Enjoy the First Weekend of Summer
It is the first weekend of summer! Don’t let Saturday’s thunderstorms rain on your parade. Grab an umbrella and brave the outdoors or stay in and celebrate the solstice with activities across the DMV.
On Metro, the Arlington Cemetery station will be closed this weekend with Blue Line trains running between Franconia-Springfield and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport ONLY. Buses will replace trains between Pentagon City and Arlington Cemetery. Red Line trains will single track between Twinbrook and Grosvenor-Strathmore with trains operating every 18 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and additional trains running every 9 minutes between Grosvenor and Silver Spring during daytime hours. Orange and Silver Line trains will single track between Foggy Bottom and Clarendon with trains every 24 minutes. Yellow and Green Line trains will rerun on regular weekend schedules.
National Capital Barbecue Battle
The smell of barbecue will waft through downtown all weekend, thanks to the 26th annual National Capital Barbecue Battle. Tens of thousands of brisket fans are expected at this family-friendly summer festival, where stands serve barbecue and grilled food samples, and restaurants from across the country set up shop, too. Watch go-go and rock bands, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and barbecue legends compete in cooking contests. There are also three stages of entertainment with 30 bands over the two days including EU featuring Sugar Bear, Bosco France, Marcus Johnson, Plain White T’s and more. Special attractions include Johnsonville’s Big Taste “World’s Largest” Grill, the Oscar Mayer WienerMobile and the Planters NUTmobile.
June 23 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and June 24 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Third and Seventh Streets. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate for adults; children ages 12 and younger are FREE!
By the People
An inaugural citywide arts festival with free and inclusive activations, By the People celebrates the creative culture of the arts, and the empathy and inclusivity they engender. During the four-day festival that kicked off on Thursday, expect a full-on arts takeover of the District, with innovative music and dance performances, interactive and collaborative displays, art installations at five hubs across the District and late-night museum openings from the National Mall to the neighborhoods. Visitors to the Arts and Industry Building on the Mall can poke their head into colorful bubbles created by artist Dan Steinhilber, contribute to a whimsical tissue-paper sculpture by artist Maya Freelon or write to the women of 2037 as part of Halcyon Arts Lab fellow Georgia Saxelby’s To Future Women: A 20-Year Time Capsule of Letters to the Next Generation. Additional programming includes a civic dialogue series aimed at demonstrating progress between people on opposite sides of an issue, and an augmented reality city-wide art hunt. Free shuttles will transport participant to other hub locations, such as the Parts at Walter Reed. Musical groups, including DuPont Brass and Batala Washington, will circulate throughout the sites for pop=up performances. See the full schedule online.
June 22 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., June 23 from 10 a.m.-midnight and June 24 from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. around the city with festival hubs at Union Market, THEARC West, Washington National Cathedral, the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building and the Parks at Water Reed. Admission to most events are FREE, others cost $35-$95.
Baselitz: Six Decades
In honor of Georg Baselitz’s 80th birthday, the Hirshhorn will feature this milestone exhibition of one of Germany’s seminal artists. Baselitz: Six Decades is the first major U.S. retrospective of the artist’s work in more than 20 years. You will be able to view more than 100 of his inventive figurative paintings and sculptures across the museum’s second floor galleries, including famous pieces such as The Naked Man (1962) and Baselitz’s upside-down paintings, which gained him international notoriety.
June 21 through Sept. 16 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
Does the Body Rule the Mind, or Does the Mind Rule the Body?
Named after a line from a classic song by The Smiths, Does the Body Rule the Mind, or Does the Mind Rule the Body? marks the first live performance exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum. Five artists will examine the relationship between the body and identity through different forms of art, including music, comedy, spoken word and dance. The exhibit will also feature an ongoing presentation of documentaries and recorded pieces that serve as introductions to Morgan Bassichis, Moriah Evans, Will Rawls, Jen Rosenblit and Mariana Valencia.
June 21-Aug. 12 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen
Trevor Paglen’s photographs, videos and sculptures focus on the secret institutions that surveil and shape our lives, as well as the symbols they use to communicate what “must not be communicated. His new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen, serves as a mid-career retrospective in which his early photographs, recent sculptures and work with artificial intelligence is featured. With more than 100 works that as questions about the technologies we have invited into our lives – from spy satellites to artificial intelligence – and who is really calling the shots. Contemplating Paglen’s visuals will also have you contemplating the role of privacy in our society, an important, of-the-moment topic.
June 21 through Jan. 6 from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Recess
It is officially the first Friday of summer, so you really shouldn’t be expected to work past noon. Lyft is celebrating by hosting Recess in NoMa Friday afternoon and turning the Wunder Garten beer garden into a playground for grown-ups. There will be free beer and snacks, a DJ playing classic hits from the ‘80s and ‘90s, plus playground games and prizes. Just make sure you have your ID with you, and that the Lyft app is downloaded onto your phone.
