Union BBQ

U Street Music Hall was behind this all-day food and music festival in Union Square about a month ago– June 14th, to be exact– and though I was at first skeptical to fork over an entrance fee of $40, I must say the vibes were all good, baby. 

Backlit babes

Held at Dock 5 of Union Market, the warehouse setting lent the scene a sort of impromptu, DIY sensibility. Not to say that the festival was unorganized– on the contrary, the EDM lineup was impressive, with names like Jamie xx and Animal Collective, as well as DJs native to the DC scene. Admittedly, I'm not very schooled on local DJs nor EDM, but I did my fair share of open air festival dancing in between snapping portraits and tasting food from various DC restaurant vendors (I am obliged to mention here that there was VERY good reason for the anticipation and celebration of the pho hot dog). 

Who doesn't love a man in gingham?

Between the music, food, dancing, and diversity of fashion sense, what seemed most striking about the festival was the compilation of DC culture. This is a city where the artistic and eccentric often seem overshadowed by politics, neoclassicist architecture, yuppie networking happy hours, and rapidly increasing gentrification. But perhaps this is an illusion; perhaps it's just a matter of knowing where to look. 

The hair, oh! The hair! More of a crown, really. Notice the foodie accessories.

This is, after all, the hometown of Marvin Gaye and Duke Ellington, go-go and Minor Threat. Sometimes, I worry that gentrification is driving out the rich cultural history and limiting current culture. Or maybe that's just how I see it as a resident of Northern Virginia, where cookie-cutter ubiquity is a theme. I really do need to spend more time in the city. . .

But reflections aside, here are some more interesting faces of DC culture– enjoy.