Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the annual Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival from 1 to 9 pm. The festival is one of the signature events of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and is free. Due to the construction of The Wharf, the activities have shifted downchannel toward the Gangplank Marina Park. There will be three stages as well as events along the waterfront and in the Washington Channel. As in prior years, there will be food trucks, family activities, musical performances, crafts, and a beer garden. The festival will conclude with the fireworks spectacular at 8:30 pm. For more information, check the National Cherry Blossom Festival website.

SW Waterfront Fireworks Festival Set for April 6

Spring is finally here and with it comes the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year’s SW Waterfront Fireworks Festival will take place on Saturday, April 6 from 1pm – 9pm, which will be produced by the Washington Waterfront Association and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront.  There will be four main stages set up along the waterfront during the festival. The opening ceremony will take place at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf with musical entertainment throughout the day from military and reggae bands. In addition, there will be a food truck rally, a beach with games, a beer garden, along with the Very Cherry Marketplace with fine art and crafts.

^{Lifeguard chair set up in the "beach" area at last year's festival.}

Over at the Washington Channel Stage, the John Glenn fireboat will parade along the channel with its spray jets, as well as paddle boat & dragon boat excursions, and DC Sail sailing activities. In the evening, the channel will be illuminated with pink lights from the houseboats at Gangplank Marina, the grand lantern will be illuminated, along with lighted Koi in the water, welcomed by the Nen Daiko Japanese Drummers who will be on a barge in the channel. Gangplank Marina Park will have more musical acts, face painters, model boat-making, strolling costumed characters, and Japanese-inspired balloon art. 7th Street Landing will also have jazz performances, windsock-making, and Japanese lantern crafting & origami. The fireworks show will begin at 8:30 and last until 9pm. This year’s peak bloom is forecast to take place during the fireworks festival!

Crowds at last year's festival.

Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival

The annual Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is only three days away and preparations are underway along the waterfront for the day-long event. Above is a map of the venues involved with the festival, which stretches along Water Street for three blocks from 6th Street to 9th Street. I wrote about the events planned at the festival last week, but below is some additional information:

Several food trucks will be on hand at Kastles Stadium, including Fojol Brothers, Red Hook Lobster Pound, TaKorean, DC Slices, Cap Mac, Sidewalk Sweetsations, Goode's Mobile Kitchen, and Tasty Kabob. Lincoln is a sponsor of the food truck area at the stadium and will be giving out a four-pack of $5 coupons for use exclusively at the food trucks for anyone who test drives a Lincoln. The food truck area will be open from 1pm - 8:30pm. 

The latest weather forecast for Saturday is sunny and 66 degrees, a huge improvement over the craptastic start to last year's festival, when a hail storm and windy conditions suppressed crowds.  about 20,000 people are expected this year.

Cherry Blossom Fever

The cherry blossoms may be peaking early, but there's still plenty of time left to celebrate the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in Southwest, which has been extended this year to five weeks to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the gift of trees from Tokyo to Washington, DC.  The Odyssey, Spirit of Washington, and Capital Elite cruise ships from Entertainment Cruises have been "planted" with cherry blossoms for the occasion as the "first blooms on the Potomac."

The Odyssey cruise ship, which is docked next to Cantina Marina, will be offering lunch, brunch, and dinner cruises with a specialty Cherry Blossom Centennial dessert from March 24 until April 8.  In addition, the Capital Elite yacht will offer two 45-minute sightseeing tours each day (at 2pm and 4pm) along the Washington Channel and Potomac River to see the blossoms.  On Saturday, April 7, both the Odyssey and the Spirit of Washington will offer Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks cruises, which will be set off along the Washington Channel. For more information on schedules and pricing, check out the Entertainment Cruises website.



Roving street performers from last year's festival at 7th Street Landing.

Prior to the fireworks show at 8:30pm on April 7, there will be over seven hours of free entertainment along with food and drink at the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival, which begins at 1pm. Last year's large-scale festival was a dry run for 2012, which will be even bigger to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the gift of trees. Several stages will be set up along the waterfront, including Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, the Washington Channel Stage, Gangplank Marina Park, and 7th Street Landing. Each of the stages will have different activities, including live music, a beach with a waterfront beer & sake garden, food trucks, arts & crafts, face painting, origami-making, roving street performers, and more. Check out the latest issue of The Southwester for a 2-page pull-out with details.



Replica ship from last year's festival.



Nen Daiko Japanese Drummers from last year's festival.

