Plenty to Do this Presidential Weekend
It is the long Presidents’ Day holiday weekend, so for many it is a three-day weekend. Monday looks to be the best of the three days with temperatures around 50 degrees and no rain in the forecast. Saturday and Sunday will be around 40 degrees but with a 50 percent chance of rain on Saturday and 40 percent on Sunday. Keep dry whatever you do this weekend.
It may be the Presidents’ Day holiday, but work on Metro isn’t taking a break. On Saturday, Red Line trains single track between Silver Spring and Wheaton, and operate every 9 minutes between Shady Grove and Takoma from 9:15 a.m.-9 p.m. and every 18 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenment. On Sunday, the Red Line trains single track between Forest Glena and Glenmont, and run every 8 minutes between Shady Grove and Silver Spring from 9 a.m.-8:45 p.m. and every 15 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont. Blue Lines single track between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road with trains every 20 minutes through Monday. Silver Line trains operate between Wiehle-Reston East and New Carrollton every 20 minutes all weekend. Orange Line trains operate every 20 minutes due to work on other lines. The Yellow Line bridge over the Potomac River is closed all weekend for maintenance, so Yellow Line trains operate between Huntington and National Airport only on a regular weekend schedule. Limited shuttle buses run between National Airport and L’Enfant Place from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. And Green Line trains singled track between L’Enfant Plaza and Mount Vernon Square al weekend with trains running every 18 minutes. On Monday, Metro is open from 5 a.m.-11:30 p.m. with off-peak fares and free parking.
The Big Apple Circus is at National Harbor thorugh Mar. 24. (Photo: Big Apple Circus)
Big Apple Circus
The Big Apple Circus, a one-ring circus, presents the likes of high-wire artists the Fabulous Wallendas, the acrobatic Anastasini Brothers and daredevil roller skaters Dandino and Luciana. There is also ringmaster Stephanie Monseu and animal trainer Jenny Vidbel, who works only with rescued horses and dogs. The circus offers shows for audience members with special needs, including a Circus of the Senses for ticket holders who are hearing- or vision-impaired, along with sensory-friendly performances.
Feb. 14 through Mar. 24 at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, noon and 4 p.m. Sunday and Presidents’ Day at National Harbor, 165 Waterfront St., Oxen Hill. Tickets are $20-$95.
Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment
Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment at the Capital One Arena through Monday. (Photo: Feld Entertainment)
Capital One Arena offers Disney on Ice presents Worlds of Enchantment that will be a blast for the entire family. Submerge in the Little Mermaid’s world under the sea, warm up to Frozen’s princesses, play with Woody and Buzz in the Sunnyside Daycare and thrill to Lightning McQueen’s high-octane stunts in this cavalcade of film favorites on blades.
Feb. 15 at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 16 at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; and Feb. 17 and 18 at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW. Tickets are $20-$165.
She a Gem
She a Gem at the Kennedy Center this weekend is about three inner-city Philadelphia girls and a Double Dutch competition.
(Photo: Yassmine El Mansouri)
In She a Gem, an original work from playwright Josh Wilder, a trio of African American girls form a Double Dutch team in inner city Philadelphia. The three hope to win their neighborhood block party competition, which would allow them to hear their futures told by the local psychic. Will they becomes a famous singer? A hair dresser? Or maybe a “gem,” a special leader who care for the neighborhood? However, the girls meet a pregnant teen from North Philly who jumps Double Dutch almost better than any of them. Soon, they will learn more from her past than they ever could from a psychic.
Feb. 15-17 and Feb. 22-24 at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $20.
Indoor Picnic and a Movie
Enjoy an indoor picnic and a free screening of The Lego Batman Movie Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at the National Cathedral.
(Photo: National Cathedral)
Don’t let winter weather stop you from enjoying a picnic: Pack a basket and head to the National Cathedral for an indoor picnic and a movie with a free screening of The Lego Batman Movie. Viewers are invited to bring pillows, yoga mats and backrests; no alcohol, glass or chairs are permitted.
Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. (door open at 6 p.m.) at the National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Huckleberry Finn’s Big River
Huckleberry Finn’s Big River at Adventure Theatre is child version of the Mark Twain classic. (Photo: Adventure Theatre)
After one big idea took shape, the path forward became clear for Adventure Theatre’s new hour-long, kid-friendly version of the Tony-winning 1985 Broadway musical Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the newly titled Huckleberry Finn’s Big River, the escaped slave Jim, who shares that raft down the Mississippi with Huck, is a teen, just like Huck. Even before the Huck-Jim age decision, it had been a given that the show would include none of the offensive racial slurs that appear more than 200 times in Mark Twain’s 1885 novel and, to a far lesser degree, in the Broadway script.
Through Mar. 10 at 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday and Presidents’ Day; and 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo in Glen Echo Park. Tickets are $20.
World Stages: NeoArctic
NeoArctic at the Kennedy Center this Friday and Saturday addresses climate change, soil erosion and other environmental issues.
(Photo: Johan Persson)
Hotel Pro Forma, a Danish artistic incubator, and the Latvian Radio Choir join together for this environmentally conscious production that is being staged for the first time in the United States. NeoArctic blends classical voice, dramatic staging, movement, electronica and NASA photographs to create a stunning audio-visual experience that addresses climate change, soil erosion and other environmental issues. The show will feature 12 soundscapes across 12 different landscapes.
Feb. 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $35-$49.
National Ballet of China: Raise the Red Lantern
The Ballety of China performs Raise the Red Lantern at the Kennedy Center. (Photo: Kennedy Center)
The renowned National Ballet of China returns to the Kennedy Center just in time for Chinese New Year. The company will perform Raise the Red Lantern, which combines western ballet styles with Chinese culture. Based on the 1991 film, its tells the story of a concubine who is sold by her mother in rural 1920s China. Traditional Chinese outfits, mesmerizing melodies and elements of Chinese opera and shadow puppet theater bring this story of love, jealousy and tragedy to life.
Feb. 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $39-$149.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
The Lightning Theif: The Percy Jackson Musical at the Kennedy Center is about Posidon’s son. (Photo: Kennedy Center)
The best-selling novel by Rick Riordan comes to electrifying life at the Kennedy Center this weekend in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon and he has just discovered he has tremendous powers that he cannot control. With monsters hot on his tail, Percy must find Zeus’ lightning bolt to stop a war between the gods.
Feb. 15-17 at 8 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $39-$139.
Perfume & Seduction
Discover the miniature world of decorative objects from an 18th century lady’s boudoir at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens through June 9. (Photo: HIllwood Estate, Museum & Gardens)
Discover the miniature world of decorative objects from an 18th century lady’s boudoir, like bejeweled perfume bottles, gold boxes and porcelain objects, at Perfume & Seduction. These fine pieces were pulled from Marjorie Merriweather Post’s personal collection, as well as object from the private European collection of Givaudan, the Swiss manufacturer of flavors, fragrances and cosmetics, founded in 1898 by the French brother, Xavier and Leon Givaudan. The objects will give a glimpse into the lives of France’s most luxurious citizens in the 18th century.
Feb. 16 through June 9 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Ave. NW. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for college students, $5 for children 6-18 and children younger than 6 are FREE!
Zilia Sánchez: Soy Isla (I Am an Island)
Black Moon with Tattoo is part of the new display on Zilia Sánchez that opens Saturday at the Phillips Collection.
(Photo: Phillips Collection)
Zilia Sánchez: Soy Isla (I Am an Island) is the first museum retrospective of the Cuban artist. You will see more than 60 works from the artist’s nearly 70-year career, from paintings to shaped canvases to sculptures to illustrations. Her work incorporates mythological heroes, lunar shapes, geometry and topologies. Sánchez’s travels have taken her to Europe, New York and Puerto Rico, leading to an incredibly diverse tapestry of art.
Feb. 16 through May 19 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and noon-6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens 62 and older, and children 18 and younger are FREE!
Orchids: Amazing Adaptations
The National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum host an orchid show in the Kogod Courtyard beginning Saturday. (Photo: Libby Weiler)
The next time you visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum or the National Portrait Gallery, take a look around the museums’ courtyard. The cavernous space will be filled with hundreds of orchids of stunning variety for this installation of Orchids: Amazing Adaptations that showcases how the plant species adapts to various environments.
Feb. 16 through Apr. 29 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery’s Kogod Courtyard, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Discover Engineering Family Day
Discover Engineering Famiy Day at the National Building Museum on Saturday allows kids to try hands-on engineering and talk with professional engineers. (Photo: Discover EngineeringFamily Day)
Encourage STEM skills at the Discover Engineering Family Day, where kids (and adults) can try hands-on engineering and talk with professional engineers. Kids can learn about chemical reactions and design motorized robots at this day-long event that kicks off National Engineers Week. Among the activities, engineer and TV personality Nate Bell will demonstrate his reverse-rappelling Atlas Powered Ascender; one of NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon’s replica racecars will be on display; former Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut Roger Crouch will be on hand; there will be appearances by the stars of the PBS Kids show Zoom; a model of one of NASA’s Mars exploration rovers will be displayed; and you can test a Blind Driver Challenge simulator. Best for children ages 4 to 12.
Feb. 16 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
Family Science Days
Family Science Days this weekend allows kids to try hands-on STEM activities and talk with scientists.
