Jazz in the Garden Ends; RenFest Kicks Off
Despite Hurricane Harvey baring down on Texas, it looks like it is going to be a nice weekend in the DMV with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 70s. The perfect weather to get out and participate in some of the events planned this weekend including listening to music at the final Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery of Art for this summer, watching dragon boat races in the Washington Channel, taking in a free outdoor movie or traveling back to 1527 at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, which opens Saturday.
Red Line trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule, except from opening until 2 p.m. Sunday for a safety exercise at White Flint that will close the station. During that time, buses will replace trains between Grosvenor and Twinbrook. Trains will run every 15 minutes between Shady Grove and Twinbrook and Grosvenor and Glenmont. On the Blue, Orange and Silver Lines, the Farragut West, McPherson Square and Metro Center (lower level) stations will be closed. Buses will replace trains between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle on the Blue and Orange Lines and the Silver Line will operate between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston ONLY. Yellow and Green Line trains will operate on normal weekend schedules.
Harbor Dome: Summer Snow Globe
National Harbor want to inject some winter into your summer. Step inside Harbor Dome: Summer Snow Globe for craft cocktails, live music and falling snow, running from Thursday-Sunday this week. Each day also features live music, with a different band or DJ taking center stage. The geodesic structure can host 500 inside and another 300 outside with craft cocktails served from Gina Chersevani of Buffalo and Bergan at multiple bars including three boozy snow cones priced at $12 each and three $10 cocktails, $8 wine and $6 beer along with sleek lounge seating at 64 degrees. There will also be snowball cornhole outside while you thaw. Forget about August temperatures and cool down at one of the area’s most vibrant destinations. This weekend’s entertainment includes DJ Mathias on Friday, the band Sir Sly on Saturday and DJ Sharkey on Sunday. The Snow Globe is for ages 21 and over.
Weekends through Sept. 4 from 5 p.m.-midnight on Friday, 2 p.m.-midnight on Saturday and 2-6 p.m. on Sunday at National Harbor, intersection of Waterfront Street and National Plaza, Oxon Hill. Tickets are $10 on Friday and Sunday and $25 on Saturday.
National Park Service Birthday
On Aug. 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act creating the National Park Service. It began as a collection of 35 sites and in the last 100 years has grown into a vast system of 417. This Friday, celebrate the National Park Service’s 101st Birthday by visiting any national park free. Locally, go to beautiful places like Great Falls Park, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park or Prince William Forest Park. A full list of parks and information for visitors is available on the NPS website.
Aug. 25 with hours varying by location at any national park. Admission is FREE!
Artful Innovation: Inclusive Design and Technology
This is the last weekend to see the Kennedy Center’s Artful Innovation: Inclusive Design and Technology before it closes on Aug. 30. Art pushes the boundaries of what we can imagine. Technology expands the boundaries of what we can do. Design facilitates the use of our talents and skills. Each can make possible what some thought impossible. The objects in this exhibition may be unexpected or even unimaginable. Sometimes they are beautiful; they are always functional. Their purposes vary, but they all represent creativity that includes people of diverse abilities, ages and sensory and cognitive approaches to art and design. Art, design and technology come together here to demonstrate the possibilities of the creative future. Check out objects that combine creativity in design and functionality through cutting-edge technology. View true innovation that may just alter your perception of what is truly possible and gain a glimpse into the future.
Daily from 10 a.m.-closing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’s Hall of States, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
June Schwarcz: Invention and Variation
This is the last weekend to visit the Renwick Gallery’s June Schwarcz: Invention and Variation display, which closes Sunday. The exhibit showcases the work of June Schwarcz, a forward-thinking artist who used enamel to create an amazing body of work over 60 years. The exhibit features nearly 60 artworks and represents the first retrospective of Schwarcz’s work in 15 years. You will see the artist’s pioneering work in the form of three-dimensional objects, plaques, panels, vessels and more.
