Festival RoundupEven though the weather says different, it's spring here in Washington and three big festivals are blooming this weekend.
The 20th anniversary of UNIFEST, Washington, DC's premiere African-American cultural festival and parade, is on Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1. The parade will kick off in Southeast on Saturday at noon (rain or shine) from 30th Street and Alabama Avenue and will proceed down Good Hope Road to the festival site at M.L. King Jr. Avenue and W Street. The festival runs until 8 p.m. on both days. Take Metro to the Anacostia station.
The 11th Annual Celebrate Mount Pleasant Festival is on Sunday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mount Pleasant Street, between Irving Street and Park Road NW. Take Metro to the Columbia Heights stop.
Capital Pride 2003, a weeklong festival, kicks off this Sunday, June 1, at the Hard Rock Cafe with "Summertime," a show to benefit YouthAIDS, Capital Pride and the Whitman-Walker Clinic. It's hosted by Ethan Zohn of TV's "Survivor" and features performances by singer/songwriter Cal Ellis, modern rock band Practically Einstein, R&B/jazz group The Crossover Band, and hot DC Latin group The JCJ Band, with special appearances by Kenny Taos and Sanford Reece. The Hard Rock Cafe is at 10th and E Streets NW, and the show begins at 9 p.m. There is a $10 donation at the door.