hello. i'm pat lawson muse. how well do you know you neighborhood? today one of washington's most popular neighborhoods is cele'sating d. longest running neighborhood festival. we're talking about adams more gans day, a celebration of music, food, family, business, and culture. a culture that makes adams morgan an excitin place to live and visit. joining us j is laughin cohener of the record house and fay. michelle is from the d.c. public library. also joining us today is jose martinez, owner of corrento

galler welcome all of you to the program. the festival starts at noon and we know it's going to rain butre we don't is that right, joe? >> we're going to be here today rain or shine, 40th anniversary. we'rng in the g to let weather stop us. we'll be there with lots of indoor and outdoor activ >>el mi, you're celebrating 40 years. the festival has been going on for four decades. that's a long, longhistory. tell us how it got >>started. t started 40 years ago as a block party. by the '80s, hundreds of thousands of people were coming. it became known as the east coast's largest block party. so we're carrying on pretty long tradition of bringing people together in our neighb qhood. >> it te a tradition. i understand stand just a few years ago the festival almostdn happen. >> that's right. there was a chance that it was

going to be canceled, but a group of people from the communit businesses and residents banded together to make the event happen, and we weren't able to close the street that year, but still able to have a great festival that year and able to keep it going. here we are today, able to close the street and have anr block party like we have in the past. >> all theersistence paid off. >> jose, you've been in the neighbhood for several years now and you're volunteering at the festival. you're in charge of one of the highlights of the festival which, of course, will be the music. tell us about that. >> actually i'll be in charge of the arts. >> artist alley where i allow the artists to do whatever they want. try to focus on what they have to offer. people can just see them in their hab tate, if you may, from a performance artist toin pai

or any sort of thing like that. gallery.us about your >> mie gallery is in adams morgan. the first time i did adams morgan day festival, it was awesome. when i found out the following year it g to be shut down, that's when we started to trying to find out how can we prevent this from heppening. then was an e-mail saying we're going to meet together, business owners, anybody that wants to participate. that's how i got involved in it. e opportunity came to offer a design, a logo, which is what i did.i ust jumped? . from there printing the t-shirts, whatever is needed. s> both you and you, joe, are neighborhood busin owners. i know you've lived in adams morgan. you have a vested interest in what's happening there in the community. re you the one in charge of music?

>> that's true, yes. in charge, there's certainly a great team in place like we've alluded to. like su said, people came together, residents and owners have come togher to offer their talents and expertise and ns. so i come from co-owning song birdusic house which is a live venue as well as record cafe as we call it. we sell vinyl records, all ings music related under one roof. we were in a position to really help tackle great music lineup for the day and for the past four years. so that's what we could offer and bring to the table to our neighborhood, just like other people are offering their talents and skills and really having it be a neighborhood-led event. >> michelle, that's what it is. you have many vendors. a lot come from the very place where the live and do business. >> we do encourage people from

the mmunity, the neighborhood, to participate as vendors, but the vendor program is open to people from the whole metro area. we like to showcase local artists, local crafts people, let them brng their wor and participate that way. there's other organizations and businesses that also come to the festival to participate. we emphasize the creative people of dc, trying to showcase that work and make that a reallar important of the day. >> d.c. is full of creative people and lots of interesting businesses. it's adams morgan's day here in washington. we'll continue talking about the festival rig

welcome back. it is adam's morgan day. for 40 years there's been a huge celebration, a festival of one

of washington's most popular neighborhoods. joe, have told me about two music.for the and then you've got a lot of bands. tell us about some of the musio stages got two main this year with outdoor music acts of different genres that represent d.c. but also adam's morgan today and adam's morgan past. i think all of the acts have a connection to adam's morgan in that they've played in some of our venues or done adam's morgan day before. the headliner on the columbia stage at 18th and columbia is legendary go go band trouble funk who happens to also be celebrating their 40th year. >> they go way back. >> they go way back. them andhe festival and, side note me, are also the same age. both young and old celebrating

