Things to do in DC: 2012 H Street Festival

Washington D.C. isn't just a sandbox for suits and politicians. Lots of normal, even cool, people live, work, and play here. Many of them could be spotted at last weekend's H Street Festival, an annual street fair spanning H Street NE from 8 to 14th streets. The H Street Festival has exploded in popularity in the past few years and now features an overwhelming number of performances, activities, and vendors. In one afternoon I saw several local bands, a pie eating contest, a tattoo contest, a dance off, a guy making artistic wood carvings using a magnifying glass (apparently an art form known as pyrography), and a rock opera production.   Take a look at the following photos from the 2012 H Street Festival to experience the madness yourselves. Crowd Shots: A kid playing with the Baltimore Rock Opera Society: Pie Eating Contest: Tattoo Contest: Cleaning up: