Charity, Concerts and Culture Fill Weekend
The weather is expected to be mostly sunny over the weekend with temperatures in the low- to midMetr-80s – perfect for outdoor activities. There’s a charity crab feast, concerts and cultural events. For tennis fans, the Citi Open tennis tournament is at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. The men’s and women’s quarterfinals are on Friday, the semifinals are Saturday and the final matches are on Sunday. Play starts at 1 p.m. Friday and at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend, Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Yellow and Blue Line trains will operate every 20 minutes. Red Line trains will operate every 15 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and 8-10 minutes between Silver Spring and Friendship Heights from 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. From 12:01 a.m. Saturday through closing Sunday, buses will replace Orange and Silver Line trains between Ballston, West Falls Church and McLean stations. East Falls Church station is closed. Orange Line trains will operate every 12-20 minutes between Vienna and West Falls Church and every 10 minutes between Ballston and New Carrollton. Silver Line trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule between Wiehle-Reston and McLean only with shuttle buses between McLean and Ballston stations, where riders can board the Orange Line trains into the city to Stadium-Armory. To continue to Largo Town Center, riders will need to transfer to the Blue Line.
Rotary Crab Feast
Nearly 2,500 people are expected to finish off 320 bushels of crabs, 3,400 ears of corn, 100 gallons of crab soup and more at the 70th annual Rotary Club of Annapolis Rotary Crab Feast is back benefiting more than 30 local charities. Your ticket includes all-you-can-eat large, #1 male crabs, Maryland crab soup, corn-on-the-cob, barbeque beef sandwiches, hot dogs and watermelon, as well as all-you-can-drink draft beer, soda and water. There will also be a back sale and cake raffle. The event is rain or shine, but most tables are under cover.
Aug. 7 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, 550 Taylor Ave., Annapolis. Adult tickets are $65 in advance or $75 at the door. Children age 3 to 12 are $20. Advance sales end at noon Friday. Parking is FREE!
Luce Unplugged Community Showcase
The Luce Unplugged Community Showcase series presents acoustic sets from District-based bands in the middle of a museum. Friday’s show features indie rockers Fellow Creatures with Sam McCormally, formerly of Ugly Purple Sweater, following a talk from museum staff about Howard Finster’s “Visions of a Great Gulf on Planet Hell.”
Aug. 7 with the talk beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the concert from 6-7 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Foundation Center, Third Floor, West Wing, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Astronaut Academy
Can you be one of the first astronauts on Mars? Astronaut Academy is a new alternate reality game at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center that will challenge you to become an astronaut-in-training for a future trip to Mars. What skills will you need to survive a long trip to the Red Planet and return safely? Find out by choosing what role you will play on the mission, engaging in fun, interactive activities and exploring the science, technology, engineering and math skills you need as a member of the next generation of space travelers. Along the way, you’ll learn about some of the museum’s fascinating artifacts.
Saturdays from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., Chantilly. Admission is FREE, but parking is $15.
FestAfrica!
Pride for African culture runs deep at the 13th annual FestAfrica!, a free event that will be held at Veterans Plaza this weekend featuring live music, dance performances, fashion shows, art vendors, family fun and African food. Click http://www.festafricausa.com/entertainment/ here for the full schedule.
Aug. 8 and 9 from 1-8 p.m. at Veteran’s Plaza, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring. Admission is FREE!
Vietnamese Cultural Days
The Kennedy Center hosts the Vietnamese Cultural Days in the U.S. The presentations celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States. Saturday brings Essence of Vietnam, a performance that showcases the colorful cultural diversity of Vietnam through traditional musical instruments, graceful dances and traditional costumes by the National Art Troup of Viet Nam. Sunday features Miraculous Transformation, a fashion show in which designers Lan Huong, Quang Nhat, Chula and Minh Hanh are introduction special collections made from Vietnamese ethnic fabric. Miss Vietnam Ngoc Han and Super Model winner Hoang Yen joing the model team to present the collections.
Aug. 8 and 9 at 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE on a first come, first served basis beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Music of John Williams
While scoring the music to the movies you know by heart, composer John Williams has collected five Academy Awards and 22 Grammy Awards. You can’t think of Star Wars, Jaws or Indiana Jones — just to name a few of the contemporary classic movies he’s worked on — without thinking of Williams’s soaring scores. The Music of John Williams with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Emil de Cou, will bring those compositions back to life under the stars.
Aug. 8 starting at 8:15 p.m. at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, 1645 Wolf Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $20-$58.
Brewers on the Block
D.C. Beer Week runs Sunday through Aug. 16 with events all week long. The week kicks off with Brewers on the Block, the official open party for D.C. Beer Week, which features at least 20 breweries, meaderies and cideries outside Union Market. Participants include 3 Stars Brewing, Atlas Brew Works, Blue Mountain Brewery, Bold Rock Cider, The Brewer’s Art, Charm City Meadworks, D.C. Brau Brewing, Devils Backbone Brewery, Flying Dog Brewery, Hellbender Brewing, Lost Rhino Brewing, Mad Fox Brewing, Oliver Ales, Port City Brewing, Realerevival Brewing, Stillwater Artisinal Ales and Union Craft Breweing. It’s one of the bargains of Beer Week too.
Aug. 9 from 2-5 p.m. outside Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NE. Tickets are $35 for general admission with unlimited drinks, or 60 for VIP admission, which includes early admission at 1 p.m. and extra beers and frozen cocktails from the Suburbia trailer, the summery pop-up bar outside Union Market.
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.