The annual Adams Morgan Day celebrated the D.C. neighborhood in picture-perfect weather Sunday, promising an afternoon of music, dance and art.
The celebration also featured a promenade of vendors selling clothing, jewelry, books and furnishings.
At 46 years running, organizers said it’s the city’s longest operating community festival. However this year’s offering is a scaled-down version compared to the two block-long festival in years past, which closed a section of 18th Street NW.
This year Adams Morgan Day is being celebrated on the grounds of Marie Reed Elementary School. The school’s soccer field featured a sound stage and games for kids.
Colorful vending booths lined the school’s 18th Street entrance and spilled out onto the sidewalk.
“It’s not quite the same as it used to be, where we used to have all the street and it was just packed, so now it’s just a little bit smaller — a lot smaller but they still have some nice vendors,” said Yvonne Williams, who’s lived in Adams Morgan since the 1970s.
Williams and other visitors to the festival talked about their love of their neighborhood.
“It’s a diverse neighborhood, there are a lot of things you can do within walking distance,” Williams said.
“It’s always been a diverse area, all kinds of religions, races, everything, kind of cool like that,” said Tony Artisst of D.C.
There’s even a history exhibit. American University’s Humanities Truck set up a pop up exhibit at 18th and Wyoming Streets NW. The brightly colored step-up van featured photos and text on “The New Thing” — a 1960s-era art, education and culture center that once operated in Adams Morgan.
“It was started by an architect named Topper Carew,” said Daniel Kerr, an associate professor of History at American University. “What they did was they taught African drumming, African dance, photography, music, jazz.”
This year’s festival features an evening performance of Washington’s legendary band “The Blackbyrds.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
