Food Festivals

Time to get exotic! Ethiopian is a 'hands on' experience (but they also have forks just ask). Dinner menu: http://www.shebarockville.com/menus/dinner/ If you aren't familiar with Ethiopian food, try a sampler platter. SAMPLERS $15.95 BEEF SAMPLER Sheba Tibs, Tibs Wot, Minchet abish alicha, Gomen with side of house salad $15.95 BEEF/CHICKEN SAMPLER Tibs Wot, Doro Wot, Minchet abish Alicha, Gomen with side of house salad $15.95 CHICKEN SAMPLER Doro Be spinach, Doro Wot, Doro Minchet abish, Cabbage with side of house salad $13.95 VEGAN SAMPLER Bergeden, Key misir, beet Salad, Gomen, Ater Kik and Cabbage, served with side of house salad $14.95 VEGETARIAN SAMPLER Egg Wot, Key misir, Gomen, Cabbage, Ater Kik served with side of house salad All Aboard, Mates!

Hi everyone - apologies but I'm pushing the planned March 11 event back to April 8. I'm hoping a large group can make it out that night, so am upping the limit to 12. We had a wave of late cancellations for March and which isn't fair to Verre, they are giving up other business to accommodate us and the group got too small to be viable for them. Please only RSVP if you are fairly certain you can make it, as this late change of plans isn't fair to the group or the host restaurant, thanks. **EVENT STARTS AT 6PM. PLEASE BE PROMPT.** 🍷What is blind wine tasting?🍷 You use your sense of smell, sight, and taste to try to deduce which variety (grape) is in the glass. This group is very experience-diverse and we welcome both wine newbies and wine pros (and everyone in between). Verre will pour us two wine flights, one white and one red (3 of each, so a total of 6 wine samples) and we will discuss what we are tasting to try to solve the mystery together. After each flight is a big reveal where we find out just how right (or wrong!) we were. Diana will let us know the possible wines we are going on grid tonight. Please arrive at **6:00pm**. The white wine flight is served around 6:10 and the red flight around 6:50. The cost will be about $15 per flight, depending on what is poured for us. Food and other wine will be available for purchase as well. 🍷RSVPs: Verre has a limited amount of table space and is reserving much of that space for our group. Out of consideration to the business, the event hosts, and anyone on the wait list, **please edit your RSVP as soon as possible if your plans change** and you can no longer attend the event, **even if you are on the wait list**. 🍷Transportation: * METRO: Verre Wine Bar is walking distance from Courthouse metro. * CAR: Metered street parking and paid garage parking are available in the area. Hope to see you there! \~Pete Waitlisted Friends! \*PLEASE\* keep an eye on this page and your messages especially close to the day of the event. Thanks!

Since 1961, Amnesty International USA has fought to protect human rights as the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization. Our local group generally meets the second Wednesday of every month at the Cleveland Park Library. Each month, we do letter writing actions, discuss human rights issues in the news, and plan for hosting or participating in occasional events area events. For more information, email Mike Duffy at michaelbernardduffy@gmail.com.

To secure your spot, purchase your ticket from the Eventbrite link ([https://www.eventbrite.com/e/language-exchange-happy-hour-and-friending-tickets-718774623247](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/language-exchange-happy-hour-and-friending-tickets-718774623247)). RSVPing only on the Meetup Page doesn't allow you to attend the Event. ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE IS REQUIRED TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT. DUE TO COVID. ABOUT THE EVENT Let us speak Italian and grab a drink or two. All levels welcome! Ci vediamo!

To secure your spot, purchase your ticket from the Eventbrite link ([https://www.eventbrite.com/e/language-exchange-happy-hour-and-friending-tickets-568567208827](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/language-exchange-happy-hour-and-friending-tickets-568567208827)). RSVPing only on the Meetup Page doesn't allow you to attend the Event. ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE IS REQUIRED TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT. If the link doesn't work please Copy and Paste the Ticket link in Google to see it. ABOUT THE EVENT Let us speak Italian and grab a drink or two. All levels welcome! ***Ticket price includes House Wine/House Beer/Rail Drinks.*** Ci vediamo!

