BACCHANALIA
Bacchanalia 2025 – Sign up for your parties!
Mark your calendars for an amazing variety of gatherings through the coming weeks!
Join us for one – or more! – of this year’s Bacchanalia parties, hosted by families at both campuses and open to fellow Washington Latin parents/guardians (and beyond – hosts can invite friends, neighbors, etc.) This year, it seems we are all looking for a good time and chance to connect with the fantastic Latin community. This is perhaps the best line up of events – from trivia night at Right Proper Brewery to a Dominican good time at Mechos, coffee tasting with the incomparable Zeke’s Coffee to Coffee House vibes a week later, DC United soccer to cherry blossom-inspired brunch – really, this year we have it all!
These parties are dual purpose: they bring us together as a community and raise money for out schools. Hosts donate the parties, and guests make a gift to the school Instead of purchasing a ticket. You select where you want to see your dollars make a difference: Athletics, Equal Access, the Arts, Faculty, or unrestricted (for the General Fund). You choose what means most to you! All gifts are appreciated!
The goal of the Bacchanalia parties is to raise $100,000, which we have been able to meet each year since 2014. Whether or not you can attend a party this year, your contribution is vital!
So check out the parties for this year – and come back often to see new additions!
Trivia Night at Right Proper Brewery - Friday 5/2 @ 6:30 pm
Iron Chef- Latin Edition - Saturday 5/3 6:00 pm
Love a cooking show? Then sign up for this party! Join co-hosts Skye & Michael Henry (2nd Street 5th) and Natalie & Robin Walker (Cooper 5th) for an Iron Chef-inspired evening of fun, food, wine, and great company. Guests can sign up as chef or sous-chef for a 2-6 person team to compete, OR come to the party as an audience member, happily watching the competition with a glass in hand. Once the teams are set, our hosts will reveal a special ingredient that each team’s dish must include. Hosts provide cooking utensils and basic ingredients to prepare at the Henry home (Takoma DC). There will be fabulous prizes for the winning team! Guests in the audience will enjoy the show AND hors d’oeuvres and drinks, along with culinary inspiration from our chefs! 35 guests
Starlight Movie Night - Saturday 5/3 @ 7:30 pm
Nothing better than a movie under the stars! Join co-hosts Janelle Jobe, Tracey Perrin, and Latoya Huggins for a movie night in the Lion Courtyard at the 2nd Street Campus. Bring your blankets or beach chairs this casual, family friendly atmosphere. Food and beverages provided, including popcorn and candy. After a bit of socializing, the movie will begin at 8:00 pm. Get there by 7:30 to claim your preferred spot! 40 guests
Cherry Blossom Brunch - Sunday 5/4 @ 11:00 am
Cherry blossoms and brunch is the best combination! The peak of DC cherry blossoms might be past us, but we are still looking forward to this lovely brunch on the Hill home of Gina Eppolito and Francis Slakey (2nd Street 10th grade family). Come sip champagne and other seasonal beverages, nosh on yummy brunch fare and arrange take home mini ikebana flowers on Capitol HIll with fellow Latin parents. Wear your favorite floral prints and colors, and make mom (or yourself) a special early Mother’s Day gift. 25 guests.
