Hollywood meets Capitol Hill on correspondents’ dinner weekend

Saturday is the biggest night of the year for official
Washington, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, and it’s tough
to count which there are more of in town this weekend: Hollywood celebrities or
parties for them to go to.

The annual dinner will be held at the Washington Hilton, and
this year’s red carpet will live up to the dinner’s reputation for drawing
Hollywood star power: Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Scarlett Johansson, Jon
Bon Jovi, Ashley Judd, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Simpson, the Jonas Brothers,
Justin Bieber and Juliana Marguiles are all scheduled to attend.

{mosads}And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Add to that nearly every major political figure in the
nation’s capital, starting with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle
Obama, plus titans of industry such as Google CEO Eric Scmidt and publisher Mort
Zuckerman, and the result is an unprecedented melding of brains, beauty and,
above all, influence.

The weekend officially kicks off Friday night, with parties
throughout the city. There’s the People and Time magazine party at the St. Regis
Hotel. In Kalorama, Atlantic Media CEO David Bradley hosts a private dinner at
his house. A few blocks from the White House, CNBC hosts a book party for
Maria Baritromo at the W Hotel, the same spot where The New Yorker magazine
hosted its first-ever pre-dinner bash. Later that night, up in Georgetown,
Funny or Die hosts a “First Amendment Party” in Cady’s Alley.

On Saturday morning, there’s only one place to be: PR maven
Tammy Haddad’s annual brunch. Haddad sets up a tent in her backyard, and
hundreds of guests stop by over the course of four hours, before heading home
or to their hotel rooms to get ready for the big night. Many of Washington’s
toniest hair salons, like George at the Four Seasons, have been booked solid on
Saturday for months.

Starting at about 5:30 p.m. nearly every major news outlet
hosts a cocktail party in one of the honeycomb of conference rooms that line
the massive ballroom at the Hilton.

Guests make their way across the red carpet, or, for those
less inclined to strut, across the upstairs lobby, and head downstairs to the
parties.

In a new twist this year, only invitation-toting dinner
guests will be allowed access to the cocktail parties. The decision, announced
earlier this month, comes as tough news for the legions of well-dressed
party-crashers who have traditionally slipped into the cocktail hour.

The highlight of the dinner is a traditional speech by the
president. Last year, Obama got big laughs when he joked that Mother’s Day is a
difficult holiday for Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, because he’s “not used
to putting the word ‘day’ after ‘mother.'”

But, by all accounts, the best parties of the weekend take
place after dinner: the guest lists are seriously strict, and the pecking order
is well known to repeat attendees.

Topping the list is the jointly hosted Bloomberg/Vanity Fair
party, which is being held at the French Ambassador’s residence for the second
year in a row. The already glamorous setting is transformed into an
indoor/outdoor wonderland for the A-list only guest list. Last year, the stars
were Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett and former Social Secretary Desiree Rogers,
who were decked out in couture gowns. Jessica Simpson reportedly isn’t on the
list for this party, despite being scheduled to attend the dinner, so
partygoers will be keeping their eyes out for the songstress on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the city, MSNBC will host a blow-out party at
the Mellon Auditorium, a cavernous space that’s sure to draw political and
media heavyweights. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is slated to bartend. Luxury
magazine Capitol File is also hosting a party at the Mayflower Hotel, where
headliners include CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Guests can
look forward to tasty grilled late-night snacks from the host of the Food
Network’s “Boy Meets Grill.”

Partygoers lucky enough to be invited to all three parties
will hopscotch for much of the night, but the majority of dinner attendees
choose one party and stick to it. Valet lines stretch for miles, as do the
security lines to get into different venues.

Armed with little to no sleep, guests face a bevy of parties
on Sunday morning, although they have a decidedly quieter mood — and a number of
them offer aspirin as a courtesy to guests.

In years past, the only brunch in town was the one hosted by
John McLaughlin, on the rooftop of the Hay Adams, but this year there are two
new competitors. The National Resources Defense Council is throwing a brunch at
Democratic strategist Joe Lockhart’s house, which promises to draw actor Adrian
Grenier. Across town, Albritton Communications founder Robert Albritton is
hosting a brunch at his Georgetown home.

For a complete list of the celebrity guests expected to
attend various events, click here.