Things to Do

Things to Do in DC This Weekend (March 15-18): A Cherry Blossoms Exhibit, the Environmental Film Festival, and Irish Craft Beer

The 2018 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital runs from March 15 to March 25. Still from the 2018 Canadian film “Anote’s Ark”, courtesy Matthieu Rytz.

THURSDAY, MARCH 15

FILM The 26th annual Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital will feature over 100 films screened at various venues across the city. This year’s theme is “From the Frontlines,” with works that focus on the people working to protect and preserve the environment through wildlife conservation, habitat protection, and other efforts. The 2018 schedule lays out all the films and special Q&A sessions. Through March 25. Prices vary from free to $35.

LECTURE The US Holocaust Memorial Museum presents a lecture by Rutgers professor Dr. Judith Gerson, “By Thanksgiving We Were Americans: German Jewish Refugees Remember the Holocaust.” Gerson’s recently-finished book of the same name delves into memoirs, diaries, and letters to uncover how these refugees reconcile their catastrophic past with their good fortune of escaping before the mass deportations began. Free, 7 PM.

ART Artechouse celebrates spring and the impending cherry blossom season with “Cherry Blossom Dream.” This large-scale installation incorporates elements of Japanese culture and tradition with interactive elements including augmented reality visible through the Artechouse mobile app. Through May 6. $15.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16

MUSEUMS The first major East Coast exhibition of Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s work will open at the Smithsonian American Art Museum on Friday. Suh’s installations of “fabric architecture” sculptures explore the nature of contemporary identity. This exhibit, “Almost Home,” features hand-sewn recreations of homes where Suh has lived around the world—including the debut of a new work depicting his childhood home in Seoul. Visitors can enter and experience the sculptures from the inside. Through August 5.

THEATRE Scena Theatre presents three pieces by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. This trilogy—Footfalls, Not I, and Rockaby—focuses on the stories and struggles of women and will be performed by two-time Helen Hayes Award-winner Nanna Ingvarsson. These three one-woman plays and monologues will find Ingvarsson’s character re-imagining and reflecting on her life. Through April 8. $25-$35.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

BEER If you think Guinness is the only Irish beer to drink, think again. ChurchKey celebrates the DC debut of Northern Ireland’s Boundary Brewing on St. Patrick’s Day. The nine beers on draft include an imperial stout and an ice cream-inspired IPA with raspberry and vanilla. Free to attend (beer prices vary), 11:30 AM.

CELEBRATION The Nubian Hueman Boutique Lounge presents the fifth annual Black Love Experience at the Anacostia Arts Center. The event features interactive art, music, and shopping as well as panelists and workshops. Look out for Atlanta hip-hop performer Sa-Roc and African percussionist Jabari Exum, who consulted on Black Panther. $45-$55, 7 PM.

SPORTS This weekend is the first two rounds of March Madness, but the Harlem Globetrotters offer a showier display of dunks with games at both the Capital One and EagleBank arenas. Capital One Arena: Saturday at noon, $25-$170. EagleBank Arena: Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, $32.50-$153.50.

SUNDAY, MARCH 18

PERFORMANCE This Is My Brave strives to end mental health stigma by sharing personal stories about and by individuals affected by mental illness. The organization sets up shows all over the country; our local performance, at the Gunston One Theatre in Arlington, will feature essays, music, and poetry by those living with—or loving those with—a mental health condition. $20, 7 PM.

CRAFTS Independent yarn dyers and fiber artists will sell their wares at the Homespun Yarn Party at the Historic Savage Mill in Savage, MD. In addition to over 30 vendors, there will be free lessons for those wanting to try knitting, crochet, and spinning. Free to attend, noon to 5 PM.