Event Descriptions
(Schedule and artists subject to change without notice.)


Opening Parade
The parade features a marching band, the Wong Chinese lion dancers, Bond Street Theater's Shinbone Alley Stilt Band , costumed characters and more , beginning near the Hall of Nations entrance and progressing over the Center's newly constructed Main Plaza.

Edwin Fontánez’s Washington Chalk Festival ARTIST WEBSITE
Back by popular demand! Watch Washington-area artists sketch colorful creations, then have the opportunity to create your own sidewalk masterpiece.

The Crowtations ARTIST WEBSITE
These four high-flying, smooth-sounding, soul-singing puppets delight audiences of all ages with their performances of doo-wop, rap, and Motown songs.

Casper and the Mighty 602 Band ARTIST WEBSITE
Young Hopi singer Casper Lomayesva combines his native roots with the positive vibes of reggae music, offering music filled with hope and power.

Del Castillo ARTIST WEBSITE
Named Best Independent Group of the Year by the ASCAP Latin Music Awards, this high-energy rock band from Austin, Texas, combines "old-school Gitano with flailing nuevo flamenco flourishes, conjuring images of Eddie Van Halen and early Santana, with an assist from the Gipsy Kings" ( Rolling Stone Magazine).

National Symphony Orchestra ARTIST WEBSITE
Hear the nation's orchestra in an impassioned performance of classic works, conducted by NSO Associate Conductor Emil de Cou.

U.S. Army Ceremonial Band ARTIST WEBSITE
Founded in 1922, the band has become the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army. Throughout the years, members from this highly regarded ensemble have played in the nation's capital and even on the battlefields of World War II.

Doc Scantlin and His Imperial Palms Orchestra ARTIST WEBSITE
Hailed as "the world's best band" by Forbes Magazine, this big band extravaganza will have everyone on their feet with a program ranging from the speakeasy classics of the 1920s to the swinging era of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller.

Yellow Bird Indian Dancers ARTIST WEBSITE
The Yellow Bird Indian Dancers' authentic Apache, Southwest, and Northern Plains dances maintain the essence of American Indian culture in a wonderfully entertaining and educational program for all audiences.

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet ARTIST WEBSITE
The Kennedy Center's own "brilliant" (The New York Times) ballet company presents excerpts and chamber works from its repertoire of ballets by the great George Balanchine.

Dave Liebman Group ARTIST WEBSITE
Grammy(r)-nominated jazz musician Dave Liebman "is one of the most important saxophonists in contemporary music" (Down Beat Magazine) and has performed with such artists as Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, and Chick Corea.

Neo Camerata ARTIST WEBSITE
Creating a sound the group calls "new classical," Neo Camerata infuses the soul and emotion of classical music with the high-energy sound of pop music. 

Garry Krinsky’s “Toying with Science” ARTIST WEBSITE
Through a combination of original music, mime, circus art, and more, Garry Krinsky and his audience investigate basic scientific facts and delve into the imaginations of scientists who explore our world.

Cochise Anderson ARTIST WEBSITE
With the release of his debut album The Kemosabe Therapy, Cochise presents spoken word, storytelling, performance art, and music. Originally from the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations in Oklahoma, Cochise blends his heritage with contemporary influences.  

The Satin Doll Trio ARTIST WEBSITE
This elegant jazz ensemble has been praised by the Washington Times for playing jazz "smooth as silk." Vocalist Patrice Ferris, bassist Fred Ferris, and guitarist Ken Kilpatrick present an intimate concert in the "supper club" jazz style of the 1950s.

NSO Instrument “Petting Zoo” ARTIST WEBSITE
Hands-on musical fun for children of all ages is a festival favorite and a project of the Women's Committee of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Wong Chinese Lion Dancers ARTIST WEBSITE
Offering a marvelous sneak peek into the Kennedy Center's upcoming Festival of China , this D.C.-area company has dazzled audiences with traditional Southern Chinese Lion Dancing for more than 20 years.

Last Train Home ARTIST WEBSITE
D.C.'s very own roots rock troupe and a Kennedy Center favorite fronted by Eric Brace, the ten-member group blends Appalachian folk and bluegrass with honky-tonk and pop flare. Accompanied by piano, dobro, pedal steel guitar, and fiddle, this group leaves “country fans with something worth hearing again and again” ( The Washington Post ).

