Festival Offers Inside Look at Embassy Row

Much of Washington's cultural and architectural splendor lies in its diplomatic community, and for the next two weeks nearly 60 embassies will open up for a peek at these historic sites. Organized by the nonprofit Cultural Tourism D.C., the inaugural Passport D.C. festival is expected to bring some 50,000 Washingtonians and tourists to feast on the international art, fashion, music, dance, and cuisine offerings.

The program kicks off on Saturday, with the European Union Open House (think Alpine dancers at the Austrian embassy) and Europe Week (including classical music at the Bulgarian ambassador's residence), while World Week (featuring a fashion show of Moroccan caftans at the country's embassy) launches on May 11. Historic houses will also be open for tours, such as Dupont's Beaux-Arts style Romanian embassy and the Japanese embassy teahouse and gravel-and-moss Ippakutei gardens. Reservations are required for some visits.The festivities end with a slew of embassy-run events on May 17, including Ghanaian and Pakistani art markets in newer international quarters in Van Ness and the Asia Heritage Foundation's street fair along Pennsylvania Avenue.