Things to Do

Things to Do in DC This Weekend (June 21-24): A Student Debt Party, LGBTQ Storytelling, and a Barbecue Battle

Photograph courtesy Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

STORIES Pride Week may be over, but don’t let that stop you from celebrating. Story District will present its annual Pride show, Out/Spoken at the 9:30 Club on Thursday night. Hear 8 different LGBTQ storytellers share true stories to inspire the crowd. $25, 8 PM.

MUSEUMS The Hirshhorn is opening a 60-year retrospective of German artist Georg Baselitz, celebrating the artist’s 80th birthday. The exhibit, Baselitz: Six Decades, will bring together over 100 works spanning his career, including pieces never seen in the U.S. before. Trace the influence and development of his career. Through September 16. Free.

PARTY Millennials (and others!) with student loans are invited to drink for free at SoFi’s Debt After Dark event at District Winery. Forget all about your debt with the event’s signature cocktail and views from the private rooftop lounge. $30 deposit—don’t worry, it will be refunded if you attend with proof of loan—6:30 PM.

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

WORKOUT Join in a “boot camp” circuit-style workout at Nationals Park on Friday morning, led by trainers from VIDA Fitness at the Yards. No equipment needed, although participants can take home a Nats-branded resistance band after the class. Enter via the Center Field Gate and bring a non-glass water bottle. $30, 6-7 AM or 7:30-8:30 AM.

ART The 12th Annual East of the River Exhibition takes place at ARCH’s Honfleur and Vivid Galleries, highlighting the artists and makers in Wards 7 and 8 with a presentation of 3Dimensional work. The opening receptions are Friday from 6-9 PM; the exhibition runs through July 28. Free, Wed-Sat 12-7 PM.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

FESTIVAL Try ALL of the barbecue samples while watching grill legends compete for the best meat and sauces at the Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle, on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets, Northwest. Other attractions include a Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and music from over 30 different bands, including Plain White T’s and See-I. Proceeds from this year’s Barbecue Battle will benefit USO Metro and the Capital Area Food Bank. Through June 24. $12 per day or $20 for a two-day pass in advance; $15 day-of. 6/23: 11 AM – 9 PM, 6/24: 11 AM – 7 PM.

MUSEUMS Every summer, visitors to the Hirshhorn’s sculpture garden can tie written wishes to the branches of Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree for Washington, DC. After Labor Day, these tags are collected and sent to Ono’s “Imagine Peace Tower” in Reykjavik, Iceland; the tree at the Hirshhorn has collected more than 100,000 written wishes since it debuted in 2007. Contribute to this art project starting on Saturday. Through September 3. Free.

FESTIVAL The inaugural Maryland Vintage Wine, Food, & Jazz Festival at National Harbor features unlimited samples from local wineries while live jazz bands play all day long. Food and crafts from other vendors will be available for purchase. $50 in advance or $65 at the gate, 11 AM – 8 PM.

FESTIVAL Check out the sun, moon, Jupiter, and Saturn at the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (near 17th Street NW and Constitution Avenue). See the solar system through telescope (solar, optical, and radio) while also participating in hands-on activities and a planetarium show. Free, 6 PM – 11 PM.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

FILM The National Gallery of Art will screen two films from contemporary Finnish screenwriter/director Aki Kaurismäki at the East Building Auditorium. The first, 1986’s Shadows in Paradise, mixes satire with empathy in a tale of two blue collar workers who meet by chance. In 2001’s Le Havre, a man befriends a young illegal immigrant from Africa and tries to help him elude local authorities. Free, 4 PM.

BOOKS While some argue for building a wall between Mexico and the United States, Andrew Selee writes about how close the two countries have become. Selee is the president of the Migration Policy Institute and his new book, Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together, pokes holes in the myth that Mexico is a drug-run and violent country. Selee will talk about the changes to trade and immigration between the two countries at Politics & Prose. Free, 1 PM.