In the evening, there will be some special tributes right before the fireworks show, including the illumination of vessels along the seawall in pink, a theatrical performance by Dance Afire, a school of swimming Koi, and an imaginative pink flaming salute to the Centennial Celebration. This year's fireworks show will feature special Japanese fireworks presented by the City of Nagaoka, Japan and the mayor of that city is expected to attend. The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is produced by the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington Waterfront Association, and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront.  

A Few Quick Items: 5x5 Art in SW, Helen Hayes Nominations, Kastles Schedule, FTC Wants to Stay Put, Biomass Plant for Blue Plains

- As a part of this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, the DC Commission of Arts and Humanities is putting together a 5x5 Temporary Public Art Project to help activate end enliven public spaces.  Two of the 25 pieces of art will be displayed in Southwest – one in front of Arena Stage and the other near the Titanic Memorial on the waterfront.  Below is a description of the two southwest sculptures from the press release:

The Cherry Blossom Cloud by Charles Juhasz-Alvarado, a large-scale temporary public sound sculpture fashioned in the shape of a xylophone from cherry wood that will be situated outside the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Drumsticks will be available nearby for passers-by to activate the work by playing a melody or creating their own musical work. 

Deborah Stratman & Steven Badgett’s Polygonal Address (PA) System is a monumental floating platform, anchored at the Gangplank Marina and the waters behind the Titanic Memorial. This solar-powered sound system will feature a wide range of historic sound recordings, such as public addresses given during the 1932 Bonus Army protests on the National Mall. It will also provide a platform for guest sound programming by local, D.C.-based musicians, speakers, and artists.

- Arena Stage has received nine nominations this year for the 28th Annual Helen Hayes Awards. Five of the nominations are for Ruined, while three are for Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and one for Equivocation. This year’s awards program will take place on Monday, April 23 at the Warner Theatre.

- The Washington Kastles have released their 2012 season home schedule: 

• Thursday, July 12 vs. New York Sportimes (featuring Martina Hingis)

• Sunday, July 15 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms (USTA Family Night)

• Monday, July 16 vs. Boston Lobsters

• Wednesday, July 18 vs. Sacramento Capitals

• Friday, July 20 vs. Orange County Breakers (Chris Evert Fan Reception)

• Sunday, July 23 vs. Kansas City Explorers (with Serena Williams)

• Tuesday, July 24 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms (with Venus Williams)

Last season, the Kastles had a perfect season, record-breaking attendance at their new home at The Wharf, and won the World Team Tennis title.

- According to the Washington Business Journal, the Federal Trade Commission is against a proposal to move from its current headquarters building on Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Center in order to help fill some of the space that was to be occupied by the SEC.  From the article:

“To require the agency to move out of its historic headquarters building at 600 Pennsylvania NW, which still suits the agency and its mission, would impose well over $100 million in wholly unnecessary costs,” the [FTC] commissioners wrote. “This unprecedented giveaway would be completely contrary to the interests of American taxpayers, especially in this time of fiscal austerity.” 

- In addition to the Combined Heating and Power facility planned at The Wharf, a new biomass plant will be built at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment plant according to the Washington Business Journal. Power from the plant will provide electricity for 30% of the electrical needs at Blue Plains. Construction is supposed to begin in August with completion in late 2014.

DC Sail Events During the Cherry Blossom Festival

There are several events this spring sponsored by DC Sail.  First up is the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival on April 7 during the five-week long National Cherry Blossom Festival.  The Cherry Blossom American Spirit Fireworks Cruise leaves the Gangplank Marina at 6:30pm and returns at 9:30pm after the fireworks show.  Tickets are $60. 

The Cherry Blossom Regatta will take place on April 21 where participants will have the opportunity to race in a DC Sail Flying Junior (FJ).  Tickets are $50 for a team of two and proceeds benefit DC Sail's youth scholarship fund. Limited boats are available. Another option is to watch the Regatta from the American Spirit schooner. That option costs $30.  Also, the American Spirit will set sail throughout the extended festival for special cherry blossom cruises.

Five Bikeshare Stations Proposed for the Southwest Portion of the National Mall

View Proposed Capital Bikeshare Stations on the National Mall in a larger map 

The National Park Service has proposed to place five Capital Bikeshare stations on the National Mall. Check the above map for the locations of each proposed station, which are all located in the Southwest portion of the Mall. These locations are near popular attractions including the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. When the citywide bikeshare program debuted in 2010, NPS was against installing stations on the Mall, but they changed their mind last fall. The proposed stations are scheduled to be installed this spring, perhaps in time for the month-long National Cherry Blossom Festival. These new stations will double the number of Capital Bikeshare locations in Southwest to 10.

