Today on CityCast DC, we are so excited to celebrate our one-year anniversary with you all
here at this taping at Sunnies Pizza!
And with humidity finally ebbing, we are eagerly looking forward to fall festivities.
There are a lot of fall fares in this area with pumpkin picking and hay rides and dressing
up and getting scared.
And nobody does that better than Chelsea Ceruzzo.
My political colleague, she knows these fares well.
She is here to help us break down which ones are worth your time.
Today is Monday, September 25th.
I'm Michael Schaefer.
And I'm Rachel Todd.
And this is CityCast DC.
Okay, well, how many of y'all have gone to any of the fall fares that DC has to offer?
Or the area has to offer?
Yes, some, some.
Chelsea, in addition to being a political health reporter, you're also a fall fares.
What would you call it?
Like, experts?
Sure.
I love fall.
Like, my wardrobe is full.
Like, I just, everything about fall is great to me.
It's not as hot.
Yeah.
All of my favorite season in DC.
We've had a long conversation about this.
Cycle tap!
His favorite season is summer.
Yeah, no.
No.
It's what separates the true Washingtonians from the Arabists.
I am not a true Washingtonian then.
That's how I grave.
Is fall your favorite season in DC?
Yes, absolutely.
It's so nice.
What's your second favorite?
Spring.
That's my least favorite.
Winter?
All right.
I like summer.
It's just hot.
I'm hot.
I'm over it.
I'm hot.
The thing that's fun about fall for me in DC is, I feel like people are more like contemplative
on the streets.
Like, everyone's, the second that a chill hits the air in DC, everybody's busting out
their good pea coat.
They've been waiting to wear.
And they're doing the scarf on the outside of the coat, you know, and like walking around
like an out-of-work theater critic or something like just pontificating.
I love it.
So you made this point when we did a whole episode about this, which you can still hear in
our archives.
But you made this point that's actually stuck with me and I think it was a really good
one, which is like, if you're in like, you know, Minnesota or Chicago or something, spring
is this amazing thing because it's been miserable for so long and everyone, suddenly everyone
can be outside.
And it, for you, fall in Washington is like that, that after months of like enforced being
inside and air conditioning, all of a sudden you can, you can break out the pea coat.
Yes.
Okay.
So let's talk about some of our favorite fall festivals, generally.
So one big category here is Renaissance fares and history-based events.
Chelsea, is this something that you know a little something about?
Yes.
I love the Renaissance fares.
I think it's so fun.
It's very nerdy.
If you like D&D, these are your people, all right?
And you can go to Maryland.
It's so fun.
You should go.
I would say I did creep on your Twitter and I'll make sure you finned at the Renaissance
fares and you looked amazing.
Yes.
Thank you.
Oh my god.
I love it.
I work on my outfit.
Like, I don't want to say all year, but-
What's your outfit?
Well, it changes.
Okay.
It's Renaissance fares, but I would say people dress like medieval, but or like fantasy,
I don't know.
That's anachronistic.
Well.
It's not the anachronism fares.
Wow.
It's anachronism fares.
To be fair, I feel like the point, how do I say this?
I feel like the point is to look hot, but medieval.
You know?
Right.
Why?
Are you all out there going to rent fares?
I'm getting a lot of like, Renaissance.
Look at God.
Love.
Looking hot, but medieval, is this the-
Yeah.
Yes.
Thank you.
I gotta get you a foot.
But why don't they call it the medieval fares?
I don't know.
I don't think it sounds so good.
Like, who wants to go to the medieval fares?
Like, you know.
Renaissance fares.
So I learned this from Prianka, who told me this earlier, you could actually get married
at the Renaissance Fair, but it is like a hot ticket.
So if you want to get married at the Renfair, you have to have like, put in your ass,
you know, months prior, because it sells out, because it's such a hot ticket for weddings.
Oh my God.
My fiancees over there looking at me like, maybe.
Do they have like, Renaissance monks or something who performed the nubs?
You know, I maybe I want to have to find out, but they do have performances.
It is so cool.
It's like jousting and it's like a whole show.
So you like, return throughout the day was the storyline progresses and like, you can
see different nights and you can root for them.
And then one thing I love is like, Shakespeare in 20 minutes.
They do a 20 minute long Shakespeare show, which is very fun.
Yeah, there's like, pretty much something for everyone.
You could do acts throwing.
You could do bow and arrow.
You could be in the stocks if you really want to.
