DOWNTOWN WASHINGTON, DC is only 8 miles from the campus of Columbia Union College, but you don't even have to go that far to find great cultural and entertainment activities. All throughout the month of June, Takoma Park (our home city) and Silver Spring (our neighbor) will the place to be for art, music, and film lovers.

The big event is the SILVERDOCS Documentary Film Festival sponsored by the American Film Institute (AFI) and the Discovery Channel. The festival takes place June 13-18 and will feature 100 of the best new documentaries from around the world. In addition, there will be outdoor screenings and concerts, a gala reception, and hundreds of special guests from around the world, including director Martin Scorsese, former major league pitcher Bill Lee, and former Vice President Al Gore. You can check film schedules online by clicking here.

The Discovery Channel has it's world headquarters in Silver Spring, MD -- just 2.5 miles from CUC's main campus. The AFI also has a main theater center in Silver Spring. It's nice to have such wonderful resources so close by.

But there's more...

• The Fifth Annual Takoma Park Film Festival has begun accepting film and video submissions. The deadline for entry is September 1. In previous years, many students from CUC have entered this competition
• The Takoma Park Jazz Festival takes place June 11-12 at Jequie Park.
• The Summer Music Scene and Silver Spring Swings have started at Silver Plaza. These are free summer concerts that take place in downtown Silver Spring on Thursday and Saturday nights. The music ranges from jazz to blues to classic rock.

All of these events are within 3-4 miles of the CUC campus. You could even walk to them if you wanted.