A Few Quick Items: Wharf Hotel, Earth Day Clean-Up, Another Pizza Autentica Opens, Centennial Cherry Blossom Festival

- PR Newswire brings news that the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team has selected Humboldt Hospitality to advise them on the sale or joint venture of their hotel site for phase one of The Wharf. The hotel is planned as a luxury, full service, four-star/diamond facility and will face the Washington Channel, adjacent to the future home of The Graduate School USA at 9th Street and Maine Avenue.

- According to the SW Library Playground Project blog, the group will be holding a spring clean-up of the proposed site for a new playground on Earth Day, April 23rd from 11am-1pm.  Everyone is welcome to come and help with the clean-up.  Items that are needed include work gloves and rakes, however, bags will be provided. The playground site is located at 3rd & I Street, next to the Southwest Library, which itself will be renovated over the next few years.

- Last Thursday, the second Pizza Autentica in Southwest opened on the ground floor of Capitol View, an office building at 425 3rd Street.  The new restaurant is open seven days a week (Monday - Friday from 7am-10pm and weekends from 11am-10pm). In addition to pizza, stromboli, salads and paninis, the restaurant serves breakfast on weekdays and also has gelato.

- Get ready for an extended cherry blossom festival...the National Cherry Blossom Festival organizers have announced that the centennial celebration of the gifting of cherry trees to DC by Japan will take place next year and the normal two-week festival will last five weeks. Next year's festival will run from March 20 - April 27, 2012.

Above rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront.

Prepping for Saturday's Festival

As the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival fast approaches, preparations are underway along the waterfront to entertain the thousands of people that are expected on Saturday.  As mentioned previously, the festival will last from 1pm to 8:30pm with a full schedule of events, followed by the fireworks show. Over at the Gangplank Marina, E dock is being converted to a commercial dock so cruise boats like DC Harbor Cruises can take tourists along the Potomac River (above photo). 

Over at 7th Street Landing, DC Harbor Cruises has taken over District Doghouse's old kiosk, which won't be coming back this season.  Eventually, the cruise operator will move to another kiosk under construction on the other side of 7th Street Landing to serve the E dock. The new food provider that will be moving to District Doghouse's kiosk will be the BBQ operation that is currently on the grounds of St. Augustine's. Last week I tweeted about the mural of The Wharf being installed in front of the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team's construction trailer next to 7th Street Landing.  In addition, this year's Cherry Blast will take place at the former Zanzibar on the Waterfront building from 8pm-12am. According to the Going Out Gurus:

This year, the party is down on the Southwest waterfront - at the old Zanzibar - where the entertainment includes performance art, burlesque and graffiti, plus music from quirky, hook-filled Brooklyn indie band Bear Hands, the Beach Boys-influenced synth-pop group ANR and a number of DJs. Check out murals while snacking at food trucks. And Zanzibar’s deck offers a perfect spot to watch the official Cherry Blossom Festival fireworks. The $10 admission includes one free drink, but no tickets will be sold at the door, so get yours in advance.

Volunteers from the Southwest Library Playground Project (SWLPP) will be set up at the Gangplank Marina park pavilion to do face painting and sell water, which has been donated by Deer Park.  The face painting will be free, but donations will be accepted to go towards the construction of a new playground next to the Southwest Library. Half of the proceeds from water sales at several stations throughout the festival will go towards relief efforts in Japan and the other half will go towards the SWLPP.

As Barbara Ehrlich, one of the organizers of the festival from the Washington Waterfront Association, told me this afternoon, this year's Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival will be the biggest event staged by the group (in collaboration with the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team) and will serve as a dry run for next year. That is when the National Cherry Blossom Festival will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the gifting of the cherry trees along the Tidal Basin from the people of Japan to DC. 

Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival Plans Take Shape

Big plans are underway for the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival, which will take place on Saturday, April 2, one of the official events of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This is the seventh year that the Washington Waterfront Association has hosted the festival, but this year it will be co-produced with PN Hoffman/Madison Marquette, the developers of the new Southwest Waterfront. The festival will be a day-long affair, starting at 1pm and ending around 8:30pm, followed by the fireworks show at 8:30. In honor of the cherry blossoms, pink lights will be lit along the waterfront, with a special unveiling before the fireworks show begins. Also, the festival will cover a larger area of the waterfront. Three stages will be set up; one at the Gangplank Marina pocket park at 600 Water Street, 7th Street Landing, and the new park coming to the corner of 9th and Water Street.

