St. Patrick’s Day, Free Workouts, and RBG’s Birthday: Things to Do in DC, March 15-17

Hi y’all!

We’ve got new art, St. Patrick’s Day, and a birthday tribute to RBG.

Hear from the costumer designer behind Black Panther and Coming 2 America.

Here’s what you should check out this week:

Happy birthday: Today would have been Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 88th birthday. The Washington Performing Arts organized a memorial tribute event to the Supreme Court legend in “The Muse and the Musicale: A Tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg from Friends in the Arts.” The video presentation, co-hosted by WPA president emeritus Douglas Wheeler and NPR’s Nina Totenberg, will feature speakers and musicians including Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell, Rachel Barton Pine, and John Pizzarelli. Premieres Monday 3/15 at 4:30 PM; Free, watch it on YouTube here.

Look around: See bright and bold visual art on display at bus stop shelters near 14th and U Streets as part of SaveArtSpace’s community art organizing efforts. DC artist Trap Bob curated this public exhibit, “Out of this World,” which features works by Nia Keturah Calhoun, Omari Jesse, and Jada Imani M. Monday 3/15 through April 11; Free, learn more here.

Listen to lyricism: Irish writer Doireann Ní Ghríofa will read from her bilingual poems in English and original Irish in a virtual event part of the Folger Shakespeare Library’s poetry series in collaboration with the Embassy of Ireland. After the reading, Ghríofa will chat with indigenous filmmaker/writer LeAnne Howe about what connects Ireland and the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma. Monday 3/15 at 6:30 PM; $5-$15, buy tickets here.

Thrilling threads: You know powerhouse costume designer Ruth E. Carter from the stunning Afrofuturistic fits in Black Panther and, more recently, the grand regalia in Coming 2 America. The fashion visionary will speak with Washington Post critic Robin Givhan in the National Museum of African American History & Culture’s virtual event, “Historically Speaking: A Women’s History With Ruth E. Carter.” Tuesday 3/16 at 7 PM; Free, register here.

Walk a mile: In his debut book, The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person, Frederick Joseph walks readers through what it’s like to be Black in predominantly white spaces with personal anecdotes of microaggressions, racism, and uncomfortable conversations from his past. Joseph details what happened and what he might’ve done differently with commentary from contributors like April Reign, who started #OscarsSoWhite, and journalist Jemele Hill. Joseph will talk about The Black Friend and his advice to white people with MahoganyBooks co-owner Derrick Young in this virtual book event. Tuesday 3/16 at 7 PM; Free, register here.

St. Patrick’s Day: The beer-slugging holiday predictably won’t be the same this year, but there are still a few spots where you can celebrate safely. (Just maybe hold off on the kissing part.) Here are 14 places to toast to Saint Patty’s day around DC.

Adding a star: DC statehood has been making a bit more news recently as it might actually see some traction under Biden. WAMU’s Mikaela Lefrak, who hosts the statehood podcast 51st, will moderate a panel conversation about the movement with Chocolate City co-author George Derek Musgrove, Howard politics professor Robinson Woodward-Burns, and organizer Stasha Rhodes, who leads the coalition 51 for 51. Wednesday 3/17 at 7 PM; Free, register here.

What to watch: Arena Stage is putting out three new short musicals as part of its online music series “Arena Riffs.” The first premieres this week with My Joy Is Heavy!, a performance by Vermont-based indie-folk musicians Abigail and Shaun Bengson that touches on pain, pregnancy loss, and cultivating happiness. Wednesday 3/17 at 7 PM; Free, register here.

Hairy history: On our species’ evolutionary journey from primates to today, there apparently was a moment when we humans looked more like hobbits. You read that right. Human origins expert Matt Tocheri will lead a webinar from the National Museum of Natural History on Homo floresiensis, called the “enigmatic ‘hobbits’ of human evolution.” Could this explain my Samwise-level love for potatoes? Thursday 3/18 at 11:30 AM; Free, register here.

Workout ideas: Try free HIIT, yoga, strength training, and more in our roundup of virtual and outdoor fitness classes.

Vibe check: 

Almost exactly a year ago we were gifted with this horny video dedicated to touching.Honest question—how’s your sex life? For obvious reasons, many of us weren’t able to have the headboard-bashing sex-a-thons we might have planned for 2020, so how have you been holding up? Are you doing it or have you taken a vow of pandemic celibacy? Did you try a Covid-safe date only to realize you weren’t into it? Have you gotten fed up with your live-in partner? Are you navigating Jane Austen-like courtships online? Or are you living your best cam girl life? I’m working on a story about sex in (and after) the pandemic for Washingtonian’s print magazine and I want to hear from you! We’re looking to highlight various experiences from DC-area folks of all ages, relationship statuses, genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds to get a sense of the horny ups and downs in the pandemic. If you’d like to share or you have any questions, shoot me a note at rcartagena@washingtonian.com.

P.S. I understand that this can be a touchy subject (?), so we’re also open to negotiating anonymity for privacy reasons.

Thanks for reading! Tell me what you’re up to at home by dropping me a line at rcartagena@washingtonian.com.