Last night, we went to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts to watch the fireworks on the National Mall through the mist and clouds.
The haze didn't damper the enthusiasm for the holiday or the party. Guests enjoyed cookout-style food with the sports-themed party, including fried chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, cole slaw and a clam bake with shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob.
The sports theme made the event family-friendly for the staff and patrons of the Kennedy Center. There were two basketball courts—between which '90s classic Space Jam was being played on the TV—a batting catch and fast-pitch and mini-golf, all on the center's terrace level. Here, musician James Gilbert-Schrag; his sister, Alex, a Kennedy Center employee; her colleague Matthew Winer; Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter; and her husband, Peter Ellefson.
As if the sports to be played and the food weren't enough, there was also face-painting and a caricature artist, cotton candy, nachos and popcorn. Here, federal workers Ivan Amir and Roman Kazban with office manager Penny Amir and software salesman Kamilo Amir.
Institutional Shareholder Services' Ed Apsey, Kennedy Center board member George Rose and Fairfax County Public Schools teacher Ian Dowling.
