July 17, 2024 Enjoy Musical Performances and Summer Movies on the Lawn During Live! at the Library in August

Visitors are invited to celebrate the sounds of summer during Live! at the Library with various musical performances during the entire month of August.

The United States Air Force Band returns to the Library of Congress on Aug. 1 to whisk audiences away on a romantic adventure in Paris. On Aug. 8, escape to the Caribbean without leaving D.C. to hear the vibrant island sounds of steelpan with Panquility Band. Les Zazous comes to the Library on Aug. 15 with music inspired by the captivating café sounds of Paris. Finally, Windborne will deliver a dynamic concert on Aug. 22, featuring a diverse repertoire of songs from Corsica, the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Quebec and beyond.

On Thursday evenings, the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building and all exhibitions are open for extended hours from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy happy hour drinks and snacks available for purchase in the Library’s beautiful Great Hall overlooking the Capitol while visiting the Library’s exhibitions, collections and programs.

Visitors are also invited to Experience the Main Reading Room during Live! at the Library. Usually reserved for researchers, visitors can now walk inside and see one of Washington’s most beautiful spaces. Please note that due to strong interest and limited capacity, those with timed-entry passes are not guaranteed access.

Ticketing

Summer Movies on the Lawn: No tickets are required, but visitors are encouraged to arrive early as space is limited. Movies will begin at sundown. Visitors must stay with their items on the lawn at all times. Guests may bring their own blankets, chairs, food and beverages, but alcohol is prohibited.

For special events during Live! at the Library, please use the event registration ticketing link found next to the event or at loc.gov/live. This ticket grants access to the special event as well as the Library’s exhibitions and the happy hour portion of the evening.

For entry into the Library only for happy hour, an extended view of our exhibitions or to experience the Main Reading Room during Live! at the Library, a regular timed-entry pass can be obtained at loc.gov/visit.

Programming Highlights for August

Aug. 1: Join us for a screening of "Rocky" (1976), in celebration of sports and the 2024 Olympics. This film follows an underdog boxer, Rocky Balboa, who gets an unlikely chance to fight the heavyweight champion in a match that becomes a personal quest for self-respect. No tickets are required to attend this event.

Aug. 1: The United States Air Force Band will perform music by Gershwin, Fauré, Louiguy and Strayhorn alongside the USAF String Orchestra and Strolling Strings on the Mezzinene of the Great Hall. Timed-ticket entry tickets are required.

Aug. 8: Join us for a screening of "Lady and the Tramp" (1955), the beloved animated classic that tells the story of Lady, a pampered cocker spaniel, and Tramp, a charismatic street-smart mutt. No tickets are required to attend this event.

Aug. 8: Panquility Band will perform joyful melodies and rhythms on the Southeast lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Building. This performance will start before the showing of "Lady and the Tramp.” No tickets are required to attend this event.

Aug. 15: Les Zazous will perform jazz and café music inspired by the sounds of Paris on the Mezzanine of the Great Hall. Timed-ticket entry tickets are required.

Aug. 22: Tomáš Drgoň Gypsy Jazz Trio performs an arrangement of folklore, jazz and dance music pulled from the collections of the Music Division, the American Folklife Center, and the Motion Picture, Broadcasting & Recorded Sound Division. Timed-ticket entry tickets are required.

Aug. 29: Windborne performs a dynamic concert with songs from Corsica, the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Quebec and Basque country, as well as traditional and original American folk music. Register for tickets.

Exhibitions On View

• The inaugural exhibition in the David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery draws from the Library’s rich Americana and international holdings in more than 450 languages and a variety of formats created across time and continents. “Collecting Memories” marks the ways and the means cultures preserve memory.
• The Library’s new Olympic Games display showcases items from the collections related to the modern Summer Olympic Games. It includes items documenting the 1924 Summer Olympics – the last time Paris hosted the games. View the display on the second floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building beginning June 28 through Aug. 28.

• “Not an Ostrich: And Other Images from America’s Library” represents a sampling of the more than 15 million photographs held by the Library, ranging from the early days of photography to today. Located in the Southwest Gallery of the Thomas Jefferson Building, visitors will see the “first selfie,” which is thought to be the earliest known American photographic self-portrait, and view important pictures of Harriet Tubman, the Wright brothers and more. 
• Take a trip through a re-created version of Thomas Jefferson’s Library, which assembles 6,487 volumes that founded the Library of Congress, and learn how one of America’s greatest thinkers was inspired through the world of books.

Live! at the Library is part of a broader effort to reimagine the visitor experience at the Library of Congress that invites visitors to enjoy the Library and its collections in new formats during extended evening hours on Thursday nights. The series regularly features special conversations, music, performances, films and workshops that showcase the broad range of holdings at the national library.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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PR 24-058
07/18/2024
ISSN 0731-3527