Eat, Drink, Rave, Repeat
With temperatures forecast around 70 degrees Fahrenheit all weekend, it will be a good day to get out and do something in the DMV. And there’s plenty to do from the running of the Chihuahuas on the Southwest Waterfront to a food and wine festival at National Harbor. Saturday night Opera in the Outfield returns to Nationals Stadium and on Sunday there’s a restaurant crawl in Silver Spring.
All the rain earlier this week had one benefit, Metro cancelled postponed work at the Greenbelt Station that would have closed it over the weekend. Instead, Green Line trains will operate normally between Greenbelt and Branch Avenue, except on Saturday when trains will run between College Park and Greenbelt every 20-24 minutes between 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The rest of the Green Line and Blue and Yellow lines will run at regular intervals of every 12 minutes. Orange Line trains will run every 24 minutes and Red Line trains will operated every 20 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont with trains every 10-12 minutes from 9 a.m.-9 p.m between Shady Grove and NoMa/Gallaudet University.
Visitor to the National Harbor Wine & Food Festival on the piers in 2013. (Photo: Trigger Agency)
National Harbor Wine & Food Festival
Spend your weekend sipping wine by the water. The National Harbor Wine & Food Festival includes more than 150 kinds of wines, beers and spirits, as well as cooking demonstrations from D.C. chefs. Guests will be able to sample all of the varieties as well as purchase them by the glass and the bottle, on-site at special event prices. There will also be a Cinco de Mayo Pavilion, special craft beer tasting bier garten, whiskey and bourbon tasting experience and three stages of live music and smooth jazz. Special appearances on the cooking stage include Chef Mike Isabella of Graffiato, Chef Rahman “Rock” Harper winner of Hell’s Kitchen and Chef Bryan Voltaggio of Volt/Range Restaurant on Saturday, and Chef Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgang Puck, Chef Mike Schlow and Chef Victor Albisu of Del Campo and Taco Bambo on Sunday. The VIP Pier will offer restaurant tastings for foodies to indulge their inner passions.
May 2 and 3 from 1-6 p.m. at National Harbor, 137 National Plaza, Oxen Hill, Md. General admission one-day tickets are on sale at the door for $49 cash only. Grand Cru two-day all access passes are $199, and VIP tickets are $99 for Saturday and $79 for Sunday.
Backyard Barbeque
Backyard Barbeque will take place Thursday-Saturday at the National Building Museum through Labor Day. (Photo: National Building Museum)
This summer, Hill Country brings its Backyard Barbeque pop-up back to the National Building Museum’s west lawn. The unique experience features Hill Country’s award-winning Texas-style barbecue, cold beverages and live music, which will energize the museum’s green space.
Thursday-Saturday through Labor from 4-9 p.m. at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is FREE! Music begins at 5:30 p.m. (Food & drink extra. Check the menu here.)
4 Girls 4
4 Girls 4 includes Andrea McArdle (clockwise from top left), Maureen McGovern, Donna McKechnie and Faith Prince. (Photos: Strathmore)
Show tune lovers hit the jackpot with this foursome, each a legendary leading lady. 4 Girls 4 features Maureen McGovern, always remembered for “The Morning After” theme from The Poseidon Adventure; Donna McKechnie’s “bright and brassy” voice lit up the stage in A Chorus Line; Andrea McArdle was the youngest Tony Award nominee ever when she charmed audiences in Annie; and Faith Prince breathed new life into Broadway revivals of Guys & Dolls and Bells Are Ringing.
May 2 at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets range from $29-$70.
Running of the Chihuahuas
The 2013 Running of the Chihuahuas. (Photo: On Tap Online)
There’s no sillier way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than at the Running of the Chihuahuas. Cheer the racers, grab an ice cold beer or food from the Lobster Truck, Sol Mexican or Sinplicity ice cream and listen to the live music. New this year – all races will be broadcast live on a Jumbotron. All race entries are donated to PAWS of Southwest and Rural Dog Rescue. Adoptable dogs from Rural Dog will be there too. In addition to the Chihuahuas, there will be all-breed contests from best trick and best dressed.
May 3 from noon-3 p.m. at the Wharf on the Southwest Waterfront between 6th and 7th Streets. After party at Cantina Marina. Admission is FREE!
Space Day
Space Day at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum. (Photo: Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)
Space Day is a perennial favorite at the National Air and Space Museum where visitors enjoy STEM-inspired hands-on activities, meet astronauts and learn about space from experts from the museum and NASA. All of the activities take place amid the awe-inspiring collection of historic aviation and space artifacts in the museum. Meet astronauts Pat Forrester at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Joseph M. Acaba at noon and 2 p.m.
May 2 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, 6th Street and Constitution Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Funk Parade
The Funk Parade will take place in the U Street area on Saturday. (Grahpic: Funk Parade)
For many years, U Street was a place of celebration and gathering for city residents. Funk Parade, a one-of-a-kind street fair, parade and music festival, continues that tradition. The street fair between 9th and 16th Streets from noon-5 p.m. will include music, performance, art and workshops. Performers include Funk Ark, Brass Connection, the Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers, Urban Artistry and the Dragon and Lion Dancers from the Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute. There will also be a tech embassy at Affinity Labs, 920 U St. NW, and a family area at 11th and U Streets. The participatory Funk Parade kicks off at 5 p.m., convening at Vermont and U Streets NW, continuing north on Vermont then west on V Street and south on Ben Ali Way, ending at Ben’s Chili Bowl. From 7-10 p.m. there will be free shows in neighborhood venues including U Street Music Hall, Tropicalia, Solly’s, DC9 Nightclub, Patty Boom Boom, Liv Nightclub DC, The Brixton, Jojo Restaurant, Busboys and Poets, Twins Jazz Club and Work It! Studio.
May 3 from noon-10 p.m. along U Street between 9th and 16th Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Opera in the Outfield
Colorful birds in the Washington National Opera’s performance of The Magic Flute. (Photo: Washington National Opera)
The Washington National Opera debuts Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Kennedy Center on Saturday. A prince goes on a quest to save a princess with the assistance of a magic flute and a comic sidekick. Along the way, he finds that many of the people he assumed were good guys are, in fact, bad guys and visa versa. The performance will be simulcast for free as part of Opera in the Outfield at Nationals Stadium.
May 3 at 8 p.m. at Nationals Stadium, 1500 South Capitol St. SE . Arrive as early as 5 p.m. to get a good seat and candy. Admission is FREE! You can also watch it at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW, through May 18. Admission is $25-$305.
Taste the World in Fenton Village
Taste the World in Fenton Village (Photo: Soco Eats)
Twenty-nine of Montgomery County’s most diverse restaurants are teaming up with the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, Silver Spring Town Center and Montgomery County to offer the 2014 Taste the World in Fenton Village. Taste the World features international and American cuisine at the actual restaurants, making this a restaurant crawl, similar to pub crawls. Attendees visit the restaurants and for $2-$5 can sample appetizers and tasting plates filled with international fare all within a five-block area. At each stop, patrons get their “passports” stamped and with three stmps are eligible for prizes including a weekend for two in Silver Spring including hotel, dining and entertainment. There will also be live music on two stages and street performers.
May 4 from 1-6 p.m. in Fenton Village along Fenton Street between Thayer and Silver Spring Avenues. Admission is FREE
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.
