Michelle Obama may have stolen most of the headlines last week when she was announced as the honorary chair of next year's bigger, better National Cherry Blossom Festival. But if you ask me, I'm just as excited about the involvement of Peter Max, who was announced the same day as the official artist of the Festival's 2012 Centennial Celebration. more ›

Over the weekend, we bemoaned the fact that a little chilly weather could cancel the Blossom Kite Festival. But not to fear! Organizers announced yesterday that the traditional wind-catching festivities have been rescheduled to Sunday, April 10, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the grounds of Washington Monument. Think of it as a whimsical way to end the annual cherry blossom festivities. more ›

WMATA announced this afternoon that they will expand the number of eight-car trains in service to help handle the massive onrush of tourists who descend upon Washington during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The good news for us permanent residents? Those additional eight-car trains will be sticking around, after the festival is over. more ›

When the National Cherry Blossom Festival starts Saturday, the tourists who come to see the trees will leave behind an estimated $126 million in the D.C. metro region over the course of the event, according to a George Mason University study released Thursday. more ›

The weather might have you thinking that spring will never arrive, even though winter technically doesn't even start until tomorrow. (Yeah, it's a downer, man.) But better days will come, and this news will certainly help you visualize them: organizers for the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival announced that the festival will run from March 27 through April 11 next year. Our mental image of thousands of bursting cherry blossoms is impossible to cover with twenty inches of precipitation -- take that, snow gods! more ›

The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off this past weekend, and with peak cherry blossom dates officially starting Wednesday, area restaurants are busy cashing in on cherry blossom fever. As we mentioned earlier, a number of local eateries are celebrating the arrival of D.C.'s famed blossoms with cherry-themed food and drinks. DCist sampled some of these creations over the weekend. From savory to sweet to boozy, there are plenty of cherry-infused treats to tempt both tourists and locals alike. These menu items are all available through April 12, but some will also be available after the end of the festival, so call ahead to check. more ›

Another week, another set of transit headlines. This week we've got "controversy" over the new Taxicab Zone Map, Metro's contribution to the, er, local economy, and questions about the new rail cars Metro's been bringing on line. Also, yet another story of inaction on Metro funding...but by Maryland. Worth noting: The Metro Riders Advisory Council is holding an event this evening at Metro's 600 5th St. NW headquarters to take suggestions on transit improvements... more ›

FRIDAY: >> By far one of the most fun bar nights in town is always where ever the Guerrilla Queer Bar Takeover kids end up -- the mingling of gays and straights in D.C. ever a combination as terriffic as chili and cheese. So you can bet we'll be swinging by to celebrate the Third Anniversary of the Guerrilla Queer Bar Takeover at Black Cat tonight. The takeover starts in the Red Room at 9... more ›

>> If "gorgeous weather" isn't enough of a reason to get you outside, this weekend's kick-off for the National Cherry Blossom Festival should get you to shake off that winter gloom. Head over to the National Building Museum tomorrow to kick-off the celebration with Family Day events from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the opening ceremony from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lots of hands-on art activities, like oragami and fruit carving, will keep... more ›

Good morning, D.C. Thanks to all of you who came out to the Voting Rights Happy Hour last night. We had a great time meeting everyone and chatting about the future of full voting rights for D.C. Our friends and co-hosts at DC Vote were thrilled to be able to sign up so many new interested members and volunteers for their upcoming Voting Rights March on April 16, so thanks to them for coming out... more ›

It certainly is telling that even with all of the crime emergencies, red-light enforcements, speed traps, juvenile curfews, ShotSpotters and surveillance cameras, there's still no end of criminal mischief that can be had by any poorly-mannered child with an armload of rocks. Earlier this year, as the spring gave way to the heat of the summer, every major press organ in the city covered the upswing in incidents related to the damage and injury caused by rock-throwing kids. Especially well-documented were the goings-on on a stretch of 11th Street, NW in Columbia Heights, where children, using the vantage point of high balconies to both target victims and evade arrest, turned the corridor into a harrowing ordeal for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike. more ›

FRIDAY: >> We're definitely planning on checking out a new performance series called Take That Hill that's looking to turn in to a semi-regular evening of short films and short story readings presented by local lit mag Barrelhouse. Sounds promising, and we'll have the rundown on how it went down for you come Monday. At Warehouse Theater's screening room, $5, 8 p.m. >> Dude, free Yeah Yeah Yeah's listening party at Cue Bar, plus the... more ›

Via the Post, we see that the National Park Service has issued its official guess at when the cherry blossoms will reach their peak. The verdict: March 27 - April 1, a range of dates that's conveniently in the middle of this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year's festival will include events ranging from soccer tournaments to kite flying to two different kimono exhibitions. You can find a list of all the events here.... more ›

With an eye to reducing what has become endemic crowding on certain lines, WMATA will decide today whether or not to introduce eight-car trains which will run less often that the current six- and four-car configurations, reports WTOP. Under the plan currently being considered, 20 percent of Metro trains would have eight cars by December 2006, with that number increasing to 50 percent by 2008 and paralleling a total phase-out of the itsy-bitsy four-car... more ›

FRIDAY: >> The Sixpoints Music Festival, which highlights good local music played at good local venues, continues this weekend. Make sure to check out the schedule here and support your local music scene. >> Ross Douthat, blogger extraordinaire and reporter at The Atlantic Monthly, managed to pull a pretty nifty trick: he attended Harvard, reaped the rewards of the degree, and then got a hefty advance to write "Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the... more ›

This week's art events include exhibits inspired by the Cherry Blossom Festival, the monthly Bethesda Art Walk, and much more. Keep reading for DCist's picks -- and let us know what yours are! more ›

Today will be sunny and breezy, with highs in the 60s. This photo was taken on the National Mall yesterday. See DCist photos for more recent photos. more ›

It may not look or feel like it, but spring really is in the air. Sure the calender's moved past winter, but a more tell-tale sign is that cherry blossom fever has hit the city. more ›

FRIDAY: >> The circus has come to town! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be having an evening show tonight, 7:30 p.m. at the MCI Center. If you get there 90 minutes early, you can enjoy free entertainment, and during the pre-show Three Ring Adventure, kids can meet performers and pose for photos with the crazy clowns. Tickets can be purchased here. SATURDAY: >> If you're feeling energetic come Saturday AM, why not... more ›

Good morning Washington. For those on Capitol Hill and others, we hope you've been enjoying the Congressional recess this week. To everyone else, enjoy your Good Friday if you have it off. For the weather today, check Capital Weather. Rain will be moving in around lunchtime with highs near 50. They're Coming!: Tourists, a million strong, will be coming into the city for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. And according to the Post, the first... more ›

Today will be partly cloudy with highs in the mid 50s. Hunger Strike at Georgetown: A hunger strike by group of 22 students at Georgetown has entered its sixth day. The students are members of the Georgetown Living Wage Campaign, which has been pressuring the university to increase the wages of its lowest paid employees for a year. David Swanson has posted a column and photos about the strike on his website and Indymedia, and... more ›