Celebrate Memorial Day in the DMV
It is Memorial Day weekend, and if you aren’t headed to the beach, there is plenty to celebrate in the DMV. If you go out, you may want to take your umbrella because the forecast has a 40-50 percent chance of thunderstorms Saturday evening, all day Sunday and Monday morning with temperature in the upper-80s.
Work on Metro will disrupt travel this holiday weekend. On the Red Line, the Cleveland Park and Woodley Park/Zoo stations will be CLOSED another weekend, with free shuttle buses replacing trains between Dupont Circle and Van Ness/UDC with an additional stop at the National Zoo entrance. Trains will operate every 10 minutes until 9 p.m. and every 15 minutes after. Blue Line trains will single track between National Airport and Braddock Road with trains running every 24 minutes from Springfield-Franconia to Eastern Market ONLY. Orange and Silver Line trains will single track between Eastern Market and Stadium-Armory every 24 minutes. Yellow Line trains will single track between National Airport and Braddock Road and run every 24 minutes from Huntington to Mount Vernon Square ONLY. Green Line trains will be on a regular weekend schedule. On Memorial Day, trains will run on a Sunday schedule from 8 a.m.-11 p.m.
National Memorial Day Parade
The National Memorial Day Parade ushers marching bands, youth groups, floats, performers and, of course, veterans, down Constitution Avenue. This televised parade, commemorating its 14th year, is the largest of its kind in the U.S. drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators and honoring those who have served or presently serve in the U.S. military. Arrive well before the 2 p.m. start time for the best viewing options. Grand marshals this year include Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos and Spencer Stone, the heroes of the 15:17 to Paris, Gary Sinise of Forest Gump and CSI: NY, and the Tuskegee Airmen. Celebrity guests include Joe Mantegna of Criminal Minds, Miss American 2018 Cara Mund and Food Network’s chef Robert Irvine.Trace Adkins, Jerod Neimann and Cassidy Daniels will perform in the parade.
May 28 starting at 2 p.m. along Constitution Avenue from Seventh to 17th Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon
View original mail sent and signed by Alexander Hamilton when he served as the first Secretary of the Treasury in Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon. You will also be able to see portraits of Hamilton and his contemporaries on stamps, in addition to enjoying interactive elements and educational programming. The original dueling pistols used by Hamilton and Vice President Aaron Burr in the 1804 duel that killed Hamilton will be on display from May 25-June 24. This is the first time they have been displayed in the District. The exhibit will also coincide with Hamilton at the Kennedy Center, June 12-Sept. 16.
May 25 through March 3 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!,
Friday Night Concert Series
Take in river views, food, brews and tunes during Yards Park’s free Friday Night Concert Series, which kicks off on the Capitol Riverfront just in time for Memorial Day weekend. There is plenty of green space to stretch out as you groove to music and savor summer time vibes. The series kicks off with Pebble to Pearl, who will bring a catchy mix of R&B and pop, followed by Burnt Sienna on June 1 playing Top 40, Pop and Rock; a Jazz Fest artist on June 8; Black Masala with its World Funk on June 15; the Shane Gamble Band performing country music on June 22; and Jah Works and reggae on June 29. Check the full schedule on the website.
Fridays from 7-9 p.m. from May 25 through Aug. 24 at Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Camelot
Shakespeare Theatre Company stages the classic musical Camelot, which won four Tony Awards. King Arthur’s Round Table is at the center of the proceedings, as well as the leader’s struggle for a better world and a romance doomed to fail. It features an unforgettable score, elaborate set pieces and long enduring characters.
May 22-July 1 at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (except May 27) and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $44-$118.
The Scottsboro Boys
Signature Theatre celebrates the work of John Kander and Fred Ebb with this staging of their final collaboration, built from the same mold as Cabaret and Chicago. The Scottsboro Boys is about an incident that took place on March 25, 1931 in the American South, as nine African-American teenagers were ripped off a train, falsely accused of a crime, unjustly arrested and sentenced to death in disregard of due process. The play is a stunning musical critique of injustice.
May 22-July 1 at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (except May 26), 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Signature Theatre Company, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40-$110.
Battleground National Cemetery Memorial Day Commemoration
One of the smallest national cemeteries in the country is a one-acre sliver of land on Georgia Avenue NW. Battleground National Cemetery holds the remains of 40 Civil War soldiers who were killed defending Washington during the 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens and one Union veteran who chose to be buried there decades later. Every Memorial Day weekend, a ceremony includes the reading of the names of the dead and a flag-laying ceremony.
