holidays that begin with "ch". Fans of Seinfeld are no doubt familiar with the bare bones of Festivus, a holiday celebrated by the Constanza family in lieu of the overly-commercialized Christmas holiday. However, Festivus predates Seinfeld, with the earliest known celebration being held in February of 1966, by Dan O'Keefe, the father of Daniel O'Keefe, a Seinfeld writer. The origins of this important cultural phenomenon are laid out by Daniel in his book, The Real Festivus. Much has changed since those early days, and, like all holidays, Festivus has grown and adapted. But much as Coca Cola helped to standardize Christmas, the Seinfeld episode "The Strike" preformed a similar task for Festivus. Festivus is an inherently individualistic celebration, but mainstream adherents have broken it down to a few basic components: the Festivus Pole, the Festivus feast, the Airing of Grievances, and Feats of Strength. If you wish to know more, or need pointers on starting your own Festivus, I recommend Allen Salkin's Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us.

But how does this affect your trip to Washington? Getting through airport security with your custom made Festivus Pole would simply add more disappointments to your list of grievances. And while the Federal government is tripping over themselves to put up Christmas trees all over town and have even deigned to provide a National Menorah, they're a little late to the party for Festivus. Fear not, one of Washington's most eclectic and fascinating neighborhoods, Adams Morgan is hosting Festivus for the Rest of Us '09.

This is their second year the Adams Morgan Business Improvement District has hosted Festivus. Located at the corner of 18th ST and Columbia Ave, they offer a forum to post your greatest disappointments from the past year. Last year's provided a real insight into the pathos of a city--far more than the sterile monuments and memorials downtown ever could. The Festivus Pole, er, Kiosk is up now, and will accept grievances through January 4th. For a real treat, come every Saturday and Sunday (through January 4th) at noon when a town crier will Air Grievances from the previous week. And, as no Festivus celebration would be complete without Feats of Strength, folks from a local gym, Mint Condition Yourself, will be obliging the crowd with professional demonstrations. Footage from this weekend is already up, don't let your grievances go un-aired.

Directions are available here.