Happy weekend, everyone!
April is coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the weekend fun is slowing down. Browse French goods at Georgetown’s pop-up market, or rock to the go-go beat at a locally-inspired musical.
Best Things to Do This Weekend
- Georgetown French Market. Inspired by the open-air markets in France, Georgetown is bringing together more than 35 boutiques, salons, vintage shops, restaurants, and galleries for the 20th Annual Georgetown French Market. This family-friendly gathering features stilt-walkers, live music performances, a caricature artist, pastries, macarons, and more French delights (Fri-Sun, free, Georgetown).
- Pink in the Park. Wrap up cherry blossom season with a bouncing outdoor concert, art installations, and food-truck bites this weekend. Hosted by celebrity guest Orlando Jones, Pink in the Park welcomes concertgoers to Long Bridge Park to hear beats by DJ Chan Don, Reesa Renee, Black Alley band, and Crush Funk Brass (Sun, free, Arlington).
- “The Giz Go-Go Musical.” Experience the classic Wizard of Oz tale in a new, creative way at The Giz Go-Go Musical. The DC Black Broadway award-winning production portrays the story of North Carolinian Dottie on an unexpected magical adventure to Chocolate City (Fri-Sun, $60+, Lincoln Theatre).
- NEXT Festival. Graduating students of the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design present their budding talents and scholarly innovations at the NEXT Festival this spring. Attendees can view end-of-year fine-arts projects; see dance, hip-hop, classical, and jazz performances; and sit in on lectures and presentations that touch on design, art history, architecture, and more (through May 20, free, George Washington University).
- Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. There’s fun for everyone at the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. Over a span of ten days, the Virginia jamboree will host more than 40 events including a wine fest, country music concert, kid-friendly carnival, a pickleball tournament, a concert with Christian singer Michael W. Smith, a community parade, car show, apple pie contest, a fireworks show, and more entertainment (Fri through May 7, prices vary, Winchester).
Want More Things to Do?
Budget-friendly. Visit Juanita Thornton-Shepherd Park Library to find a bargain title for your bookshelves (Sat-Sun, $1 for books, Georgia Avenue).
Arts and culture. Actor Rainn Wilson visits Sixth & I to discuss his new book Soul Boom (Sat, $35, $15+ for virtual, Northwest DC). Shop Mother’s Day gifts at a Spring Arts and Crafts Market (Sun, free, Mount Pleasant). Join a workshop about the value of audio description at museums (Fri, free, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery). Tour a new exhibit dedicated to African women of the Middle Passage with the artist, Ayana V. Jackson, and curator Karen E. Milbourne (Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art).
History and community. Put your detective skills to the test at the National Law Enforcement Museum true-crime scavenger hunt (Sat, $10, Northwest DC). Learn about the heritage of the Tudor Place trees from master arborists (Sat, $20, Northwest DC).
Theater and shows. Chuckle at sketch comedians at the DC Arts Center (Sat, $15, Northwest DC). Comedian Samantha Bee comes to DC (Fri, $39+, Kennedy Center). DC’s dueling magicians want you to vote on their best magic tricks (various dates through July 1, $50+, Downtown). ExPats Theatre’s The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield narrates the story of war and gender-based violence (Fri through May 21, $40, H Street Corridor). It’s the last call for the Wilting Point at Keegan Theatre (closes Sun, $50, Dupont).
Music and concerts. Local artists Plant Dad, Freddy Hall, and MLLN play a combination of folk, alternative, and R&B music at The Pocket (Thurs, $15, Truxton Circle). DC native Christopher Prince shares protest music (Sun, free, MLK Memorial Library). Cathedra, the Washington National Cathedral’s concert ensemble, performs Monteverdi’s Vespers (Sun, $20+, Northwest DC). Jazz artists are hosting a blooming concert at Union Station (Thurs, free, Union Station). Celebrate International Jazz Day with legendary artist Abdullah Ibrahim (Sun, $29+, Kennedy Center). Take a Mexican folk dance workshop with Corazón Folklórico (Thurs, free, Kennedy Center). Drive-By Truckers rock band performs at 9:30 Club (Sun, $35, Northwest DC). Groove to local music at the rescheduled Petworth Porchfest (Sat, free, Petworth).
Outdoor fun. Compete in a garage bike race, or spectate from the sidelines (Fri-Sat, free, Arlington). Enjoy a jazz concert on the plaza (Sat, free, Chevy Chase). Celebrate the new C Street cycle track with ice cream and a community bike ride (Sat, free, Capitol Hill). Wunder Garten is celebrating the seven-year anniversary of the H Street Corridor streetcar with a race against the locomotive (Sun, $5 donations welcome, Northeast DC). Watch the film Flight of the Intruder outside at the Navy Memorial Plaza (Thurs, free, Downtown).
Bites and beverages. Cultural DC is hosting a Night in Argentina where guests can sip wine, dance, and enjoy Argentine cuisine (Thurs, free, Northeast DC). Explore local artisans at Maydan’s Wine, Food and Culture Festival (Sun, $25, Northwest DC).
Sports. Cheer on the DC Defenders as they compete in the XFL North Division Championship (Sun, $28+, Audi Field).
Get involved. Volunteer to be a weed warrior and help remove invasive plants from Reservation 630 East (Sun, free, Northwest DC).
If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.
Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.
