DC's Au Pair in America Blog

PHOTO CONTEST! the best photo of the cluster will be placed on the blog and you will win a movie ticket. Submit your photo by July 31st. It has to include at least 5 au pairs from our cluster. you can post it to Facebook or send it to me in an email.

Thanks!!

Ann

What better way to celebrate July 4th than by watching the fireworks from the National Mall. But be forewarned, it is no easy venture.

Transportation
Do not, under any circumstances drive. Take Metro but be aware, the Smithsonian station will be closed for most of the day for security reasons. It will reopen after the fireworks, but it will be a mess, so I’d plan on walking to a farther station. Other stations that are within walking distance include Federal Triangle, Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown, Capitol South, L’Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, Archives-Navy Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Someone told me it’s advisable to come from the Federal Triangle and even Foggy Bottom direction because crowds tend to be less heavy. I really like this map.

Metrobus will provide free shuttle service between the L’Enfant Plaza and Pentagon stations.

Free bicycle valet will be available from 2:00 p.m. until a half hour after the fireworks show. Locations are 15th Street between Independence Avenue and Jefferson Drive and the south side of the Lincoln Memorial on Daniel French Drive.

Note: The fireworks are launched from the Reflecting Pool and light up over the Washington Monument.

Crowds
Okay, it’s going to be really crowded. And to make things worse, there are security checkpoints to get into the Mall. So bring your patience. After the fireworks, you might want to go grab a drink somewhere until the mobs of people clear out a bit, though be prepared for bars and restaurants to be crowded too. Just go into this situation knowing that it will probably take you a couple hours to get home one way or another.

Schedule
When do people start arriving at the Mall? Earlier than you—as a presumably sane person—would ever consider. So you need to plan on being there at least several hours beforehand or else you’ll hate your life. Regardless, you will, at some point, feel like you’re being herded.

From about 8 p.m. to 9:30 the Capital Fourth Concert takes place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. It’s free, you don’t need tickets and you can start piling in at 3. This year’s performers include Josh Groban, Little Richard and Steve Martin.

Earlier in the day, there’s a parade. It starts at 11:45 and will also be crowded so, if you’re interested, you’ll need to go early. Here’s a map of the parade route.

What to bring
A blanket, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, LOTS of water, plenty of food, a camera and your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer (the port-o-potty situation is not ideal). Alcohol isn’t allowed and coolers and bags are looked through at security, so if you’re planning on bringing it anyway, you better be stealthy.

If it rains
You better pray that that doesn’t happen because if it does, everyone runs for cover in all the local museums and its jam packed. The rain date is July 5.

Insider’s Tip from Sports Editor Rachel
You can also get a great view of the fireworks from some spots in Virginia along the Potomac. While you won’t be able to hear the music, it is a great vantage point for the fireworks. More importantly, the crowd is much less intense! Parks along the GW Parkway are set up to accommodate viewers. Things may change every year, but previous spots to seek out have included the Netherlands Carillon, Lady Bird Johnson Park and Gravelly Point. The Netherlands Carillon also has an afternoon bell concert if you want to show up early. But the great thing about watching from Virginia is that you can show up later in the afternoon to get a spot. And after the fireworks, you’ll beat the DC traffic back onto the roads.

Source:  So your new to DC

The Folklife Festival will take place June 30-July 4 and July 7-11.

The Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an international exhibition of living cultural heritage.  Attracting more than one million visitors yearly, the two-week long celebration is the largest annual cultural event in the United States.

This year’s festival will celebrate Rhythm & Blues Music in the U.S., the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps and the traditions of Colombia.

The Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Smithsonian museums. There is no admission charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use Metrorail. The Smithsonian station (Mall exit) is at the Festival site. Federal Triangle and National Archives stations are close by. For general Smithsonian visitor information, call 202.633.1000.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with special events taking place most evenings.

I highly recommend that you visit their website to plan your visit http://www.festival.si.edu/folk life festival

We celebrated the 25th anniversary of Au Pair in America programs along with all au pair programs in the US, by attending a reception at the State Department with the Assistant Secretary of State and Former Senator Chris Dodd.  We enjoyed an afternoon of appreciation for the success of our program which “Brings the World Together!”

St. Patrick’s Day – St. Patrick is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland.  St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in the US since 1737.  Traditional icons of the day are the shamrock, leprechaun, the color green and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In Chicago, they city celebrates with a parade and the Chicago River is dyed green!

Be sure to set the clocks forward one hour!  Don’t be late!clock

March 9  – Ash Wednesday – Ash Wednesday, in Christian churches, is the first day of the penitential season of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday some Christians have a smudge of ashes placed on their foreheads at Church as a sign of penitence.

March 8 Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday” marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of the Christian fasting of Lent. The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the US is in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was first brought to the US by the French to Mobile Alabama (where your LCC is from). Rio de Janeiro in Brazil also has a huge celebration. Find a Brazilian au pair in your cluster and ask her to tell you all about it.

Au Pair in America Cultural Fair

Click below to view:

Photos from the Cultural Fair

Thank you to Kasia and Guna for your efforts and time to make this event a success!

Dates to Remember at-a-glance
8 ~ Mardi Gras
9 ~ Ash Wednesday
13~ Daylight Savings Time begins
17~ St. Patrick’s Day
20~ First Day of Spring
20~ Purim
30~ Passover Begins