#1 Art & Entertainment Event
The honors, which are among the highest achievements in the arts, are presented with a ceremony at the center that later airs on CBS. Honorees for 2014 are singer Al Green, actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, singer-songwriter Sting, and comedian Lily Tomlin. Next: December 7, 2014
#2 Art & Entertainment Event
Actor James Earl Jones and Congressman John Dingell, the House's longest-serving member, received the Ford's Theatre Lincoln Medal at the gala. Vice President Joe Biden delivered remarks at the event, which included a performance followed by dinner at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. Next: June 2015
#3 Art & Entertainment Event
First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s award winners in the East Room of the White House for the 15th anniversary of the awards. She wore a dress by fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez, who was among the honorees. Next: Fall 2015
#4 Art & Entertainment Event
In 2014, the weekend of events, which include a dinner, award presentation, and after-party, drew celebrities and luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Wayne Brady, Ice Cube, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and American Express C.E.O. Kenneth Chenault. Next: January 2015
#5 Art & Entertainment Event
The honor, which this year goes to former Tonight Show host Jay Leno, doubles as a fund-raiser for the center. Performers at the event will include Garth Brooks, Kristin Chenoweth, Kevin Eubanks, Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Handler, Jerry Seinfeld, and Wanda Sykes. Next: October 19, 2014
#6 Art & Entertainment Event
For the Shakespeare Theatre Company benefit, actor Harry Hamlin joined a cast that included Senator Roger Wicker as well as other members of Congress and national media figures in a performance of Peter Byrne’s original play, Lend Me Your Ears. The evening raised $465,000 for the theater's programs. Next: Spring 2015
#7 Art & Entertainment Event
The American Film Institute's documentary film festival marked its 12th year, screening 84 films, including four world premieres, at venues in Washington and Silver Spring, Maryland. Alex Gibney was honored at the festival's Charles Guggenheim Symposium, and the event closed with a screening of Life Itself about film critic Roger Ebert by Steve James. Next: June 2015
#8 Art & Entertainment Event
The city's largest music festival comprised more than 125 performances held in more than 60 venues. The festival is also growing its social media presence, with an increase of at least 25 percent in its Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Next: June 2015
#9 Art & Entertainment Event (new to the list)
The food, music, and green living festival, founded in 2010 by the team behind the restaurant chain Sweetgreen, featured headliners Foster the People, Lana Del Rey, 2 Chainz, and Fitz and the Tantrums. Planners take sustainability seriously: The event is carbon neutral, has composting stations, and offers swag such as festival posters and skateboards to people who collect recyclables from the grounds at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. More than 20,000 people attend. Next: May 2015
#10 Art & Entertainment Event (new to the list)
Billed as the second-largest unjuried fringe festival in the United States, the event draws 40,000 attendees at both its fall and winter editions to see creative and offbeat performances. The festival is notable in that it returns about 60 percent of the revenue from ticket sales back to the artists. Next: July 9-26, 2015
#11 Art & Entertainment Event (new to the list)
The 11-day event, which was founded in 2003, features short films as well as ticketed parties and seminars for filmmakers. This year, 135 short films from 25 countries were screened at three venues. Next: September 2015