(Photo: Atlantic Photography Boston)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science holds its Family Science Days this weekend with hands-on family and child-friendly activities. It features interactive booths appropriate for K-12 kids and their families, highlighting areas of science, as well as a live stage show and the opportunity to talk with scientists. Bill Phillips, a Nobel laureate in physics, will present “Time, Einstein, and the coolest stuff in the universe” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Feb. 16 and 17 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road NW. Admission is FREE!
Wharf Winter Games
The Wharf Winter Games from 2-5 p.m. Saturday includes curling, pin the tail on the Husky, a “dog” sled race, corn hole and s’mores. (Photo: The Wharf)
Ever wanted to compete in the Winter Olympics? The Wharf Winter Games might be the closest you are going to get. The inaugural event features such competitions as curling, pin the tail on the Husky, a “dog” sled race (featuring you in a Husky onesie, not actual dogs) and corn hole. Spectators can enjoy s’mores and warm up around a fire pit. DJ Stacks will provide music and there will be face painting.
Feb. 16 from 2-5 p.m. at the Wharf, 1100 Maine Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Washington’s Birthday Celebration
Celebrate George Washington’s birthday on Monday at Mount Vernon. (Photo: Rob Shenk)
Honor the birth of America’s first president with free festivities during Washington’s Birthday Celebration at Mount Vernon. Take in character performances, witness a presidential wreathlaying at Washington’s tomb and watch a re-enactment of a marching drill from Washington’s time as the Continental soldiers of the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard fire their guns and charge at their enemy on the bowling green. After the smoke clears, listen to the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps play patriotic music. The Washington family will share stories about past celebrations of the general’s birthday, including the first public celebration and the gathering during the winter encampment at Valley Forge. There will also be syrup tastings, and you can and have birthday cake with “General Washington” at noon.
Feb. 18 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Highway, Mount Vernon. Admission is FREE!
Ongoing events
Admissions at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 10 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$111.
Ain’t Misbehavin’ 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 Mar. 10 at Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington. Tickets are $40-$114.
Alexander Hamilton: Soldier, Secretary, Icon from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Mar. 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 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Ambreen Butt — Mark My Words from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Apr. 14 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. https://secure3.convio.net/nmwa/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=101821 Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and students older than 18, and youth 18 and younger are 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 at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Mar. 17 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. 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!
Celebrating New American Gardens from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Oct. 15 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Admission is 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!
Dawoud Bey: The Birmingham Project from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 17 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Disrupting Craft from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through May 5 at the Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. 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!
Everything in Existence from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Monday and 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (over 21 after 5 p.m.) through Mar. 10 at Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $8-$15 online or $10-$20 at the door.
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!
Eye to I: Self-Portraits from 1900 to Today from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Aug. 18 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
First Chefs: Fame and Foodways from Britain to the Americas from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 31 at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Flickering Treasures from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 14 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors ages 60 and older, youth ages 3-17 and students. Children 2 and younger are FREE!
Game Change: Elephants from Prey to Preservation from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Feb. 1, 2020, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
A Glimpse of Ancient Yemen from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Aug. 18 at the Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Good as Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Sept. 29 at the National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
LAST CHANCE! Gordon Parks: The New Tide, Early Work 1940-1950 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Feb. 18 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
The Heiress at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday through Mar. 10, and noon on Feb. 20, 26 and Mar. 6 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $40-$95.
It’s Hip to Be Square: The Mint Family from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Nov. 31 at the U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Kleptocracy at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through Feb. 24 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $56-$115.
Nature’s Best Photography from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through September at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Nell Gwynn at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday through Mar. 10 at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $42-$79.
Once at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 2 p.m. Feb. and 27 through Mar. 10 at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney. Tickets are $54-$89.
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!
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 at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, Building 76, 736 Sicard St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Portraits of the World: Korea from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 17 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!
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer: Pulse from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Apr. 28 at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street & Independence Avenue SW. Admission is FREE!
Recent Acquisitions from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Nov. 3 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Represent: Hip-Hop Photography from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through May 5 at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE. Timed tickets are required on weekends and for groups of 10 or more.
A Revolution in Arms: Weapons in the War for Independence from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday through Mar. 24 at Anderson House, 2118 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Richard the Third at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday through Mar. 10 at The Shakespeare Theatre Co.’s Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW. Tickets are $44-$118.
Sea Monsters Unearthed, Life in Angola’s Ancient Seas from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through 2020 at the National Museum of Natural History, 10th 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 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!
Shaping Clay in Ancient Iran from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through September at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. 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!
Superheroes from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Sept. 2 at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Washington Dollar Days from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday through Feb. 28 at Tudor Place, 1644 31st St. NW. Admission is $1.
Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through June at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE, but timed passes are required.
Welcome to the New World from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Spring 2019 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors 65 years and older, $14.95 for youth from 7-18 at the door with a 15 percent discount when purchased online. Children 6 and younger are 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!
