Things to Do

Things to Do in DC This Week (March 18-20): A Pulp Fiction-Themed Party and CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Check out the flowers and activities during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 through April 14. Photograph courtesy of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

MONDAY, MARCH 18

BOOKS Homer’s epic poem The Iliad tells the tale of the Trojan War; those who don’t plan to read the work in its original Greek (or who just want a refresher on the story) can enjoy artist Gareth Hinds’s new graphic novel adaptation, which includes illustrations, maps, and footnotes that illustrate this classic in a new way. The book is best for ages 12 and up; Hinds will speak and read from his new adaptation at the Takoma Park Library. Free, 7:30 PM.

MUSIC Bluegrass quartet The Barefoot Movement will play at Rockville’s Institute of Musical Traditions (hosted at Saint Mark Presbyterian Church). The group was founded by a fiddle and mandolin player a decade ago; since, it has expanded to include a guitarist and upright bass player to enrich their melodies and vocal harmonies. $15 (in advance) or $20 (at the door), 7:30 PM.

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

DANCE Choreographer Akiko Kitamura’s work Cross Transit transforms Kim Hak‘s photographs of Cambodian culture into movement. A collaboration between Cambodian history and Japanese art, the work includes dance, film, and photography in a single show at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theatre. $29-$39, 7:30 PM.

FILM Suns Cinema is screening the documentary Burkinabè Bounty, which shows Burkina Faso’s struggle with food sovereignty as a landlocked country. The film illustrates the activists who are fighting corporate agriculture and working to take back control of their own land. $10, 8 PM.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20

FESTIVAL The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 14; peak bloom is expected to be April 3-6, but there are plenty of other events throughout the festival’s four-week run. This weekend, the festivities kick off with the Pink Tie Party, which celebrates DC’s culinary scene at the Ronald Reagan Building. Other events include the Blossom Kite Festival (3/30) at the National Mall, the Blossom Bash at the Anthem, headlined by Meghan Trainor (4/5), and Petalpalooza at the Wharf (4/6), which features musical acts and fireworks. The festival wraps up with a parade on April 13 led by Grand Marshal Anthony Anderson (of ABC’s black-ish) with floats and giant balloons Plus, don’t miss the Anacostia River Festival (4/14), celebrating the 100th anniversary of Anacostia Park with boating and hands-on art projects. If all these events require too much advanced planning, check out over 100 free dance and music performances at the Tidal Basin Welcome Area and ANA Stage. Through April 15. Pink Tie Party (3/22): $225, 7 PM. Blossom Kite Festival (3/30): Free, 10 AM. Petalpalooza (4/6): Free, 12 PM. Blossom Bash (4/5): $55-95, 7:30 PM. Parade (4/13): $20-$27, 10 AM. Anacostia River Festival (4/14): Free, 1 PM.

FILM The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is hosting a Quentin Tarantino retrospective that starts on Wednesday night with a screening of Reservoir Dogs. The celebration continues on Thursday with a pre-party before a Pulp Fiction screening, featuring a pop tart bar and music (fans are encouraged to come dressed as favorite Tarantino characters). The retrospective finishes this weekend with screenings of Jackie Brown, both Kill Bill films, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight. Through March 24. Individual screenings: $12, Pulp Fiction party & film: $50 (3/21), all eight films: $64.

EXHIBIT ARTECHOUSE’s new interactive exhibit In Peak Bloom celebrates the Cherry Blossom Festival and highlights the fleeting lifespan of the flower with five different collaborative installations by women artists and women-led collectives. Through May 27. $16.