Skip to main content

With Lunchtime Music on the Mall Starting May 19, Norton to Introduce Congressional Resolution of Support

May 12, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced she will introduce a resolution this week honoring Lunchtime Music on the Mall, which is produced in partnership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, and the National Park Service (NPS), in conjunction with Norton. Lunchtime Music on the Mall features local artists from a wide variety of genres, and begins this year on Tuesday, May 19, and will take place every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 1:00 p.m. at 7th Street and Jefferson Drive SW during the summer months.

"Each summer, District residents flock outdoors to take advantage of the warm weather months, but before Music on the Mall, there was little reason for workers downtown to bring their lunch to the most obvious place, our magnificent National Mall," Norton said. "D.C. gets a double benefit from Music on the Mall. It gives workers a chance to take a well-deserved break from their busy schedules to relax in the shade, and it gives some of D.C.'s talented and upcoming artists the perfect stage to share their music."

Norton's resolution acknowledges the work of NPS in bringing weekday musical activities to the Mall, a provision originally in Norton's National Mall Revitalization and Designation Act, which the NPS has implemented administratively. The resolution also recognizes the Mall as a national treasure and a natural showcase for D.C. and regional musical acts. Lunchtime Music on the Mall was developed to especially benefit federal and other office workers who work nearby but seldom see the Mall as a place to have lunch and enjoy the outdoors.

The text of Norton's resolution follows:

Expressing support for Lunchtime Music on the Mall in the Nation's capital to benefit the District of Columbia and regional residents as well as visitors and honor the public service of the performers and partners.

RESOLUTION

Whereas the "National Mall Revitalization and Designation Act" seeks to enliven the National Mall for residents and visitors;

Whereas the National Park Service, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Smithsonian Institution, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation have now agreed to be a partner and producer of the 2015 Lunchtime Music on the Mall every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. during the summer months;

Whereas the National Mall is a national and D.C. tourist attraction;

Whereas many federal and other office workers work downtown and in the vicinity of the National Mall;

Whereas the National Mall is a national treasure, supported by U.S. taxpayers to provide a unique park space with potential for a variety of outdoor enjoyment;

Whereas many excellent amateur and professional musicians reside in the District of Columbia and the national capital region;

Whereas the Mall provides a natural stage for the display of city and regional talent;

Whereas the National Park Service has made available a central location frequented by visitors and commuters alike for Lunchtime Music on the Mall;

Whereas Lunchtime Music on the Mall offers benefits to many of the 20 million visitors annually to Washington, D.C.;

Whereas 2015 is the fourth season for Lunchtime Music on the Mall: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the House recognizes and commends -

Lunchtime Music on the Mall as an enhancement to urban life and musical culture in the nation's capital and to appreciation of the National Mall;

Local performers bringing their talents to Lunchtime Music on the Mall; and

The National Park Service, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Smithsonian Institution, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities for their public service in providing live music performances at no charge to the public.