Let’s Get This All-Star Party Started
It is MLB All-Star Weekend in the DMV with many official events including the All-Star FanFest at the convention center and the free Play Ball Park beside the stadium with activities for kids and families, the Color Run All-Star 5K on Saturday all culminating with the 89th MLB All-Star Game beginning at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. You can check out the official schedule online. But don’t worry, if you aren’t a baseball fan, there are plenty of other things to do this weekend in the DMV. And, be alert for several road closures around Nationals Park until after the game.
Metro riders, enjoy it while you can. All lines will be operating on regular weekend schedules this week in honor of the All-Star Game. However, all trains will board on the same side of the platform at the New Carrollton Station. But come July 21, the Rhode Island Avenue and Brookland Stations on the Red Line will close through Labor Day with no service between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet University.
All-Star FanFest
At the All-Star FanFest, fans can test out their playing skills in new, cutting-edge attractions, meet some of the game’s biggest stars and receive free autographs from MLB Legends. Over the course of the FanFest, legends that will make appearances include Rollie Fingers, Ferguson Jenkins, Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Dave Winfield and Johnny Bench. Friday is Kids’ Day with baseball and softball clinics, skills games, a home run derby and more. The first 3,000 fans receive a Ryan Zimmerman bobblehead. Saturday and Sunday is Military Appreciation Weekend with a Baseball Boot Camp and free headbands to the first 3,000 fans on Saturday and a commemorative coin to the first 3,000 fans on Sunday. Monday is Social Media Monday with Bryce Harper bobbleheads for the first 3,000 fans, and Youth League Day wraps up the fest on Tuesday with the first 1,000 youth players 12 and younger wearing jerseys receiving special All-Star Game jersey patches. And the first 3,000 fans getting a Max Scherzer bobblehead. On Friday, buy one ticket for $30 and get the second free and on Tuesday, buy two tickets for $60 and get two free.
July 13-16 from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and July 17 from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Tickets are $35 for adults, $19 for military and seniors 65 and older, $15 for college students, $30 for children 2-12 and FREE for children under 2.
Play Ball Park
MLB All-Star Week includes the Play Ball Park, a family-friendly activation that will be a great home base throughout the festivities. The 56,000-square-foot area features numerous fun, engaging and educational activities for youth baseball and softball players and their families. There will be sponsor giveaways, food samples, music, VR interactives, food trucks and All-Star merchandise will be on sale. Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Cal Ripken Jr., David Oritz, Jennie Finch, David Ross and other will make appearances. There will also be youth baseball and softball tournaments with teams from MLB Youth Academies.
July 13 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., July 14 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., July 15 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and July 16 and 17 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. at The Yards, 1300 First St. SE, the vacant land at the intersection of First and M Streets SE. Admission is FREE, but registration is required.
Special Olympics at 50
The National Museum of American History celebrates the golden anniversary of the International Special Olympics with this new exhibit, Special Olympics at 50. Four standout athletes who participated in the games are highlighted. You will also hear tales of the discrimination faced by these athletes, as well as the story of how Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s camp evolved into the international competition.
Through June 30 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Capital Fringe Festival
The edgy Capital Fringe Festival, continues this weekend with about 80 out-there performances from local creatives, including plays, improv dramas, punk rock shows and colorful dance shows all within a few minutes walk of the Waterfront Metro. New this year are five plays either created or produced by the Fringe organization itself. They include O Monsters, created by Philadelphia’s New Paradise Laboratories; Barococo by D.C.’s Happenstance Theater Co.; and Andromeda Breaks, a police procedural starring the Classical Greek damsel in distress.
Through July 23 from 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sunday and 5-10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m.-midnight Friday at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW; Blind Whino, 700 Delaware Ave. SW; Christ United Methodist Church, 900 Fourth St. SW; St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 555 Water St. SW; Westminister Presbyterian Church, 400 I St. SW; and others. Tickets are $17 per show plus a one-time $7 Fringe button.
