Photos from Washingtonian’s 50th Anniversary Party

Washingtonian celebrated its 50^th anniversary with a party at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on October 28. The 850 guests included writers whose work appeared in the October 1965 inaugural issue, advertisers who have supported the magazine over the years, and three generations of the Merrill family, who have owned the Washingtonian since 1979.

Guests at this invitation-only celebration nibbled on delectable bites from Spilled Milk Catering, toasted the magazine with a specialty orange crush cocktail at the Home Depot bar, and enjoyed an open bar stocked with Ketel One Vodka, Zacapa Rum, Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Johnnie Walker Whiskey, Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Goose Island. Attendees played casino games hosted by Maryland Live! Casino, tested their knowledge with a Washingtonian cover trivia contest at the Celebrity Cruises lounge, and relaxed in the Capital One lounge.

To honor the milestone, the magazine also donated a total of $50,000 to five nonprofit organizations that have served our community for 50 years or more: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Children’s National Health System, Ford’s Theatre, and Junior Achievement of Greater Washington.

Thank you to all our sponsors: Architectural Ceramics; BDO USA; the Beautiful Mind Foundation; Bernard R. Wolfe & Associates; Boone & Sons; Brown Advisory; Brunswick Group; Capital One; Celebrity Cruises; the Coca-Cola Company; Curran Moher Weis; FDL Dermatology; Grenadier, Starace, Duffett, Keisler, & Levi; Halt, Buzas & Powell; the Home Depot; I. Gorman Jewelers; Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; Joseph Greenwald & Laake; Katz, Marshall and Banks; Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, Depaolis, & Lightfoot; Law Offices of Jezic & Moyse; Law Offices of James N. Papirmeister; Maryland Live! Casino; Morgenstern Injury Lawyers; Peet’s Coffee & Tea; Regan Zambri Long; Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom; Shounbach; Sonus Arlington Hearing Center; and Verus Consulting Group.

Thank you to our partners:

Beverages: Charmer Sunbelt Group

Cake Pops: Baked by Yael

Catering: Spilled Milk Catering

Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcake

Cookies: District Desserts

Floral/Production: Amaryllis Floral & Event Design

Green Screen: Washington Talent Agency

Music/Lighting/AV: Bruce Pike Productions

Valet: Unipark Valet & Parking Services

Venue: National Museum of Women in the Arts

Photography by Rodney Bailey and Dan Swartz

Amaryllis Floral & Event Design wowed guests with their creative cake centerpiece.

Steve Case of Revolution Growth and the Case Foundation; Congresswoman Debbie Dingell; and Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation.

Guests tested their luck at the Maryland Live Casino lounge.

Coca-Cola created custom Washingtonian bottles to celebrate 50 years.

Catherine Merrill Williams with Long & Foster’s Barry Redler.

Guests devoured delicious mini tacos from Spilled Milk Catering.

Guests enjoyed champagne and sweet treats in the Capital One Lounge.

Nancy Merrill with Judge Lawrence Silberman and his wife, Patricia.

Guests were greeted by stilt walkers as they entered the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Politico owner and publisher Robert L. Albritton with wife Elena.

Guests could enjoy a “Home Depot Crush” cocktail at the Home Depot bar.

Washingtonian publisher Catherine Merrill Williams-with (from left) son Wynne, husband Paul Williams, sister Nancy Merrill, and brother Doug Merrill–welcomed guests to the 50th anniversary celebration.

Partygoers enjoyed tasty red velvet cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes.

Eric Spiegel, CEO of Siemens USA; Doreen Spiegel; Genevieve Ryan; and Washington Post CEO Fred Ryan.

District Dessert provided Maryland Live Casino themed treats.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions’ Mike Maiorana and his wife, Ann.

The National Musuem of Women in the Arts was a full house.

White House social secretary Deesha Dyer with Washingtonian editor Michael Schaffer.

Partygoers guessed what year old Washingtonian covers were from in the Celebrity Cruises lounge.

Chip Akridge and David Lawson.

Washingtonian covers lined the entrance of the museum.

NBC4 general manager Jackie Bradford (left) with news anchors Eun Yang and Jim Handly.

Guests had a variety of beverages to choose from at the fully stocked bars sponsored by Charmer Sunbelt Group, Budweiser, Stella Artois and Goose Island.

Washingtonian production director Margi Dooley and her husband, Joe.

Maryland Live Casino president and general manager, Robert Norton.

Jack Limpert, Washingtonian’s editor for 40 years, shares a laugh with publisher emeritus Eleanor Merrill.

Catherine Merrill Williams and writer Sally Quinn with Quinn’s 1986 Washingtonian cover by Andy Warhol.

GEICO’s Rynthia Rost and her daughter; model Katie Rost.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Jack Davies, Kay Kendall, Mary Haft, Dorothy and Bill McSweeny.

Partygoers raise a glass to celebrate 50 years of Washingtonian Magazine.

Catherine Merrill Williams Home Depot’s Kent Knutson, Doug Merrill, Fred Malek, and Britlan Malek.

Veteran Washingtonian real-estate ad manager Byron Wolfe and wife Barbara.