Icelandic Cocktails, a Film Festival, and a Cheese Class: Best Things to Do in the DC Area, 3/14-3/20

Spring Is Here!

Hello Neighbor, 

Happy Purim. Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Happy Holi. Happy Nowruz. 

So, What Should You Do March 14-20?

For your convenience, this newsletter includes emojis to help you during these unprecedented times: 

• The 🛋 indicates an event is happening in-person inside.
• The 🌲 indicates an event is happening in-person outside. 
• The 💻 indicates an event is happening virtually. 
• The 💉 indicates an event requires proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test. 
• And lastly, the 🆓 indicates an event is free.

Top 6 Picks of the Week

1. Victura Park. 🌳🍻🍷 Head to the Reach to the reopening of one of DC’s favorite wine and beer gardens (Thurs, 🆓, 🌲, Kennedy Center).

2. Icelandic cocktail class. 🍸🇮🇸 Discover Icelandic food, cocktails, music, and film at the Taste of Iceland culture festival including an Icelandic Cocktail Class (Fri, 🆓, 🛋, Capitol Hill).

3. Negritude. 🎨 Dupont Underground is hosting a Howard University student-led exhibition intertwining Black Broadway and today’s trends (Fri, $12, 🛋, Dupont Circle).

4. DC Environmental Film Festival. 🎞 This year the film festival is virtual (starts Thurs, $/🆓, 💻). Don’t miss the various collaborations between the festival and DC museums. (Inside tip: These films are often free!) You might want to also check out the upcoming Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival (April 4-April 9).  

5. Celebrating women in food. 🍦🇮🇪🧀 Take a virtual cheese class showcasing Irish Women Pioneers (Tues, $50, 💻). Celebrate female food entrepreneurs with a cocktail party hosted by Cherry Bombe and Dolcezza Gelato at Foxtrot (Fri, $40, 🛋, Georgetown) or with Shop Made in DC, Ice Cream Jubilee, and others at Serenata (Tues, $15, 🛋, Union Market). 

6. Brewmaster’s castle. 🍺 Historic Heurich House has resumed tours of the home of brewer and immigrant Christian Heurich. Catch a drink afterwards in the 1921 Biergarten (Thurs, $10, 🛋, Dupont Circle).

 Everything Else This Week

• Continue the St. Patty’s Day celebrations. 🍀 The Wharf is hosting an Ireland at The Wharf festival with a Guinness Beer Garden, Irish dancers, and other performances (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, The Wharf).
• Ice cream and mariachi. 🍦 Enjoy complimentary ice cream flavors such as strawberry chamomile and burnt coconut at Las Gemelas with Mariachi El Rey. 
• Purim. 🕍 Sixth & I is hosting Jewchella: A Purim Party (Wed, $18, 🛋, Chinatown). 
• Volunteering opportunities. 🍓 There’s a Springhouse Run Volunteer Day (Thurs, 🆓, 🌲, Arboretum), a strawberry planting (Sat, donation, 🌲, Union Market), and a cleanup at Petworth (Sun, 🆓, 🌲, Petworth).
• Virtual art events. 🖼 Uncover Picasso’s Blue Period (Thurs, 🆓, 💻) and the social concerns exhibited by the paintings of prostitutes, prisoners, mothers, and beggars. Or learn about design inspirations (Thurs, 🆓, 💻) in Iranian textiles. Discover the charms and synergies of colors (Sun, 🆓, 💻/🛋) in the first of a six-part lecture series on color with the National Gallery of Art. 
• Women’s History Month. ⭐️ Celebrate Black Women Printmakers (Wed, 🆓, 💻) and New Yorker Women Cartoonists (Fri, $33, 🛋, Union Market). Discover the future of women and work (Thurs, $12, 🛋, Chinatown). 
• The spring equinox. 💐 Enjoy a forest bathing with sage (Sun, donation, 🌲, Arboretum) or a tea ceremony and soundbath (Sun, $57, 🌲, Downtown).
• Sakura. 🌸 The Renwick Gallery and the American Art Museum will be hosting cherry blossom family celebration including taiko drumming and koto performances (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, Chinatown). Enjoy a ceremonial tree planting and performance (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, National Harbor) as part of a partnership between National Harbor and the Embassy of Japan. 
• Science communication. 🌤 Learn about the complex nature of language surrounding climate change (Thurs, 🆓, 💻).
• A Fire Within. 🇪🇹 The AFI Silver Theater will be hosting a film about three Ethiopians who are survivors of torture and their search for justice (Sun, 🆓, 🛋, Silver Spring). 
• Budgeting and food security. 💰 The Anacostia Community Museum and the National American History Museum are hosting a lecture on How to Eat Well on a Budget (Tues, 🆓, 💻).
• The food corner. 🌭 Uncover Purim Sweets (Tues, $12, 💻) like poppy seed cake, date maamoul, and turkish delights. Learn some new skills with a sausage-making class (Tues, $75, 🛋/💉, Capitol Hill).
• Nature is neat. ☘️ Discover nature in your backyard and where to find birds, blooms, and beasts in the DMV (Tues, 🆓, 💻). Or join a virtual panel of scientists discussing topics such as Planes, Parasites, and Paleontology (Tues, 🆓, 💻).
• Bring nature inside. 🏞 Jungle and Loom is hosting a boozy Terrarium Building Workshop (Wed, $60, 🛋, Union Market) and She Loves Me is hosting a Dried Wreath Workshop (Sun, $75, 🛋/💉, Eckington). Check out 3 Stars Brewing Co.’s plant swap (Sun, 🆓, 🛋, Lamond Riggs). Common Good City Farm is hosting a pop-up farm market including a seed exchange (Sat, 🆓, 🌲, Shaw). 

Your Neighbor,

Jade (@clockoutdc)

Jade Womack

Jade Womack is an energy economist by day, and an events blogger by night. She started her blog, Clockout DC, when she was moonlighting as a bartender in 2019. She grew up in Arlington, and currently lives in Adams Morgan with her dog.