City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
🦕 Why’s it called Capitalsaurus Court Road?
September 22, 2023
Oh hey, neighbor. Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown is turning 90! For its birthday, the classic restaurant plans to roll its menu prices back to 1933 from Oct. 2 - 5. So break out your half dollars; apparently the average price for a 32-oz. beer was 57 cents.
What's CITY Talking About?
Potential RFK Redevelopment
A Congressional committee approved a bill that would allow D.C. to redevelop the RFK stadium site as a mixed-use space, adding housing and retail. The new plan paves the way for D.C. to potentially lure the Commanders back to the city, but it still needs to pass in the full House and Senate. [City Cast DC 🎧]
Freeway Frenzy
The Federal Highway Administration is taking charge of a local project that D.C. has been dawdling on. The District Department of Transportation has been trying to renumber the Southeast/Southwest Freeway and 3rd Street Tunnel for three years. The signage discrepancy continually causes accidents (164 this year!), swerves, and confusion. [WTOP]
Modern Art for the Modern Age
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s modern and contemporary galleries reopen today with a new design to highlight the historic building and improve wall space. The new installations will highlight a more diverse collection of artists and subject matters. [City Cast DC 🎧]
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What To Do
🎭 DC Theater Week | Thursday - Oct 8 | Varies
Celebrate the launch of the D.C. theater season with dozens of shows at low prices, behind-the-scenes access, and community events. [Varies, city-wide]
🖼️ The Land Carries Our Ancestors | Friday | All Day
The National Gallery of Art is debuting its newest exhibit that brings together works by nearly 50 Native artists. [Free, National Mall]
📽️ DC Shorts International Film Fest | Friday - Sunday | Varies
This annual film fest has 138 films scheduled in different themed showcases, along with panels, award ceremonies, and director talks. [Varies, Dupont or Edgewood]
🍿 Latin American Film Fest | Friday - Oct 11 | Varies
This is one of North America's largest showcases of Latin American cinema, with new films from up-and-coming creators. [$15 per film, Silver Spring]
🐕 Celebrate Petworth | Saturday | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
This neighborhood festival has amazing artists and vendors, a dog show, and live musical performances. [Free, Petworth]
💃🏻 Fotos y Recuerdos Festival | Saturday | 11:30 - 3 p.m.
This Hispanic Heritage Month celebration has art, dancing, museum tours, and salsa and bomba workshops all at the National Portrait Gallery. [Free, Downtown]
🍻 Atlas Brew Works Celebration | Saturday | 12 - 5 p.m.
Celebrate the brewery’s 10th anniversary with $5 beer, a variety of food trucks, live music, and a dunk tank. [$20, Ivy City]
👖 Pre-Loved Baazar | Saturday | 12 - 3 p.m.
Shop vintage clothing, swap your old clothes, attend DIY workshops, and enjoy local music at this secondhand fest at Black Cat. [Free, 14th Street]
🍅 Hot Sauce Class | Saturday | 1 p.m.
Learn how to prepare salsa and fermented hot sauce using ingredients from WS Jenks' own rooftop garden and local farmers’ produce. [$20, Carver]
🎉 Fiesta DC Parade | Sunday | 1 - 4 p.m.
This annual Hispanic culture parade kicks off along Pennsylvania Ave NW, and it’s just one of the many ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the DMV. [Free, Downtown]
DC Insider Trivia
First, let’s answer last week’s question:
Gallaudet University in D.C. is credited with starting which national sports tradition?
- The Gatorade shower
- Shaking hands after the game
- Ceremonial first pitch in baseball
- The football huddle
Yes! As most of you guessed, it was the football huddle. In 1892, Paul Hubbard, who was the Gallaudet quarterback, didn’t want to risk the other team seeing him use sign language to explain the play, so he called for his offense to huddle up. It took about 30 years for other major universities to pick up on this tactic, but now it’s used in all sorts of sports all over the world.
Nice job to Maia J., Kristin Y., and Andrew T. for being the first three to guess correctly. Let’s see how you do on the next one.
One of the streets on Capitol Hill is called Capitalsaurus Court. Where does it get its strange name?
- Dinosaur bones were found there
- L’Enfant named it for his son who loved dinosaurs
- It is named after D.C.’s official dinosaur from the Official Dinosaur Designation Act of 1998
- It was named in honor of a famous visiting archeologist who stayed there
And by the way, this trivia episode of our podcast might help ya out. *Wink wink*
Today on City Cast
Liquor License Discrimination, New Metrobus Names, and Modern Art
Amanda Michelle Gomez from WAMU tells Michael and Julia about her reporting on liquor licenses and allegations of discrimination against Black businesses. Plus, they discuss a big renovation at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, and Metro’s scheme to rename bus lines — with your help.
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Correction: Yesterday's Fall Into Fall Non-Alc Party was $35, apologies for any inconvenience, and thanks to reader Austin R. for bringing it to our attention!
Later!
Kaela
Today’s newsletter was edited by Priyanka Tilve. News was written by Susannah Broun.
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