Register Today for WalkingTown DC 2018!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Steve Shulman

Cheryl Crowell

Register Today for WalkingTown DC 2018!

The Annual Event Returns September 15-23 with Free Walking and Biking Tours Highlighting the History, Art, and Culture of the District

Washington, DC (August 20, 2018) – Events DC presents Walking Town DC 2018, a Cultural Tourism DC Signature Event, September 15-23.  An annual event, WalkingTown DC offers more than 75 free, guided walking and biking tours that feature distinctive aspects of the District of Columbia.  It introduces DC residents and visitors to the culture, history, and stories of Washington’s neighborhoods through a series of “bite-size” lunchtime tours, after-work “happy hour” tours, and tours throughout the day on weekends.

Cultural Tourism DC (CTDC) began WalkingTown DC in 2000.  It continues to lure culture enthusiasts, local residents, and visitors to the city’s historic neighborhoods.  Professional guides, community leaders, historians, and others who volunteer their time and expertise to share the richness of DC neighborhoods lead the tours. All WalkingTown DC tours are free and open to the public, but require advance registration. Tours vary in distance and pace, accommodating all fitness levels, and many are wheelchair and stroller accessible. This year’s tours include several sections of Cultural Tourism DC’s Neighborhood Heritage Trails.

“WalkingTown DC is one of my favorite activities. Whether walking along as a participant or volunteering, I’ve always learned a lot about the soul of Washington. The guides have a way of weaving time, place, and people into wonderful stories as they share their passion for their subject matter,” Steve Shulman, executive director of Cultural Tourism DC, said.

This year’s version has several exciting new tours, among them: 

• Southwest Waterfront and The Wharf — Washington’s southwest waterfront morphed from a small collection of late 18th-century brick buildings along the Potomac River to a large group of mid-1960s structures of steel and concrete. In between, the riverside has been the site of the execution of the “Lincoln Conspirators”, a clinic providing medical treatment to neighbors and home to fish and produce sellers. Today, The Wharf replaces charmless urban renewal era real estate with brand new mixed-use buildings. Come explore the new southwest. Tour date: Sunday, September 16, at 2:00 pm
• DC’s Instagram-able Marvelous Murals Bike Ride — There are so many new murals in the DC area. Some are in plain sight, and others are tucked away. Take a ride with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) to appreciate some of the city’s newest wall paintings and discover some tricks to travel confidently through the city by bicycle. Tour date: Thursday, September 20, at Noon.
• American University Experiment Station, 100 Years Later — Join this tour to learn about activities at the American University Experiment Station and the U.S. Chemical Warfare Service that left burial pits, debris fields, contaminated properties and groundwater in a section of northwest DC. One hundred years ago, some of the most toxic chemicals, powerful explosives and deadly weapons in the world were developed and tested in the Spring Valley neighborhood.  Tour date: Saturday, September 22, at 1:00 pm.

Visit https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/tour-schedule for more information about the individual tours. 

WalkingTown DC Sponsors
Walking Town DC is made possible through the generous support of individual donors, its presenting sponsor Events DC, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation in support of DPR’s 2018 Walk/Run Program and DC Mayor Bowser’s FitDC Initiative, and the Washington DC Economic Partnership. 

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About Cultural Tourism DC

Cultural Tourism DC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to deliver memorable experiences and learning opportunities in the areas of heritage, international exchange, and humanities. Through its celebrated signature programs of Passport DC, WalkingTown DC, DC Neighborhood Heritage Trails, and PorchFest, Cultural Tourism DC works to broaden, deepen, and diversify audiences for the arts and in DC — audiences whose participation enriches the creative economy of the city.

About Events DC

Events DC is the face of conventions, sports, entertainment and cultural events within our nation’s capital.  As the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, Events DC leverages the beauty, history and diversity of the most powerful city in the world to attract and promote an extensive variety of events, resulting in amazing experiences for residents and visitors alike, and generating economic and community benefits for the city.