My weekend and why I love living in DC

   I've been in this city almost 8 years and I have yet to be bored. There is literally always something to do (and not just da club) and there's a good chance that it is going to be free. If you're not doing anything, it's because you don't want to.
   This Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Art All Night festival. It's based on a similar one that takes place in Paris called Nuit Blanche. There were 5 sites around the city with different exhibits and it went from 7pm-3am.

There were paintings, body art, fire hula hoopers, a silent party, live bands every hour, and much more. While I didn't get to visit all 5 sites, the 2 that I did were so full of activity that I don't feel like I missed out. The crowd was really clectic and relaxed. I'm not the biggest art fan but this festival was comprised of so many different mediums that it really drew me in and was the type of atypical fun that I like. I went with my roommate who has actually attended the Nuit Blanche in Paris and he said that this one was more fun and light-hearted.

One of the exhibits in the Wonderbread Factory at the Shaw location.

   Sunday I had the pleasure of seeing this gentleman DJ at the Kennedy Center:

   If you have never been to the Kennedy Center put it on your calendar. They have free concerts at 6pm 365 DAYS A YEAR.  I went just expecting to see ?uestlove and Black Thought perform. It turned out that this particular event was a celebration for the winners of a youth poetry contest. I was pleasantly surprised to hear amazing poetry from high school and college students from around the country, a presentation by Glynn Washington from one of my favorite podcasts Snap Judgment, and a brief talk by Hill Harper. Chock full o' fantastic!
   To get into the concert a friend and I had to wait in line for an hour but it went by quickly. After we got our tickets we had a couple of hours to kill so we walked over to Founding Farmers restaurant and had our fill. Founding Farmers has a fantastic menu and the portion sizes based on the prices are fantastic. They also try their best to make sure that their food is locally sourced as much as possible. After eating we walked back to the Kennedy Center and were blown away by the performances. The friend I wa swith siad they would have gladly paid $50 to attend.
   How did I find out about these events? Twitter. I follow several accounts that post events around the city like @goingoutguide and @freeindcblog. There are several so just do a little research for your city and I'm sure you will find tons of fun gems in your area. Have fun!