If you have ever wanted to immerse yourself in different cultures of the world without the jet lag, then get ready for Passport DC 2017.
From May 1-31, May, Cultural Tourism DC will be kicking off “Passport DC 2017,” a month-long celebration offering visitors the unique opportunity to take a journey around the world without leaving DC. In celebration of May’s International Cultural Awareness Month in Washington, Passport DC is offering 31 days of events from 70 embassies and 40 of DC’s cultural organizations, including embassy open houses, street festivals, performances, exhibitions, workshops and even an embassy chef battle. Perhaps the most vibrant of these events are the Around the World Embassy Tour (Saturday, May 6, 2017) and the EU Embassies Open House (Saturday, May 13, 2016) which allows participants to experience the food, art, dance, fashion, music, and demonstrations from over 40 embassies such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Barbados, Brazil, Mexico and Saudi Arabia on May 6 and another 28 EU countries on May 13. [caption id="attachment_1308" align="aligncenter" width="259"]
Korean Embassy located at 2450 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008[/caption]
In 2016, over 200,000 people participated in Passport DC's Around the World Event, and in the past visitors have been treated to alpaca petting, karate demonstrations, dance performances, sari wrapping lessons and henna demonstrations. For a double dose of cultural infusion, on May 13, the European Union Embassies will open their doors for the EU Embassies Open House, offering a rare look inside the 28 member countries such as Greece, Slovakia, Austria and the UK. You can enjoy fresh goulash at the embassy of Hungary, win a trip to Portugal from the Portugal Embassy or sample wine in Croatia from where the Zinfandel grape traces its roots. They even offer a downloadable brochure on their website EU Openhouse to make the best of your experience.
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Hungarian Embassy located at 3910 Shoemaker St NW, Washington, DC 20008[/caption]
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Embassy of Latvia located at 2306 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008[/caption]
One of the most interesting sights in DC is the scores of embassies noted by their country’s flags that line Massachusetts Avenue, a short walk from Dupont Circle, which can start with a visit to the Mahatma Gandhi statue in front of the Embassy of India. From there, you can take a bus or walk Mass Ave on your journey.
All embassies will be open from 10am to 4pm, unless otherwise noted on DC Cultural Tourism’s website at Cultural Tourism DC and no reservations are required. You won’t need a passport but you will need a government issued ID for admission to the embassies.
