A DC summer can have some miserable moments, especially when all the important people doing important things have to face the heat and humidity in their important clothes. Whew! DC went directly from polar vortex to summer sweat, but everyone is still pretty happy that they are not wearing their parkas.
As one of my coworkers said to me today, as soon as it is warm out, regardless if the weather is heat stroke worthy and “10,000% humidity”, Washingtonians love to crowd together outside and drink. One such event happens every Friday evening on government property: Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery of Art.
Last week, I went to the July 11 event which featured the Rick Whitehead Trio with jazz guitar.
Going in, I had no idea how packed the Garden would be. However, with picnic spreads, pitchers of sweet sangria, and the opportunity to discard your work shoes in the grass after the workweek, the Sculpture garden is the destination after work on summer Fridays. Get there early enough to snag a shady area if its a particularly hot day, and pack drinks, snacks, and a picnic blanket. You cannot bring alcohol into the park, but the Garden’s bottles of wine and sangria are immensely popular. Not to mention, the music is great.
It is fantastic that the sculpture garden is so versatile, featuring this jazz series during the summer and ice skating during the winter. While the sculptures are certainly worth visiting, programs like these engage those who live in DC, whether just for an internship or full time, with their vibrant community by being more than just a typical museum.
anchored & adrift 