Plan Your Visit to the 2016 Anacostia River Festival

Date: April 4, 2016
Contact: Emily Linroth, National Park Service, 202.619.7156
Contact: Shahara Anderson-Davis, 11th Street Bridge Park, 202.889.5901 x207
Contact: Nora Strumpf, National Cherry Blossom Festival, 202.638.8374

Celebrating the Anacostia River, Anacostia Park and the National Park Service's 2016 Centennial

The National Park Service and the 11^th Street Bridge Park present the second annual Anacostia River Festival, a premier event and official closing program of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year's Anacostia River Festival celebrates "connecting people to parks" in recognition of the National Park Service's Centennial celebration.

Anacostia River Festival
When: Sunday, April 17, 2016; 1 p.m. –5 p.m.
Where: Anacostia Park, National Park Service. Good Hope Road and Anacostia Drive SE
Who: FREE and open to the public.
For more information and to sign-up for event updates visit: bridgepark.org/ARF

What's Happening

In the Park & On the River

The festival will feature art exhibitions, live music performances and hands-on activities. Visitors can participate in river-themed arts and crafts, fishing workshops, a community bicycle parade (bring your helmet!), free canoeing and other unique family-friendly activities engaging residents and tourists alike with D.C.'s Anacostia River, its history and ecology.Washington Performing Arts' Mars Urban Arts Initiative will organize this year's performances featuring acts like the National Hand Dance Association, U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band and Go-Go Symphony.

*Please note there is limited space for canoeing and rowing, which are first-come, first-served.

In Historic Anacostia

In addition to activities in Anacostia Park and on the river, check out live performances, art exhibitions, studio tours and grab delicious food at the Anacostia Arts Center, Honfleur Gallery and Kraft Studio in historic Anacostia (1231-1241 Good Hope Road SE) presented by the Anacostia BID and ARCH Development Corporation.

In Capitol Hill/Navy Yard

We encourage visitors to explore activities west of the river as well! During the festival guests will be able visit the Cold War Museum at the U.S. Navy Yard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Enter from the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Access from 11^th Street SE) and take a free boat cruise with the Historic Anacostia Boat Association from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Power Boat Club - 1301 Water Street SE).

Getting There

Metro

Anacostia Station (green line). Exit toward the parking garage to walk to the festival (approximately 7 minutes). A free shuttle is available from both Anacostia Metro (at the Howard Rd exit) and Eastern Market Metro (orange/blue/silver lines) to the festival.

Bike Access

Free bike valet available in Anacostia Park.

Parking 

Free parking courtesy of Corporate Office Properties Trust is available at Maritime Plaza (1201 M St SE) and paid parking is available at Anacostia Metro Station (1101 Howard Road SE). It is a 15-minute walk across the river from Maritime Plaza to the festival or a free shuttle is available to historic Anacostia.

If you park at the Anacostia Metro parking garage, please consider taking the short walk to the festival (approximately 7 minutes) or a free shuttle is available from the Anacostia Metro Station near the Howard Road exit to historic Anacostia.

What to Bring

Water bottle filling stations will be provided, but visitors should bring a reusable water bottle. Food for purchase is available at the Anacostia River Festival and in Historic Anacostia, but feel free to bring a picnic lunch or snacks. Don't forget your blanket, as chairs will not be provided in the viewing area for performances. Dogs on leash are allowed in Anacostia Park and owners are responsible for picking up waste. Participants in the 3 p.m. bicycle parade should begin lining up at 2:30 p.m. at the Bike Valet and need to bring their own bike and helmet.

What Not to Bring

No alcohol is allowed in Anacostia Park. Please refrain from bringing large objects like lawn chairs or tables.

The Anacostia River Festival is presented by the National Park Service and the 11^th Street Bridge Park in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Funds for the Anacostia River Festival are provided in part by Bloomberg. Other supporters include Zipcar, Forest City Washington, Pendragwn, City First Bank of DC, LISC DC, MRP Realty, The JBG Companies, Western Development Corporation and National Capital Bank.

About the National Park Service

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 410 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us atwww.nps.gov, on Facebookwww.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitterwww.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTubewww.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

The National Park Service is working to make Anacostia Park a signature urban park that improves people's lives and protects the quality and resiliency of the Anacostia River ecosystem. The park provides inspirational natural spaces easily accessible to area residents and visitors and offers a wide range of recreational and educational opportunities. To learn more about Anacostia Park visit www.nps.gov/anac.

About the 11^th Street Bridge Park, a project of Building Bridges Across the River at THEARC

As the old 11^th Street traffic bridges that connect Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Hill and historic Anacostia neighborhoods have aged out, a local non-profit Building Bridges Across the River at THEARC –and the District government are transforming this old infrastructure into the city's first elevated park: a new venue for healthy recreation, environmental education and the arts.

The 11^th Street Bridge Park will be a place unlike any other in Washington, D.C. –one that supports the community's physical, environmental, cultural and economic health. After a seven-month design competition informed by more than 500 community meetings, the design team of OMA+OLIN was selected in October 2014. With the design in place, Bridge Park staff has launched a capital campaign to construct this new civic space, securing more than $10 million to date. For more information and to see the OMA+OLIN renderings, visit www.bridgepark.org.

The Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) is a $27 million, 110,000 square-foot campus located east of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.'s Ward 8. The mission of THEARC is to improve the quality of life for residents of Washington, D.C.'s East of the River community, a key goal of the future 11^th Street Bridge Park.

About the National Cherry Blossom Festival

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is the nation's greatest springtime celebration. The 2016 Festival, March 20 –April 17, includes three spectacular weeks and four weekends of events featuring diverse and creative programming promoting traditional and contemporary arts and culture, natural beauty, and community spirit. Visit nationalcherryblossomfestival.org for more information, and find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.