#1 Holiday Event
On March 28, the First Family hosted the 138th annual White House Easter Egg Roll, which was attended by more than 35,000 people who gathered on the South Lawn for games, stories, cooking demonstrations, sports, and the traditional egg roll. This year's theme was “Let’s Celebrate!” which highlighted the initiatives of first lady Michelle Obama's "Let’s Move!" initiative. Idina Menzel, Silentó, and Echosmith were among the performers at the event. Five souvenir eggs designed by graphic designer and blogger Joy Cho were given to children at the event. Four eggs had stamped signatures of the President and First Lady on the back, while one egg had stamped “signatures” and “paw prints” of the the First Family's dogs Bo and Sunny on the back. Next: April 17, 2017
#2 Holiday Event
Taking place every July 4 on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, the patriotic event with music and fireworks celebrated its 36th year as a live broadcast on PBS. Capital Concerts and Washington PBS affiliate WETA co-produce the event. Although producers drew criticism (and later apologized) for televising some footage from a previous year's telecast without properly labeling it as prerecorded, the show, hosted by Tom Bergeron, had several highlights. They included a tribute to the U.S.O.'s 75th anniversary and the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, as well as performances from Smokey Robinson, Gavin DeGraw, Sutton Foster, and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jack Everly. Next: July 4, 2017
#3 Holiday Event
The 94th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting, held December 1 at the White House's Ellipse at President's Park, capped off a year of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, which co-produces the event with the National Park Foundation and Bounce AEG. Hallmark Channel and DirecTV 4K Ultra HD televised the event on December 5. Although the event, also known as the Pageant of Peace Ceremony, is free and open to the public, most of the 17,000 attendees gain access by entering an online lottery in October. Performers at this year's event included Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, Marc Anthony, Yolanda Adams, and the Lumineers. Next: December 2017
#4 Holiday Event
Co-hosted by actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, the National Memorial Day Concert took place May 29 on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. PBS aired a live telecast of the event, which honors military personnel who lost their lives. This year's concert included appearances from former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and entertainers Esai Morales, S. Epatha Merkerson, the Beach Boys, Katharine McPhee, and Renée Fleming. The event is produced by Capital Concerts. Next: May 28, 2017
