The White House Correspondents Dinner is happening this Saturday, April 27th, and the festivities have already begun. For over a century, the event hosted by the White House Correspondents Association has honored the Fourth Estate–and it always brings some familiar faces to town.
This year’s WHCD guest lists include a swath of major Hollywood players: Chris Pine, recent Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan, Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, and Pretty in Pink co–stars Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald. SNL cast member Colin Jost is headlining this year, so you can try to catch a glimpse of him or his superstar wife Scarlett Johanssen.
A whole weekend of events surrounds the main dinner, including a reception tonight honoring West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin at the Riggs hotel in Penn Quarter. Tomorrow, there’s the CAA kick-off party honoring Jost at the newly opened La Grande Boucherie and the UTA’s “Celebration of America’s Journalists” bash at the Fiola Mare. On the morning of the WHCD, actors Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell will attend a screening of their series The Diplomat at the Irish Ambassador’s residence in Kalorama before heading to the big dinner, and outlets like Washington Post and CBS News will have pre-game receptions. On Sunday morning, the place to be is the annual Politico brunch at Robert and Elena Allbritton’s Georgetown home.
If you’re on the celeb-spotting hunt, the Four Seasons in Georgetown is a good place to start. The hotel (complete with a “Royal suite” outfitted with bullet-proof glass and a private entrance) is a longtime favorite for visiting stars, and has hosted prior WHCD guests like Angelina Jolie and Owen Wilson. The industrial-chic Ritz-Carlton, also in Georgetown, has drawn some big names, such as Michael Jordan and Mark Wahlberg. And last year, the St. Regis in downtown DC housed John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. The Jefferson, Willard Intercontinental, Riggs, and Waldorf-Astoria lobbies could also be worth a try.
Or, just show up to the Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut Ave., NW) where the official dinner is taking place on Saturday. Just be sure to arrive early–the red carpet usually attracts hordes of fans.
Want to watch from your couch? C-Span’s website and app will stream the arrivals starting at 6 PM, and the 8 PM dinner. Other media outlets, like CNN, usually show the dinner’s opening remarks from the host and the President.