world music but also up and coming hip-hop and indyrock. adam's morgan has always been that kind of place where there's all different types. >> michelle, there's another stage the library is sponsoring. >> d.c. must be lick library are partnering with american university to create a neighborhood hisry section of the festival in honor of the 40th anniversary. that will include an exhibit that's done related to neighborhood organizing. that will be presented on the humanities tru which is american university's new mobile exhibition, pub hctory platform. >> it's debuting. yes.ebuting, we'll have that exhibit but also next to that the library is sponsoring a performance area hat will have some music focused on the latino history of

the neighborhood but also storytelling, poetry, dance, drumming and also the curator of the smithsoni exhibit will be interviewing activists from the neighborhood who are ftured in the exhibit. that section is very focused on telling stories of adam's morgan that make it special. >> tell us more about artist alley. you've got several different artists who will haveheir kmikts on display. >> i wanted broad, different art an artist by the name of max glover will be there. he's involved with the up thooet down art showcase which just shut down. last yea he did a performance that everybody was all -- >> raving about. >> yes. basically he makes it te ctive. he'll paint a black and white painting. as he's painting he would get the crowd to partipate by throwing balloons filled with color paints.

it's an interaction going back and forth. right now he's involved with transformer gallery, but he said he'll do something for adam's morgan atday. more like a live performance. we have another artist, she's an oil painter, and from there we have another artist who is doing graffiti. >> mixing it up a little bit. >> leexactly. pean actually see different styles. >>f it's one the things that makes adam's morgan what it is. you mix it u there. i've lived in the area back in college on 16th street and in mt. plea pleasanton. adam's morgan is where i shopped and ate and hung out. how would you sayan it's d? the whole city has changed. but how has's ad morgan changed in recent decades. joe. >> adam'ss morgan the center of our world these days as well.

i've lived in d. krchltd for an time. adam's morgan for the better part of the last decade, i think it certainly changed. there's new influx of businesses. there's a newqu bou hotel that has opened in the neighborhood. there's a lot of new ,ener but at the same time there's great preservation of history in terms of old bgs and our architecture. i think a lot of things that people have done before u in terms of historic preservation, in ter n ofghborhood organizing and things that have preserved a lot about adam's rgan. i think it's one of those neighborhoods where the balance between those things perhaps is on good displ here in d.c., despite the fact that theseth gsism act all of us. >> gentrification has impacted nehborhoods around the city. some neighborhoods you don't even recognize where you are, what it wa back in the day. that's not necessarily the case in your neighborhood.

you have struck a balance ere. >> i think so, too. i agree with joe. i feel like -- you see condoen develo going up. now and then there are buildings that g torn dow that are a historic loss. but because of historic t preservatire are buildings that get maintained and because of tenant organizing in the past there are buildings that are still affordable. there's also non-profits in the community that help keep some buildings affordable to people. i think that helps maintai some he economic diversity of the neighborhood in a way that other neighborhoods aren't able to. that just makes it a more inclusive and vibrant place to live. >> it's going to be a vibrant festival. we'll tell you mor about it. adam's morgan day. when w

adams morgan day under way

at 12:00 noon in d.c. tere's lots that's goi take place for the adults and the children. joe, tell s us aboute of that. >> it's family friendly. like you said, all ages kind of event. at's what it is every day on adams morgan day. bars and a restaurant the businesses as well as stores be there swcasing themselves. i think lots of activities for kids a well at marie reid school and field. some of the stores and restaurants are offering discounts we're told. >> definitely. i know at songbyrd we'll be showcasing our great ferings. m positive that many of the other businesses will be as well. >> tell us about sf the fun the kids are going to have. you have the marie reid school and soccer field that will beip parting. >> that's right. we're lucky it's newly renovated and now it's. op

they were kind enough to use the space up at the school entrance and als down on their soccer field. they're going to be activated for family events. we were lucky to partner with volo city kids who have been organizing -- there will be games, soccer and life size jenga and all kinds of activities for ks on the soccer field. the marie reid re/teacher organization is going to have kids selling their own artwork in the other part of the s be f juggling, ald families. and the wyoming ag the other main stage down byd marie r earlier in the day will have children's music, like uncle devon's music show and breakns y part of that stage will definitely will gathered towards families and children >> going to really be jumping down ther >> josue you're in charge of

branng for the event. you're your best publicity ecause you're wearing the 40th anniversary t-shirt. >> yes. >> did you design that? >> yes. i did. it started three or four years ago when we had our first design. this year being the 40th, we wanted to give it a retro, oh madge feel to it wit a neon kind of look, something you'd see in vintage stores. that's what i was going for year. >> i love it. >> thank you. >> how much are the t-shirts? >> at the festival they're going to be $15. >> okay. we can buy them at the festival. the shopping at adams morgan has always been interesting. you hav a mix of vendors, they sell art, t-shirts musical instruments.

