Things to Do

Things to Do in DC This Week June 27-29: Singalongs, Biocubes, and Outdoor Trivia

The Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall, celebrating “resilient communities around the world.” Photo provided by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

MONDAY JUNE 27

FOOD & DRINK Southern-Mexican inspired restaurant Espita Mezcaleria is already a go-to spot if you’re looking for more than typical taco fare—fried oysters, anyone? But their monthly Taco Takeover series passes the baton to guest chefs from here and abroad, letting them show off their own taco creations on the Shaw eatery’s homemade, hand-pressed corn tortillas. Tonight’s visiting chef is Marjorie Meek-Bradley of Ripple and Smoked & Stacked. 5 PM

FILM Trapped is an award-winning documentary that explores how the United States’s reproductive health centers are struggling to stay open in the midst of TRAP (Targeted Regulations against Abortion Providers) laws passed by state legislatures. The film, showing at E Street Cinema, is especially relevant this week considering the announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. Following the documentary, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC Abortion Fund and the Virginia’s Women’s Equality Coalition will host a panel discussion with members from the reproductive health care community. $20, 6:30 PM

MUSIC Self-described “casual singalong” show A People’s Choir DC meets monthly at DC9 in the spirit of fun, togetherness, and of course, singing. Each meetup features songs and bands that fit a specific theme—this month is numbers, and songs will have them in the title or the band’s name. A People’s Choir DC will provide the lyrics, all you have to do is bring the enthusiasm. 7:30, Free

TUESDAY JUNE 28

MUSEUMS Take a deep dive into the Smithsonians’s Life in One Cubic Foot exhibit in the S. Dillon Ripley Center with Christopher Meyer, a research zoologist at the Natural History Museum who partnered up with photographer David Liittschwager for the project. Using art, research, and biocubes—“one-foot cubic frames that can be placed almost anywhere”—the exhibit highlights the diversity of life on the planet, with pictures and videos of organisms in a diverse range of locations. Meyer will discuss “how biocubes became a powerful scientific tool, and how focusing on a cubic foot of space can reveal that the ordinary life around us is, in fact, extraordinary.” $45, 6:45 PM

POETRY Two of the area’s slam poetry groups, the adults of the Beltway Poetry Slam and the youngins of the DC Youth Slam Team, are facing off in a “David VS Goliath” Slam at Busboys and Poets Brookland. While the two groups are competitors onstage, it’s actually a benefit for both: the event will raise money for the Beltway Slam team’s trip to National Poetry Slam Atlanta and for the Youth Slam Team’s appearance at the Brave New Voices Youth Poetry Conference. $10, 8:30 PM

COMEDY Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, three comedians from the south who self-identify as “liberal rednecks,” bring their wellRED Comedy Tour to DC Improv. The trio bring the laughs while challenging the assumption that southern folk can’t be progressive, too. $25, 7:30 PM

WEDNESDAY JUNE 29

FESTIVALS How much do you know about Basque culture? Have you heard of the stone-lifting matches? Or maybe bertsolaritza, the improvised sung poetry of the region? For those with cultural wanderlust, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival explores these facets with a deep look at “resilient communities,” focusing on the Basque culture’s perseverance throughout centuries of European upheaval. Also part of the festival is “Sounds of California,” a series of concerts and activities exploring how West Coast music has evolved to reflect the Golden State’s diverse immigrant population. The festival runs Wednesday until July 4, and then picks up again July 7–10. Free

FILM In honor of the National Geographic Museum’s latest exhibit, “The Greeks,” which opened June 1, the museum is putting on a A Big Fat Greek Happy Hour, featuring the romantic comedy classic My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Grab a drink and tour the exhibit after-hours, which features more than 500 ancient artifacts. $15, 6 PM

TRIVIA Try your hand at trivia while also enjoying the summer evening at Sixth and I’s Trivia Under the Stars at Union Market. Grab food and drinks from one of the market’s myriad vendors and set up shop outside for Sixth and I’s much-loved brand of trivia. $12, 7 PM