Activities for every member of the family will be available at the festival. At the Gangplank Marina pocket park, there will be performances by the Navy Band, a color guard, the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, and the U.S. Army Band Downrange, based at Fort Myer. This area will also be reserved for community organizations who want to help get the word out about their efforts. Jazz and blues will be performed throughout the day at 7th Street Landing. Meanwhile, at the new 9th Street park, there will be vocal and musical performances, including beach-themed music and Nen Daiko, a Japanese-style drumming band from Fairfax, VA. There will be strolling performers along the waterfront promenade, such as face painters, balloon artists, costumed characters, and minstrels. At the parking lot of the Gangplank Marina, there will be a demonstration set up to teach children how to build a toy sailboat, complete with a man-made pond. MPD’s Harbor Patrol will have a booth set up where children can make t-shirts from artwork and a fireboat will parade along the Washington Channel. While the event is family-friendly, there will also be things for adults to enjoy. Planners are in the process of getting permits to allow a beer and wine garden adjacent to 9th Street park. There will be food sampling from local restaurants, as well as food trucks will be invited to line up from the 600 block to 900 block of Water Street.

The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is the kick-off event for a year full of programming along the waterfront, culminating with the Parade of Lighted Boats on the first Saturday of December. According to Angela Sweeney of Madison Marquette, weekly events at 7th Street Landing will be back again this year, from June 2 – September 25. In addition, several festivals are planned throughout the season (more on that will be announced soon). One item mentioned at the December ANC 6D meeting was the possibility that the Washington Kastles World Team Tennis organization would set up shop on the waterfront for their month-long season in July, since their current home in a parking lot downtown will become a construction zone this spring with the development of CityCenterDC. That deal has not been finalized yet, though. The interim programming of the Southwest Waterfront is being done in anticipation for construction, which is scheduled to get underway by the end of 2012 with phase one of development.

Developers Reveal Interim Uses for Southwest Waterfront

At tonight’s ANC 6D meeting, representatives from the Hoffman-Madison Marquette Waterfront team and the District government gave the Commissioners an update on their plans to activate the Southwest Waterfront as they go through the approvals process. What occurred at 7th Street Landing this fall will be taken to a different level at what I’m calling “9th Street Park”. While Near Southeast has Nationals Park, Southwest will have (at least for two years) a tennis stadium. Elinor Bacon from ER Bacon Development mentioned they are in negotiations with the Washington Kastles World Team Tennis organization to move their stadium to the Hogate’s site at 9th & Water Street after demolition of the restaurant is complete this winter. The Washington Kastles currently play their matches at a temporary stadium in the large parking lot downtown where the old convention center used to be located. Since that site is supposed to start construction next spring and become CityCenterDC, the Kastles need a new home. Under the pending agreement with Hoffman-Madison Marquette Waterfront, the Kastles will move to the Hogate’s site for two seasons until construction begins on the Southwest Waterfront redevelopment. Some potential community benefits the Kastles may provide include fixing the tennis courts at Jefferson Middle School and offer tennis lessons to students.

David Roberts from the DC government was also present at the meeting and said the District is willing to pay for infrastructure to build the temporary stadium, including bleachers and the court. Roberts mentioned that permits for the demolition of Hogate’s should be pulled this week and the building should be gone and the site cleared by mid-January. Interior demolition is already underway. In addition, an RFP will be released later this week for the stadium construction so it can be ready by March 2011.

Matthew Steenhoek from PN Hoffman and a representative from Struever Brothers described the layout of the Hogate’s site post-demolition. The stadium is just one of the uses planned for the site, since the Kastles’ season only lasts about one month during the summer. Besides bleachers and a court, a tent will be set up closer to Zanzibar for use by the Kastles during their season in July, but can be removed to allow space for programming, as well as a stage near 9th Street for concerts. Some of the interim uses mentioned for the site outside of tennis matches include a seafood festival, events with the Capitol Yacht Club, a sock monkey day for kids, and A-Cappella concerts, but the first event planned for the space will revolve around the National Cherry Blossom Festival in March. Hoffman-Madison Marquette Waterfront will seek the ability to serve wine and beer at both 7th Street Landing and “9th Street Park”, since the Kastles already sell beer & wine at their downtown stadium and the development team heard from the community that 7th Street Landing would be a more enjoyable experience if beer and wine were available. The ANC did not vote on any proposals tonight – the presentation was just informational, although their approval will be needed at least to allow beer & wine sales.

I'll write about other items from the ANC meeting later this week.