Dance, flowers, marijuana, beer and wine all get festivals. If democracy is so important to Americans, why don’t we have democracy festivals every year in towns and cities across the country? If Washington DC is the capital of our country, and democracy is central to American freedom, why do we have folk life, cherry blossom and kite flying festivals but no national Democracy Festival?

In this historic election year, at a time of challenge to democracy, Learning Life, a DC-based educational nonprofit, is organizing the first Democracy Festival (DemFest) in the U.S. capital region on Saturday, October 26, 1-6pm, at Friendship Collegiate Academy, 4095 Minnesota Ave NE in Washington, DC, across the street from the Minnesota Ave Metro Train Station on the Orange Line.

We're organizing DemFest in order to (a) help make democracy more fun, less fractious, (b) widen participation, (c) promote civic learning, and (d) strengthen community by fostering collaboration between the DC region's arts, education, business, philanthropic, and democracy sectors. DemFest will have a range of engaging activities for youth and adults, including arts performances, democracy gaming, skill-building workshops, discussions, a youth citizen assembly on mental health, and a democracy market (i.e., organizational tables).

In the spirit of democracy, Learning Life is relying on grassroots donations and sponsorships rather than grants to raise $40,000 to help pay for this first DemFest's relatively cheap costs, from labor, rentals and printing, to food and prizes. Please contribute $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or what you can afford to support the first Democracy Festival (DemFest) in the USA's capital region!

Thank you for supporting the DMV's first Democracy Festival!

P.S. Know individuals or organizations that may be interested in tabling at, or sponsoring DemFest? Want to help in other ways? Feel free to email us at partnerships@learninglife.info.

P.P.S. Help spread the word about DemFest with two social media templates below you can copy, edit and share as you see fit. The first is to help fund DemFest, the second to attend.

Live in the #WashingtonDC region? Like #democracy? Support the first #DemocracyFestival in the US capital region happening Sat Oct 26! $50, $100, or $250 or what you can afford helps pay for labor, rentals, food, prizes, printing and other costs. https://givebutter.com/pyQbdD

Live in the #WashingtonDC area? RSVP to get updates on the #DC region’s first #Democracy #Festival on Sat Oct 26 at bit.ly/DMVDemFestRSVP or buy your DemFest tickets now – just $3 for kids 17 and under, $5 for adults 18+ in advance – at bit.ly/demfestticketing.

2024 - First Democracy Festival in the US Capital Region!

Help make democracy more fun, less divisive

Team Members