HAPPY BIRTHDAY DC!
This Saturday, May 3rd, celebrate with the Funk Parade, a street fair, parade, and music festival. There is going to be A LOT going on, so choose wisely. To help you out, here’s a cheat sheet. Also, the Funk Parade team is still looking for volunteers, so sign up!
DAY FAIR OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING – 12pm to 5pm
M.A. Winter Performance area presented by Capital Bop – 1436 U Street NW, 12pm to 5pm
Program Line Up & Details: CapitalBop presents two of the city’s most energizing improvisers, right in the cradle of D.C. jazz. The styles of Donvonte McCoy and Quincy Phillips (who’s just back from a world tour with Roy Hargrove) show the influence of classic bebop, ’90s hip-hop, gospel and so much else.
Sponsors include Yelp! (giveaways and swag), DestinationDC (learn about the awesome events and business in your community), and BicycleSpaceDC (raffles, info classes, Boombotix).
Music not enough? Need some food? Local vendors include District Doughnut, Curvy Chix Chariot, Banana Love Muffins, Cherry Blossom Creative, Unitees. City First Bank will paint your kids faces on their front steps.
The Funk Parade Reeves Center Performance Area – 14th St & U St NW, 1pm to 4:30pm
Program Line Up & Details:
- 8:00 – 1:00 – 14th & U Street Farmers Market
- 1:00 – 1:45 – Howard U Step Performers & Dancers
- 1:45 – 3:15 – Kennedy Center Street Performers, Derek McAlister, Evan Young & more
- 3:15 – 3:30 – Fashion Flash Mob & Street Fashion Show – Lettie Gooch, Junction Vintage, & District Affiliates
- 3:30 – 4:00 – Batala Drummers
ALSO, DC Bike Party’s Sound Bike will be providing Funky Beats for the people all afternoon and collaborating with Musx on the Musx Live Jukebox.
Sponsors & community partners include Hail0 (music, free promo codes, learn about Hailo community partnerships & more), GoodShuffle (new membership and community booth), MusX (check out Live App Demos & MUSX live jukebox), Hope Foundation, ANC, Safe Access DC, Marc Morgan (meet the At-Large DC Council candidate), Thurgood Marshall Center (raffles, games & giveaways), Headcount (register to vote & win Sweetlife tickets), and Think Local First
Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute presents: “The Return of Black Broadway” at the Duke Ellington Stage – 13th St & U St NW (by &Pizza), 12pm to 5pm
Program Line Up & Details:
- 12:00-12:20pm: Universal Capoeira Angola
- 12:30-12:50pm: Faycez You Know
- 1:00-1:20pm: Da Originals
- 1:30-1:50pm: Frankojazz
- 2:00-2:20pm: Head Roc
- 2:30-2:50pm: DJ Break
- 3:00-3:20pm: Hung Tao Choy Mei “Lucky Lions”
- 3:30-3:50pm: Thaylobleu
- 4:00-4:20pm: Malcolm X Drummers & Dancers
Industrial Bank Family Performance area presented by Words Beats & Life – 2001 11th St NW, 12pm to 5pm
Program Line Up & Details
- 12:00-5pm – All Day Chess Exhibition (Open Play), sPACYcLOUd (face painting and skate limbo contest), Albus Cavus (Mural Painting)
- 12pm – 1pm Lot opens w/ DJ Eskimo on the 1’s and 2’s keeping it funky
- 1pm-1:30pm Dance exhibition Princess Mhoon Dance Institute
- 1pm-3pm Beat Society (beat production workshop)
- 2pm-2:30pm Nickolas Miller project (Concert)
- 3-5pm WBL MC Workshops (Javier and Mike)
- 3pm-3:30pm Javier Starks (Concert)
- 4pm-4:20 WBL B-Boy Exhibition
- 3:30pm-5pm Drumming Workshop
Sponsors & community partners include Industrial Bank and Relay Foods (grab bags & discounts).
Vendors include sPACYcLOUd, Capital Candy Jar, Pichardo Boutique, Andrew Lisi, Enterprise CarShare, Roxanne’s ARTiques, DC DYES, Capital City, and Plush Beautybox.
Lee’s Flower Shop and Industrial Bank South Performance Area presented by Urban Artistry – 1929 11th St NW, 12pm to 5pm
Program Line Up & Details: Live artists will be painting murals on the One Love Massive bus, while Urban Artistry and Alliance Francaise provides street shows and dance instruction.
Vendors include Simon Vintage, Art by Nathan Seay & Brayden Hooper, Sandi Galle Photography, Goshmob/Noondance, Finder’s Keepers Vintage, Todacouture
African American Civil War Memorial Museum Performance Area – 10th & U St NW, 12pm to 5pm
Program Line Up & Details:
- 12:00pm – A Band Called Future
- 1:00pm – Kennedy Center Street Performers
- 1:30pm – The Funk Ark
- 2:15pm – Work It Studio Flash Mob
- 2:30pm – DC Legendary Musicians Band
- 3:30pm – Take Over Band
- 4:15pm – Maggot Brain Funkadelic Guitar Jam
Sponsors & community partners include Bank of Georgetown (giveaways), Chuck Levin’s, WPFW (meet your favorite local radio personalities, ZipCarDC (community registration with discounts and swag), DC Vote (register to vote), Work It! Studio (free demo & sample class instruction all day), WeWantTheFunk (fun foam fingers & Funk paraphernalia, DC Legendary Musicians, and 7DrumLessons
U Street Flea Funk Parade Market – 9 ½ St & U St NW, 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Program Line Up & Details: Live Performance by Brass Connection!
