DRAG RACE TIME!!

YES! I finally get to use a picture from ProjRunway in a blog post!

It's time for the one and only Dupont High Heel Race (also known as the Drag Race, which is a much better name). The Tuesday before Halloween (it happens every year; might as well make it a recurring event in Outlook now) come to 17th street (between P and Q mostly) to watch the "ladies" race two blocks in heels. The race usually starts at 9 (and lasts about 45 seconds so don't be late), but the real fun is the parade before hand. The street will be blocked off and everyone will just be showing off their costumes. You can't call yourself a Washingtonian until you get your picture with Condi in drag.

"History is just one bloody thing after another"

The Overbeck lecture series has started up again for the fall. About once a month, they host speakers at the Naval Lodge at 4th and Penn to discuss various Capitol Hill or DC history topics. The upcoming lecture is about a guy who did a 3D rendering of DC before the 1812 British invasion. It'll be November 11th at 8PM.

Admission is free, but to RSVP and reserve a seat, email OverbeckLecture@aol.com. Space is limited though they almost never sell out.

These lectures are a great opportunity to learn about DC, like the fact that the Safeway at 14th and Kentucky SE is on the site of an old brewery. Or the gnarled tree on the Washington Monument grounds used to be the boundary of the Potomac River,

All the Green that fits in the Convention Center

A mere 4 days after free ice cream, the Green Festival is taking over the Convention Center (a.k.a my neighbor). Films, yoga classes, exhibitors, speakers, green building, and everything else green you want to know or celebrate (including organic beer!).

(It isn't free, but there are discounts for seniors, college students, bikers, public transit users, and union members. Who wants to compete to see who can fit the most categories?)

Nice Shoes!

Ever have the urge to be overwhelmingly nice to strangers? A group called Cruel 2 B Kind is organizing just the event you need. On October 18th from 2-4PM, they're getting a group of folks together on the National Mall for an Assassins-style game. But, instead of water guns, the only weapons you can use are predesignated acts of kindness (complimenting someone's shoes for example). And since you don't know who is playing, half the time, you might just be complimenting a stranger (and hopefully making them smile). It's all free, but you do have to preregister.

The level of detail the organizers have put into the rules really makes the nerd in me cheer. So, if anything, I might go down just to watch.

Duke Ellington Jazz Fest!

I haven't spent too much time looking at the events since I'll be out of town this weekend, but we're in the midst of the Jazz Festival. There are free events down on the Mall this weekend and some ticketed events going until October 7th.

Hard Knock Life, For Reals

As part of the All Roads Film Festival at National Geographic (love those guys and their pretty pictures) there's a sweet free outdoor hip hop concert. Check it:

9:30 pm—K'NAAN in Concert
As a child growing up in war-torn Somalia, hip-hop artist K’NAAN saw more violence and tougher streets than any gangster rapper could imagine. Now, in North America, he has established himself as a voice for change, a peacemaker, and a cultural bridge between the developing world and the West. His debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, left an indelible mark on the hip-hop world and earned him a Juno award for Best Rap Recording. This performance will feature the Washington, DC, premiere of new material from his upcoming album, Troubadour. This concert will take place in the National Geographic Courtyard.