May 26 from 10 a.m.-noon at Battleground National Cemetery, 6625 Georgia Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Hamiltunes: An American Sing-Along
Hamilton arrives at the Kennedy Center next month, but don’t throw away your shot to sing songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical with singers from the Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre and other DMV vocalists at the estate of Founding Father George Washington during Hamiltunes: An American Sing-Along. (You have to imagine there will be a rousing rendition of Right Hand Man. From 10:45-11:30 a.m. at the Interpretive Center, “Alexander Hamilton” will discuss his life including a childhood in the Caribbean, immigration to the American Colonies as a teenager and his relationship with George Washington.
May 26 from noon-2 p.m. at Mount Vernon’s 12-Acre Field, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Va. Tickets are $18 for adults online and $20 at the gate, $17 for seniors ($19 at the gate), $11 for youth 6-11 year old ($12 at the gate) and FREE for children 5 and younger.
Hometown Holidays
Rockville’s annual Hometown Holidays lasts through the long weekend: More than 30 bands, dance troupes and children’s entertainers perform on four stages from 2-10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, while local restaurants serve signature dishes at the Taste of Rockville (tickets required) beginning at noon both days. Kids can build sand castles on a “beach” in the heart of downtown. Festivities wrap up on Monday with a Memorial Day concert at 9 a.m., ceremony at 9:30 a.m. and parade with floats and marching bands beginning at 10:30 a.m. at North Washington Street and Martins Lane and ending at West Montgomery Avenue and Monroe Street. Check out the full entertainment schedule online.
May 26-28 from noon-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday around Rockville Town Center, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockille. Admission is FREE!
Dardanella: The Great Gatsby Lawn Party
This annual trip back to the Jazz Age finds men in boater hats and ladies in flapper dresses picnicking and playing games on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral. Take your own picnic spread or purchase food and drinks there while big bands perform hits from the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s, swing dancers offer free Charleston and jitterbug lessons on a wooden floor, and bartenders shake up Prohibition-era cocktails at Dardanella: The Great Gatsby Lawn Party. There will be vintage vendors selling everything from hats, gloves and jackets to earrings, bowties and shoes, carnival acts and lawn games ike croquet, bocce and even chess, as well a tug-of-war. Period attire is strongly encouraged.
May 26 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $55, $85 and $115 in advance or $65, $95 and $125 day of.
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally brings together motorcycle riders from all over the U.S. to honor POWs and MIAs who served their country during the Vietnam War. This “ride for freedom” draws more than 900,000 riders, featuring a route that starts at the Pentagon and winds through West Potomac Park on the National Mall. Following the ride there will be a program at the Lincoln Memorial beginning at 1:30 p.m. and a musical tribute at 3 p.m. Thunder Alley, the official vendor site on 22nd Street and Constitution Avenue NW across from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon Sunday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday. Other related events include a blessing of the bikes at Washington National Cathedral at 5 p.m. Friday, wreath-laying ceremonies at the WWII Memorial at 9 a.m. Monday followed by one at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 11 a.m. and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 1 p.m.
May 27 starting at noon at the Pentagon and finishing at West Potomac Park. Admission is FREE!
National Memorial Day Choral Festival
Held at the Kennedy Center, the free National Memorial Day Choral Festival is a powerful concert experience that features a 300-voice choir accompanied by the U.S. Air Force Orchestra. The musicians and singers come together in perfect harmony, performing patriotic classics in honor of those who have fallen while defending the U.S.
May 27 at 3 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. FREE tickets will be distributed in the lobby beginning at 2 p.m.
National Memorial Day Concert
PBS’s National Memorial Day Concert salutes the sacrifice made by the men and women in uniform, as well as their families. The free annual concert is held on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol the day before Memorial Day. Actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna will host the proceedings. Appearing in this year’s show are actress Allison Janney, General Colin L. Powell, actor Charles Esten from Nashville, actor John Corbett from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the National Symphony Orchestra and others. Gates, located at the Southwest corner of the Capitol Grounds, will open at 5 p.m. It will be televised live on PBS.
May 27 from 8-9:30 p.m. on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, East Capitol Street NE and First Street SE. Admission is FREE!
National Memorial Day Observance
The 150th National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery consists of two parts: a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at 11 a.m., followed by a program of remembrance in the cemetery’s memorial amphitheater. The U.S. Navy Band will perform at the amphitheater beginning at 10:30 a.m. Organizers say attendees should be in place at the Tomb of the Unknowns or the amphitheater by 9:30 a.m. Cemetery gates open at 8 a.m.
