ROMANIAN WEEKEND AT THE WHARF: THE LANDMARK OF ROMANIAN CULTURAL PRESENCES IN AMERICA
In only three years since its launching in 2022 as a joint initiative of the Embassy of Romania to the United States and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, “The Romanian Weekend at The Wharf” has reinvented the public and cultural diplomacy of Romania in the United States. Massive in scale, with an ingenious programming, this tumultuous, diverse, and participatory festival has grown year after year to become not only the milestone of Romanian cultural presence in America but also one of the most entertaining events of the DC summer.
With three days of non-stop music, traditional crafts demonstrations, literary performances, culinary presentations, temporary exhibitions, wine & sampling, and interactive activities, the festival literally takes over The Wharf, the popular Washington esplanade by the Potomac, offering an exciting experience for all the senses and the perfect context for cultural discoveries and for cementing the Romanian-American friendship. “The Romanian Weekend at The Wharf” is initiated, co-organized and co-financed by the Embassy of Romania to the United States and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, with the support of the Maramureș County Council and numerous partners, collaborators, and friends from both sides of the Atlantic.
Read about the organizers: the Embassy of Romania to Washington, DC and the Romanian Cultural Institute, New York.
A Celebration of Romania in the Nation’s Capital
It is my utmost pleasure to invite you to the third edition of the Romanian Weekend at The Wharf, the biggest Romanian festival in Washington, D.C. This a tremendous occasion to celebrate the rich of Romanian culture, embracing its vibrant traditions, captivating heritage, and the spirit that defines Romania as a nation.
With the invaluable support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, and with generous support of our sponsors, this remarkable event has blossomed into a premier platform for promoting intercultural exchange and understanding.
From July 12 to 14, we invite you to embark on a transformative journey, as we showcase the very best of Romanian folk music, dance, craft-demonstrations, food-sampling, wine-tasting and more. Prepare to be enthralled by a kaleidoscope of performances that will transport you to the heart of Romania.
From traditional folk dances and music, to literary performances, the stage will come alive with the energy and passion of Romanian artists, leaving an indelible mark on your hearts.
The third edition of the Romanian Weekend at The Wharf is a demonstration of the dedication of the all participants: artists, sponsors and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this event a success.
May this weekend be a memorable experience for all!
Ambassador Andrei Muraru
IDENTITY WHARF
Here we are at the third edition of the Romanian Weekend at the Wharf, our biggest public and cultural diplomacy event in the United States. The Romanian Weekend is a continuously evolving event that, while from the beginning unprecedented in scope, has not stopped growing year after year. Every new edition has brought a more complex program, a more crowded stage, a bigger number of tents, and more days of celebration and excitement. It is huge, loud, and irresistible!
Yet this awesome event, packed with special moments, is not only distinguished by its unique scale. The Romanian Weekend is best described by the values that inspire and guide the artists and executives that make it happen. These three exciting days are all about beauty, creativity, generosity, balance, consistency, mutuality, and collaboration. Nothing is accidental in the program that we hope you will enjoy as much as we did when we put it together. Our aim is to create a weekend of joy and cultural discoveries. We want everyone to feel extraordinary and to learn as much as possible about Romania.
Anyone who enters our small Romanian village of tents on the Wharf should be able to find out as much as possible about Romania of today, a thriving modern democracy part of the European Union, as well as about Romania of immemorial traditions.
There is a huge amount of work, artistic and managerial, behind this multifaceted display of Romanian identity, and we think with gratitude to all those who contributed to its success. The Romanian Weekend is made possible by a broad and growing partnership, bringing together artists, cultural managers, diplomats, communication specialists, and technicians around a core tandem formed by the Romanian Embassy in the U.S. and the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York. Needless to say, the support of many sponsors was crucial.
The Romanian Weekend at the Wharf offers the three most spectacular days devoted to Romanian traditions and culture in America. It is a wide-open gate to Romania and the Romanians.
Come through it and let’s celebrate together!
Dorian Branea
Director of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York
About
The Embassy
of Romania
to the United States
Romania and the United States share a long-standing friendship dating back to 1880, when the two countries established diplomatic relations, on June 14.
An important landmark of the bilateral relations is the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, launched in Bucharest in 1997, in the presence of U.S. President Bill Clinton. Defined today as one of the fundamental pillars of Romania’s foreign policy, the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States remains a key milestone on Romania’s Euro-Atlantic pathway for the past 26 years.
In the evolution of the Strategic Partnership, the adoption of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century between the United States of America and Romania, on September 13, 2011 played a particularly important role in establishing the pillars of the Romania-U.S. relationship: political dialogue, security, economy, people, science and technology, research, education, and culture.
Culture had provided, over the years, a solid foundation of mutual trust and knowledge. The fall of the communist regime in 1989 ushered in the most fertile and expansive period of transatlantic cultural relations. In recent years, Romanian cultural projects have proliferated from New York to San Diego and from Seattle to Miami.
About the Romanian Cultural Institute New York
Established in 1969 as the Romanian Library, the Romanian Cultural Institute (RCI) in North America is one of Romania’s oldest cultural diplomacy vehicles.
Endowed with a versatile institutional identity, the RCI is at once a curator, promoter, producer of artistic and cultural events, resource center and learning hub, which act in synergy to showcase the diversity and vibrancy of Romanian artistic, cultural and academic scene and to galvanize the Romanian-American cultural relations at all levels. While based in New York City, the RCI aspires to a Pan-American presence as our projects cover the whole of the United States and major cultural centers in Canada. The RCI also acts as the principle artistic agency for Romanian artists in the United States and beyond. A networking specialist, it works to establish thriving, ever-expanding partnerships among Romanian and American cultural organizations, public or independent.
Partners
About The Location
The Wharf in
Washington, DC
The Wharf reestablished Washington, DC, as a waterfront city and destination. This remarkable, mile-long stretch along the Potomac River comes to life with restaurants, retailers, residences, and businesses—all complemented by monumental views and a vibrant culture.
With The Wharf completely constructed and thriving, it’s easy to forget how much time and effort went into making it happen.