Tomorrow, dozens of embassies will participate in the fourth annual Around the World Embassy Tour, presented by Cultural Tourism DC's Passport DC program. Embassies, usually closed off to the public, open for one day to host celebrations that highlight the food, art, and culture of each nation.
In all, 33 embassies are taking part between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M., but they're not all located in one cluster. Fortunately, Passport DC did the work for us and designed a tour complete with bus routes. A word of caution: Wear comfortable shoes. Admission is free, and with few exceptions, so is food. Predictably, it draws big crowds, so be prepared to wait in line. Read the embassy descriptions here to decide which ones to hit up.
Of the many celebrations, we're most excited for the one at the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Between 11:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M., the embassy will host a traditional coffee ceremony with lunch, then follow up with a cooking demonstration and Ethiopian coffee roasting at 2 P.M. An Ethiopian market will be open all day.
Other highlights: The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will serve papelón, a traditional refreshing sugar cane-based drink, the Embassy of the Argentine Republic will pour Argentine wine samples, and the Royal Thai Embassy will conduct a cooking demonstration.
