Valentine's Trivia Night This Thusday!

Have a little Valentine's fun at Haydee's this Thursday! Many Languages One Voice is hosting a night of trivia and date-night fun during this Valentine themed benefit. From the organizers:

"Are you looking for romantic dates for your sweetheart? 

Are you looking for a sweetheart? 

This fun evening will have something for everyone! 

Many Languages One Voice presents...

The Language of Love: 

Valentine's Trivia Night and Date Auction!

***Play the Valentine's Trivia Game and win exciting prizes!

We'll team you up so that you meet fun, progressive DC neighbors. Valentine's Trivia is designed for both singles and couples!

***Bid at the Date Auction for exciting dates!

Our auction will feature both fun dates for you and your sweetheart AND eligible singles who will take you on a fun date! Bid on a Guided Rock Climbing Adventure, a home-cooked Indian food themed picnic, a Cocktail Mixology Lesson, and more!

***Spin the Wheel of Dating Fortune and win some of the best date ideas in DC!

Our Dating Wheel will be going all night, full of endless romantic date ideas! Hit it right and you may even win some bigger prizes to enjoy on Valentine's Day!

***Support a great cause! 

All proceeds benefit Many Languages One Voice (MLOV) to support their campaigns for greater justice for immigrant communities, including the current push to strengthen the Language Access Act and improve DC schools.

WHEN: Thursday, February 12th

                   6:30pm Happy Hour

                   7:00pm Valentine's Trivia Game

                   8:00pm Date Auction

WHERE: At Haydee's Restaurant: 3102 Mt Pleasant St NW

COST: $10 Suggested Donation

RSVP on Facebook

Don't miss this opportunity to combine romance and justice!

Bluegrass Show at Haydee's This Weekend

I first started going to Haydee's for the drinks, then food, then the live music. Now that they've added the outside seating, I see more and more people there on the weekdays, enjoying a beer or chips and salsa or a meal. This weekend, you might want to eat inside because there is more music, and free! This time, the the band --The Fabulous Flea Market Band-- comes all the way from Norway.

The show is at Haydee's, 3102 Mount Pleasant Street NW. There is no cover charge. And the music starts at 8:00PM. Here's a bit about what you're likely to hear, from the organizers: 

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Love songs for lumberjacks, bluegrass for punk rockers, serenades for sailors, drinking songs for desperate nights; love, insanity, murder, natural disaster and three legged dogs are just some of the themes covered in the Flea Market songbook.  Part backstreet hoedown, part honky-tonk confessional, part big tent revival meeting, for the past two years The Fabulous Flea Market Band have steadily been winning new converts to their sweat-soaked, heartfelt vision, blending shadows from the Norwegian forest with darkness from the margins of America.  Huddled around a single mic in the old-time string band tradition, the Fleas tear through all-original tunes, taking turns on banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, upright bass and the occasional trombone.

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Photos: Haydee's

Letter from a Reader: Let Mt Pleasant Businesses Be, Please

I received this letter from a 42 Bus reader regarding an issue that I thought was pretty much over, but I guess I was wrong. The music-in-restaurants issue had ballooned to near epic and ridiculous proportions over the last few years.

Its music people! It makes us happy. It makes us sad. Its art. Its culture. It heals. Its provocative. Its relaxing. Its fun. Its expression. It should not be put in a box. The few businesses involved in this issue do not want to have all night barn burners with customers hanging off the rafters: they just want to be treated fairly and use music to lure and entertain customers. Simple!

I still have no idea why some in this neighborhood are so pressed over music in a restaurant. Do these businesses a favor and patronize them, support them. Anyway, I digress (again!). Here's the letter from a reader, Natalie.

Here's a little story about something that happened this weekend:

Last Sunday I participated in a Walking Town tour about the history of music in Mount Pleasant sponsored by Cultural Tourism DC, an agency which gets funding from [the [DC gov't] to showcase "off the mall" attractions in DC neighborhoods. The tour ended at Don Juan's, where the owner's brother, Pepe Reyes, and his nine piece mariachi band from El Salvador entertained the crowd.

During the event, the owner told me that two Alcoholic Beverage Regulatory Administration (ABRA) inspectors had visited his place the night before while his brother's band played and told him he could not have live music. The inspectors did not know that Don Juan's could offer roaming mariachis until 1AM on weekends. Once the owner showed the entertainment endorsement, the ABRA inspectors left. (As an aside, Haydee's can have any [type of] music they want, just with restricted hours.)

Anyway I called ABRA the next day to ask why this happened. They guy said, "Oh yeah someone called to complain about something going on at Don Juan's on Sunday."

"Wait - are we in some sort of time warp - how could inspectors go out Saturday to investigate a complaint about something that happened on Sunday."

"No, no, no," the guy explained, "The person who complained called on Thursday. The person was upset about an event at Don Juan's that was going to happen...something about a nine piece mariachi band - that was playing at some sort of event on Sunday afternoon. Well, we don't send inspectors out on Sundays, so we sent them to investigate the complaint on Saturday."

"But they were mariachis - on a Sunday afternoon - as part of a Cultural Tourism event! Someone had a problem with that?"

"Well, its a little more complicated than that. This person was upset that Don Juan's was having mariachis that weren't 'roaming' This person thinks that's a violation."

"So you sent inspectors."

"Yes, well, we have to when someone complains."

"What's the legal definition of 'roaming?' Is it okay if they roam around the restaurant or is he only allowed to have mariachis that happen to roam in off the street?"

"Well, we'll have to clarify that."

Your government at work.

Support Mount Pleasant Main Street, Haydees

Do double duty on Tuesday night. Come out to support a local business and a non profit working to better the neighborhood. Mount Pleasant Main Street is holding a fundraiser, and the host is local restaurant Haydee's. On Tuesday from 6-11pm, have a meal (or two!) at Haydee's and they'll donate a percentage of the night's revenue to Mount Pleasant Main Street. Haydee's serves Mexican and Salvadorian foods, stiff margaritas and occasionally live music. Mount Pleasant Main Street is involved in numerous projects, including promoting the neighborhood. You may have seen some of their recent accomplishments, the neighborhood street light banners, and movies in Lamont Park.

Haydee's is located at 3102 Mt Pleasant Street NW, at Irving.