District Flea Funk Parade Market – 945 Florida Ave, 1:00pm to 4:30pm
Program Line Up & Details: Live Brass Performances from Yamomanem, Kennedy Center Street Performers, & additional guests.
Activities: Vendors will be providing food all day. Also, there is the only outdoor Beer Garden for Funk Parade Festival goers.
MORE FUNK PARADE DAY FAIR ACTIVITIES
Den of Thieves Vinyl Lounge – 2005 14th St. NW, 12pm to 5pm
The Vinyl District presents The Electric Cowbell Sound System at Den of Thieves (Funk Parade Edition). All vinyl sets by some of Washington DC’s most eclectic, global groove thumpers.
- 12PM: DJ Crown Vic.
- 1PM: DJ Steven Swann
- 2PM: Sir Ramases
- 3PM: YALLA.
- 4PM: Nucleus Bros.
Do you love science?
Tech Embassy – Affinity Labs, 920 U St. NW, 11am to 3pm
Think of The Tech Embassy as a science fair, only you get to help make some of the experiments happen, right there in person — no matter how much, or how little, you know about “tech.” Stop by to test drive a 3D printer, learn how local students are fighting food deserts, make your own LED light art, dig into the DC world of civic hacking, and more. The Embassy will also have a separate outpost at Hamiltonian Gallery (1353 U St. NW).
Projects include:
- DC Music Project (a people’s history of live shows in the District)
- Name that Tech/Technology Should Be… (two interactive art installations by OTI)
- 3D Printing with DC Public Library
- Heart Spark (heart attack prevention tech group)
- District Housing (a DC affordable housing project)
- Fort Fairmont (funk DJs with a laser light show)
- ANC Finder (hyperlocal govt!)
- Food Desert Mapping Project (starring the world’s brightest 10 year olds)
- OurDCSchools (policy response project re: school boundary change — important for parents)
- LED building station (maybe seed bombs, too)
- Q&A table out front with Code for DC and Code for Progress
Live Mural by Art Under Pressure – 1342 U St NW
Art Under Pressure will sponsor the creation of a new mural near their new 1342 U Street location. The mural will be a typographical celebration of U Street’s illustrious past. Titled “The Return of Black Broadway.” The mural will feature a quote from DC Hip-Hop elder, Head-Roc, who’s album with the same title, marks it’s 10-year anniversary. Art Under Pressure Artists in Residence Eric B. Ricks, Cory L. Stowers, Ernesto Zeleya and more, will install the mural during the DC Funk Parade as part of the celebration.
OTHER COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
- Visit Miss Pixies and check out the rest of our community supporters on 14th Street
- Merlot’s Masterpiece on 1512 U St – Art Sale and Live Art Expo
- Fainting Goat and Local 16 will be hosting a Funk themed Brunch
- Menchies – Find Menchie on U St and get a discount coupon for Froyo
- Ben’s Chili Bowl will be celebrating the Funk Parade all day!
- Nellies will have a Roof Top Funk Party All Day
THE MIGHTY FUNK PARADE – 5 to 7 pm
Get up, get into it, get involved! Come to the muster point at Vermont and U Sts. NW at 5 PM and dance, clap, play your horn or beatbox in the parade! The procession will head west at Vermont and V St. It will proceed down V St to Ben Ali Way and then turn south down the alley as the parade comes to an end and filters out onto the U Street Corridor for a night of Live Music!
Convening at Vermont and U Sts. NW. This is a PARTICIPATORY parade, not a watching parade. Get up, get into it, get involved! Come ready to dance, clap, sing, blow a horn, whatever.
In addition to YOU, your friends and neighbors, the parade will include:
- Asheru & The Ballou High School Marching Band
- Batala Percussion Band
- Hung Tao Choy Mei Lion and Dragon dancers
- Yamomanem Jazz
- BicycleSPACE riders
Want more music, but at night? Of course you do.
THE MUSIC FESTIVAL – 7pm to 10 pm
- U Street Music Hall: Sugar Bear & EU (8:30), Nappy Riddem ( 7:30), DJs Fort Knox Five & QDup
- Tropicalia: Cheick Hamala Diabate (10pm) Backbeat Underground (9pm) Joe Keyes “The Late Bloomer” and The Late Bloomer Band (8pm)
- Solly’s: Flashband Project – Flashband Funk Party (7pm)
- DC9 Nightclub: Elikeh Afropop (8:30), Black Masala (7:30), and Sol Powered All Stars
- Patty Boom Boom: Lucky Dub (8pm), Kickoman (7pm)
- Liv Nightclub DC: Clones of Funk (7:30)
- The Brixton: Aztec Sun (8:30), Beyond Modern (7:30)
- Jojo Restaurant: The Good Thing (7pm)
- Busboys and Poets: A Special Edition of Live! From Busboys: Women of Funk – Performances by B. Steady w/ DJ Pinstriped Rebel on the 1s and 2s! and Open Mic! (7pm)
- Twins Jazz Club: Tony Martucci (7:30)
- Work It! Studio by WandaWoman – Funk Dance Party featuring “The Root of Funk” with drum sensation Tiacoh Sadia (7pm)
After Party Shows
- Ben’s Next Door: “THE SOUL OF FUNK” Wes Felton World and Sol Zahran All Star Jam Session After-party. (10pm)
- Liv Nightclub – REMINISCE Dance Party 90’s Hip Hop, R&B and Dance Hall All Night w/ DJ Underdog and DJ Tu Tone Jones (9:30pm)