Tar Heels Take Over Nationals Park: UNC Alumni Chris Zaber Brings Chapel Hill to DC
UNC alum Chris Zaber leads Tar Heels fans to Nationals Park in Washington DC, spotlighting the DMV's deep Carolina Blue alumni network. Here's what happened.
In brief
Washington DC is home to one of the most active UNC Tar Heels alumni communities in the country, and events like Chris Zaber's Nationals Park visit put that network on full display. The DMV's Carolina Blue faithful — spread across Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, and Northern Virginia — regularly turn DC venues into an extension of Chapel Hill, proving that the bond forged on Franklin Street doesn't fade when graduates cross into the Beltway.
⚡ KEY TAKEAWAYS
UNC alum Chris Zaber brought the Tar Heels community to Nationals Park in Southeast DC, spotlighting the DMV's thriving Carolina Blue alumni network.
Washington DC ranks among the top metro areas in the country for UNC alumni concentration, with thousands of graduates working across federal agencies, law firms, and nonprofits.
Nationals Park has become a premier gathering ground for college alumni groups in the DMV — not just for Nationals baseball, but for community-building events year-round.
The UNC Alumni Association DC chapter is one of the most active regional chapters in the university's national network.
Alumni activations like this one reflect a broader trend of college communities anchoring social identity in a city where professional networks dominate.
Why Nationals Park Has Become DC's Alumni Living Room
Sitting along the Anacostia waterfront in Navy Yard, Nationals Park has evolved well beyond its identity as a baseball stadium. Since opening in 2008, the venue has positioned itself as a flexible events hub — hosting concerts, corporate gatherings, and increasingly, alumni meetups that draw graduates from universities across the ACC, SEC, and Big Ten into the same concourse.
For UNC alumni like Chris Zaber, the park offers something rare in Washington: a neutral-yet-festive space where the Carolina Blue faithful can gather without the stiff formality of a conference room or the noise constraints of a U Street bar. The open-air setting near the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station on the Green Line makes it accessible from anywhere in the District, Maryland, or Virginia — a logistical fact that matters enormously in a metro area where alumni are scattered from Bethesda to Alexandria.
According to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the university has produced more than 320,000 living alumni worldwide, with a significant cluster concentrated in the DC metro area. That density creates the kind of organic community energy Zaber's Nationals Park visit captured on video — one that the UNC Alumni Association has worked deliberately to cultivate through its regional chapter network.
Chris Zaber and the Face of UNC's DC Network
Chris Zaber, a UNC Chapel Hill graduate now based in the DC area, represents a generation of Tar Heels who arrived in Washington for work — policy, law, media, consulting — and stayed for community. His video from Nationals Park, shared through Tar Heel Times, captures the informal but genuine connective tissue that holds alumni networks together long after graduation day.
That connective tissue matters in Washington more than perhaps any other American city. In a town where your alma mater can open doors, shape your dinner party invite list, and determine which happy hour you attend on a Thursday in Penn Quarter, alumni identity is as much a professional tool as a personal one. Carolina Blue carries particular weight — UNC has deep pipelines into the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, major DC law firms on K Street, and national media organizations with bureaus on 15th Street NW.
Moments like Zaber's Nationals Park visit aren't just nostalgia exercises. They're recruitment events for the network itself — reminding newer DC arrivals that their people are here, active, and worth finding. For a look at how alumni and institutional networks shape power in the District, see our DC Power Players Index.
The DMV's College Alumni Culture: Bigger Than Game Day
Walk into Sauf Haus Bier Hall on Connecticut Avenue on a college football Saturday and you'll understand immediately: DC's alumni culture is one of the most competitive in the country. ACC schools — UNC, Duke, NC State, Virginia — battle for bar real estate and social media presence with the same intensity their teams battle on the court and field.
But the gatherings that build lasting community happen away from the televised games. They happen at Nationals Park on a Tuesday evening when Chris Zaber shows up with a camera and a group of people who all know the words to "Hark the Sound." They happen at Eastern Market pop-ups, at rooftop happy hours in Logan Circle, and at fundraisers for Chapel Hill-connected nonprofits working on education equity and public health — causes that resonate deeply in a city where policy is personal.
The Washington Post has documented DC's evolution into one of the most educated metropolitan areas in the United States, with nearly 60 percent of adults in the District holding a bachelor's degree or higher. That educational density feeds alumni culture at every level, from the Ivy League clubs of Dupont Circle to the HBCU networks anchored by Howard University just up Georgia Avenue.
Why This Matters in Washington
In Washington, institutional affiliation doesn't end at the diploma. It shapes careers, coalitions, and — increasingly — the informal power structures that run parallel to official government hierarchies. The UNC alumni network's visibility in DC, amplified by figures like Chris Zaber and documented by outlets like Tar Heel Times, reflects a city that organizes itself as much around where you went to school as where you work.
Nationals Park sits in one of DC's most rapidly transformed neighborhoods. Navy Yard has absorbed billions in development investment over the past decade, and its emergence as a gathering ground for alumni events signals how the neighborhood is maturing into a civic space — not just a residential boom zone. When a UNC alum can pull out a phone, capture a community moment at a major DC venue, and send it back to Chapel Hill in real time, that's the DMV's alumni culture operating exactly as designed.
The Washington Nationals have actively marketed Nationals Park as a community venue beyond baseball — a strategy that benefits from exactly the kind of organic alumni activation Zaber's visit represents. Group ticket packages and event rentals have made the Navy Yard stadium a revenue-diversification anchor, particularly during non-game windows.
What to Watch Next
The UNC-DC pipeline shows no signs of narrowing. As Chapel Hill continues to produce graduates bound for federal service, legal careers, and media roles in the capital, the alumni community here will keep growing — and keep showing up at places like Nationals Park to remind each other that the Tar Heel State doesn't end at the North Carolina border. Watch for the UNC DC alumni chapter's fall 2026 programming, which historically spikes around football season and political cycles. And watch Chris Zaber — he's clearly got a talent for making the community visible.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do UNC Tar Heels alumni gather in Washington DC?
UNC alumni in DC gather at a range of venues depending on the season and occasion. Nationals Park in Navy Yard, sports bars along Connecticut Avenue NW, and event spaces in Capitol Hill and Dupont Circle all serve as regular gathering points. The UNC Alumni Association DC chapter organizes formal events throughout the year.
Who is Chris Zaber and what is his connection to UNC and DC?
Chris Zaber is a University of North Carolina Chapel Hill alum based in the Washington DC area. He gained visibility in the Tar Heels online community through a video documenting his visit to Nationals Park, shared via Tar Heel Times. He represents the active UNC alumni presence in the DMV.
Why is Washington DC a hub for UNC Tar Heels alumni?
Washington DC draws UNC graduates through its concentration of federal agencies, law firms, nonprofits, and media organizations — all major career destinations for Chapel Hill graduates. The University of North Carolina has deep institutional pipelines into DC's public policy and legal sectors, making the metro area one of the largest UNC alumni clusters outside North Carolina.
What events happen at Nationals Park beyond baseball?
Nationals Park in the Navy Yard neighborhood hosts concerts, corporate events, community gatherings, and alumni meetups throughout the year. The Washington Nationals organization has expanded its event programming to make the stadium a year-round venue, including group and private event bookings.
How active is the UNC Alumni Association DC chapter?
The UNC Alumni Association's DC chapter is one of the most active regional chapters in the university's national network. It hosts social events, networking gatherings, and watch parties tied to Tar Heels athletics, particularly during college basketball season when UNC competes in the ACC.
How does alumni networking function differently in Washington DC than other cities?
In Washington DC, alumni networks serve professional as well as social functions more explicitly than in most American cities. Because so many careers are built on institutional relationships and referrals — particularly in policy, law, and media — where you went to school can directly shape your professional access and social circle in ways that are more pronounced than in cities organized primarily around private industry.
Reporting drawn from: Tar Heel Times. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
