New Cady's Alley Location for relish

Cady's Alley, the most recent project of Georgetown developer Anthony Lanier, has revitalized an old commercial area south of M Street, N.W. with the addition of chic design stores and specialty clothing shops such as Bo Concepts, Ann Sacks and bulthaup. The newest addition is relish, an expansion of the Chevy Chase boutique that has been offering stylish European clothing for women since 1996. On April 22, relish's owner Nancy Pearlstein will open her doors to clients looking for the latest designs for both men and women.

Designers such as Marni , Alberta Ferretti and Narcisco Rodriguez will be available for women, while offerings for men will include pieces from designers such as Comme Des Garcons, Nicole Farhi and Paul Smith. Look for Miu-Miu and Pirelli, among others, in the shoe department and a beauty bar featuring skincare products and colognes. Prior to opening relish, Pearlstein was vice president of merchandising for Louis, her family's clothing store in Boston .

3rd Annual Dragon Races

The Dragon Boat Festival returns to the Georgetown waterfront for the third time on May 22 when 22-member teams will race down the Potomac to drumbeats in boats designed to look like dragons. Last year, 45 teams participated in the ancient sport of Chinese dragon boat racing. The race commemorates Chu Yuan (340-278 BC), a poet and political leader in the state of Chu who drowned himself in the Mi-Lo River after his state was conquered by a neighbor. When the people of Chu rushed in vain to save him, they beat drums and threw rice dumplings in the water to keep the dragons from eating their leader. Each year on the anniversary of his death, people simulate rushing out in their fishing boats to save him.

Local Movie Star

Washington 's own Whitney Cummings is the star of a new independent film getting a lot of buzz. “EMR” has been chosen by the Cannes Film Festival to be shown as a feature at the festival in May. Written and directed by James Erskine and Danny McCullough, the film is a psychological thriller examining the apparent exploitation of an ordinary man by large pharmaceutical companies. Cummings plays the part of “Cyberbunnylily,” a computer screen name for Lily, the love interest of the neurotic main character, Adam, who believes the pharmaceutical companies are out to get him.

Cummings graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania 's Annenberg School for Communication in 2003 and was cast without an agent or any other form of representation. She quickly learned the script and sent the director a taped audition that impressed him so much that she landed the role. On March 8, the DC Independent Film Festival showed a sneak preview at the Loews Cineplex at 5100 Wisconsin Avenue .

WINK Opens in Georgetown

WINK, a new M Street fashion boutique that opened in March carries designs by Theory, Tocca, Trina Turk, Milly, Seven, Citizens, Blue Cult, James Perse, and Miguelina. The New York-style shop specializes in young designers (both known and unknown) and will reflect new trends in the fashion world both in the U.S. and abroad. Washington's Lauren Mason and Paige Speyer of Jackson Hole , Wyo. , are the proprietors of this new Georgetown hotspot.

Washington Avon Walk

Registration is open for the annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer on May 1 and 2. Individual walkers and teams commit to raise at least $1,800 each for the cause. Although the goal is to walk the full (26.2 mile) marathon over two days, the walk is designed for all fitness levels and participants to continue on as far as they are able. More ambitious walkers can do the full marathon on Saturday, with the option of doing another half marathon (13.1 miles) on Sunday. Refreshments, massages, hot showers and tents will be provided by the Avon Wellness Village . All proceeds benefit breast cancer awareness programs, screening and diagnosis, treatment, support services and scientific research. To register or to donate, visit www.avonwalk.org.

Red Hot Restaurants

The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) announced finalists for the 2004 Restaurant “RAMMY” awards on March 1. The awards are chosen by a panel of Washington food writers and hospitality industry educators. Categories include Chef of the Year, Restaurant Employee of the Year, Wine and Beverage Program of the Year, and Restaurant Employee of the Year. Three new categories, Neighborhood Gathering Place , Hottest Restaurant Bar Scene and Power Spot will be chosen by the public through a ballot in the Washington Post Magazine. Among the nominees are Cafe Milano for Neighborhood Gathering Place , Bistro Bis for Hottest Bar Scene, and The Prime Rib for Power Spot. The winners will be revealed at the RAMY Awards Gala on June 6 at the Washington Hilton, when Abe Pollin will receive the Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award for his contributions to downtown Washington . For a complete list of nominees, visit RAMW's website at www.ramw.org.