Thursday, April 19
SOUTHERN BEER: For a pie joint, Pizzeria Paradiso sure puts plenty of emphasis on drinking. All night Thursday it’ll be serving more than 30 beers from our mid-Atlantic brethren in the Carolinas at both the Georgetown and the Dupont Circle locations. No word on whether the servers will have accents. 5 PM.
PIG: Clarendon’s 3 Bar & Grill will be celebrating the beginning of summer (it is summer, right?) with a full pig roast–$5 gets you a freshly pulled pork sandwich or a bacon Bloody Mary, and there are more beer and wine specials. 5 PM.
Friday, April 20
DANCING: Next week’s Forward Festival will showcase up-and-coming deejays and local artists–but get in on the fun early with a preview event Friday at a vacant spot next to Rock & Roll Hotel. Headlining is DJ 2562, from the Netherlands, who’ll spin dubstep and techno; local deejays Navbox, Measax, Whighzeguy, and Refugee will play beforehand. Buy tickets ($10) online. 9 PM.
ART: Featuring the work of 15 artists, the No Kings Collective is turning a space in Georgetown into an art gallery with the Water Street Project. The space opens Friday night with a host of artists, musical performances, and drinks. Free. 8 PM.
Saturday, April 21
PARTY: The Cherry Blossom Festival gives us a bogged-down Metro, itchy eyes, and plenty of lame-ish, even educational, events. It’s all made up for with Cherry Blast–a corporate-sponsored but somehow not-lame-yet art gallery/indescribable abandoned warehouse dance party. This year, you’ve got food from Busboys & Poets, music from all sorts of people, and art and performances from even more. Absolutely check it out if you haven’t ever been. $10. 8 PM.
MUSIC: Back at the Water Street Project art space, the guys behind Listen Local First are serving up a (free!) five-pack of local bands. Listen to the sounds of Les Rhinoceros, Young Rapids, Shark Week, Akshan, and Silver Liners while surrounded by pretty murals. Free. 8 PM.
GOOSEBUMPS/DEAD CEOs: R.L. Stine will be at the 13th annual Bethesda Literary Festival this Saturday. If your or your child’s childhood wasn’t influenced by him, you haven’t lived. Afterward, Walter Isaacson will talk about the Steve Jobs biography you’ve either read or have read about. Free. R.L. Stine at 11:30 AM, Walter Isaacson at 12:30 PM.
RIVALS: LivingSocial will throw a big bash Saturday afternoon at Kastles Stadium featuring microbrews and food trucks. That one’s sold out–but not to be outdone, Scoutmob is throwing a boozy party of its own: the Blossom Bake and Brew. Chocolate City Beer will be debuting a new brew, Dangerously Delicious will serve pies, and Listen Local First will bring yet more bands. Buy tickets ($25) online. 4 PM.
DANCE, NON-GRINDING EDITION: Fun things actually happen in Dupont Circle proper–sometimes it’s zombie tag, this time it’s six hours of dance. Starting at 3, dance troupes from around the city will teach you different styles of dance, so come ready to move. Free. 3 to 9 PM.
Sunday, April 22
SHAKESPEARE: It’s the Bard’s b-day, so the Folger Shakespeare Library is throwing him a party. The family event will feature cake, Elizabethan music and dance, “Spontaneous Shakespeare” performances, tours, scavenger hunts, and a chance for food trucks to take your money on a non-Farragut Friday. Free. Noon to 4 PM.
SPACE: We saw all your photos of Discovery flying over the Capitol–now watch the Udvar-Hazy Center prepare the shuttle for display. NASA employees will be on hand to talk about the shuttle and its history. Free. 10 AM.
