Mayor Bowser Kicks Off 202Creates, Celebrates DC’s Creative Community

(WASHINGTON, DC) – This evening, Mayor Bowser is kicking off the District’s second annual 202Creates, a month-long showcase of the District’s diverse and vibrant creative community. The kickoff celebration is taking place at Decades, the District’s new retro-themed nightclub. Throughout September, 202Creates will highlight the artists, makers, and entrepreneurs who contribute to Washington, DC’s creative economy.

“In Washington, DC, our creative economy not only supports the vibrancy of our neighborhoods, but also creates countless jobs, attracts incredible investment, and generates valuable revenue across all eight wards,” said Mayor Bowser. “Whether you are into music, food, fashion, or film, 202Creates truly has something for everyone.”

Home to 2,400 arts-related businesses, Washington, DC ranks first in creative businesses per capita, and the District’s creative economy generates more than 120,000 jobs, with 1,800 creative jobs added in just the last year. 202Creates, led by the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME) and the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, engages residents through events and activities that feature the various talents of the DC creative community from television, film, music, arts, dance, fashion, cosmetology, culinary, tech, and much more. Throughout the year, 202Creates promotes and amplifies Washington, DC’s creative economy through digital media marketing, original television programming, and paid performance opportunities for DC’s creatives. To date, 202Creates has supported more than 4,000 events.

This weekend, as part of 202Creates, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities will present the 2017 Labor Day Weekend Music Festival. Located at the Historic Lincoln Theater, the festival will feature local jazz, blues, rock, and pop artists. Artists include:

Additional 202Creates events include:

  • September 7: Hispanic Heritage Month Kick Off, Columbia Heights Civic Plaza, 5:30 pm – 7 pm
  • September 9: 202 Arts & Music Festival, a vibrant, family-friendly festival that celebrates DC through visual arts, performance art, and interactive cultural experiences, 4th and M Streets, SW Waterfront, Randal Field, SW, 9 am –  9 pm
  • September 14: 32nd Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards, the most prestigious honors conferred by the District on individual artists, teachers, and nonprofit organizations. For a list of finalists, go to dcarts.dc.gov. The Historic Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street, NW, 7 pm 
  • September 15-16: Red Bull Reign World Basketball Championship (Goodman League), 1230 Sumner Road, SE 
  • September 16: H Street Festival, one of the most anticipated and highly attended single day festivals in DC that features music of different genres, dance, an interactive children’s program, fashion, heritage arts, poetry, and more. H Street Main Street, 12 pm –  7 pm
  • September 18: Entrée DC, a half-day conference that aims to inspire, inform, and connect the food and drink industry to resources they need to thrive in the District of Columbia. Walter E Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW, 8 am –  12 pm
  • September 19: Launch of DC Radio, in partnership with WHUR-FM 96.3HD4, Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME), 1899 9th Street, NE, 6 pm – 8 pm
  • September 23-24: Art All Night: Made in DC, six participating neighborhoods have prepared an exciting lineup of visual and performing arts: Congress Heights, Dupont Circle, H Street, North Capitol, Shaw, Tenleytown, 7 pm – 3 am
  • September 30: Department of Parks and Recreation Rec Day, features live entertainment, children’s activities, jewelry making and fashion shows, sports activities, line dancing, and more. Randall Recreation Center, South Capitol and I Streets, SW, 11 am –  4 pm

Find a full list of all 202Creates events at 202Creates.com. Join the social conversation by using #acreativedc and #202Creates. 

Last updated: 7:07 PM EDT August 30, 2017