Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, established the People's Garden on the site of a former parking lot outside the Department of Agriculture in 2009. The garden is maintained by volunteers from the Department. All of the produce grown in the…

Since 1979, the National Symphony Orchestra has played a concert, called "A Capitol Fourth," on the west front of the Capitol, facing the National Mall. Fireworks are also launched from near the Washington Monument. This article describes the 1993…

John Philip Sousa wrote this march in 1883 for the unveiling of the statue of Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, on April 19, 1883. At that event, the piece was played by the Marine Band, directed by Sousa. The sheet music…

Since 1979, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has performed on the west front of the Capitol on the fourth of July. The concert is aired by PBS stations as "A Capitol Fourth" and features musicians and vocalists as well as the NSO and the Marine…

This article from the Washington Post describes the first season of concerts at the Watergate steps near the Lincoln Memorial. Performances were generally classical music, both orchestral and featuring singers. Performers were on a specially…

On Easter Sunday, 1939, celebrated African American opera singer Marian Anderson gave a free concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She had been denied the opportunity to sing at the Daughters of the American Revolution concert hall because of…

The Smithsonian Institution celebrated its 150th birthday in 1996 with special exhibits and multi-day celebration on the Mall. There were multiple stages set up, with daytime performances from a wide variety of performers. On August 10 there was a…

Washington, DC, is home to a number of softball leagues, most of which make use of the fields on the Mall. All of the fields are managed by the National Park Service and some are first come, first served. The six fields on the Washington Monument…

Some baseball clubs in the 1860s exchanged ribbons printed with their team names just before a game. Some players collected the ribbons on their uniforms, displaying all the teams they had faced. These ribbons are from the Washington Nationals and…

Washington residents often use the Mall as a place to play sports. This game of football in 1971 was organized enough that everyone brought helmets, but still fairly informal. They were playing on the Ellipse, which was home to four baseball diamonds…