Downtowner Town Topics


Cherry Blossom Parade on April 16

The Cherry Blossom Festival will conclude its month-long festivities with the annual parade on April 16. This 10-block, bright pink parade is free to the public. The parade will be between 9th and 15th Streets NW along Constitution Avenue. It all starts at 10 a.m. and ends at noon, but you should get there earlier if you expect a good spot. The parade will consist of elaborate floats, huge helium balloons, vocal performers and 15 marching bands from around the country. If you can’t make the parade you can still get a chance to see it all — from noon to 2 p.m. the parade will be broadcast locally.

National Gallery: 3 Centuries of Prints

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, a special exhibition will be on display from April 3 to July 24. The gallery first opened in 1941, and since then has collected thousands of historical prints that range from America’s early stages to the present. Chosen to encompass the last three centuries of American history were 160 works. The exhibition begins with John Simon’s “Four Indian Kings,” 1710, and caps it all off with Kara Walker’s piece “no world,” 2010. The exhibition travels next to the National Gallery in Prague in October.

Will Annual D.C. Mosquito Infestation Be a Government Concern?

As temperatures rise in D.C., so do the number of mosquitoes. With the usual hot and humid conditions upon the city, a wave of mosquitos is a no-brainer, but the recent cases of the Zika virus have raised the concern of many public officials. Around the country there are already plenty of politicians trying to get funding for insect control — and are consistently failing.

Washington, D.C. has a long history of mosquito-related illness outbreaks, including yellow fever, malaria, dengue and West Nile virus. The District’s budget for the 2016 fiscal year was approved in Dec. 2015, and the neither the word “mosquito,” nor any other insect control related issues, are included in the 902-page council-approved budget.

Easter Egg Roll: PETA Ignored, Woman Arrested

A couple of interesting stories came from this year’s Easter Egg Roll on March 28. Every year, PETA pleads to the White House to stop the tradition of using real hardboiled eggs during their Easter festivities, and instead use ceramic eggs. This year, the White House announced they were using 19,000 hardboiled eggs for the 14-hour event. PETA brought up how an average chicken only lays an egg every one and a half days, and they are all just being rolled around and tossed away. In the spirit of tradition, the White House ignored the request like they do every year.

Also during the Easter Egg Roll, the event shut down temporarily when a shooting occurred at the Capitol. Unfortunately for a visiting guest, she was seen moving a temporary barricade at the same time the Capitol reports were coming in. Secret Service arrested her. A report from the Secret Service revealed that upon investigation, she was identified as a ticket-holding guest who had passed through security with the 30,000 guests that day. She was released when it was concluded she had no link to the shooting at the Capitol.

Eaglets Need Names

Last month, two baby eagles were born at the U.S. National Arboretum, and now they need to be named. At the moment, the two fuzzy newborns hold the temporary names DC2 and DC3. The American Eagle Foundation is asking the people of the internet to help give the two eaglets names that are suitable for either a male or female. You can submit your suggestion for a name on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram by using the hashtags #dceaglecam and #namethenestlings. The names will be announced on April 26.

Rito Loco Wins Best New Restaurant

From food truck to restaurant, Rito Loco has been getting both awards and a following for their one-of-a-kind food. Rito Loco has a menu with a wide range of flavors, from Cuban to Spanish and Southern Soul cuisine. The company started in 2011 when founders Daniel Diaz and Louie Hankins invented their signature “hangover cure” breakfast burrito at a barbecue.

The burrito joint earned itself the Best New Shaw Business of 2015 award for outstanding success in the area. If you want to see what all the commotion is about and try their famous burritos, you can find Rito Loco at
606 Florida Ave. NW.

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