Calling all families to join in on the fun at the Explore! Children’s Festival located at The Modern at Art Place Fort Totten. On Saturday, August 13th, 20th, 27th and September 3rd, guests can enjoy free face painting, balloon twisting, magic shows, arts and crafts, sweet treats and snacks.
Each festival will also include live performances or demonstrations from local organizations and artists.
On Saturday, August 20th, guests enjoyed live music from The Uncle Devin Show, an interactive musical experience for children that uses percussion instruments to cultivate their minds – a dynamic cross between DC’s Trouble Funk and Schoolhouse Rock.
This coming Saturday, August 27th, guests can enjoy free face painting, balloon twisting, magic shows, arts and crafts, sweet treats and snacks.
Guests for the September 3rd event will be announced soon.
Each event is FREE to attend and has every kid’s dream activities for a fun-filled weekend
Hibiscus Medical, a primary care practice by Dr. Debralee Frederick, will be opening September 1, 2022, at Art Place at Fort Totten, located at 430 Galloway Street NE. Visit the website to learn more and schedule an appointment. See press release below.
Calling all families to join in on the fun at the Explore! Children’s Festival located at The Modern at Art Place Fort Totten. On Saturday, August 13th, 20th, 27th and September 3rd, guests can enjoy free face painting, balloon twisting, magic shows, arts and crafts, sweet treats and snacks.
Each festival will also include live performances or demonstrations from local organizations and artists.
This coming Saturday, August 20th, guests can enjoy live music from The Uncle Devin Show, an interactive musical experience for children that uses percussion instruments to cultivate their minds – a dynamic cross between DC’s Trouble Funk and Schoolhouse Rock.
Guests for the August 27th and September 3rd event will be announced soon.
Each event is FREE to attend and has every kid’s dream activities for a fun-filled weekend!
Explore! Children’s Festival August 13, 2022 1:00 pm-3:00 pm The Modern at Art Place 400 Galloway Street NE Free
Activities
The Cowboy Barry Petting Zoo
Ice cream & snacks
Snowcones
Magician
Face painter
Balloon twister
Kid crafty hour
Story time (2:30 pm-3:00 pm)
Glad to see Explore! Children’s Museum return with children’s festivals in the neighborhood. They are always a good time for families with children. This will be a 4-week series of festivals on August 13, August 20, August 27, and September 3.
New neighbors are moving into Riggs Park! On June 9, 2022, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon for Riggs Park Place, a new townhome community under construction by EYA on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. The project broke ground in October 2020. The first few homeowners started moving in a couple of weeks ago, including Jimmy and Nyanda Alexis who gave a shoutout to Black excellence and introduced Mayor Bowser to give remarks to mark the occasion.
As many know, this project is a bit personal for the mayor. The seeds for this project were planted many many years ago when Mayor Bowser lived in Riggs Park and represented the neighborhood as an ANC commissioner. So the mayor has seen the project evolve through lots of twists and turns from her time on the ANC, then as a councilmember representing Ward 4, and finally now as mayor. From reconfiguring the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road NE intersection to eliminate the fly-bys, selling and shoring up the land, working through several design concepts, dealing with assorted red tape, and securing financing for this project during a global pandemic, it has been a journey. During that time in all of those roles, the mayor worked hand in hand with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA). In his remarks, Aakash Thakkar, EYA Chief Acquisitions Officer, recognized the efforts of the LRCA in representing the community, particularly those whom I affectionately call the gang–Barbara Rogers, Gwen Cofield, former ANC 4B Commissioner Tischa Cockrell, and I.
Mayor Bowser also introduced the members of what she is calling a Black Homeownership Strike Force. DC Office of Planning Director Anita Cozart and Reverend Graylan Hagler (minister of Plymouth Congregational Church of Christ, which is just a few blocks away from Riggs Parks Place) are co-chairs. (Neighbors might also recognize in the pictures former neighbor Harrison Beacher, president of the Greater Capitol Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR), who was asked to be a member of the strike force). Mayor Bowser tasked the strike force with coming up with recommendations that can start to be implemented at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2022. Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who chairs the Council committee on business and economic development, also gave remarks.
The 90 townhomes comprise the first phase of the project. The second phase will consist of a little over 90 affordable rental units for seniors in a multifamily building with ground floor retail. Groundbreaking on the second phase is expected in 3rd quarter 2023.
I know lots of people have lots of thoughts about this project. I for one think that one of the better decisions JBG Smith made with respect to this neighborhood is changing course from initially wanting to build roughly another 250 apartments as a companion to Fort Totten Square to teaming up with EYA, a builder that is known for being relatively responsive to community input, to build this project. With prices originally starting in the mid-$500,000 range, it was no surprise (to me) that the homes quickly sold. I always say one nice thing that I like about Riggs Park is that it really is a neighborhood of socioeconomic diversity and for the most part it works well. I look forward to seeing retail options follow suit.
Glad to see the Fridays at Fort Totten concert series is back this summer after a pandemic hiatus. It is always a fun time. Bring a chair & enjoy live music.
Every Friday, meet us at the corner of Galloway Street and South Dakota Ave. NE from 6pm-8pm for amazing live music and delicious food from local food trucks!
Next Stop...Riggs Park 