June 22 from 1-4 p.m. at Wunder Garten, 1101 First St. NE. Admission is FREE, but you can bring non-perishable food items to donate to So Others Might Eat. For every five food items, you get a raffle ticket for prizes like Chia Pets, Tamagotchis and even an old school Game boy.
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations
If you think the music of The Temptations is fantastic, just wait until you hear their story. The Kennedy Center hosts the East Coast premiere of this pre-Broadway engagement of Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, a musical that will make you want to dance in the aisles (but don’t do that). Five kids from Detroit are discovered by the legendary Berry Gordy, then signed to Motown, then launched into an unforgettable career filled with chart-topping hits. Along the way, both friendship and betrayal enter into the story, in addition to civil rights struggles in the country at-large.
June 21 through July 22 at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $59-$175.
Solstice Saturday
How should you spend the longest Saturday of the year? By heading to the Smithsonian, which is keeping its museums open until midnight for Solstice Saturday. The special event will feature an array of programs, performances, discussions, interactive elements and a party vibe that you cannot experience at any other time. Both the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center are focusing on solstice activity with telescopes and stargazing – something you can’t do during normal museum house – as well as planetarium shows. The Enid A. Haupt Garden behind the Castle hosts DJs and live music, while both the Hirshhorn and the National Museum of the American Indian will mix outdoor drinks, DJs and indoor galleries. The National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum tema up for an outdoor block party and beer garden on F Street NW before moving indoors for a concert and late-night fun.
June 23 from 8:30-midnight at the Smithsonian Castle, 10 a.m.-midnight at the Anacostia Community Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of African Art, National Air and Space Museum and Hazy Center, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of American History, Freer|Sackler Galleries, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and National Museum of Natural History, 11:30 a.m.-midnight at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. at the National Zoo. Admission is FREE!
Astronomy Festival on the National Mall
What exactly is the solstice, and how does it work? Get your questions answered this Saturday and enjoy a guided tour of the sky as part of Hofstra University’s ninth annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall. Astronomers plan to set up 20 telescopes for your viewing pleasure. Some will be equipped with special filters so you can view sunspots. After dusk, get a close-up view of the moon, count Saturn’s rings, catch a glimpse of Jupiter and its moons, and spy some star clusters. There will be activities, demonstrations and shows in the portable blow-up dome. Expand your mind and learn about our universe at this family-friendly event.
June 23 from 6-11 p.m. on the National Mall northwest of the Washington Monument at 17th Street NW and Constitution Avenue. Rain location is at the School Without Walls High School, 2130 G St. NW on the George Washington University campus. Admission is FREE!
D.C. Crab Cake Competition
We are well into blue crab season, but not everyone enjoys the work that goes into picking meat from steamed shells. Those who prefer their sweet, delicious meat in cake form will find heaven at the 13th annual D.C. Crab Cake Competition in Ivy City: Eight top D.C. chefs, including Cathal Armstrong of Kaliwa, Kevin Tien of Himitsu, Alex McCoy of Lucky Buns and Bart Vandaele of Belga Cafe, offer their takes on crab cakes using certified Maryland crabmeat. Tickets include samples of each chef’s work, two oyster bars, a smoked fish station, chowder station, passed appetizers and a selection of beer, wine and liquor.
June 24 from noon-3 p.m. at the Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse, 1356 Oakie St. NE. Tickets are $85.
Peter and the Wolf
Grab the kids, and head on over to College Park for a family-friendly performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. A narrator — College Park City Council member P.J. Brennan — tells the fairy tale, while members of the National Orchestral Institute add color and drama. The story is about a kid named Peter whose grandfather warns him not to wander alone and to be wary of wolves. Spoiler alert: Peter catches a wolf. Students will also give their own imaginative musical interpretations of beloved children’s books. Arrive an hour early for a free crafting session and make a mask of your favorite character with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Arts on a Roll van.
June 24 at 3 p.m. at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, 8270 Alumni Drive, College Park. 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 10a.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!
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!
LAST CHANCE! Botticelli in the Fire at 8 p.m. Friday and 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.
Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through June 2, 2019 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is 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 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Fabergé Rediscovered from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through Jan. 13 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.
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!
Generation Gap at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays through Aug. 12 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $49-$59.
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!
Friday Night Concert Series from 7-9 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 24 at Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Hamilton at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 1:30 p.m.. Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 16 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $99-$625. There is a limit of four tickets per household.
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!
Other Life Forms at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through July 7 at Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $35-$45.
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!
LAST CHANCE! 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!
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!
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.
LAST CHANCE! Twelfth Night at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through June 23 at Grace Episcopal Church, 1041 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Gates open at 7 p.m. 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!
Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through June 2019 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.
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.