Sunday/Funday Line Dancing - Sunday 5/4 @ 3:00 pm
Parents and kids, who loves line dancing? (Who doesn’t??) If you said yes, then join fellow Latin 2nd Street and Cooper families at Just Rock in Brentwood, MD. Let’s get ready to learn some of the latest line dances Sunday Funday style so you won’t be behind at the next get together or cookout!!! Bring your fans and let’s have some Boots on the Ground fun with hosts Shelita & Floyd White, Julie McDowell & Ian Johnson, and Laura Hinson. Work up a sweat and replenish your energy at the on-site brick oven pizza food truck. 40 guests
Across the African Diaspora - Saturday 5/10 @ 6:30 pm
This favorite party is back with a twist! Celebrate with co-hosts Rona Fredrick & Marcel Taylor, Sheila Strain & Lamont, Anita Mingo & Wuhan Dansby, and Lisa Rucker & Souleymane Diallo while enjoying delectable dishes and libations from East and West Africa, the Caribbean, and popular African American regions. The Fort Lincoln rooftop deck is ideal for taking in the scenic sunset over the District. 30 guests
Barbeque Throw Down - Saturday 5/17 @ 6:00 pm
In the immortal words of Anthony Bourdain, “Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.” Join your hosts Purvee & Lucas Kempf, Emily Martin & Matthew Dunne, and Laura & Ted Kim for barbecue and brews on the Hill. Sample Kansas City and Tennessee styles, as our pitmasters vie for your palates in this succulent throw-down in the name of peace. 30 guests
Broadway Sing-along - Saturday 5/10 @ 7:00 pm
This popular party is back! Join hosts Whitney & Thomas Paxson, Amy Hunter & Josh Greene, and Anouk Sauvineau & Alex Tiersky on the Hill and sing your heart out! The stage and piano will be at the Paxson home, and they will provide printed lyrics as well as drinks and food – all you need to overcome stage fright. Come ready to sing – no hiding in the wings! 35 guests
Zeke's Coffee Experience - Saturday 5/10 @ 10:00 am
Do you love (and rely) on coffee? Here’s a chance to learn more about that brew and the elegant varieties beyond your regular cup o’ Joe. This morning Bacchanalia is hosted by Autumn Hanna & & John Kepner (2nd Street 5th and 8th grade family), owners of Zeke’s Coffee. Join them at the Rhode Island Avenue Roastery & Coffee Shop in Northeast DC to learn the basics of coffee roasting from Zeke’s staff, sample various brews, and snack on fresh baked pastries by Pluma. You’ll see a coffee roasting demonstration and take home samples. 20 guests
Latin Coffeehouse - Sunday 5/18 @ 6:00 pm
Come for a relaxed outdoor Coffee House at the Hill home of Michael & Eleni O’Donovan, co-hosted by Hannah Schardt and Emily Martin, to hear some unplugged tunes from Latin and other local students, play some board games, meet some new friends, and enjoy small bites and libations. Feel free to bring a guitar and share a song or two! Join us for this family-friendly event. 25 guests
Kickin' Box Seats for DC United - Saturday 5/3 @ 6:00 pm
Are you a DC United soccer fan? This is your Bacchanalia! Sign up for a cushy seat in the field-level cabana of your hosts, Margie Yeager & Michael Sriqui (Cooper 5th and 7th) to get an up-close-and-personal view of the match between our home team and the Colorado Rapids in this prime spot just behind the goal. When you aren’t watching the game, you’ll enjoy tasty food and drinks catered to the cabana. Whether you are a fan, a player, or just a partier, grab one of these spots before they’re gone! 19 guests
River Cruise in DC - Sunday 5/4 @ 3:00 pm
The Potomac stretches over 400+ miles, including through nature and past monuments. Are you interested in a river cruise on the Potomac? Then we have a Bacchanalia for you! Join hosts Jason Cohen & Debbie Gelernter (Cooper 6th and 7th family) for a boat trip! We set sail from the Warf for a two-hour trip. This is an adults-only cruise for a small group – sign up today! 6 guests
Mother's Day on the Farm - Sunday 5/11 @ 11:00 am
Would you like to meet this gorgeous lamb? You can! And even better, SHE IS A TWIN! Meet these beautiful babies and their hardworking mama on the Maryland farm of Laurel Seid and Fish Brown. Ms. Seid is now a sheep fiber farmer, a relatively new role after decades of teaching English to high school students, including more than 10 years at Washington Latin. She cares for sheep, lambs, chickens, and Great Pyrenees puppies. You don’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind Bacchanalia family brunch on the farm! 25 guests
Wine and Jazz - Friday 6/6 - 7:00 pm
