Thursday: The first 150 customers who visit one of the three DC locations of Mixt Greens, a new gourmet salad house, receive a free tote bag stuffed with all kinds of ecofriendly goodies, including packets of herb seeds and recipes from chef/co-founder Andrew Swallow’s upcoming cookbook, Mixt Salads. All three locations open at 11.
Listen to the New Pornographers latest album, Together, before its official release at Café Saint-Ex. The A.V. Club and BrightestYoungThings are sponsoring the event, which includes giveaways such as tickets to the band’s upcoming show at 9:30 Club and autographed posters and records. As a bonus, once the listening party wraps up, head downstairs to Gate 51 for the indie dance party My Favorite Dress, where there are DJs and $5 Champagne and $7 cosmos. The listening party starts at 9.
Poste officially re-opens its courtyard for an Earth Day backyard bash. Chef Robert Weland is smoking and roasting a 400-pound pig provided by EcoFriendly Foods, and bartender Rico Wisner is mixing up garden punches. Entry fee is $15 (cash only) and includes a tasting of the roasted pig and a cocktail. There’ll also be a garden menu with $4 food and drink items. A percentage of the entrance fee will benefit the Washington Youth Garden and Beet Street Gardens, a community-garden project. 5:30 to 8.
The Nashville-based Fisk University Jubilee Singers perform at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage as part of the series Joyful Sounds: Gospel Across America. The performance begins at 6; free.
Sample local beers and organic wines at Green Hours, a happy hour held in the Phillips Collection’s cafe. One dollar of each purchase goes to benefit the Earth Day Network. 5 PM; free.
Stick around the Phillips Collection for an Earth Day panel discussion with winemaker Robert Lyons, Restaurant Nora’s chef Nora Pouillon, and Toigo Orchards farmer Mark Toigo. FreshFarm Markets director Ann Yonkers will moderate the discussion. A light tasting will be available afterward. 6:30; tickets are $15, and registration is required. To register, click here.
Starting tonight and running every Thursday through May 12, theatergoers under 30 who attend Scena Theatre’s production of Public Enemy—the Kenneth Branagh play about a young man’s obsession with Jimmy Cagney movies—at the H Street Playhouse get a beer or glass of wine included with the price of admission. Tickets ($25) can be purchased here.
Friday: The Korean Film Festival at the Freer Gallery continues with Dream, a work by the Korean provocateur Kim Ki-duk. The movie, which the Smithsonian calls a “head trip of a film,” explores dreams, reality, and the thin line in between. The screening starts at 7, and tickets are distributed on a first come, first served basis starting at 6:30. Free.
Tickets are still available for the Washington’s Ballet’s Jete Society Dance Party at the House of Sweden, with an after-party at the nearby City Tavern Club. General admission is $145 or $175 for VIP passes, which include access to open bars and a swag bag. To purchase a ticket, click here.
U Street’s Caramel boutique hosts an art opening and trunk show with works from artist Sandi Ritchie Miller and jewelry from FireJewel. Ten percent of sales benefit the Autism Speaks organization. Complimentary refreshments will be served. 6 PM.
The seventh annual Georgetown French Market runs today and tomorrow with more than 30 participating shops, including Sassanova, Urban Chic, the Bean Counter, Presse Bookstore, and Poppy. Most of these stores are offering sizeable discounts. The festival takes place on Wisconsin Avenue between Reservoir Road and P Street.
The comedian/actress Jennifer Coolidge, best known as Stifler’s mom from the American Pie movies—though we personally like to think of her fantastic roles in Best of Show and Party Down—performs a two-night standup show at the Arlington Cinema ’N’ Drafthouse. Tickets ($25) can be purchased here.
Liberation Dance Party—that absurdly fun event that takes place in DC9’s tiny quarters on Fridays—hosts the bands Dragonette and Think About Life. They take the stage at 11, and doors open at 9. The show is $8.
Saturday: Head to the Kennedy Center’s Roof Terrace Restaurant for a Russian-vodka tasting. Sample sips of Snow Queen vodka, made with wheat and spring water from the Himalayan foothills; Imperia vodka, a premium brand made from winter wheat that grows in the black soil of the Russian steppes; and Russian Standard, also made from winter grains that are milled, fermented, and distilled four times. The tasting costs $25 per person, including hors d’oeuvres, and starts at 6. For reservations and more information, call 202-416-8555.
Bring a blanket and picnic dinner to the outdoor Sylvan Theater for the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra’s Ella Fitzgerald Tribute. The night of outdoor jazz kicks off with West Point’s Jazz Knights and Howard University’s Afro-Blue. The concert begins at 5.
Cork wine bar is hosting a tasting of six white and red varietals from the Italian Dal Maso Winery. Winemaker Nicola Dal Maso will discuss his products. The cost of admission is $45, and reservations are required. To reserve a spot, e-mail info@corkdc.com. 3 PM.
Billed as a monthly themed comedy night showcasing local talent, Fan-Freakin-Tastic debuts at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room tonight. The theme: I Love the ’80s. $10; 8 PM.
Make your Saturday night a little more risqué with the Wasabassco Traveling Burlesque Revue and Medicine Show at the Palace of Wonders. Stars include reigning Miss Coney Island Gigi La Femme, Nasty Canasta, Cherry Bomb, Sapphire Jones, and the self-proclaimed Kingpin of Burlesque, Doc Wasabassco. The $10 show goes
on Saturday at 9:30 and 11:30.
Sunday: The Climate Rally on the National Mall for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day is shaping up to be the biggest ever of its kind. This year, expect speeches by film director James Cameron and activist Jesse Jackson, as well as performances by Sting, John Legend, and the Roots. Noon to 7. RSVP here.
Celebrate the grand opening of Dolcezza’s newest gelateria in Dupont Circle, a chic space outfitted with Argentine antiques and a pour-over coffee bar. Listen to live bluegrass music by Olivia Mancini (free!), nosh on 250 pounds of smoked pork (free!), and sample some of Dolcezza’s signature, hand-spun gelato (free!). Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. There’s no cost to attend the event, which runs from noon until 6.
Michael J. Gaynor has written about fake Navy SEALs, a town without cell phones, his Russian spy landlord, and many more weird and fascinating stories for the Washingtonian. He lives in DC, where his landlord is no longer a Russian spy.