So it's a lot of them.
You don't judge here.
Yeah.
You know, that's what you want.
Do that.
Do you have any tips on how to source a good costume?
Oh, that's a good question.
So while you're there, you can buy a costume.
It's a little bit more expensive.
So Etsy is your friend, especially local makers.
Would be great.
So that's what I normally look for.
I do feel like a lot of women's clothes these days are like leaning into like the
corset and like cottage course, like go for it.
You know, Abercrombie, I'm sure, something for you.
Yeah.
So if you're interested in checking out the Maryland Renaissance Festival, it goes from
10 a.m. to 10 a.m. to 7 in October.
The tickets are on $30 and it's about an hour drive from DC.
Yeah.
Anything to add on the Renaissance festivals?
I'll see you there.
Come say hi to me.
We can have mead or something.
I don't know.
So going moving a little bit forward in history.
Yes.
A little bit.
You've said there's that Mount Vernon thing going on.
That's always a cool one to visit.
It's a nice time of year to visit the estate.
It's pretty beautiful.
So that is a cool option as well.
And you can meet George Washington.
You could.
And also I think Martha is there as well.
Martha, yes.
I'm leaving Renaissance figure himself.
Yes.
I wonder if you get that job to be honest.
Maybe that's what I'll do one day.
Be Martha.
Maybe that could be your costume.
Yeah.
There we go.
OK, so something that I love is I love spooky things.
I love horror movies.
I have obsessed with anything spooky, scary, spooky, scary
skeletons, all of it.
So something that DC does or the DC area does offer in terms
of spooky fall fun is Markov's haunted forest.
Has anyone been there or listened to the episode we did live
from there?
OK, next to that, we all went, I'll say this.
I underestimated how scary it would be.
I would not recommend taking somebody
under the age of 12 or 13.
It is genuinely scary.
There were times where we were like, I
went into it being like, this isn't going to be that scary.
And by the end, we were running for our lives,
like truly running and screaming.
I'm really glad even to the bathroom ahead of time.
I'll just say that.
Have you been there?
No, I'm a baby.
I can't, I don't want to be scared.
But I am this year really interested for less scary,
but similarly, maybe history focus.
The congressional cemetery does soul strolls.
Tickets are on sale now.
I'm trying to get my friends to buy with me.
But they talk about the inhabitants of the cemetery.
And it's at night.
It's a little scary.
But it's also very informative, because a lot of really cool
people are buried there.
So it's a cool way to hang out in the cemetery at night
and learn.
Can you tell me the name of someone buried there?
Well, Mary Berry's buried there.
Oh, shit.
Yeah.
Oh, John Phillips-Usa.
Oh, yes.
Gang's all here.
And the gang is all here.
Yeah, it's so cool.
It's really cool.
Nice.
OK, what about if you wanted something
that was more kid-friendly?
Like being chased by chainsaws and the corpse of Mary
and Berry might not be the best thing
to do with your family?
What do you got?
I would go to Butler's orchard for their pumpkin picking.
I think Homestead also does something similar,
which is really fun.
It's fun to pick pumpkins and go in the corn maze.
The corn mazes are shockingly hard for an adult.
I don't know where I am, but they have kid versions.
So I like doing those.
Those are really fun.
Also, just fall is just such a great time of year
just to go around in our area.
Rock Creek Park is amazing.
I distinctively remember walking through Rock Creek Park
and listening to folklore by Taylor Swift.
And it's like, wow, she wrote this for me.
I have to ask, Chelsea, why fairs?
Why are you like, when you're not reporting on health stuff,
why is fairs what doesn't for you?
Well, I like to be seen.
I do have a lot of nice outfits for fall.
So I dress up.
What do you wear to the farms?
Oh, well, well, we don't have the farms.
But when I'm at a fair, I have my little
velvety skirt, I have tights, I have a turtleneck.
Oh my god, it's like great.
Maybe a headband, like, lots of possibilities.
So you're very interested in being perceived.
Like, you're like, I want to be perceived right now.
Maybe not right now, because I'm really sweaty,
but when I'm not sweaty, it's fall.
This is so great.
But also, I don't know, it's just like, like you said,
you become like a different person in the fall.
You have your coffee, you have your coat.
Like, it is just, it's so nice.
What is that?
The onion, article, a headline.
Mr. Autumn.
Mr. Autumn, walking around with this coffee
and a sweat on Mrs. Autumn.
