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.

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.

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