“It’s all about nourishing yourself — mind, body, and soul through the arts,” says Kate Villa. The Kennedy Center’s Director of Comedy and Institutional Programming is telling me about “Nourish,” an array of events centered on “the profound impact of food and artistic expression on our lives.”

The arts and wellness festival, which places a strong emphasis on food, runs through the end of October at the nation’s performing arts center in Washington, D.C.

“I’m excited to bring in the culinary arts because it’s something that’s underappreciated as an art form,” Villa, her jet-black hair styled in a short, Ina Garten-inspired bob, says during an energetic and wide-ranging conversation one crisp fall morning.

“The culinary arts are an amazing art, but that’s only one part of it. When you are cooking, when you are creating something — whether it’s a visual piece of visual art, whether it’s dance, whether it’s the culinary arts — you’re in a meditative state, a state of creativity, a state of creation, and I wanted to expand that into as many genres as possible.”

Indeed, the festival, which launched last Tuesday with a Concert Hall speaking appearance by Ina Garten, America’s current grand doyenne of cooking (who will return for an encore on Nov. 26), is robust with highlights that encompass everything from cooking and dance classes to readings and discussions, to a farmer’s market, a “sound bath” on the Concert Hall stage, and even an ebullient communal sing.

That particular evening — The Big Sing — happens next Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at the National Cathedral. It’s free, but first-come, first-serve, and registration is strongly recommended.

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“It was the first thing I programmed for this festival,” says Villa. “Our conductor is Micah Hendler, from the Jerusalem Youth Chorus. What he does in his day-to-day is bring people together through song. And I think that this is going to be just a beautiful use of the space. I mean, who doesn’t want to sing in the cathedral? The acoustics are incredible, it’s gorgeous!”

The event, Villa says, is “BYO voice, you don’t need anything else.” She notes that the evening’s songs will be provided through a QR code, and Hendler will spend the first portion of the evening teaching various parts to segmented groups, after which all assembled will combine their vocals into one big, beautiful, resounding chorus. Villa is thoughtful about the evening’s deeper purpose.

“It really was inspired by this epidemic of loneliness [produced by the COVID epidemic],” she says. “How do we feed our social selves with art? Because that’s the most important part. It’s different when you’re singing in the shower from when you’re singing with a thousand people in the National Cathedral…. I have people in my life who need this, and I see people who need a push, a free event that they can just show up to, and enjoy, and be social, and hopefully make a friend.” 

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The Big Sing typifies the big leap Villa and the Kennedy Center are taking with “Nourish.”

“The epidemic of loneliness — the arts are primed to combat that,” she says. “They are all about being together, they’re all about sharing things together. And I think that that’s kind of how this all — especially the soul section of ‘Nourish’ — really came to be. Because the soul of arts is community.

“You can do art in a vacuum, you can do art by yourself, and it’s still art — and it still gives you great benefits, but it just physically changes when you’re in a space with other people doing that work.”

Another event that has Villa excited is Harvest Day, which will take place on the REACH plaza this Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s really focused on local food systems,” she explains. “We’re working with FRESHFARM, the folks who run a lot of farmer’s markets in D.C. They really focus on making sure the people who sell at their markets are either using local products to create what they are selling, or are selling their own local produce.

“I thought, what better way to work with them than to have a farmer’s market on the plaza? The event celebrates exactly what we want out of this festival — coming together and community. We’ve got local bands that are going to play. We’ve got local food. We’ve got education stations all over the plaza.

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“So if you wanted to come and buy flowers or some honey from a third-generation beekeeper, you could do that. If you wanted to bring your kids and have them put their hands in a bunch of compost and work with worms, you could do that. It’s hopefully a nice balance between education and enjoyment.

“And that’s really what I’m hoping the whole festival will be — a nice balance between education and enjoyment.”

A select list of remaining “Nourish” events follows. For more information and tickets, visit www.kennedy-center.org.

Comfort Food in Conversation
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Terrace Theater
$25-$35
A panel conversation exploring the nurturing and relaxing qualities of comfort food featuring cookbook author Joan Nathan, food reporter Priya Krishna, and Bomb Biscuit Co. owner Erika Council.

Harvest Day
Saturday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
REACH Plaza
Free, no reservations required.
Local nonprofit FRESHFARM presents a tasty journey through the local food system. Dive into hands-on activities to learn how food is grown and made — and discover easy ways to get involved, from cooking to composting. Plus: music, local vendors, and a day of fun for the whole family.

Breaking Bread: A Conversation on Gastro-Diplomacy with Alex Prud’homme
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Terrace Theater
$10-$20
From state dinners and the Camp David Accords to picturing yourself “having a beer” with a presidential candidate, food is at the center of diplomacy. This special event led by journalist and author of Dinner with the President and My Life in France Alex Prud’homme, explores the impact of food and its uses in cultural diplomacy across history and into the present. Moderated by Dr. Johanna Mendelson Forman, a premier expert on gastro-diplomacy and featuring Kwame Onwuachi, a James Beard Award-winning chef and author.

The Big Sing
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.
The National Cathedral
Free, but RSVPs are encouraged on the Kennedy Center website.
A community sing event presented by the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Cathedral, and the Levine School. This free event welcomes everyone to bring their own voice and enjoy the social and psychological benefits of singing together in one of D.C.’s grandest acoustic spaces. RSVP here.

Tragedy + Time: Sloane Crosley
Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Terrace Theater
$29-$39
New York Times best-selling author Sloane Crosley discusses her new book and the role of humor in coping with difficult times.

The RESET
Monday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.
Concert Hall
$25
An immersive sound experience and meditation session led by singer and sound healing artist Davin Youngs. Using improvisational singing, looping devices, and sound healing instruments, the event offers a unique Sound Bath that encourages a mental and emotional reset.

Be Ready When the Luck Happens:
An Evening Conversation with Ina Garten
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m.
Concert Hall
$39-$119
Garten will discuss and elaborate on the themes of her recently-published memoir, including her days as a Washington bureaucrat and her journey from being the owner of the Barefoot Contessa shop to becoming a Food Network star. Conversation followed by a Q&A.