Monday, July 26
Spend a cool summer evening outdoors with Captain Kirk in Crystal City, where films from the Star Trek franchise are playing at 18th and Bell streets (near the Crystal City Metro) for 11 weeks this summer. Up this week: Star Trek: First Contact, which features time travel, questions of loyalty, and some seriously nasty part-robot people. The movie starts at sundown; guests are encouraged to bring picnics and low-backed chairs.

Tuesday, July 27
The Traveling Players Ensemble performs Love’s Labour’s Lost, an early Shakespeare comedy about a king and his three noble companions who deny themselves the company of women for three years. The show starts at 7:30 at the Mary Louise Jackson Amphitheater at Northern Virginia Community College’s Manassas campus.

Wednesday, July 28
The Baltimore-based Cajun fusion group the Crawdaddies, a five-person band complete with accordion and washboard players, performs its blend of Louisiana blues, roots rock, and ska as part of Strathmore’s weekly free summer concert series.

Thursday, July 29
The National Zoo opens its gates for one of its three Sunset Serenades concerts at the lion-and-tiger hill. The psychedelic-blueshttp://www.washingtonian.com/loca band GHz performs from 6:30 to 8; guests are encouraged to bring a picnic or can purchase food and drinks from zoo vendors.

Friday, July 30
The cover band Burnt Sienna plays everything from ’80s classics to modern hip-hop. The Pennsylvania five-piece group performs at Herndon’s Friday Night Live! outdoor concert series. The show starts at 6:30 at the Town Green.

Saturday, July 31
Where is modern art today? Jeffry Cudlin sought to answer that question with his exhibit “By Request,” which he created after surveying seven top figures in the Washington art world on what their ideal work of art would look like. There was one catch, though: Cudlin had to be depicted in the piece. Check out the results during the show’s last day at Flashpoint Gallery. Check out this video where Cudlin explains his process. Noon to 6.

Sunday, August 1
Charles “Big Daddy” Stallings and the Blues Revolution play every bit as fiercely as their name implies. The former North Carolina farm kid from a family of 12 has played on international stages, and this concert benefits the Frederick Food Bank. Admission is free, but bring canned goods to donate. The show starts at 7 at Baker Park.

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