Damned If You Do
Improv company Upright Citizens Brigade blends the facts with the funny in Damned If You Do, a show dedicated to the road not taken. The company that launched Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon and Bobby Moynihan wants you to consider how different you like could be if you had actually tried rock climbing or told mom you hate her meatloaf or let your uncle know that his toupee looks awful.
Through July 29 at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $22.50-$55.
Silver Screens on Sonny’s Green
The American Film Institute curates Silver Screens on Sonny’s Green, Silver Spring’s annual outdoor movie series that guarantees an interesting lineup. The Friday night series begins with the original Jurassic Park this Friday, and following weeks includes a mix of kid-friendly fare like Moana on July 20, ’80s classics like Ghostbusters on Aug. 31 and the just plain weird like CatVideoFest 2017 on Aug. 10. Chairs and blankets are welcome; food and drink is available for purchase. Free parking is available at the lot at 1317 East West Highway, Silver Spring.
Fridays from July 13-Aug. 31 beginning at sundown between 8-8:30 p.m. on Sonny’s Green at The Blairs District, 1290 East West Highway, Silver Spring. Admission is FREE!
All-Star Film Festival
The National Museum of American History hosts the All-Star Film Festival, a multifaceted event all weekend, just in time for the MLB All-Star Game. Baseball film screenings run through Sunday, including 42 at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Field of Dreams at 6 p.m. Saturday, The Natural at 8 p.m. Saturday and Moneyball at 4:45 p.m. on Sunday. As part of the festival, regional baseball cuisine will be showcased during the free Cooking Up History: Exploring the Northeast at 1 p.m. on Friday. The festival also includes Giving and the Game, a Friday evening reception featuring ballpark food, rarely seen artifacts and a panel with Latino baseball legends from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Through July 15 at various times at the National Museum of American History’s Warner Bros. Theater, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $13.50-$85.
McKee-Beshers Sunflower Fields
The state of Maryland plants three sunflower fields in Montgomery County’s McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area each year as a food source for mourning doves and other species. But for those who don’t consider themselves botanists, this weekend presents a chance to appreciate beautiful flowers at peak bloom. While it is illegal for visitors to cut, destroy or remove any plants from the area, you are welcome to visit, admire and Instagram the bright flowers.
Daily from mid-July to late-August during daylight permits at the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area located off Exit 39 of the Capital Beltway on River Road, Hunting Quarter Road and Sycamore Landing Road in Poolesville, Md. Follow the map for exact locations. Admission is FREE!
Electrify!
The VSA Emerging Young Artists Program hosts a competition that gives 15 artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, a chance to display their work in venues all over the U.S. Electrify!, a traveling exhibition in the Kennedy Center’s Hall of Nations, will showcase these pieces through the end of the month. View the work free of charge and embrace the wonder and achievement of these artists that do not enjoy the same advantages asothers. This year’s winners touch on a variety of themes: how our bodies occupy shared space, how our identities are formed, and how we heal from trauma and connect to others.
July 14-30 from 10 a.m.-building closing daily at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Hall of Nations, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
COWPIE
Cheyenne Frontier Days — billed as “the world’s largest outdoor rodeo” — begins next week, which will make expats from Wyoming and other western states feel a little bit homesick. To help ease the pangs, the Wyoming State Society brings some of the festival’s essential elements to Capitol Hill at an annual party called COWPIE, Committee of Wyoming People In the East. Take a turn on the mechanical bull, scoot your boots to the Wil Gravatt Band and partake of an open bar stocked with beer and whiskey. Big hats and belt buckles are suggested, but not mandatory. Proceeds benefit Project Healing Waters, which uses fly-fishing trips as therapeutic rehabilitation for wounded service members.
July 14 from 8 p.m.-midnight at Eastern Market’s North Hall, 225 Seventh St. SE. Tickets are $30-$55.
D.C. United vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
The inaugural match at D.C. United’s new 20,000-capacity state-of-the-art facility, Audi Field, in Buzzard Point will take place this Saturday. The opening of this highly anticipated stadium will generate great attention, as new fan experiences and concessions accompany United’s battle against the Vancouver Whitecaps, one of the best teams in MLS. Attractions include a rooftop bar, concessions developed by José Andrés and the new signing of Wayne Rooney, the all-time leading scorer for Both Manchester United and England. Parking is limited and fans are encouraged to take public transportation. The Stadium/Navy Yard Metro station is about a 14 minute walk.
