Happy Monday, DC!
This week is packed with exciting things to do. You can continue AAPI Heritage Month celebrations at the outdoor Fiesta Asia, or see Jack Harlow live in concert at the 149th Preakness.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
May 13-May 19
- Fiesta Asia. Passport DC festivities continue this month with Fiesta Asia. The celebration of pan-Asian heritage will include over 1,000 performers, food vendors, and artisans, plus kid-friendly activities, a talent competition, street dancing, and a colorful parade. The fair has been a popular tribute to Asian culture since 2006 (Sat, free, Downtown).
- Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour at Mount Vernon. Unwind this weekend with unlimited samples of Virginia wines while overlooking the Potomac River at Mount Vernon’s Spring Wine Festival and Sunset Tour. This year’s tasting lineup includes 20 wineries, live music by Bruce Ewan and the Solid Senders, and sightseeing of the historic grounds. Tickets are going fast, so snag your entry pass soon (Fri-Sun, $54+, Mount Vernon).
- Preakness 149. Preakness weekend is here: Cheer on your favorite racer, and enjoy a weekend full of entertainment including guided tours of the Pimlico Race Course, as well as a live concert featuring headliner rap star Jack Harlow, and popular DJs Gryffin, Chantel Jeffries, and Frank Walker (Fri-Sat, $69+ for concert, $84+ for races, Baltimore).
- Lucketts Spring Vintage Market. The beloved Lucketts Spring Market returns to Northern Virginia to showcase more than 200 vintage vendors. You can score chic garden gems, painted furniture, architectural salvage, rustic antiques, and lots more at this three-day market. Expect live music, a beer garden, and food trucks, too (Fri-Sun, $15, Berryville).
- Quarterfest Crawl. Indulge in food specials and samples from neighborhood eateries, and groove to live music along Ballston Quarter at this weekend’s Quarterfest Crawl. There will be family-friendly games and activations, crafts and entertainment from Grace Community Church and the Washington Capitals, and live music on the outdoor plaza by DJ Ricky, Bobby McKeys Dueling Pianos, and more music acts (Sat, free, Arlington).
- Museum Walk Weekend. Dupont Circle and Kalorama Neighborhood museums are offering free admission for Museum Walk Weekend. Visitors can take self-guided tours, check out the art exhibits, listen to live music, and watch demonstrations at seven local museums, including The Phillips Collection, The President Woodrow Wilson House, Anderson House, the National Museum of American Jewish Military History, and the Dupont Underground (Sat-Sun, free, Dupont, Kaloroma).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Author Edward F. O’Keefe visits Politics and Prose to discuss his book The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt (Mon, free, Northwest DC).
- Slate’s Amicus podcast is live at Sixth & I in conversation with scholar Sherrilyn Ifill, Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Todd Eddins, and others (Tues, $15+, Downtown).
- Learn all about spring foraging, and taste medicinal plants at Shop Made in VA (Tues, $55, Alexandria).
- The lead singer for Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, Kathleen Hanna, arrives in DC to talk about her new memoir, Rebel Girl (Wed, $66 for ticket and book, Lincoln Theatre).
- Come dressed in your best impression of the “New Worlds” exhibit at National Museum of Women in the Art’s after-hours bash (Wed, $25, Northwest DC).
- Watch a movie screening of The Lost City at Alethia Tanner Park (Wed, free, NoMa).
- Novelist and actress Miranda July’s new book All Fours follows a woman’s search for freedom (Thurs, free, Northwest DC).
- Tephra ICA Arts Festival showcases handmade works from more than 200 contemporary artists and artisans; there will be food trucks, music, and guided tours, too (Sat-Sun, free, Reston).
Community and heritage:
- Test your AAPI culture and history knowledge in a game of trivia at Sudhouse DC (Tues, $5, U Street Corridor).
- Asian Festival on Main will feature dozens of food options, performances, and vendors, in addition to a cosplay costume contest (Sun, free, Fairfax).
- A rescheduled Running of the Chihuahuas brings a pet parade, and furry-friendly race to the Wharf (Sun, free, Wharf).
- View high-style vehicles and fast rides at The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style (Sun, free, Alexandria).
Theater and shows:
- Arlington Drafthouse is screening pet-themed shorts and documentaries from the Cat and Dog Film Festivals (Tues-Wed, $38, Arlington).
- Ghanian comic Michael Blackson returns to DC Improv for a night of comedy (Thurs-Sun, $55+, Downtown).
- Mosaic Theater brings Mexodus—a musical narrative about enslaved people who used the Underground Railroad to escape south to Mexico—to the Atlas Performing Arts Center (Thurs through June 9, $42+, H Street Corridor).
- Keegan Theatre’s Expecting explores the experiences of deaf and hearing couples in a one-act play (Thurs through May 25, $40, Dupont).
- Experience acrobats and gravity-defying movements in Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo (Fri through May 25, $25+, Fairfax).
- Jesus Christ Superstar is celebrating its 50th anniversary at the National Theatre (Fri-Sun, $59+, National Theatre).
Music and concerts:
- Punk band Hot Water Music plays 30 years worth of oldies at Howard Theatre (Mon, $40+, U Street Corridor).
- London duo Nova Twins plays eccentric sounds at Songbyrd (Tues, $20+, Northeast DC).
- Indie-rock band Glom from DC performs at DC9 Nightclub (Tues, $15+, Shaw).
- Latin American hip-hop legends Cypress Hill are in concert (Tues, $76, Lincoln Theatre).
- You can see Cheekface, a music trio specializing in indie-pop tunes, at The Atlantis (Wed, $20, Shaw).
- Guatemalan vocalist Gaby Moreno sings at The Hamilton Live (Wed, $15+, Downtown).
- Listen to live tunes, and grab a bite to eat from local food trucks, at Music in the Park (Fri, free, Takoma).
- Superstar alternative singer-songwriter Hozier makes an Unreal Unearth Tour stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Fri, $39+, sold out but resale tickets available, Columbia).
- Prepare to rock out to hardcore hits by DC’s The Goons at Black Cat (Fri, $20, Shaw).
- Bourbon & Bluegrass music festival returns to President Lincoln’s Cottage with cocktails, and jam sessions led by Jake Blount, David Wax Museum, and Senora May (Sat, $50+, Northwest DC).
- Legendary jazz group Sun Ra Arkestra is throwing a 100th birthday concert for band member Marshall Allen (Sun, $39, Alexandria).
- Julia Holter sings songs from her latest album Something in the Room She Moves at The Atlantis (Sun, $22, Shaw).
Bites and beverages:
- Go on a culinary journey through Nationals Park that features tastings of tequila, mezcal, and tacos (Sat, $75+, Nationals Park).
Get involved:
- Volunteer to remove invasive vegetation and trash near the entrance of the Mount Vernon Trail with neighbors (Tues, donations welcome, Arlington).
- Party at a spring soiree for a good cause. SOME’s Young Professionals Network invites guests to dine and dance at National Museum of Women in the Arts to help end hunger and homelessness (Fri, $175, Northwest DC).
Things to do with kids:
- Families can pick strawberries, munch on fruity treats, enjoy story time, participate in a toddler fashion show, and more participate in other fun at the Lincoln Strawberry Festival (Sat-Sun, $15, Hamilton).
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.
