Things to Do

Best Things to Do in the DC Area 5/16-5/23: Silk Road Festival, Strawberries, and Cookbook Talks

Plus, a dragon boat festival!

It’s Humid Out There.

Hello Neighbor,Β 

Hope you had a great weekend, and hope you have a wonderful week!Β 

Β 

So, What Should You Do May 16-23?

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

  • The πŸ›‹ indicates an event is happening in-person inside.
  • The 🌲 indicates an event is happening in-person outside.Β 
  • The πŸ’» indicates an event is happening virtually.Β 
  • And lastly, the πŸ†“ indicates an event is πŸ†“.

Β 

Top 5 Picks of the Week

  1. Central Asia. 🌏 Explore the Silk Road Festival (Sun, πŸ†“, πŸ›‹, Foggy Bottom), which will showcase arts and crafts, live entertainment, traditional food and drink, and film screenings. Related to the festivities: the debut of a wearable-art exhibit, β€œNews from Central Asia,” (starts Mon, πŸ†“β€”donations encouraged, πŸ›‹, Foggy Bottom). You could also enjoy Mongolian cuisine at an evening at the Embassy of Mongolia (Wed, $55, πŸ›‹, Georgetown).
  2. Dinosaurs and dragons. πŸ¦–πŸ¦•πŸ‰Β See over 50 animatronic dinosaurs as part of a walk-through of the Jurassic EncounterΒ (starts Fri, $24+, 🌲, Centerville). There will be digging for bones, a dino village–and pets are allowed! Head to the Georgetown waterfront to watch the ornate dragon boats race (Sat, πŸ†“, 🌲, Georgetown).
  3. Nighttime parties. πŸŒ™πŸ•ΊΒ Celebrate 90 years with Dumbarton House at Dusk (Thurs, donation, πŸ›‹, Georgetown) with cake, music, lawn games, and a self-guided tour of the museum. Dive into the world of pop-art at this year’s Hirshhorn Ball (Sat, $500+, πŸ›‹, National Mall)– an evening of dancing, open bars, light bites, and a fashion contest under the stars.Β 
  4. Bike to Work Day. πŸš΄β€β™€οΈ Change up your commute this week and stop at one of the 100 pit stops in the area for a free T-shirt (Fri, πŸ†“, 🌲, various).Β 
  5. A springtime festival anyone? 🌷πŸŽͺΒ The Bourbon and Bluegrass Festival (Sat-Sun, $80, 🌲, Armed Forces Retirement Home) is upon us: kick back with bourbon cocktails, beer tastings, and music while enjoying an exterior tour of Lincoln’s Cottage. The Village of Shirlington will be having a Spring Fling (Sat, πŸ†“, 🌲, Arlington) with over 40 local makers and artisans, craft stations, live music, and pet adoptions. Take a trip to Strawberry Village (Sun, $, 🌲, Sandy Spring), filled with strawberry baking contests, strawberry art, strawberry crafts, and strawberry pastries. See dozens of rare and exotic cars up close at The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style (Sun, πŸ†“, 🌲, Old Town Alexandria) while shopping at over 40 local merchants.Β 

 

Β Everything Else This Week

  • Call it fashion. 🧡 There’s an AAPI fashion show (Thurs, $35, πŸ›‹, Logan Circle) as well as workshops to learn how to read patternsΒ (Mon, πŸ†“, πŸ’»), wax and dye Indonesian batikΒ (Sat, πŸ†“, πŸ›‹, National Mall), and eco-print fabric with flowers (Fri, πŸ†“, πŸ’»).Β 
  • In case you missed the embassy open houses. πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡­πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡¨πŸ‡·πŸ‡«πŸ‡· Enjoy film screenings of β€œMalgrΓ©-Nous” (Tues, $10+, πŸ›‹, Glover Park) at the Embassy of France and β€œLa ΓΊltima primavera” (Wed, πŸ†“, πŸ›‹, Columbia Heights) at the former residence of the Ambassador of Spain. In terms of celebrations, you can spend an evening at the Embassy of Costa Rica (Thu, $64, πŸ›‹, Kalorama) and celebrate Flag Day (Wed, πŸ†“, πŸ›‹, Dupont Circle) at the Embassy of Haiti.Β 
  • Ukraine. πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ There are a few fundraisers featuring Ukrainian artists including a β€œTaking Back Z” rooftop concertΒ (Tues, donation, 🌲, Logan Circle) and a Concert to Benefit Ukraine (Sun, $45, πŸ›‹, Capitol Hill). If you’re still looking to understand the war, you may be interested in attending this lecture (Sun, $13, πŸ›‹, Dupont Circle).Β 
  • A week of cookbooks. πŸ‘¨β€πŸ³πŸ‘©β€πŸ³Β There’s Peter Serpico’s β€œLearning Korean” (Mon, πŸ†“, πŸ›‹,Β  Dupont Circle), Kwame Onwuachi’s β€œMy America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef” (Tues, $18, πŸ›‹, Chinatown), and Tamika Scott’s β€œTable Set: A Taste of the South” (Fri, πŸ†“, πŸ›‹, Downtown).Β 
  • The DC Arab Literature Festival. πŸ“š Uncover the growing literary landscape of Arab literature (Tues-Wed, πŸ†“, πŸ’»).Β 
  • A hodgepodge of fun. 🧩 Head to an outdoor screening of β€œCool Runnings” (Wed, πŸ†“, 🌲, NoMa). See azalea bonsais (starts, Sat, πŸ†“, 🌲, Arboretum) in bloom. Attend a dance fitness party (Sun, πŸ†“, 🌲, Georgetown). Taste some natural wines (Wed-Thu, $10, πŸ›‹/ 🌲, Park View). Enjoy music from the Golden Age of film (Tues, $18, πŸ›‹, 16th St).Β 

 

Your Neighbor,

Jade (@clockoutdc)

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.

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