THURSDAY, MAY 30
FILM Relive the 90s at the National Museum of American History with its Totally 90s Film Festival. Catch favorites of the decade, such as Fight Club, Office Space, The Big Lebowski, and Blair Witch Project. On Saturday, come early for a Super Fly 90s Party with Riley from HOT 99.5 FM’s Kane Show and a 90s music dance party, prior to a screening of Clueless. Through June 30 (note that more films are still to be announced). $12 for individual screenings or $45 for 6/1 party and screening.
BENEFIT Support DC SCORES, a non-profit that provides programs for DC kids in poetry and soccer, at the “One Night One Goal” event at Audi Field. Check out behind-the-scenes tours of the field, eat food from Chef José Andrés’s ThinkFoodGroup, hang out with members of D.C. United, bid on auction experiences such as a Spy Museum Tour with a former CIA operative, and (for an additional donation) try to take a penalty kick on the field. $250 ($350 includes a Penalty Kick Experience), 6 PM.
FRIDAY, MAY 31
PERFORMANCE Pop-Up Magazine is bringing its Spring issue to the Lincoln Theatre; this show will feature journalists, photographers, and filmmakers with multimedia presentations that aren’t captured or recorded, so you have to be there to see it. Hear writers including Jon Mooallem (The New York Times Magazine), Mallika Rao (The Atlantic), and Vann Newkirk II (The Atlantic); stories range from tales of Indian weddings, the life of domestic workers, and the quest for free Burger King Whoppers for life. The night’s original score will be performed by Magik*Magik Orchestra. $29-$39, 7:30 PM.
FILM The 48 Hour Film Project took place in mid-May, but the films will be screened this weekend at the AFI Silver Theater. In this DIY competition, film teams are given a genre, a prop, a character, and a line of dialogue; see what they came up with at one of five different screenings, each of which features roughly a dozen short films. Through June 1; Best of 2019 screenings will take place on June 27. $13 per screening.
PARTY The 2019 Capital Pride Celebration really gets going next weekend, but the party starts early with the Capital Pride Honors and Countdown! Pride Kickoff Party on Friday night at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The night starts off with the Capital Pride Honors reception, to recognize individuals and activists who have furthered LGBTQ+ causes in the local community. But once the party gets started, it’ll be like New Year’s Eve in May: in addition to an open bar, dance all night to tunes from Aquaria (a winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race whom you might recognize from the Met Gala as the first drag queen to grace its red carpet), Atlanta’s Leonce, DC’s House of Sonique, and more. 21+ only. Honors Reception and Party: $70-$75, 7:30 PM. Party Only: $60-$65, 8:30 PM.
FILM The 19th annual Asian Pacific American Film Festival runs this weekend at the US Navy Memorial Burke Theater. This year’s schedule includes films about a Japanese-American community in Utah (Nisei Bowl), poor working conditions for NYC home attendants (24-Hour Workday), and a Korean-American adoptee meeting her birth mother (A Strangers’ Reunion), among many others. Through June 2. $10 for a one-day pass or $20 for a three-day pass.
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
BASKETBALL Last season, the Washington Mystics got to the WNBA finals for the first time in the franchise’s 21-year history but were swept by the Seattle Storm after losing star forward Elena Delle Donne to an injury. In the Mystics’ first home game of this season—at their new home, the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Congress Heights—the killer team will take on the Atlanta Dream. Delle Donne is scheduled to come back this season, although Saturday’s game is still questionable due to a knee injury. $19-$58, 7 PM.
MUSIC Churches aren’t typical venues for horror-themed events, but the National Cathedral is hosting a concert that will feature a string adaptation of music from Psycho on Saturday night. The program, “Beyond Psycho: The Musical Genius of Bernard Herrmann,” will also include the world premiere of a forgotten Bernard Herrmann score, the radio play “Whitman,” to celebrate Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday. $25-$65, 7:30 PM.
SUNDAY, JUNE 2
MUSEUMS The National Gallery of Art’s new exhibit, “The Life of Animals in Japanese Art,” is an expansive collection that explores the roles that animals have played in art and will cover 18,000 square feet of the East Building Concourse. These 300 works—which span 16 centuries—include sculpture, painting, metalwork, woodblock print, ceramics, and textiles. The artwork will be grouped thematically so visitors can see the changes in styles and themes over time. Through August 18.
BOOKS Head out to Merriweather Post Pavilion for Books in Bloom, a book festival featuring readings, panel discussions, and children’s activities. Headliner José Andrés will speak about his book We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time with Washington Post reporter Tim Carman. Panels will cover themes including black feminism, gay life, and immigration; in addition to access to books and authors, the festival will also feature food as well as a rosé and beer garden. Free to attend, 11 AM – 4 PM.
LAST CALL: Here’s what’s closing this weekend
“In Peak Bloom” closes 6/2 at ARTECHOUSE.
“Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting” closes 6/2 at The National Portrait Gallery.
