Cultural Tourism DC

Cultural Tourism DC is an independent non-profit coalition of more than 230 culture, heritage, and community-based organizations. Cultural Tourism DC and its members develop, deliver, and celebrate experiences that are authentic to Washington for area residents and visitors. Members range in mission, size, and scope. From large institutions such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and U.S. National Arboretum to smaller ones such as Frederick Douglass House and Hillwood Museum and Gardens. Members represent heritage, cultural, and community organizations in the District in all eight wards.

Cultural Tourism DC envisions Washington, DC as a city of rich and diverse culture and DC heritage that generates civic pride and economic prosperity in neighborhoods across the entire city. Cultural Tourism DC programs strive to allow tourists to celebrate all aspects of Washington, moving them off the National Mall and into city neighborhoods, where they can experience authentic DC culture.

Programs

Cultural Tourism DC's signature program is the Neighborhood Heritage Trail. The Neighborhood Heritage Trails are the official walking trails of Washington, DC. This program chronicles the history of DC's unique communities through poster-sized street signs displaying text, maps, and historic photos. Combined with an accompanying free guidebook, each trail provides a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood. Once a neighborhood has expressed interest in having a trail, CTDC begins the process by convening neighborhood working groups to collect insights, oral histories, and historic photographs. The project serves as an exercise in community building and at its completion, becomes a great source of neighborhood pride.

Neighborhood Heritage Trails encourage residents and visitors in Washington, DC to explore local neighborhoods. Currently, there are eleven Heritage Trails with another two opening in 2011: Roads to Diversity: Adams Morgan Heritage Trail; Tour of Duty: Barracks Row Heritage Trail; Battleground to Community: Brightwood Heritage Trail; Cultural Convergence: Columbia Heights Heritage Trail; Civil War to Civil Rights: Downtown Heritage Trail ; A Self-Reliant People: Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail; City Within a City: Greater U Street Heritage Trail ; Village in the City: Mount Pleasant Heritage Trail; Midcity at the Crossroads: Shaw Heritage Trail; River Farms to Urban Towers: Southwest Heritage Trail; Top of the Town: Tenleytown Heritage Trail. In 2011, two new trails will be unveiled: Lift Every Voice: Georgia Ave./ Pleasant Plains Heritage Trail and Hub, Heart, Home: H Street, NE Neighborhood Heritage Trail.

Two of the Neighborhood Heritage Trails, downtown and U Street, offer accompanying audio tours, DC’s Audio Journeys are podcast walking tours. Visitors can download an audio tour to their personal mp3 player and listen as they walk along. The audio journeys bring history to life through original musical scores, guest narrators, and dramatic accounts of historic events.
African American Heritage Trail, Washington, DC is the city’s first official trail highlighting significant sites in black history. It is available as a free guide featuring notable locations arranged in 15 neighborhood walking and driving trails. The trail encourages both residents and visitors to appreciate the complexities of Washington’s African American history – its important moments as well as its intellectual, political, and cultural leaders. The online database provides information about each of the trail's more than 200 sites.

Passport DC is a celebration of international culture throughout the entire month of May. Passport DC invites participants to experience a global journey without leaving the city. Many of DC’s more than 187 embassies and international cultural centers open their doors to showcase their culture, art, music, dance and food. The event features street festivals, open houses, embassy events, special performances, and much more, Passport DC explores the international community that is a vital part of DC culture.

WalkingTown DC and BikingTown DC showcase Washington’s authentic character and rich history by featuring free, guided walking and biking tours of neighborhoods across the city. Tour topics range from history to architecture, to local development, and much more. In fall 2011, WalkingTown DC and BikingTown DC will expand to two consecutive weekends featuring more than 100 free walking and biking tours through all eight wards of the city.

The Embassy Chef Challenge is Cultural Tourism DC’s annual fundraising benefit featuring international tastings, awards, entertainment, and a world-class silent auction. Created in 2009, Cultural Tourism DC's Embassy Chef Challenge celebrates the talents of these artists with a friendly competition. Proceeds from the Embassy Chef Challenge support Cultural Tourism DC’s mission and programs. Past winners include Chef Nazha Kasraoui of the Embassy of Morocco (2009) and Chef Jan Van Haute of the Embassy of Belgium (2010).
Cultural Tourism DC opened the Greater U Street Visitors Center in February 2010. The visitor center serves as a front door to the U Street area, featuring maps, shopping and dining information, and other helpful information about the neighborhood. On the walls are historic photographs, quotations, and a timeline that highlights the major developments in the neighborhood and in the city.

Every week, Cultural Tourism DC publishes it’s Weekly Events Update, a free e-calendar publication of events that offers an overview of cultural events for the week.

References

[1] Washington Post, "Let Washington's History Be Your Guide"

[2] Downtown DC BID

External links

• Cultural Tourism DC [3]
• Cultural Tourism DC's Audio Journeys [4]