August 13, 2009

ANNUAL STONE SOUL PICNIC
RETURNS TO RFK STADIUM SATURDAY
Soulful Summer Music Festival Features Free Performances by Mary Mary, BBD, Ginuwine, Chico DeBarge, Chuck Brown and More

Washington, D.C. – The DC Sports and Entertainment Commission and Radio One, Inc. – Washington, D.C. today announced that the Stone Soul Picnic, one of the largest free community music festivals on the East Coast, is back for its 19th year on Saturday, August 15 on the RFK Stadium festival grounds from 12-8 p.m.

“We are pleased to once again welcome Radio One and the Stone Soul Picnic to the RFK Stadium grounds for one of the region’s most celebrated community events,” said Erik A. Moses, CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission.

Since the early 1990’s, the Stone Soul Picnic and RFK Stadium have been host to thousands of hip-hop, R&B and gospel fans that gather for the annual festival. Known for bringing some of the most recognizable names in music to the nation’s capital, the Stone Soul Picnic showcases both local D.C. talent and national recording artists.

This year’s festival lineup includes Mary Mary, Ginuwine, Chico DeBarge, Bell Biv DeVoe, Ruben Studdard and local legend Chuck Brown. Also planned are two musical tributes to legendary entertainer Michael Jackson.

“This year’s festival will be one of our best ever,” said Michele Williams, VP and General Manager of Radio One Inc. – Washington, D.C. market. “RFK Stadium is the ideal host site and we expect another impressive showing this Saturday.”

In keeping with tradition, the Stone Soul Picnic also features several family-friendly activities in addition to the live entertainment. These events include an array of games, food vendors, children’s activities, product sampling, and your favorite Radio One personalities hosting all the fun.

RFK Stadium is easily accessible by the Metro on the Blue and Orange lines (Stadium-Armory station) and numerous bus lines. Limited on-site parking is also available. No tickets are required for the event.

About DC Sports and Entertainment Commission
The DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, an independent agency of the District of Columbia Government, seeks to enrich the local community by attracting and hosting sports, entertainment and special events in Washington, D.C. while promoting the Nation’s Capital as a premier event destination. In addition, the mission of the organization is to support citywide community events and programs involving youth, amateur and professional sports. The DCSEC operates the Stadium-Armory campus which includes RFK Stadium, the DC Armory and the surrounding Festival Grounds and serves as the landlord of Nationals Park. For more information, please visit www.dcsec.com.