Aug. 25-27 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
D.C. Bachata Congress
Ranked the number one Latin dance festival in the U.S. the last two years, the D.C. Bachata Congress takes over the nation’s capital this weekend. More than 6,000 veterans and newbies of dancing bachata, the sexier-than-salsa dancing style from the Dominican Republic, will have plenty of chances to strut their stuff, from concerts to contests to workshops. In addition to its dance events, the festival recognizes the art form’s best of the best, along with difference makers in the Hispanic community at the DCBX Excellence Awards. Meanwhile, its Global Impact Film Festival celebrates different cultures and raises awareness about important worldwide issues, while a speaker series for entrepreneurs helps fuel the next big ideas.
Aug. 24-27 starting at 10 a.m. daily at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth St. NW. Tickets are $45 for one evening or $125 for all four night, $150 for a single day and night or $275 for a full pass or $299 for a VIP pass, which also includes access to master classes.
Jazz in the Garden
Is it the last weekend of August, and that means this is the final week to enjoy Jazz in the Garden after work on Friday. Kick back and groove to the music with sangria in hand amid the art in the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. An eclectic mix of DMV jazz musicians lend a soundtrack to one of the city’s most idyllic scenes set around the sculpture garden’s central fountain, wrapping up its 17th season. This week’s concert features Black Masala, a six-piece band that plays and eclectic mix of music. Take your own picnic or purchase food from the museum’s Pavilion Café, which will offer a special menu of appetizers, salads and entrées, including a smoked brisket sandwich, pulled pork BBQ sandwich, sweet Italian sausage sandwich and chicken shawarma. Wine, sangria and beer are also available.
Aug. 25 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Comcast Outdoor Film Festival
The three-day 21st annual Comcast Outdoor Film Festival benefits NIH Children’s Charities and takes place in Bethesda from Thursday-Saturday. The scenic Strathmore campus is a fantastic place to enjoy an evening outdoors, so take the crew to catch either Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Friday and The Lego Batman Movie on Saturday. Take low-rise chairs, blankets, picnics and small coolers or Ridgewell’s will be on-site with food including popcorn, candy, hot dogs and other snacks, along with sangria, wine, beer and soft drinks.
Aug. 25 and 26 with gates opening at 7:30 p.m. and the movies beginning at dusk at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Admission is FREE, but parking is $5.20 at the nearby Metro garage.
Free for All: Othello
This is the last weekend for the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 27th annual Free for All production of Othello.
Each year, the theatre company hosts its special Free for All series, in which performance of one of The Bard’s classic plays are made available to the public, free of charge. This year, Othello takes center stage, weaving a tale of betrayal and manipulation in one of Shakespeare’s most intense tragedies. Among the exotic airs and mysterious shadows of Cyprus, newly married and promoted Moorish general Othello finds himself the pawn in the manipulative games of his right-hand man, Iago. As his imagination is poisoned, Othello turns on his new bride Desdemona and his loyal lieutenant Cassio, and rapidly spirals from hero to murderer.
Aug. 25 at 8 p.m., Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Aug. 27 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Free tickets can be retrieved via online lottery or in person the day of the show beginning two hours prior to curtain. Limit two tickets per person.
Capital Dragon Boat Regatta
The action-packed 4th annual Capital Dragon Boat Regatta takes place near the Southwest Waterfront’s beautiful new development, The Wharf. At least 29 groups of 20 rowers frantically paddle towards the finish line in the Washington Channel with a drummer onboard inspiring the team. Each team will compete in at least three races. Boats are decorated in a variety of colors, creating quite the visual on the water. Vendors will be on hand as will food trucks.
Aug. 26 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Southwest Waterfront, 600 Water St. SW. Admission is FREE!
Maryland Renaissance Festival
The Maryland Renaissance Festival kicks off this Saturday and Sunday. Check out this unique festival that takes place every year in Annapolis. Fill the weekend by checking out life in Oxfordshire, England in 1527 with renaissance-themed artisans, performers including dancers and musicians, and food including giant smoked turkey legs and things on a stick. King Henry VIII with his queen, Katherine of Aragon, and their royal court visit the e village of Revel Grove as part of their annual summer progress. The queen is surprised when Anne Boleyn suddenly shows up to the village festivities. However, the king is delighted as Anne has been away from court for many months. Queen Katherine is annoyed but assumes Anne is just another dalliance of the king. She has no idea that her own life and marriage will soon be thrown into turmoil, and the course of English history will be changed forever! You can also dress up in your own costume or rent one there, if ye so wish.
