This morning in Explorer’s Hall at the National Geographic Museum, Cultural Tourism DC announced the inaugural program of Passport DC. Working with a laundry list of partners, they’ve organized D.C.’s embassies, museums and cultural centers together to host street fairs, dance and music performances, food tastings, and art exhibits that show off foreign cultures from around the world, from May 3 – 17.

As Linda Harper, the Executive Director of CTDC describes it, the idea sprung to their minds while Mayor Adrian Fenty was campaigning for office and repeatedly told us how he believed Washington could be “a world class city.” Harper and her crew said in reply, “But it is!” She noted that in addition to all the embassies, there are over 400 international associations, 700 international companies, not to mention the World Bank, IMF, and more than 20,000 foreign students in the metro area, so we’re long overdue for a cultural festival that celebrates all of that.

Passport DC’s cornerstone will be the annual EU Open House on May 3, which last year boasted 35,000 visitors in the six hour-long event, and will kick off the two week schedule. Other major activities include the International Children’s Festival, a family oriented day of cultural activities on May 10, and the National Asian Heritage Festival, with martial arts demos, musical and art performances, and a lion dance competition, which will bring Passport DC to a close on May 17. This is in addition to exhibits on Japanese architecture, Indian dance, Russian figurines, and even a photographic exhibit of American jazz legends and how they acted as ambassadors worldwide.