Like, it's just like a beautiful time around here.
And like I said, it's just not as hot.
You have nothing less to complain about.
And you can enjoy being out with friends, you know,
enjoy just like getting into like the seasonal produce.
And just like, it's cozy.
It's good words.
Yeah, yes, yes.
Exactly.
We love it.
Cook with gourds or just decorate with them.
I decorate.
Yeah, I can't cook.
Oh, you should.
They're not for decoration in our house.
They're for eating.
OK, so we're meant to take a vote on which of these categories
is represents DC best or that the DMV area does best.
So we need all of y'all's help to do this properly.
So we talked about three different types of fall events,
barns, spooky fairs, and historical fairs,
like the Renaissance fair.
So I'm going to say each one, and y'all can clap and let
us know which you think DC does the best.
Where is the most quintessential DC, yeah?
OK, so give it up for farms.
Oh, OK, OK.
That's an agriculture enthusiast in the house.
Give it up for spooky fairs.
Woo, woo, woo, OK.
Great.
Give it up for historical fairs.
Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo.
I think we have a clear view.
Oh my god, this is just a bunch of hers.
Yes.
Why are you so surprised by this?
I don't know.
I feel like the essence of the fall fair
is like celebrating the harvest, which
is like a little ridiculous for the people in this room.
Since I don't think I'm just going to go on a limb here.
I don't think any y'all have been harvesting much this lifetime.
At the Renaissance fair, we are celebrating the harvest then.
But that's not the stuff you planted.
Unless you have a lucrative side note.
I don't fit, like, and I feel like I'm part of it.
It's definitely the key thing to help us.
Well, Bridget, you at Vyrecall, you are an anti-fairite.
Is this true?
I don't want to save us.
But yes, I am.
Wow.
I didn't hear me out.
Here's why.
Because I feel like I get there.
And I'm like, that's going to be great.
And then as soon as I get there, I'm like,
I've got to go to the bathroom.
And also I want to snack.
And also my feet hurt.
And also, like, I don't want to go home.
Like, as soon as I get there, I immediately
am thinking about how I would rather be doing something else.
No offense to any fairs.
Chelsea, can you say anything to Converter?
Oh, OK.
So like, imagine this.
You're at the Maryland State Fair.
And you're really hot.
And it's been a long day in your feet hurt.
But you walk into the area where they have all the produce.
And you see the biggest pumpkin in Maryland, right in front
of you.
It is so cool.
Please go.
I love it.
I have to say, you, that might turn around.
You painted, you painted a very good portrait.
It's much better than the biggest pumpkin in West Virginia.
Exactly.
It's the biggest pumpkin in Maryland.
OK, Chelsea.
So anybody goes to any of these fairs.
And they see you.
Are they cool to come up and say, hey, you're Chelsea.
Who loves the fairs?
Yes.
But you have to tell me I look nice.
Please.
I have an order.
I have an order.
Chelsea, thank you so much for being here.
Of course.
Thanks so much for having me.
See you at the fair.
Yep.
See you there.
And, listener, don't go anywhere.
And just a second, we've got a segment sponsored by Urban
Pace with CityCast CEO David Plott's in conversation
with the developer of Kite House at the Parks.
Hi, I'm CityCast CEO David Plott's
here to bring you the first installment
of our monthly house and homes segment
presented by Urban Pace Real Estate.
Today, I'm here with Jonathan Quince, the developer of Kite House.
Kite House is a beautiful condo building up in Tacoma, D.C.
really close to Rockery Park.
I have been watching this development
at the Parks at Walter Reed for years.
I'm so excited.
I'm really excited to talk to you.
Jonathan, welcome to CityCast.
Thank you, David.
I'm excited to talk to you too.
Jonathan, Kite House is on the site
that was originally Walter Reed Army Medical Center, right?
So how does the Parks at Walter Reed community
pay tribute to that history?
So honoring the history of the site was probably
our core design philosophy.
It drove every decision that we made
before we even commenced designing any other buildings
that were on site.
And that begins with both the overall
massing and design of the buildings
right down to the material selections.
What goes on the exterior of the buildings
down to how do the windows look?
And then this philosophy extends through to the use of open space
to maintain the views of the historic buildings
that were correctly honoring them
as the landmarks that they are in the city.
It is such a beautiful spot in the city.
I'm so glad you guys are building there.
So Jonathan, you were talking before we
started taping about the garage at Kite House
and how proud you were of the garage.
