Happy Thursday, everyone!
Take a moment to delight in the beautiful weekend weather at a PorchFest concert performance, or view a cultural parade and sample tasty bites at the Fiesta Asia Street Fair.
Best Things to Do This Weekend
- Adams Morgan PorchFest. Don’t miss the first-ever spring edition of the Adams Morgan PorchFest. The neighborhood-wide concert lineup will host more than 70 local bands across 17 porches, patios, and stoops showing off DC’s diverse musical talent. Concertgoers can expect to jam to classic rock, funk, go-go, rap, reggae, bluegrass, classical, pop, and more during this day of nonstop music (Sat, free, Adams Morgan).
- Fiesta Asia Street Fair. Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a cultural parade, street dancing, Pan-Asian cuisine, live music, martial arts demonstrations, and kid-friendly activities at the Fiesta Asia Street Fair representing more than 20 cultures. The event will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 6th streets, Northwest (Sat, free, Capitol Hill).
- Old Town Festival of Speed and Style. Dozens of rare and exotic cars, and vintage motorcycles will line the streets of Alexandria at the Fourth Annual Old Town Festival of Speed and Style. Car enthusiasts can see more than 100 supercars from the mid-1900s while experiencing live opera, a fashion discussion with celebrity stylist Monte Durham, and shopping (Sun, free entry, Alexandria).
- Preakness 148. Preakness weekend is here: Cheer on your favorite racer, and enjoy a weekend full of entertainment including indoor dining in the grandstand, guided tours of the Pimlico Race Course, and a live concert featuring headliner Bruno Mars, electronic duo Sofi Tukker, and local DJ star Quicksilva (Fri-Sat, prices vary, Baltimore).
Want More Things to Do?
Budget-friendly. Adults only are invited to this fun library gaming night (every third Thursday, free, Woodbridge). Tune in to a 24-hour reading marathon of Edgar Allan Poe’s works (Sat-Sun, donations welcome, virtual).
Arts and culture. Cartoonist Dana Maier discusses her creative process and her new book Skip to the Fun Parts at Politics and Prose (Thurs, free, Northeast DC). World traveler Marianne Tshihamba takes you on a British tea tour at this interactive cooking class (Sat, $58, Capitol Hill). Join a discussion about Black literary arts with the Hurston/Wright Foundation (Fri, free, virtual). Bring a chair and watch Till at the National Harbor plaza (Thurs, free, National Harbor). Or, watch the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon indoors at a neighborhood library (Thurs, free, Rosedale). Author Michael Gardner and DC illustrator Nadia Fisher discuss the children’s book Daddy Dressed Me (Sat, free, MLK Library). Browse locally made candles, home decor, and art while sipping craft beer at the pet-friendly Port City Brewing Spring Makers’ Market; there’s free coloring books for the first 50 children (Sat, free, Alexandria). Meet authors and browse an array of titles at the Gaithersburg Book Festival (Sat, free, Gaithersburg). Read antiquarian books from 30 sellers at the Georgetown Rare Book Fair (Fri-Sun, free for fair, $50 for preview night, Georgetown).
Community and history. Experience Greek culture, traditional dance, and bites at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church Festival (Sat, free, Bethesda).
Theater and shows. Here There Are Blueberries is showing at Shakespeare Theatre Company (through May 28, $35+, Penn Quarter). It’s the last call to see The Body of a Woman as a Battlefield at Atlas Performing Arts Center (Thurs-Sun, $40, H Street Corridor). Scena Theatre performs a trio of Irish plays in Three by Yeats at DC Arts Center (Thurs through June 4, $40, Adams Morgan). The Washington Improv Theater demonstrates a marketing satire in their new show Not a Pyramid Scheme (Thurs through June 20, $15, Northwest DC). Attend Arena Stage’s Voices of Now Festival to see autobiographical theater works created by grade-school students and adult artists (through Sat, free, Southwest DC).
Music and concerts. There’s a SZA and Doja Cat dance party at Howard Theatre (Sat, $20+, Howard Theatre). Groove to three DJs at the Mayflower Club day party (Sun, free, Northwest DC). Country singer Hunter Hayes performs his new album The Red Sky Tour at Sixth and I (Thurs, $35+, Northwest DC). Get tickets to the Rock Creek Kings’ EP release party (Fri, $15, Wharf).
Bites and beverages. Shop gourmet treats at the DMV Chocolate and Coffee Spring Pop-Up (Sat-Sun, $12+, Chantilly). Check out the city views at Hedy’s Rooftop opening featuring a DJ, cocktails, and food (Fri, free entry, $10 bar, Northwest DC). Weekend brunch is back at Ciel Social Club; celebrate the occasion at their disco dance party or drag brunch (Sat-Sun, reservations recommended, prices vary, Downtown). Join the Black-owned Fine Wine Series of tastings (Fri-Sun, $20, various participating locations).
Things to do with kids. Watch Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on a giant outdoor screen (Sun, free, National Harbor). Or, see a screening of Moana at The Collection (Sat, free, Chevy Chase). Teens can craft jewelry, art, and vision boards at the library (Thurs, free, MLK Library). The Washington Ballet will read children’s story When Langston Dances, and teach a classic ballet lesson (Thurs, free, Cleveland Park).
Get involved. Sample cocktails and bites at The Roost in support of the National Memorial to the Women Who Worked on the Home Front Foundation (Thurs, $50, Capitol Hill).
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.
