Festivals Abound If Rain Holds Off
It is a festival weekend in the DMV with the D.C. Jazz Fest, the Capital Pride Festival, the Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival, Celebrate Fairfax and the Jamaican Jerk Festival all scheduled to take place this weekend. But Mother Nature may not cooperate, with 70 percent chance of thunderstorms and highs in the upper-80s on Saturday and a 70 percent chance of showers and temperatures in the upper-70s on Sunday. If you go, you better pack your sunscreen and an umbrella.
It is a fairly good weekend if you plan on taking Metro to any of the many events going on. Silver, Blue, Yellow and Green Lines will operate on regular weekend schedules. The Red Line will operate on a regular weekend schedule until 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, then single track between Farragut North and Judiciary Square with trains running every 24 minutes. On the Orange Line, the Vienna and Dunn Loring stations will be closed with buses replacing trains with the rest of the line running on a regular weekend schedule.
Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival
The ninth annual Kingman Island Bluegrass & Folk Festival is an annual salute to bluegrass music features local vendors and good vibes on the gorgeous Kingman Island in northeast D.C. Leading contemporary artists within the bluegrass and folk genres will perform, including Gangstagrass, The American Songster Revue, Dori Freeman and the Bumper Jacksons. The festival is all about community and sustainability (proceeds go towards the Living Classrooms Foundation), so grab a drink and some food from on-site food trucks, enjoy the weather and scenery and celebrate with friends. There will be outdoor activities and a kids zone as well.
June 9 from noon-8 p.m. on Kingman Island, 575 Oklahoma Ave. NE. Tickets are $35 for general admission in advance ($45 at the gate) and $125 for VIP. Children younger than 10 are FREE! Beer tokens are $6 and vodka mixed drinks are $10 and can be purchased online also.
Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture
One of the leading figures in modern media, Oprah Winfrey, serves as the subject of this new exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture, which opens Friday, will explore the entertainer’s early life, her wildly successful daytime talk show and her powerful influence on popular culture. Organized into three sections, America Shapes Oprah covers 1954-1985 covering her childhood to the launch of her broadcast career; The Oprah Winfrey Show covering 1986-2011 while her talk show was on the air; and Oprah Shapes America from the the end of her show to the present. You will be able to view artifacts from Harpo Studios in Chicago, as well as video clips, photographs and interactive elements.
June 8 through June 2019 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE, but timed passes are required. Timed passes will not be required weekdays in September.
To Future Women
Artist Georgia Saxelby’s interactive exhibit To Future Women invites visitors to the Hirshhorn to pen a letter to women of the future. The collection will then be archived in D.C. and exhibited in 2037 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Women’s March. Saxelby will give artist talks at 9 a.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Through June 10 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Hirshhorn, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SE. Admission is FREE!
Celebrate Fairfax
This weekend is the annual Celebrate Fairfax festival on the ground of the county government center. In addition to rides and competitions, there is also a ton of live entertainment with more than 120 performances on seven stages. Festival headliners include Good Charlotte on Friday, Gin Blossoms and Sugar Ray on Saturday and Cracker on Sunday. There will be fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights. The newest addition this year is a beer festival on Sunday features 12 local and regional breweries.
June 8 from 6 p.m.-midnight, June 9 from 10 a.m.-midnight and June 10 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Tickets are $12 online or $15 at the gate for adults Friday and Saturday and $8 online and $10 at the gate on Sunday, and $5 for children 3-12 online or at the gate. Seniors 55 and older or military with ID are $10 at the gate. Free parking is available at Fair Oaks Shopping Center with free shuttle buses to the festival every 5-10 minutes.
D.C. Jazz Festival
The D.C. Jazz Festival is a can’t-miss event on the District’s cultural calendar, inviting visitors of all ages to celebrate all things jazz. The 2018 edition is bigger and better than ever in celebrating the international impact of one of America’s greatest art forms. One of the fastest-growing music festivals in the country, the event serves up a diverse selection of national and international masterclass jazz artists, performing in a wide array of venues reaching every quadrant and corner of the city including The Wharf, Howard Theatre and Kennedy Center, as well as at jazz clubs all over the city through Jazz in the ‘Hoods. Like much of D.C., many concerts during the festival are free, so there is no need to worry about costs piling up to catch a great show! Make sure to check the https://dcjazzfest.org/2018-dc-jazzfest-schedule schedule and tickets for the signature shows.
June 8-17 at various times at venues around the District. Tickets range from FREE to $75 depending on performer and venue.
Ever in the Glades
In the play Ever in the Glades intended for ages 12 and older, a group of five teens are isolated on an island deep in the Everglades, where the adults present just as many hazards as the alligators. When one of their own returns from detention to help them escape, the group must find a way to make it to the mainland before it is too late. In this spellbinding production, a question lies at its center: what happens if one generation fails the next?
June 8 at 7 p.m. and June 9 and 10 at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $20.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Musical comedy of the highest order comes to the Kennedy Center this weekend, courtesy of Broadway Center Stage. This Tony Award-winner for Best Musical is about J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a book titled How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to climb the corporate ladder, from washing windows to top-floor executive. Rivals, lovers and secretaries only add to the high jinks. The players include Skylar Austin, Betsy Wolfe, Michael Urie and John Michael Higgins.