Come join us for bingo at Atlas Brew Works in Alexandria. It's free to play. Win prizes on every round, and the winner of the final round gets a $50 Atlas Brew Works gift card for your next visit! More information: https://atlasbrewworks.com/pages/events#calendar-c3cfc1a3-4344-434e-a1b2-fb876f819883 Parking: Wegmans has a parking garage (via the Stovall St entrance) and is next to Atlas Metro: Eisenhower Ave (yellow line)

**April’s event will give you a sneak peek of [FedGeoDay 2026](https://www.fedgeo.us/)!** GeoDC’s guest speakers for the evening will be members of the organizing team for **[FedGeoDay](https://www.fedgeo.us)**, a conference about how federal programs and stakeholders build, support and use geospatial open-source software, open data, open science and open mapping. **FedGeoDay 2026: *Building Ecosystems for Supporting Federal Data Stewardship*** Do you use US Census data, NASA satellite imagery or federal GIS tools? Curious how policy changes and AI innovation are shaping the way we think/talk about or solve problems with location and maps? **FedGeoDay 2026**, a conference on April 22–23 in the DC area, will answer these questions and more. **[FedGeoDay](https://www.fedgeo.us)** is the premier conference devoted to how federal programs and stakeholders cultivate and harness “open geospatial ecosystems.” Themed ***Building Ecosystems for Supporting Federal Data Stewardship***, FedGeoDay 2026 will feature more content than ever and more ways for attendees to engage and shape the dialogue. Organizing team members including **[Eddie Pickle](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddie-pickle-b67545)** from Snowflake will answer your questions and tell you more about the conference, including the hands-on workshops on day two and the first-ever FedGeoDay "unconference," which gives the power to shape the discussion back to the attendees in the spirit of open source. FedGeoDay's planning team also includes GeoDC's very own Chad Blevins and Puneet Kollipara. FedGeoDay is April 22–23 in Suitland, MD at the Census Bureau HQ, just off the Green Line. Check out the website for an at-a-glance view of the [program](https://www.fedgeo.us/program), keynoted by **[Denice Ross](https://www.fedgeo.us/denice-ross)** (former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, now at Federation of American Scientists). Get your **[early-bird tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fedgeoday-2026-tickets-1980250906769)** by this **Friday, 4/10**. **Agenda** * **6–7 pm:** Happy Hour / Networking \*Sudhouse has great HH specials! * **7–8:30 pm:** Announcements / Events /Jobs-Internships and FedGeoDay Preview Presentation Happy Spring, and we look forward to seeing you at Sudhouse DC! If you're interested in presenting for the May GeoDC event, we've got a few spaces remaining. Please complete an [interest form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10Yj1-BOBXHqtoepJNW2X1WRzmdMjvbBPB8F5fgu5Lhk).

Greeting Nerdizens! Let's hang out and celebrate the spring with the emergence of the cherry blossoms! Japan-America Society of Washington DC's Sakura Matsuri - Japanese Street Festival is the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the United States and this year is their 64th anniversary. There will be live music and dance performances, food, vendors, cosplayers, and a large art and culture area. The event takes place over two days (April 11th and 12th) but this meetup is just for Sunday. It's being held between 7th St NW & 3rd St, Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004. The nearest metro train stops are Archives-Navy Memorial (Green/Yellow line) and south of Judiciary Square (Red line). There's additional information on the website below Right now, tickets are $20 until April 10th. They can be purchased at https://sakuramatsuri.org/ This is a large festival with plenty to do so if you want to venture off to view a particular performance or hangout elsewhere then feel free to explore. This meetup is open-ended so anyone can come and go as you please. I plan to arrive at Archives metro by 11:30am and will wait there until 12 which is when I/we will proceed to enter the festival. If you plan to arrive after 12 then make sure to comment and I will let you know where we are. Hope to see some of you then!

It's Asian festival season!!! This year, there seem to be more than ever, and it gets a little difficult to choose sometimes, but we decided to visit one of the free entry ones in Annandale that we think is sure to have some good street eats. [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588648847995](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588648847995) The event is held in the Eileen Garnett Civic Space area at 7200 Columbia Pike from 3 to 9 PM, though we'll likely only be there the first couple of hours. For the March event, guests were able to park in either the United Baptist Church lot, the Annandale Post Office lot, or the lot at 7203 Columbia Pike, but watch for signage or other announcements from their Facebook page if you want to see specifics about parking for April's event. If you're there more or less at 3 PM, we'll try to post up near the entrance for a little while. If you come a little late, you'll have to rely on message boards to communicate with us. The venue isn't very large, so we shouldn't be too difficult to locate for those who persist. Pro tip: Bring cash just in case any vendor doesn't take electronic forms of payment for any reason. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- If you have Instagram, you can check out our account at asiandiningandadventuregroup for photos and announcements of group outings!

The Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival is the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the United States. The matsuri boasts four stages of performances (including J-pop, traditional Japanese music and martial arts), alongside hundreds of cultural exhibitors and vendors with Japanese products and food! Click here for more information: [http://www.sakuramatsuri.org/](https://sakuramatsuri.org/) Tickets are $21.20. Click here to purchase: [https://sakuramatsuri.festivalpro.com/form/GjuVsDBdTjUqKJmkncda/0](https://sakuramatsuri.festivalpro.com/form/GjuVsDBdTjUqKJmkncda/0) **Please Note:** We are not the organizers of the festival. Geek Nite Out is a Meetup group that is attending the festival. **--MEETUP INFORMATION--** **MEETING:** We will start to gather outside the entrance at Pennsylvania Ave and 7th St. at 10:15 am. I will be wearing a Geek cap. We'll head into the festival when it opens. Don't worry if you miss us when we're outside the festival. Just message us on Discord when you arrive, and I will post our location along with a what3words link. Learn more about what3words: [https://youtu.be/DLG6WFx3XHQ?si=dRjkpGBNWkIBA1f5](https://youtu.be/DLG6WFx3XHQ?si=dRjkpGBNWkIBA1f5) A #sakuramatsuri channel will be created on the GNO Discord server on the day of the event. It's to be used to help everyone communicate and find the group. Don't post spoilers until after the event. You can join the Discord server here: [https://discord.gg/d4e9MKScVP](https://discord.gg/d4e9MKScVP)[ ](https://discord.gg/d4e9MKScVP)(link should be permanent. Please let me know if it stops working) **METRO:** The Street Festival is next to the Archives Metro Station, along the Green and Yellow Lines.

This dance is in the Great Hall at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Pre-register at [https://www.fsgw.org/event-6549572](https://www.fsgw.org/event-6549572?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBEybHhPdGd4SGJ1Nm41MnBmeXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6VplCnKv-afdDkec5r-gmzFUXFIvcFE9MPqB653YDUNlkzcDxvIfp7-3luvg_aem_TPblrNKBE9VOk0_sOJoZYQ) or register at the door *Please note: There is no longer free parking at the Civic Center Parking Garage* Caller: Gabe Popkin Band: Sarah Collins, Marty Frye, and David McKindley-Ward Calling Terms: Larks and Robins Lesson at 7:00pm, Dance is from 7:30pm to 10:00pm Covid Precautions: Masks and vaccinations encouraged but not required

***Let's join together for a fiesta!*** (Invite friends - we have lots of room!) * Taco Bar * Margarita and Beer tasting * Complementary chips and salsa * Margs/cocktails at the bar for purchase * Freshly prepared snacks in the deli for purchase * Festive Band/Music **Margaritas/Mexican Beer Tasting + Taco Bar: *$15.00 per person (covers 4 Margarita or beer samples and one pass thru the Taco Bar)*** **Where:** [#MarketDistrict](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/marketdistrict?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXglupYTNnuPXhU3gU2DI9GInOg8OWWSvEJTry0VDGnMwh3tC6LxAkyc13s7j-hzoCa7zpemBLJbwdOAIfL-4l-h-eX3x7UFBl6CgHm1ijsL9C9hR_jWvIa_CNOjxBCQzMpVcaRfKr1LrRukr4nY0KHoqN2w3gXLadSqHBf6hPcBx13ltDk2suI8GhnjfjDOUs&__tn__=*NK-R) (*Grandview Yard*) location. The party room (our private space) will be decorated with both patios open! Adjoining upstairs area also open for over flow and mingling. **After Party:** Sometimes, we head to a venue to hear live music afterwards. LDNL is at Black Swan in Hilliard tonight! Wear your bright colors and cheerful !Salud!

Dinner and dancing

Let’s try this popular Italian restaurant in Reynoldsburg. This is the menu: https://scaliristorante.com/#4e468054-0235-43e2-81c2-44e061341e9e

Join us for pizza and conversation at Vick’s Gourmet Pizza! 🍕 Good slices, good stories, and plenty of laughs around the table. Come hungry, bring your best conversation, and let’s enjoy a relaxed evening with great company. Extra cheese and extra chatter encouraged! 😄

***LOVE SOUP?*** Souper Heroes is back! Folks donate homemade soups and we get to sample and vote on our favorite! Now, put a donation in the collection (or Venmo). Suggested donation to local food pantry: $5+ (depending on how many samples you enjoy) ### April 23: “Spring Fling” As spring starts to bloom, Souper Heroes will embrace fresh, vibrant flavors with the “Spring Fling” event in April. This is your chance to dive into the season with soups that are as colorful and lively as spring itself. Bold ingredients, bright flavors, and a touch of creativity will make this event the perfect celebration of renewal and growth. ### How It Works **Soup Makers:** Bring your A-game (and your pre-heated slow cooker) filled with your best soup. You’ll be serving samples to attendees who are ready to fall in love with your creation. Registration is open now! **Soup Eaters:** For a small donation (cash or Venmo), you can taste up to 15 soups and vote for your favorite in the People’s Choice Award. The host location will supply all the essentials: extension cords, soup cups, spoons, napkins, and even cup carriers. *Plus, bread and beverages will be on hand to round out the experience.* [Seventh Son](https://www.seventhsonbrewing.com/) brings delicious beer to the city and state that we love—Columbus, Ohio—and offers a unique taproom space to enjoy with our friends and neighbors. Food trucks, live plants, good music, excellent people, award-winning beers, and cocktails.