People are not usually proud of the garage.
Why are you proud of your garage?
It's probably the accomplishment I'm most proud of.
And that is that we actually reuse
the existing below grade garage underneath the Kite House.
And by reusing the garage and not constructing a new garage,
we've embodied the same amount of carbon
as you would by taking 10,000 cars off the roads for a year.
That's amazing.
With Kite House specifically,
what size apartments are we talking about?
What is the price range of those apartments?
So David, the residents are one to three bedrooms
and they're priced from the mid-300s
to just over a million dollars.
Some of the units are eligible
for the district's affordable housing program.
And so for any of your listeners
who are interested, I would strongly encourage
that they reach out to the district's housing authorities
and see if they're eligible for an affordable unit.
So what are some of the benefits to living up
in the parks community?
What are the best spots to hang out or grab dinner at?
I think that the campus has some amazing open spaces.
It's unique in DC.
The Great Law in particular is a historic element
that has survived from the original hospital.
And we are really lent into that as our events space
for the campus.
There's year-round programming that's hosted up here,
including concerts, we have theatrical performances
in holiday celebrations,
and then smaller-scale events
like our complimentary yoga classes
that are offered spring through the fall.
We're early half a mile from Tacoma
and the Tacoma Venture Station
and the fantastic downtown that is Tacoma.
And then I think in terms of the dining in particular,
we have a bunch of really exciting restaurants
coming to the campus.
I particularly love ramen.
I'm very excited for when junior opens any day
now.
That place is great.
And then, of course, nothing beats the convenience
of having all foods at your front door as well.
How big is the Great Law on?
I actually don't know.
It's about the size of a football field.
Oh my God, that's enormous.
Aside from the cool neighborhood,
why should city cast DC listeners
choose to buy at Kite House specifically?
So all the residents have particular sophisticated finishes.
We have herringbone back splashes,
borsher appliances, one-plane flooring.
And then the design element that I particularly enjoy
is there is an abundance of natural light
within the residences.
We have lofty six-foot windows,
and then most of the residences have either a private terrace
or a private balcony.
And then outside of your residence,
but within the building,
we still have some great amenities.
There's a hospitality-inspired lobby
with a separate co-working space.
There's a premium fitness geo
with a separate yogurt and meditation room.
There's a club room that's outfitted
with some soft seating, cafe tables, library.
And then that club room actually opens up
onto our outdoor entertaining terrace,
which has its own dining area, grill stations,
lounge seating, and a great location
for hosting an outdoor party.
So if our listeners want to learn more about Kite House,
where should they look?
The first place they should go is to
kitehousedc.com.
And then if they're interested in the parks
at Walter Reed generally,
then they can go to thepoxdc.com.
We have our events going to there.
Perhaps if you're in the market to rent a unit
instead of purchase a unit,
we also have links to the housing that's available.
Jonathan Quince, developer of Kite House.
Thanks for being here.
Again, check out kitehousedc.com to learn more.
We'll have that link for you in our show notes as well.
So you're just a click away.
Thanks for listening.
Thank you David.
If you want to learn more about kitehousedc.com,
the parks at Walter Reed or urban pace,
make sure to check out our show notes.
They are doing a lot of cool work.
And before you go, here is some quick news.
The use of electronic cigarettes and marijuana
has nearly doubled for students in Prince William County
compared to before the pandemic.
Several other school systems in the area
have reported similar trends.
Additionally, Prince George's County Public Schools
just got $2.3 million from a legal settlement
with jewel over the company's marketing.
The schools will use the funds to fight youth vaping
and nicotine addiction.
Also, officials had to delay the Anacostia River public swim
yet again, this time because of severe weather on Saturday.
It's the second time the event has been postponed.
The last delay was because storms caused a sewage overflow
into the river.
The event should be rescheduled for the spring.
And finally, councilmember Janice Lewis,
George is proposing a bill to create a brand new DC office
responsible for maintaining parks and forest areas.
Supporters say this investment will help tackle crime
by sprucing up neglected parts of the city.
And that's all for today here on CityCas DC.
If you enjoyed the show, why not throw your own fare
and tell everyone about it.
We'll be back tomorrow morning with more news from around the city.
Bye.
Do you think you'll get married there?
I don't know.
Why did you say that?
That would be kind of funny.
No.
Stay up for that.
Do not.
No.
Stay up for that.
Do not.