This year marks the 57th Inauguration and the second under President Barack Obama. This calls for a celebratory ball, a tradition spanning back to the British empire. The beginnings of America have always included a huge gathering of people dressed in their finest and it’s always a festive occasion to celebrate a point in politics where people are arguably much happier than a decade ago.
There are two things I love about American politics, the parties without the price tag, and the parties. For the millennials who wish to attend without breaking the bank, M Central is offering a totally new experience for $75. M Central is a non-profit start-up based in D.C. that has formed partnerships with the New America Foundation and No Kings Collective, a D.C. arts cooperative. They have rented out a warehouse in the historic H Street Corridor, a section of Northeast D.C., to hold an expected 1,000 attendees of the ball, large-scale art installations by local artists, as well as host a day-long forum about the future of American politics as told by popular and not so popular activists around the country. Some of the speakers include: author and former GOOD Magazine editor Nona Willis Aronowitz, world-renowned concert pianist Berenika Zakrzewski, USAID Policy Planning Director Steven Feldstein, Fojol Brothers foodtruck king Justin Vitarello, and SOPA petition instigator and multimedia artist Jacob Krupnick.
The goal is to bring together a diverse group of young people ( I hate that term, I sound old), to discuss what is next and how people like you and me are working together. Patrick Dowd, founder of the Millennial Trains Project, says that the event came about quite organically with a few friends of H Street already hosting art events in unconventional spaces for cheap.
Mr. Dowd says it will be a “holding space for people to connect during the weekend.”
Since the prices of the “official” balls are a little extreme (including the Hip Hop Ball which is $500 per ticket hosted by Russell Simmons), the focus of the millennial ball is to bring people from ages 18- 27 who love art and may dabble in politics together for a night of fun.
Entertainment includes a soon to be announced Grammy-winning artist... In addition, invited and performing from Philadelphia is singer and songwriter Anthony Riley, who can be seen singing covers at the Reading Terminal.
This is a great opportunity to attend a "inauguration ball," to get dress and sip champagne with artsy people without breaking the bank! Dress code is "creative" black tie, and for those over 21, drinks will be cheap and food will be provided by DC's top food trucks Now, all you need to worry about is your attire! See you there, Philadelphia.
Purchase tickets here: http://mcentral.co/rsvp/
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