DC preps its best for Correspondents’ dinner

Naomi Campbell, Connie Britton, Jane Fonda, and Lucy Liu will be among the high-wattage stars lending a touch of Hollywood to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday.

The annual soiree — which not long ago attracted tabloid sensations such as Kim Kardashian and Lindsay Lohan — has in recent years been a bit more understated. But the lineup for events surrounding the correspondents’ dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel is anything but low-key; more than two dozen happenings are being held across the city throughout the weekend.

{mosads}Included among the high-profile gatherings is a star-studded bash Friday hosted by The Hill, “Extra” and the Canadian Embassy. The event at the embassy in downtown Washington will feature a VIP red carpet, specialty cocktails crafted by “Top Chef” star Spike Mendelsohn and a slew of celebs. Liu from “Elementary” and Britton of “Nashville” fame, along with Connie Nielsen from “The Following,” and “House of Cards” actress Constance Zimmer (who are all also attending the dinner as guests of The Hill) are poised to be there for all the action during the glam evening.

Naomi Campbell, who has graced countless magazine covers and catwalks, and seen a resurgence in popularity with her role on Fox’s über hit “Empire” will attend the dinner as a guest of Yahoo News. The supermodel’s tablemates may make for some interesting dinner conversation; Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Victoria’s Secret model Karlie Kloss, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and journalist Katie Couric are also heading to the dinner with Yahoo.

As ITK was first to report, Fonda, the famed actress, political activist and ex-wife of CNN founder Ted Turner, will attend the correspondents’ dinner as a guest of the cable news network.

Some of the other notable guests who are headed to Washington include: Michael Kelly from “House of Cards,” Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, Téa Leoni  from “Madam Secretary,” real-life former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Bellamy Young from “Scandal,” “Modern Family” star Julie Bowen, reality television star Brody Jenner, “Selma” director Ava DuVernay, actress Alfre Woodard, and New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler.