Opening Party with Little Salon

Alex and Olmsted

She | Her | Hers [Sarah Olmstead Thomas] // He | Him | His [Alex Vernon]

Alex and Olmsted is an internationally acclaimed puppet theater company based in Takoma Park, Maryland. They have received two Jim Henson Foundation Grants and were recently awarded the 2020 Regional and State Independent Artist Award for Performing Arts from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).

Charity Blackwell

She | Her | Hers

Charity Blackwell is a spoken word artist, poet, emcee, motivational speaker, activist, and teacher who hails from South Carolina and now calls Washington, DC home. As a queer woman of color and daughter of a former NAACP president, Charity has always used her talents to uplift the LGBTQ and African American communities, as well as advocating for social justice, youth development, domestic violence awareness, and women’s rights. She’s performed on stages and media outlets near and far, including Lincoln Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Hirshhorn Museum, BBC News, Major League Soccer Network, and more. Charity is a graduate of Trinity University in Washington, DC, where she earned a bachelor’s and master’s in communications.

BOOMscat

She | Her | Hers [Asha] // She | Her | Hers [Patience]

Based here in Washington, DC, The Peace and Body Roll Duo BOOMscat invites audiences in with their one-of-a-kind flavor of R&B. Featuring keyboardist/drummer/producer Asha Santee (BOOM) and vocalist/songwriter Jennifer Patience Rowe (scat), BOOMscat has been bringing music to DC (and beyond) since 2012. In 2017, they were selected by EventsDC and Brightest Young Things to represent DC’s music scene with a performance at SxSW in Austin, Texas. BOOMscat has released four albums, including the No Life Jacket EP, which climbed to #18 on the iTunes Top R&B Albums list, and their most recent release, Kinetic (2018).

Chris Flockton

He | Him | His

As a performer, Chris was a member of New York’s acclaimed Rumble in the RedRoom sketch comedy ensemble, and later wrote and performed with his own sketch comedy group, The Belgian Summers. On stage, he has appeared in roles both serious and comedic at regional theatres around the country, most recently in the 2019 off-Broadway premier of Only Yesterday, which was a New York Times Critics’ Pick. In addition, Chris has appeared in featured roles in film and TV, including The Boondock Saints, Law & Order SVU, and The Guiding Light, in dozens of TV commercials, and has worked extensively as a live host for large events around the world.

As a voiceover talent he has provided the voice for countless TV and radio spots, and from 2003-2015 and 120 episodes was the narrator of VH1’s top-rated show, The Fabulous Life.

Chris lives in Vermont with his family and 17 animals.

Chris Maier

He | Him | His

Chris Maier is the founder of Little Salon, which celebrated its sixth birthday earlier this year, and is creative director at digital creative agency Artemis Ward, where he partners with clients and colleagues to bring brand stories and experiences to life. Originally from the Appalachian foothills of Western Pennsylvania, Chris is the founding force behind the award-winning international literary magazine Ninth Letter and founding editor of the downstate Illinois digital daily news publication Smile Politely.

Denaya Jones

Denaya Jones is a Washington D.C. native and Virginia Commonwealth University graduate, and has been in hospitality for over nine years. Over the span of her career, an administrative position with black-owned catering and event design company, Charlene’s Kitchen evolved into a true passion for not only hospitality, but cocktails and spirits as a whole.

In addition to operating Deestilled, Denaya has worked behind stick at multiple bars throughout Washington D.C. from Petworth, Dupont, to Georgetown, to most recently at Serenata, in the Union Market area. She is also Operations Director for craft spirits retailer, Seelbach’s, and Content Curator for the D.C. based non-profit, Chocolate City’s Best.

In addition to continued work both behind and beyond the bar, Denaya has competed in and won multiple cocktail competitions, including Chocolate City’s Best, 2018 and the Grey Goose Express Your Cocktail Challenge.