May 28 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Ave., Arlington. Admission is FREE!
Botticelli in the Fire
The story of early Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli is modernized in Botticelli in the Fire. Botticelli is dedicated to life’s pleasures, but while painting The Birth of Venus, his lifestyle is tested by a new populist priest in Lorenzo de Medici’s Florence. Sandro is left to choose between his work and the life of his apprentice, one Leonardo Da Vinci. Filled with drama, style and allusions modern politics, this play will captivate audiences throughout its run. Warning: The production contains airborne peanut allergens, cigarette smoke and haze.
May 28-June 24 at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday the first week, then 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $20-$69.
Ongoing Events
1968: Civil Rights at 50 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 2 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is $21.21 for adults, $16.96 for seniors 65 and older, and $12.71 for children ages 7-18 in advance or $24.95, $19.95 and $14.95, respectively, at the door.
Americans from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2022 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
The Artistic Table from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through June 10 at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for college students, $5 for children 6-18 and free for children younger than 6. Adults and seniors get $3 off weekdays and $1 on weekend if purchased online.
Beautiful Blooms: Flowering Plants on Stamps from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 14 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through Mar. 10 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Botanical Art Worldwide: America’s Flora from 10 a.m-5 p.m. daily through Oct. 15 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Candide at 7 p.m. on May 26 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $45-$275.
Cézanne Portraits from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through July 1 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Community Policing in the Nation’s Capital from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 15 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 and older, students with valid ID and youth ages 3-17 Children are FREE!
Diane Arbus: A Box of Ten Photographs from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 21 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Do Ho Suh: Almost Home from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through Aug 5 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Oct. 20 at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice across Asia from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 29, 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Evicted from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through May 19, 2019 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Fridays at the Fountain from 5-9 p.m. Fridays through Oct. 19 at the Crystal City Water Park, 1601 Crystal Drive, Arlington. Admission is FREE!
Girlfriend at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday through June 10 at Signature Theatre Company, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40-$98.
Heavenly Earth: Images of Saint Francis at La Verna from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through July 8 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Hung Liu in Print from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through July 8 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older or students and free for children 18 and younger.
In the Library: The Richer Archive at 75 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and closed weekends through Aug. 24 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth and Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Jazz in the Garden from 5-8:30 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 24 at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Making Room: Housing for a Changing American from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 16 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 or older, students, and children ages 3-17.
The Marines and Tet: The Battle That Changed the Vietnam War from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through July 8 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is $21.21 for adults, $16.96 for seniors 65 and older, and $12.71 for children ages 7-18 in advance or $24.95, $19.95 and $14.95, respectively, at the door.
Mark Bradford: Pickett’s Charge from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Mural from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 11 a.m-6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 28 at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 21 at the Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street NW. Admission is FREE!
Outbreak from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2021 at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Pictures of the Year: 75 Years of the World’s Best Photography from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 20 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors 65 and older, $14.95 for your 7-18 and free for children 6 and younger.
Portraits of the World: Switzerland from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 12 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Postmen of the Skies: Celebrating 100 Years of Airmail Service from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through May 27, 2019 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
The Prince and the Shah: Royal Portraits from Qajar Iran from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 5 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Recent Acquisitions from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 4 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
The Remains at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 7 p.m. Sunday through June 17 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$85.
Remembering Vietnam from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 6, at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Saint Joan at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday and May 14 through June 10 at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $35-$79.
LAST CHANCE! Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through May 28 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!!
Secret Cities from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through March 3 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors 60 or older, students with ID and children 3-17. Children younger than 3 are FREE!
Secrets of the Lacquer Buddha from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through June 10 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Sharing Images: Renaissance Prints Into Maiolica and Bronze from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Aug. 5 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Subodh Gupta: Terminal from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through 2020 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Sept. 3 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
To Dye For: Ikats from Central Asia from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 29 at the Freer|Sackler Galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Tomb of Christ from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Aug. 15 at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students/military and $10 for children 5-12.
LAST CHANCE! Tony Lewis: Anthology 2014-2016 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through May 28 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
UnSeen: Our Past in a New Light, Ken Gonzales-Day and Titus Kaphar from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 6 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Waitress at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday through June 3 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $48-$178.
What Absence Is Made Of from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through the summer of 2019 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Women House from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Monday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through May 28 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and students and free for children 18 and younger.
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.