June 8-10 at 8 p.m. and June 9-10 at 2 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $59-$175.
Twelfth Night
D.C. is short on options for summer theater under the stars. Since 2013, the major outlet has been the Fat and Greasy Citizens Brigade, which brings the works of William Shakespeare to life on the lawn of Georgetown’s Grace Episcopal Church. This year’s show is Twelfth Night, another of the Bard’s comedies involving cross-dressing, mistaken identity and missing siblings. Though the setting is laid-back — wine is sold (or BYOB), picnicking is encouraged, and dogs and lawn chairs are welcome — the performances are lively and entertaining.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through June 23 at 8 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 1041 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Gates open at 7 p.m. Admission is FREE!
Global Wellness Day
The Four Seasons Hotel wants to help you celebrate health and fitness during Global Wellness Day this Saturday. The hotel’s general manager, David Bernand, is also a marathon runner and triathlete, so he will kick off the day by leading a 5K run by the monuments and memorials from 7-8 a.m. The rest of the day is filled with activities, including outdoor yoga alongside the C&O Canal from 8-9 a.m., a Chopra class from 9-10 a.m., a Zumba class from 10-11 a.m., a panel discussion on wellness from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., a lecture on meditation from 3-4 p.m., guided meditation from 4-4:30 p.m. and much more.
June 9 from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Fabergé Rediscovered
Twentieth century American collectors, including breakfast cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, played a major role after the Russian Revolution in popularizing the exquisite miniatures crafted for the Russian royal family by Peter Carl Fabergé. Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is home to 90-some works including two Easter eggs, the Tsar’s gifts to his immediate family, in addition to extensively manicured gardens known as “outdoor rooms.” Fabergé Rediscovered features more than 100 objects including new discoveries made in regards to Hillwood’s own collection.
June 9-Jan. 13 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for college student, $5 for children 6-18 and FREE for children younger than 6. Adults and seniors get $3 off weekdays and $1 off on weekends when purchased online.
Capital Pride Parade
Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of Matthew Shepard, are this year’s grad marshals of the Capital Pride Parade. More than 200 floats, bands, politicians and other contingents will march through the 1.5 mile route through the Dupont and Logan Circle neighborhoods. The judge’s stand and bleachers (seats are $25 per person) are located at New Hampshire Avenue at Q Street NW and a DJ and announcement street will be on 14th Street NW north of P Street. A family area will be at Stead Field along 17th Street and a block party with a beverage garden and entertainment will be located at 15th and P Streets NW.
June 9 beginning from 4:30-7:30 p.m. starting at 22nd and P Streets NW winding its way through Dupont Circle and finishing at 14th and R Streets NW Admission is FREE!
Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival
The third annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival returns this Sunday to RFK Stadium. There will be vendors selling a variety of Jerk foods from chicken and pork to fish, shrimp, lobster and even ice cream. There will also be culinary demonstrations, folk and oral presentations and a kids zone with games, a bounce house, rides, slides and other fun activities. A farmers market will offer Jamaican foods such as jackfruits, avocados, bananas, pineapples, breadfruit and more not normally available in the U.S. National headliners and local bands including Elephant Man, Third World, Alison Hinds and New Kingston will perform reggae, soca and dancehall music on the main stage.
June 10 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at RFK Stadium’s festival lawn (parking lot 6), 575 Oklahoma Ave. NE. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 the day of. Students and military tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of.
Capital Pride Festival
The 43rd annual Capital Pride Festival is a full day of entertainment, music, food, drink and celebration. Entertainers will perform on three stages from noon-10 p.m. including Alessia Cara, Troye Sivan, Max, Asia O’Hara, Keri Hilson and Kim Petras, along with 300 exhibitors including local community groups and businesses, food vendors and organizations will line Pennsylvania Avenue NW from noon-7 p.m. with the U.S. Capitol as the backdrop. There will also be four beverage gardens serving beer, wine and liquor.
June 10 from noon-10 p.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue NW from Third to Seventh Streets. Admission is FREE!
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.
Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through March 3 at the National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE. Admission is FREE!
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!
LAST CHANCE! The Artistic Table from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday 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!
Botticelli in the Fire at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday through June 24 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $20-$69.
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!
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!
Camelot at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday through July 1 at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $44-$118.
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 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!
LAST CHANCE! Girlfriend at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday 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!
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Friday Night Concert Series from 7-9 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 24 at Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. 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!
Marking the Infinite from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sturday, 10 a.m. -8:30 p.m. Thursday and noon-6:30 p.m. on Sunday through Sept. 9 at The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors 62 and older, and FREE for visitors 18 and younger.
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!
Naked Eyes from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. or 5:30-11 p.m. (21 and older) through June 30 at Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students, seniors and the military and $8 for children younger than 8.
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 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 24 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!
LAST CHANCE! Saint Joan at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday June 10 at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $35-$79.
The Scottsboro Boys 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 July 1 at Signature Theatre Company, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40-$110.
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!
LAST CHANCE! 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!
Summer Concert Series from 6:30-8 p.m. Fridays through July 27 on the outdoor plaza at Tysons Corner Center, 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean. 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.
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!
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!
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.