President's Message:
As the sun begins to set earlier and the air begins to get cooler, it is a sure sign that fall is upon us. This season is a busy one for the hospitality and tourism industry with many opportunities to showcase our great city. November is the final month for Blues & Dreams: Celebrating the African-American Experience in Washington, DC. The citywide celebration has been a great success for all of the participants and we are looking forward to another full month of important Blues & Dreams exhibitions and events. Veterans Day on November 11 will see a multitude of services honoring the men and women of our military. From Arlington Cemetery to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the nation’s capital serves as significant backdrop for these remembrance ceremonies. We hope today finds you scaring up some Halloween fun. Have a safe and happy Halloween.

DC Happenings

Pageant of Peace Tickets Available November 1
Free tickets to Washington, DC’s annual Christmas Pageant of Peace Tree Lighting Ceremony will be available this Saturday, November 1 beginning at 8 a.m. The National Park Service will distribute 2,800 tickets on a first-come first-serve basis at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion, located at the southwest corner of 15th and E Streets, NW. A maximum of four tickets will be issued per person. This year’s tree lighting ceremony will be held on Thursday, December 4 at 5 p.m. The ceremony marks the 80th annual tree lighting and kicks off the Pageant of Peace, which is a month-long celebration of the holidays. Festivities include nightly music on the Ellipse and the Pathway of Peace consisting of 56 smaller trees representing all 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia. For more information visit www.pageantofpeace.org or call the White House Visitor Center at (202) 208-1631.


New Mammal Hall Roars at Natural History Museum
The Mammal Hall at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum will unveil its $20 million facelift when it opens to visitors on November 15. The exhibition space, renamed Kenneth E. Behring Mammal Hall for the California business man’s $20 million contribution to update the hall, was one of the oldest in the museum with exhibits dating back several decades. The new 25,000-square-foot Mammal Hall, which retains its famed African elephant in the rotunda of the museum, will welcome guests to a “mammal family reunion” where they will learn about both past and present mammals and how they are related to each other. The new exhibits include state-of-the-art dioramas that will tell the story of how mammals evolved and adapted to changes in habitat and climate over millions of years. Included are 274 specimens and several fossils from four continents. There will also be many hands-on activities and interactive displays in the Discovery Zones that will bring the history of mammals to life. In addition to the new mammal hall, educational and outreach programs were also funded by Behring’s contribution. For more information visit http://www.mnh.si.edu/.

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Veterans Day Services

Veterans Honored throughout Capital Region
In observance of Veterans Day this November 11, several monuments and memorials throughout the Capital Region will hold special remembrance ceremonies:

Arlington National Cemetery, 11 a.m. - President Bush is scheduled to take part in the traditional wreath-laying ceremony. The ceremony will be followed by a memorial service accompanied by a military band. (703) 607-8052.

African-American Civil War Memorial, 11 a.m. – African-American Veterans will be honored with a wreath-laying ceremony. The ceremony will be followed by a reception at the African-American Civil War Museum. (202) 667-2667.

Korean War Memorial, 3 p.m. – A formal wreath-laying ceremony will take place.

U.S. Navy Memorial, 1 p.m. – The Naval District of Washington, DC will host a wreath-laying ceremony at the Lone Sailor Statue. The U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band, Ceremonial Guard and Color Guard will participate in the ceremony.

Women’s Memorial, 3:30 p.m. – The Women’s Memorial at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery will honor female veterans with a wreath-laying ceremony and special guest speaker, General Evelyn Foote (U.S. Army, Ret.). (703) 892-2606.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 1 p.m. – Veterans Day will be observed with a wreath-laying ceremony, several guest speakers and the formal color guard. Founder and President of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Jan C. Scruggs, will emcee the ceremony. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial will honor its veterans with storytelling at the monument throughout the day. (202)-619-7222.

For more information visit the Calendar of Events at www.nps.gov.

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Blues & Dreams Update


Blues & Dreams Sings with Musical Performances in November
As Blues & Dreams enters its final month there are still many events planned that celebrate the African-American experience in Washington, DC. Throughout November there are a number of musical performances scheduled. Below is just a sampling. Visit www.bluesanddreams.com for a complete listing and information on locations and tickets.