you've maintained a balance of some of the shops andars and restaurants that were there in the old days, 20, 30 years ago and then the ones that have moved in. talk about that mix. that part of what makes adams morgan so diverse and gives it the eclectic feel. it's such a >>mix. agree. i think adams morgan in some waysill always be known as a bar and restaurant destination which it is, and has lots of great bars and listaurants. i said, we do music and vinyl record retailing. >> i have quite a collection, by the way. >> do you? >> yes. i have lots of lps, but nothing to play them on. >> okay. let's talk. there's other recor sres in the neighborhood. there's idl time books, our neighbor to songbyrd which is a book store in the neighborhood for a long time. i know up on columbia road

there's other retail businesses ave moved in. i think it's a great day for people to come see what's the latet and greatn our neighborhood. i know michelle can talk more about the more pop-up vendors that are coming that day. that's a little bit about wha s ther24/7. >> you have like 100 vendors altogether, right? >> that's right. we've been able to expand the footprint of the festival from last year and also invite more people to participate through the vendor program. there's so mr. great artists in d.c. and people who make amazing things. a lot of it has sor of the d.c. theme. i think people are really proud of d.c. and being from here, w living are. so much of what people make that has some referce to d.c., things like posters and t-shirts d things like that. a lot of it -- almost all of it is hanade by artists. it's been really fun to -- there's a whole team of us that

take the applications and look at what people are making and figure out where to put people. it's so -es it m me really proud of d.c. the music is awesome, the people are creative. it's just a fun part ofeing part of this, getting to sort of see all that come through and ten get to present back to people who come. >> all right.or a lot of your is being done by volunteers. talk a little about that when we continuen our discuss about adams morgan day. stay with us. we'l

adams morgan day starts at noon ands rrough 6:00. josue, you're volunteering. i'mou assuming need more. >> of course, we can always use your help. just uhowearly. you can help out at the kid zone, family zo, lots of vendors. you can go from different

vendors back and forth. >>lhe festi itself is free, so no tickets. >> the festival is free. it's free, wide open. like i say, it's all help. we all help and put it together. >> everybody is putting their ha ss --ulders to the wheel rather. a couple of other highlights. the walking tour. tellths about , michelle. >> so theatino cultural organization that's part of the we ory collaborative that put together, they're going to offer two walk tours about the latino history of the neighborhood. so that's one interactive element that you can actuall participate in. and another one of those is a -- i'm going to call it a game but i don't know if that's the right word that smithsonian and putican university have together to help people interact with the exhibit that they're bringing. you'll text a certain number and get some really great content on your phone. by doing that you'll enter a

ralph to win fabulous prizes including adams morgan day t-shirts, personal trainer at l nt gym, other really c prizes donated by local businesses. >> that sounds like fun. >> i think it will be fun,yeah. >> sbcelebrities coming? local celebrities. one of the music highlights is troue funk. hello big tony. certainly conside him a celebrity. we have other great d.c. music. one of our treasured local brass bands, dupont brass. the all-female brazilian percussionist who i think everybody knows andloves. a young up and coming d.c. hip-hop artist bill young prince. and another musical t asure i would consider a celebrity who will be second headliner before trouble funk, if you don't know

about him, ce see him later today. it's going to be a good me. >> sounds like a fantastic time. >> again nks it starts to at the streets blocked off are? >> 18th street from columbia to wyoming, so a nice four to five blocks with the sges kind of anchoring them. >> all right. thank you joe ppan, michelle castro and josue. stop by our tent come down and say hello. to see any news 4 yr sunda program, logon to nbcwashington.com and search community. i'm pat lawson muse. thanks for joining us. see you

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