THURSDAY, MAY 12
WINE AND DESIGN: Happy hour meets arts and crafts for grownups at The Postal Museum with “Wine and Design” on Thursday. Attendees will get to embrace their creative side as they work on a mail-related art project while sipping on a complimentary drink. $15, 5 PM.
DANCE: What do computer coding, dance, and modernist painter Georgia O’Keeffe have in common? A lot, in the mind of CityDance choreographer/dancer Sarah J. Ewing. Her latest routine “Analog O’Keeffe” captures the painter’s creative spirit and inspiration with modern flourishes: an Xbox Kinect will track Ewing’s movement, triggering animations on a display screen behind her. Catch the dazzling visual display at The Phillips Collection. $20, 6:30 PM
MUSIC: It’s a double feature! Well, kind of: Thursday brings two shows at 9:30 that you won’t want to miss. First up is New York art rockers Parquet Courts, fresh off the release of their excellent new album Human Performance. Next is the Bruce Springsteen-inspired, indie punk group Titus Andronicus. You’ll need separate tickets for both shows, but double-dipping is worth it. $20, 6 PM/$20, 10 PM.
FRIDAY, MAY 13
COMEDY: Former Adult Swim writer Stewart Huff will perform standup at Bier Baron on Friday. The comedian—who likes to poke fun at his southern sensibilities—has a documentary titled “Sense Ain’t Common” coming out on Hulu in the fall. $12, 6:30 PM.
DRINK: Mount Vernon’s Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour begins on Friday and runs until Sunday evening. Come for live music, local wine, and tours of the historic mansion, all underneath a beautiful sunset. $36, 6 PM.
SATURDAY, MAY 14
SPRINGFEST: If you hate this rainy weather as much as most of us do, then attending a lively, colorful Spring Festival in the Cathedral Commons and Cathedral Heights neighborhood might cheer you up. Spend your Saturday surrounded by flower art installations, music, balloon sculptures, local artisans, food, and drinks, plus a free outdoor workout session by Pure Barre. Free, 12 PM.
DRINK: A can’t-miss for IPA lovers, Hopfest is a day-long festival at Hellbender’s Brewery that’s devoted to that divisive plant, featuring unlimited three-ounce pours of IPA’s (some brewed specifically for Hopfest) from local craft breweries to raise money for the DC Brewers’ Guild. $53, 1 PM.
ART: Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture Biennial returns, kicking off on Saturday with a tour of the exhibit followed by a reception at Watergate Gallery & Frame Design. The show, called “Turf and Terrain,” highlights works from 14 emerging and established artists placed throughout the Foggy Bottom Historic District. They’ll be on view until Oct. 22. Free, 4PM.
SUNDAY, MAY 15
COOKING: The first annual Blazed & Glazed food festival at the Mess Hall in Edgewood is a unique opportunity for culinary artists and weed enthusiasts to learn the basics on how to properly cook with the newly-kind-of-legal herb. Your ticket includes three classes on subjects such as “How to Make Cannabutter” and “The Art of THC Tinctures” along with a doughnut sandwich from Astro Doughnuts and a beer. Tickets are available for five entry times on Sunday, May 15th: 11 A.M., 12:30 P.M., 2 P.M., 3:30 P.M. and 5 P.M., $42.
DISCUSSION: Caleen Jennings, a playwright and American University theatre professor, leads The Folger Shakespeare Library’s inaugural CrossTalk DC, an “initiative that will bring disparate publics together to think about race and religion thoughtfully and deeply, through the lens of literature and history.” Participants will watch scenes from both The Merchant of Venice and District Merchants (a retelling of The Bard’s play set in post-Civil War DC), and then chat about race and religion. Free, 2 PM.
