Hey y’all,
We’ve got the March On for Washington and Voting Rights, National Dog Day, and lots of live entertainment.
This weekend is about feeling empowered!
Here’s what you should check out this weekend:
Puppy love: To celebrate National Dog Day, folks can bring their pups on the Capital Wheel at National Harbor for free with the purchase of an adult ticket and take them to Yappy Hour afterwards to snag a doggie swag bag and treats. Thursday 8/26; $16.50, find more here.
More puppy love: Find more ways to flaunt your precious pup while getting a boozy drink in our roundup of dog-friendly patios and beer gardens here.
Catch ’em if you can: Anacostia Riverkeeper is hosting its last Friday Night Fishing event this week. You can pick up some free fishing gear and catch as many fish as they want for a limited time. However, what comes out of the river must go back into the river. Staff will be on-site to teach and help anyone that doesn’t know how to fish. Friday 8/27 at 5 PM; Free, register here.
Have a laugh: Award-winning LGBTQ comedian and DC native Sampson McCormick is celebrating his 20th anniversary as a comedian at the DC Comedy Loft this weekend. The comedy icon will perform four shows and promote his two upcoming Black LGBTQ-centered films Love the One You’re With and Velvet Jesus. In partnership with havegoodsex.org, McCormick is also offering free at-home HIV/STD testing kits to Black queer and trans folks to encourage sexual health in the Black community. Friday 8/27 and Saturday 8/28 (showtimes vary); $20, buy tickets here.
March on: This Saturday is the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington. However, the fight for democracy and equal rights for Black and Brown Americans still isn’t over. Join the National Action Network and more than 140 other civil rights organizations in marching for voting rights and DC statehood at this year’s March On for Washington and Voting Rights. Saturday 8/28; free, register here.
For the culture: If you can’t make it to the march, show your support for the Black community in other ways. Buy Black and give to the community at the Melanade Stand Market, hosted by social justice organizations the Outrage DC and the Melanade Stand. Celebrate the legacy and power of Black women at Jubilee: A Black Feminist Homecoming, which is the largest virtual Black feminist gathering ever. Write letters to incarcerated youth and support more Black businesses with community organizations Liberate Da Homies and Heal Your Mind. Saturday 8/28; All events are free of charge.
Rags to riches: The Washington National Opera is bringing back their Opera in the Outfield event this weekend with a broadcast of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini’s Cinderella. Head to Nationals Park before the broadcast starts at 7 PM to watch a performance of Kennedy Center Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems’ first opera Elephant & Piggie present SLOPERA!: A Bite-Sized Opera. There will also be other family-friendly activities, such as balloon twister, finger puppets, and a magician. Saturday 8/28 at 5 PM; Free, find more info here.
New beginnings: The Studio Acting Conservatory is throwing a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of their new building in Columbia Heights (3423 Holmead Pl., NW). After the ceremony, visitors can view Howard University professor and artist Akili Ron Anderson’s restored Black Last Supper mural that was hidden under the drywall of the former church for years. Anderson and curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, who restored the mural last year, will be speaking at the event. Saturday 8/28 at 11 AM; free.
Blowin’ smoke: The National Cannabis Festival is returning to the RFK Festival Grounds after being canceled last year. The one-day festival will feature a dope hip-hop concert lineup with Method Man & Redman as headliners, a weed-themed wedding for a lucky couple, and several opportunities to learn about cannabis policy and culture. While this is a festival centered around marijuana, the festival and DC law highly encourages you to keep your pot smoking at home. Saturday 8/28 at 12 PM; $65-$75 (prices vary), buy tickets here.
Express yourself: The Anacostia Arts Center is having an open house to celebrate Black August, which commemorates the activists and organizers who have fought for the freedom and liberation of Black people in the US. The day will include a Black-owned business showcase, a letter writing workshop to Black women political prisoners, and an open mic for guests to share their poetry, music, and stories. Sunday 8/29 at 2:30 PM; free, register here.
That’s all for this week! Enjoy your weekend and drop me a line at dbaker@washingtonian.com to let me know what you’re up to.
Peace!
Before becoming Research Editor, Damare Baker was an Editorial Fellow and Assistant Editor for Washingtonian. She has previously written for Voice of America and The Hill. She is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she studied international relations, Korean, and journalism.