Sweet Honey in the Rock with Big Lovely (Nov. 7) – The Washington Performing Arts Society presents the Grammy Award-winning all-female a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock. The group originated in Washington, DC and returns home for a performance in celebration of their 30th anniversary. Folk-rock band Big Lovely will join Sweet Honey for an evening of powerful voices and instruments. The Washington Post described Sweet Honey in the Rock as “the most animated of Washington Institutions.” (202) 785-9727. Performance at the Warner Theatre.

Music in the Museum (Nov. 8) – As part of The Textile Museum’s Blues & Dreams anchor exhibit, African-American Quilts from the Robert & Helen Cargo Collection, Bobby Felder and his Blue Notes Band will perform live as patrons view the quilts that inspired the music. (202) 667-0441

Herbie Hancock Quartet (Nov. 8) – The Washington Performing Arts Society presents an evening with jazz legend Herbie Hancock at The Warner Theatre. Considered an icon of modern music, Hancock will showcase his talent for creating mesmerizing music from acoustic and electronic jazz to R&B. (202) 785-9727.

Black Burlesque Revisited (Nov. 9) – Reggie Wilson Fist & Heel Performance Group, Black Umfolosi and Noble Douglas Dance Company will join forces for an evening of international collaboration. Combining music and dance inspired by African culture, Reggie Wilson brings years of research to his performance with Trinidad’s famed Noble Douglas Dance Company and a capella group Black Umfolosi from Zimbabwe. Performance held at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. (301) 405-1000.

Come Sunday: Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music with Dance (Nov. 14) - Washington native and jazz luminary, the late Duke Ellington, comes to life again through the choreography of his granddaughter Mercedes Ellington. A dancer and Broadway choreographer, Mercedes presents the world premiere of dance pieces set to music the Duke wrote for chorus, soloists and jazz ensembles. Commissioned by the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Museum and Center for African-American History and Culture, the pieces will be performed by the museum’s resident dance company, Expressions Dance Theatre. (202) 287-3369.

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WCTC NEWS

Capital Region to Continue Super Bowl Pursuit
Washington, DC’s Super Bowl Host Committee today pledged to continue its quest to host a Super Bowl at FedEx Field in the future.

“Although the NFL today selected a city other than Washington, we are not deterred,” said former Senator Fred Thompson, chairman of the Host Committee. “We will continue our efforts and believe we can show a best-of-class approach to hosting the event.”

Thompson was in Chicago today along with other members of the Host Committee, where Phoenix was selected as the site for the 2008 Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl bid has been in the works for the past 18 months and despite not getting the 2008 game, Daniel M. Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins and organizer of the Host Committee, spoke positively about the teamwork of the Host Committee and the future of a Washington, DC Super Bowl. “We are disappointed, but we have learned many important things while pursuing the 2008 game. We know the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and a wide variety of public and governmental entities can band together to present a unified bid,” said Snyder.

“We are committed to hosting a Super Bowl in the DC area and at FedEx Field,” Snyder continued. “It’s just a matter of time.”

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PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:

Hotel Occupancy
Washington, DC's hotel occupancy rate continues to outpace the national average. According to Smith Travel Research, Washington, DC's hotel occupancy for the week ending October 25, 2003, was 84.7%, compared to the U.S. national occupancy average of 65.6%. Hotel occupancy in the nation's capital for the month of October 2002 was 75.7%.

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dc in the news

Washington in the Week between Christmas and New Years – The New York Times
Oct. 5 - My family and I are planning to vacation in Washington, DC the week after Christmas. Can you suggest some holiday activities?
Full Article (PDF file)

DC Touts Chefs, Retail in $3M Campaign – Washington Business Journal
Oct. 3 - Washington promoters are casting a wide net to catch new business. The Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corp. is partnering with Saks Fifth Avenue and Conde Nast Publications in the wide-ranging crusade, themed "Make it your own."
Full Article (PDF File)

DC Keeps Commitment – Philadelphia Gay News
Sept. 26 – The Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corp. recently issued a new edition of its travel guide and website that target gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender visitors.
Full Article (PDF File)

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