The May 8 Smithsonian at 8 event was billed as a chance to “raise a toast to D.C.’s unique local flavor and home-town pride. ” The event included after-hours exhibit access and a digital scavenger hunt. And beer.
It’s 8 o’clock on a Friday – and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s home in the Carnegie Library is buzzing, the evening well on its way to hosting several hundred in-the-know culture-and-beer-seeking revelers. On May 8, in partnership with the Smithsonian Associates, the Historical Society hosted the Smithsonian at 8’s Toast to D.C., a “party that salutes its distinctive collection of neighborhoods—and the newest generation of brewers and distillers to make the city their home.”
The event included after-hours exhibit access and a digital scavenger hunt. And have we mentioned the beer? And oysters? Party-goers hunted for clues throughout the the Historical Society’s new exhibit, “For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C.,” as well as in the permanent exhibit and two pop-up displays. Proving that the ’80s and ’90s are now officially historic, history sleuths claimed their prizes – throwback slap bracelets – in the Kiplinger Research Library.
If you missed the May 8th event, you’re in luck, as least as far as the history part goes; the beer and oysters are long gone. The “A Toast to D.C.” digital scavenger hunt is still live and the clues accessible Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm – but only through May 22nd. That’s when the pop-up displays that contain some of the clues will change in anticipation of the Historical Society’s next big celebration: the 121st Anniversary Party and Visionary Historian Award. Tickets are on sale for that event now!
Where everybody knows your neighborhood: Local pride was on display everywhere, even down to the name tags.With tastings in hand from local brewers such as DC Brau, attendees took in the Historical Society’s two exhibits, which explore the evolution, destruction and depictions of the city’s built environment.Entertainment also included a photobooth …… music by DJ As-One …… an Adams Morgan-to-Woodridge neighborhood-focused letterpress demo …
… and a flash mob dance (here, a small corps of dancers practiced in secret before the event began).The Smithsonian at 8 partnership allowed the Historical Society to open the exhibits after hours and expose a new audience to its collections and mission. The division is, “inspired by the world of the Smithsonian, the Smithsonian at 8 event series offers one-of-a-kind experiences for guests 21+. “The Historical Society’s step & repeat was in demand, just outside the “For the Record” exhibit.The digital scavenger hunt, designed by Historical Society staff, brought participants through both exhibits and two pop-up displays, including this presentation on prohibition and local beers.Clues could be found throughout the works on display, with additional information found in the exhibit catalog.History sleuths claimed their prizes in the Kiplinger Research Library.
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