Brad Waller's Renaissance Swordplay ARTIST WEBSITE
Combing history and swordplay, Helen Hayes Award nominee Brad Waller ( Richard III ) , who is also a faculty member at the Shakespeare Theatre's Academy for Classical Acting, presents an intricate and graceful display of sword fighting from the 16th century.

Harlem Gospel Choir ARTIST WEBSITE
Traveling the world spreading a musical message of joy, faith, and hope, this choir is composed of the finest performers from African-American various churches in Harlem, New York. The choir has accompanied such notable artists as Bono and Diana Ross and performed for the late John Paul II.

Oktbrwld ARTIST WEBSITE
Founded by guitarist-songwriter Elnathan K. Starnes, this captivating group fuses a style of alternative rhythms with soulful R&B, making them “one of the best all-around bands in Washington” ( The Washington Post ). Staying true to the early sound of music before ‘electronica,' the group has opened for Kimberley Locke and former President Bill Clinton.

Rumba Club ARTIST WEBSITE
Hailing from the East Coast, Rumba Club merges jazz music and instrumental Latin dance beats with the inventive sounds of congas, timbales, trap drums, and bongos for a highly stylized rhythm all its own.

Washington Savoyards ARTIST WEBSITE
The area's premier Gilbert and Sullivan light opera company presents scenes from The Mikado . C loaked in the guise of a Japanese musical drama, The Mikado is really a spoof of Victorian English society.

Natalie Douglas ARTIST WEBSITE
With a mix of jazz, blues, standards, and contemporary country, Natalie Douglas was named the 2005 Outstanding Female Vocalist by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs.

Elizabethan Court Music
Mezzo-soprano Barbara Hollinshead and lutenist Howard Bass present lute songs and solos from Elizabethan England.
Sean Grissom, Cajun Cellist
From both Julliard and the subways of New York, Sean Grissom is a n internationally sought-after cellist and music educator whose various recordings showcase both his pop-infused classical solos as well as his hard-driving Cajun style.

Washington Improv Theatre ARTIST WEBSITE
Founded in 1986, WIT is a professional theater collective with three ensembles performing regularly in D.C. as well as national festivals. Shows like their signature freeform performance Big Bang , the Neutrino Video Project , and the holiday production Seasonal Disorder have solidified the theater's national reputation.

Elizabethan Court Dancing presented by Choregraphie Antique ARTIST WEBSITE
Comprised of students, alumni and friends of Goucher College Dance Department, Choregraphie Antique reconstructs popular dances from the past, including Renaissance branles, pavanes and balli.

Washington National Opera ARTIST WEBSITE
Members of the company perform excerpts from its upcoming production of Giuseppe Verdi's I Vespri Siciliani .

The Doug McKelway Band ARTIST WEBSITE
This quintet, which blends the sounds of guitar, mandolin, banjo, and vocal harmonies, is led by the banjo playing, bluegrass-loving ABC Channel 7 news anchor.

Choral Arts Society of Washington's "The Choral Quartet" ARTIST WEBSITE
In this interactive workshop, the artsACCESS quartet—made up of Lizbeth Flood (alto), Susan Manola (soprano), David Caleb (tenor), and Charles Cerf (bass)—introduces choral music to young children.

NSO Youth Fellows ARTIST WEBSITE
Members of the NSO Youth Fellowship Program present a recital of classical music.

NSO Chamber Ensemble ARTIST WEBSITE
Members of the NSO present works by Mozart in celebration of the 250 th anniversary of the composer's birth. The program will include the Quintet in A major for Clarinet and Strings, K. 581.

The Unlikely Trio ARTIST WEBSITE
The Unlikely Trio, featuring NSO musicians Carole Bean (flute), Dotian Levalier (harp), and William Wielgus (oboe), presents a program about melody, one of their most popular music programs for small children. Recommended for children ages 4 and up.

NSO Kinderkonzerts ARTIST WEBSITE
NSO members Glenn Donnellan (violin) and Richard Barber (bass) present a delightful program for children of all ages.

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery ARTIST WEBSITE
Gallery representatives teach children and their adult companions how to make Monkey King puppets based on the widely popular Chinese novel The Pilgrimage to the West.

Folger Shakespeare Library ARTIST WEBSITE
Library representatives engage children of all ages in Shakespeare acting games. Children will have the chance to act out monologues and scenes from Shakespeare's most beloved plays.