Weekend from Aug. 26 through Oct. 22 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Maryland Renaissance Festival grounds, 1821 Crownsville Road, Annapolis. Single-day tickets are $19 for adults, $17 for seniors 62 or older, $8 for children 7-15 and free for kids younger than 7 from Aug. 26-Sept. 10 online or at the gate. Prices from Sept. 16-Oct. 22 are $25 for adults, $21 for seniors 62 or older, $10 for children 7-15 and free for kids younger than 7 online or at the gate.
Back-to-School Celebration
Petrie Richardson Ventures, the owner-developer of Ellsworth Place retail center in downtown Silver Spring, and D.C. Fashion Week are hosting a free, all-ages back-to-school celebration featuring a fashion show, scavenger hunt and screening of Back to the Future. The day-long event includes the scavenger hunt from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. with the winner receiving a $500 gift card to Dave & Buster’s, fashion show featuring DCFW collections and back-to-school attire from Ellsworth Place retailers from 2-3 p.m. and the moving screening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. with free popcorn.
Aug. 26 from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. at Ellsworth Place, 8661 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. Admission is FREE!
17th Street Festival
17th Street in Dupont has so much to see and do, it needs its own day-long festival for you to take in all its wonder. The 17th Street Festival features entertainment including mariachi and marching bands, flamenco and Chinese dragon dancers, DJs, drag performers and a dog parade throughout the proceedings as you browse through roughly 100 vendors, including 50 artists displaying fine art, crafts and jewelry. Others include local businesses, nonprofit organizations and politicians There is even a kid’s zone, where the little ones can enjoy a moon bounce, a ball crawl, face painting and games, as well as a pet zone featuring dogs and cats (you can even adopt one!).
Aug. 26 from noon-6 p.m. on 17th Street NW from P Street to R Street NW. Admission is FREE, but $10 tickets will buy you discounts at area restaurants and bars including Duke’s Grocery, Bua Thai, Mr. Yogato, Agora, Pansaari, Malbec and Dupont Italian Kitchen.
Arena Stage Community Day
It is never too early to start thinking about Halloween, and you can get a head start on your costume planning at Arena Stage’s annual community day, which includes a sale of costumes used in Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankees and other recent productions. The afternoon also features live music from Cecily Bumbray, Justin Trawick and the Common Good, and La-Ti-Do D.C., storytelling and cabaret, aerialists, face painting, a photo booth, jugglers, hand balancers, poetry readings and dance performances. Food will also be on sale from area restaurants.
Aug. 26 from noon-6 p.m. at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Admission is FREE!
I Love Bachata Festival
The I Love Bachata Festival, celebrating the Dominican Republic’s music and dance, features performances by Yoskar Sarante, Danny D, Domenic Marte, Sonora Dinamita and more. An after party, which runs from 7 p.m.-2 a.m., features Joe Veras and Bachata Heights.
Aug. 27 from noon-2 a.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Plaza, 1 Veterans Plaza, Silver Spring. Admission is FREE with VIP tickets costing $50 including photos with the artists, food and the after-party and after-party tickets are $10.
On-Going Events
Ai Weiwei: Trace from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through Jan. 1, 2018, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Architecture of an Asylum: St. Elizabeths 1852-2017 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 15, 2018, at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, students and children.
Fancy Animal Carnival daily through Oct. 15 at CityCenterDC, 825 10th St. NW; Chinatown Park, Sixth Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW; and Herald Square, 13th Street and New York Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
The First Lady of Song: Ella Fitzgerald at 100 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through April 2, 2018, at the National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
The Faces of Battle: Americans at War, 9/11 to Now from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 28, 2018, at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Apr. 15, 2018, at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Nicholas Party: Sunrise, Sunset from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 1 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Parallax Gap from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily through Feb. 11, 2018, at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW. Admission is FREE!
Sharks from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Oct. 15 at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military and $10 for children ages 5-12.
Summer of Yoko Ono from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Sept. 17 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Trolley Car Mail from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Sept. 10 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Wright on the Walls from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 4 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, students with ID and youth ages 3-17.
XYZT: Abstract Landscapes hands-on interactive experience from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m. daily through Sept. 3 at Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Daytime admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children, students and seniors and evening admission (21+) is $25.
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.