DC Embassy Open Houses (2026)

[imref]

May 2: Non-EU
May 9: EU

https://eventsdc.com/passportdc for details

2025 thread here: https://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=42015.0

[Count Walewski]

Thanks for starting the thread: this is a huge deal in my family.

Starting with non-EU day, it looks like if you take the metro to Van Ness, you have the following embassies all open that are all more or less on the same block:

- China
- Bangladesh
- Singapore (this seems new for 2026?)
- Ethiopia

Then you have a bunch of countries that have just a table at UDC's student center, which is also right at Van Ness. We went to that last year and were really disappointed at how lame and poorly organized that was. But these Van Ness embassies are typically less crazy than the madness that happens on Mass Ave, though there's usually a protest or two outside the Chinese embassy. Nonetheless, given our kids recent interest in Ethiopian food we might go to Van Ness.

Another thing to watch out for is that some countries don't host this at their embassy, they host it either at a consulate or at a "cultural house" that they maintain somewhere in DC. These can be all the way on the other side of the District and they're not always great at noting this on the Embassy Open House website. For example Ukraine will almost certainly host things at Ukraine House in Kalorama, not at their embassy, and Mexico and Romania are frequent offenders of hosting at their consulate not their embassy, and Oman is always at the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center.

Off Mass Ave, Ukraine House/Turkey/Belize form a possibly intriguing cluster, with Sri Lanka and Japan not far away. We had a great time at Sri Lanka's embassy in 2024 when they were giving away huge boxes of tea, which we just used up a few weeks ago.

[English Natsie]

I wonder if the Iranian embassy is taking part...    

[imref]

I wonder if the Iranian embassy is taking part...    

uh, that's been closed since 1980.

they do have an interests section in the Pakistani embassy.

[Dave in Fairfax]

I had dinner at the Finnish Embassy once. That was a nice place.

[tomterp]

I had dinner at the Finnish Embassy once. That was a nice place.

Did they serve you Surströmming?

[imref]

I had dinner at the Finnish Embassy once. That was a nice place.

I went to a William and Mary event there a few years ago. Yes, very nice. Was a happy place.

[tomterp]

Would be nice if Ukraine was open.  Thinking too much of a security risk.

[English Natsie]

uh, that's been closed since 1980.

That'll be 'no', then... (but would have been interesting...)

[Count Walewski]

Would be nice if Ukraine was open.  Thinking too much of a security risk.

Ukraine is listed as participating on the site and has participated in the last few years. The countries seeking to improve ties with the USA always throw the best parties during embassy open house. The wildest times I've ever had at these open houses were at the Bolivian embassy back when Bolivia had a hardcore anti-American government and at the Saudi embassy when the US government was distancing itself from KSA over human rights issues.

[Count Walewski]

Ethiopia had it all this morning:

✅ free food
✅ traditional music and dancing
✅ a handshake line with actual diplomats

Great experience. Bangladesh next door also put on a good show but with reasonably priced food rather than free.

[imref]

We got down there kind of late (2ish). Started at Tunisia just as they ran out of food. From there went to Khazakstan which had an open house. After that we went to El Salvador which had a street festival with music, coffee, horchata, and snacks. We ended at Rwanda just as they ran out of food too but we got more coffee.

Afterwards we walked up Adams-Morgan which was having a street festival. It was a mob scene that made Times Square look spacious and comfortable. All in all a fun day though.

My son went to the Philippines and said the ambassador was there as well. they also had food.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

"Porchfest"

Afterwards we walked up Adams-Morgan which was having a street festival. It was a mob scene that made Times Square look spacious and comfortable. All in all a fun day though.

[imref]

"Porchfest"

Mobfest - https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/1t27j5y/why_didnt_dc_govt_close_more_streets_for_porchfest/

The smart ones were carrying around their own cases of beer.

Forgot to mention that the red line at 5 PM was best to have been avoided.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

My two blue bins are full of cans from the crowd.  Based on the newly collected data, I'd say that Gen Z is very fond of vodka seltzer

[imref]

My two blue bins are full of cans from the crowd.  Based on the newly collected data, I'd say that Gen Z is very fond of vodka seltzer

there was one guy selling what appeared to be IV bags that, according to the sign, contained a mix of alcohols. We tried to get a beer at one place but the lines everywhere were just insane. We got as far as Pizza Mart (heading north on 18th) and couldn't get any further. The area in front of Madam's Organ was just packed with people. We did walk by Kalorama Park on our way back down to Dupont Circle. They had a ton of people there as well, and a band that was playing Enter Sandman as we walked past. Most people on the street were singing along.

I'm a bit too old for that sort of thing now, but it did bring back some memories of the mid-90's alley part behind Mr. Days around 21st and M.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

BTW that picture in the Reddit thread is in front of my house.  I watched that car trying to make its way through the crowd...if you look closely, you can make out the empties people were putting on the roof as it inched along.  An orange cone made its way to the intersection, thus closing the street, de facto if not de jure 

[imref]

BTW that picture in the Reddit thread is in front of my house.  I watched that car trying to make its way through the crowd...if you look closely, you can make out the empties people were putting on the roof as it inched along.  An orange cone made its way to the intersection, thus closing the street, de facto if not de jure 

how is it living there? I'm jealous.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Like anywhere it has its pluses and minuses, but I do love not having to own a car. 

how is it living there? I'm jealous.

[blue911]

Like anywhere it has its pluses and minuses, but I do love not having to own a car.

Is Spaghetti Garden still around?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Long gone.   

Is Spaghetti Garden still around?