News Release – May Revels in DC

Washington Revels: Community. Tradition. Celebration!

Washington Revels Celebrates May Day at National Cathedral Flower Mart

For Immediate Release

Silver Spring, MD, April 15, 2019 – While taking a holiday this May Day might not be possible for most Washingtonians, on Saturday, May 4, Washington Revels invites DC-area residents to celebrate the return of Spring during its annual May Revels at Washington National Cathedral: a free, family-friendly, one-hour performance that revives Spring traditions from merry old England.

May Revels attendees can clap along to a boisterous and colorful parade, enjoy traditional music and dances, and laugh out loud at a silly “Mummers’ Play” filled with slapstick humor and bad puns galore! As with all Washington Revels activities, May Revels will include several opportunities for audience participation. Attendees will be invited to sing along on the timeless Spring song “Wild Mountain Thyme” and to try their hands at reciting the rapid-fire lyrics to the musical memory challenge “Rattlin’ Bog.” After the onstage revelry, the performance will conclude with an iconic, brightly colored Maypole dance — parents should encourage their children to watch closely, because once the Revels cast finishes, kids from the audience will be invited to join in on the Maypole, too.

Washington Revels’ appearance at the Cathedral is the culminating event of the All Hallows Guild Flower Mart, a free two-day festival dating back to 1939 and featuring a plant and herb sale, food vendors, antique carousel rides, and all-day entertainment for the whole family. In 2019 the Flower Mart celebrates the special theme of “Pollinator Power,” highlighting the essential contribution of bees and butterflies to gardens (and ecosystems) everywhere — and Revels joins in on the pollination proceedings by crowning two “Monarchs” of the May to preside over its May Revels festivities!

For those living further north of the Beltway, Washington Revels will offer a repeat May Revels performance on Sunday, May 5 in Germantown, MD as the centerpiece of the new BlackRock SpringFest, in partnership with BlackRock Center for the Arts.

Founded in 1983, Washington Revels is a multi-generational performing arts community of professionals and nonprofessionals that presents traditional music, dance, storytelling, and drama in the DC area. It has held annual Spring celebrations based on English May Day traditions since 1985 and produces workshops, community events, and performances throughout the year, including The Christmas Revels at GW Lisner Auditorium each December.

May Revels at the National Cathedral
Saturday, May 4, 2019, 10 am-5 PM
May Revels at 3:30 PM
3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC, 20016

May Revels at BlackRock SpringFest
Sunday, May 5, 2019, 2-6 PM
May Revels at 4:00 PM
12901 Town Commons Drive
Germantown, MD 20874

Press Contact: Ross Wixon, Marketing & Development Director / rwixon@revelsdc.org / (301) 830-4402


Related Stories:

News Release – May Revels at BlackRock SpringFest
Posted by Washington Revels

Dance Review: May Revels at Washington National Cathedral
By Mary Scott Manning for MD Theatre Guide, 2018

May Day! May Day! — How Will You Celebrate?
A blog post by Elizabeth Fulford, Music Director

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