July 14 at 8 p.m. at Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW. Tickets are $88-$325.
Sense of Humor
The National Gallery of Art’s Sense of Humor exhibit pulls from the gallery’s collection to showcase how works of art can make us laugh. Renaissance caricatures, English satires and 20th century comics will all be on view, indicating how print became the primary vehicle for humor in art. You will see works from Alexander Calder, Jacques Callot, the Guerilla Girls and many more.
July 15-Jan. 6 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
All-Star Futures Game and Legends & Celebrity Softball Game
The first game of the All-Star Sunday doubleheader at Nationals Park, the All-Star Futures Game features top minor league prospects including infielders Carter Kieboom of the Harrisburg Senators and Luis Garcia of the Hagerstown Suns representing the Nationals organization. In the Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, Hall of Famers Andre Dawson and Tim Raines, as well as former major leaguers Torii Hunter, Bernie Williams, Cliff Floyd and Steve Finley, are scheduled to play in the six-inning softball game. Wizards guard John Wall, Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, Olympian Jennie Finch and actor Jamie Foxx are among the celebrities slated to appear. The musical entertainment includes Florida Georgia Line and Shaquille O’Neal as DJ Diesel.
July 15 starting at 4 p.m. at Nationals Park, 1500 South Capital St. SE. Tickets, good for both games and admission to the All-Star FanFest on Monday or Tuesday, are $55-$380.
Home Run Derby
Watch as the Nationals’ rightfielder Bryce Harper takes on seven other players in the Home Run Derby leading up to Tuesday’s big game. Harper will go head-to-head with the Brewers’ Jesus Aguilar, the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins, the Braves’ Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers’ Max Muncy, the Astros’ Alex Bregman and two Cubs, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber. In the first round, Harper takes on Freeman. Each player gets 4 minutes to see how many homeruns they can hit.
July 16 at 8 p.m. at Nationals Park, 1500 South Capital St. SE. Tickets are $240-$350 and includes admission to All-Star Workout Day.
MLB All-Star Game
Watch the top players of the National League take on the top of the American League in the 89th MLB All-Star Game Tuesday night. Nationals players outfielder Bryce Harper and pitchers Sean Doolittle and Max Scherzer will play on the National team, which Harper starting, while Orioles’ shortstop Manny Machado will start for the American League team.
July 17 at 8 p.m. at Nationals Park, 1500 South Capital St. SE. Standing-room-only tickets are $185.
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.
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through July 22 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $59-$175.
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!
The American Revolution: A World War from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through July 9, 2019 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. 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!
Baseball Americana from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday through June 2019 at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Baselitz: Six Decades from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Sept. 16 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! 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!
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!
Daguerreotypes: Five Decades of Collecting from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through June 2 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!
Does the Body Rule the Mind, or Does the Mind Rule the Body? from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 12 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW. 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.
Friday Night Concert Series from 7-9 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 24 at Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. 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!
Fun House from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Labor Day at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $16 for adults, $13 for youth 3-17, students with ID and seniors, and $10 for Blue Star military families.
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.
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.
Heavy Metal – Women to Watch 2018 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Sept.16 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for seniors 65+ and students older than 18. Youth 18 and younger are FREE!
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.
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!
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!
One Year: 1968, An America Odyssey from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through May 19 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets 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.
Playball and the National Pastime from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday through Apr. 30, 2019 at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Building 76, 736 Sicard St. SE. Admission is FREE!
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!
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!
Secret Cities from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 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.
Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Jan. 6 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. 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.
Water, Wind and Waves: Marine Painting from the Dutch Golden Age from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 25 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue 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!
LAST CHANCE! Why is Eartha Kitt Trying to Kill Me?: A Love Story at 8 p.m. July 13 and 14 at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $47.
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.