Things to Do This St. Patrick’s Day Weekend
It is St. Patrick’s weekend, and there will be corned beef, cabbage and beer flowing around the DMV including the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Maryland, the Dubliner in D.C., Ireland’s Four Courts in Rosslyn and Smashed Potato (a.k.a. Barrel, thanks to general manager Ruairi De Burca, who hails from Cork). For those who aren’t Irish, there is a furry convention in Tyson’s Corner, the Travel and Adventure Show at the convention center and a Persian new year celebration at the Freer|Sacker. And the Smithsonian Institution announced Thursday that it had canceled its annual Folklife Festival, which had been set for June 26-30 and July 3-7, due to the government shutdown and a delay in funding. The festival celebrating the music and culture of Benin and Brazil (they will be featured in 2020 instead) will be replaced by a smaller two-day event focused on the social power of music on June 29 and 30.
Expect disruptions and delays on all Metro subway lines this weekend. Red Line trains single track between Van Ness-UDC and Dupont Circle with trains running every 16 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont. Trains will run every 8 minutes between Farragut North and Silver Spring from 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Orange Line trains will single track between Clarendon and Foggy Bottom every 24 minutes, while Silver Line trains run on the same schedule between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston ONLY. Blue Line trains will single track between Arlington Cemetery and Foggy Bottom every 24 minutes. Green Line trains single track between L’Enfant Plaza and Navy Yard every 16 minutes. The Yellow Line has no work scheduled and will operate on a regular weekend schedule between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square ONLY.
Fur the More
Are you furry-curious or an anthropomorphic (mythological or imaginary creatures that possess human or superhuman capabilities) fan? Head over to the three-day Fur the More convention to mingle with other like-minded individuals. The weekend’s schedule includes time for tabletop games, lectures and panels. Learn more about fursuit character development, casting fursuit supplies, writing furry fiction or connecting with other parents of furries (So Your Kid is a Furry). There is plenty to see in the marketplace, and for those with a competitive edge, there’s a furry lip sync battle and a fursuit dance competition.
Mar. 15 through 17 from 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m Sunday at the Sheraton Tyson’s Corner, 8661 Leesburg Pike, McLean. Registration for the weekend is $55.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
Christopher Paul Curtis’ award-winning book is given a powerful, staged concert adaptation written by Christina Ham. When big brother Byron can’t stay out of trouble, the Watsons of Flint, Michigan, plan a visit to their Grandma Sands for the summer during one of the most turbulent times in American history. While traveling in their “Brown Bomber,” the family witnesses a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Told through the perspective of 10-year-old Kenny, The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 is filled with familial bonding, live music and poignant observations of Birmingham’s tragic church bombings. It is recommended for ages 9 and older.
Mar. 15 at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Mar. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Mar. 17 and 24 at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., Mar. 18 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Mar. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Mar. 22 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $20-$50.
Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975
The United States was at war in Vietnam and at home from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975 offers nearly 100 works from 58 of the most prominent artists of the time period, including pieces by African-American and female artists, who are often left out of surveys of the era. You will see brilliant creative minds wrestling with the debate over the war as well as class and social issues that caused cultural wars all over America.
Mar. 15 through Aug. 18 from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue
Tiffany Chung’s father fought alongside American forces during the Vietnam War, and her family came to the U.S. during the post-war exodus from the country. Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue features video interviews, photos, watercolors, texts and hand-drawn maps that reveal the jaw-dropping scale of the war and its still-echoing impact, all gathered by Chung through painstaking research. The exhibit paints a riveting portrait of how one war drastically re-shaped contemporary society.
Mar. 15 through Sept. 2 from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Environmental Film Festival
The 27th annual Environmental Film Festival, the longest-running and largest environmental film festival in the U.S., enlightens viewers on the state of our environment and what we can do to maintain its health. More than 160 movies will be screened at venues all over the DMV. The festival also includes informative discussions and social events that will inspire dialogue surrounding the films and their important themes. This weekend’s highlights include a free screening (reservations required) of A Modern Shepherdess at 7 p.m. Friday at the Embassy of France followed by a discussion with the director; Manufactured Landscapes at 5 p.m. Saturday at the AFI Silver, and Return to Mount Kennedy, which retraces Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s Yukon mountain-climbing adventure in 1965, at 4 p.m Sunday at National Geographic Society followed by a discussion with the subject of the subject of the film and director. Check the website for the full schedule.
Mar 14 through 24 at various times and 20 venues including the National Geographic Society, 1600 M St. NW, the E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW and the Carnegie Institution for Science, 1530 P St. NW. Tickets are $10-$35 with most in the $10-$12 range. Many screening are FREE!
The Jewish Queen Lear
The Jewish Queen Leer is a world-traveled, New York-birthed theatrical classic — a tale of arrogance, family rupture and dramatic reversals. In Jacob Gordin’s 1898 Yiddish-language play, Mirele Efros, a wealthy widow and clever business woman wants to find a good wife for her son. When her children turn against her, Mirele experiences a fall of Shakespearean proportions. Now Theater J is staging a production billed as the play’s English-language world premiere.
Through Apr. 7 at 8 p.m. with $30 previews at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday then 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (except Mar. 23) at the Gonda Theatre at Georgetown University’s Davis Performing Arts Center, 37th and O Streets NW. Tickets are $39-$69.
Travel & Adventure show
If being cooped up all winter has given you wanderlust, check out the Travel & Adventure Show for ideas and travel tips. See Samantha Brown of PBS’s Places to Love, CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg, Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and former actor Andrew McCarthy (of St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in PinkMannequin and Weekend at Bernie’s) and now editor at larger for National Geographic Traveler. Get destination-specific tips and recommendations and learn travel-savvy ideas such as the best way to maximize credit card points.
Mar. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Mar. 17 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Through March 17. Tickets are $11 for one day or $18 for both online or $15 for one day and $22 at the door (cash only).
Votes for Women Day
In honor of Women’s History Month, the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center joins its partners in hosting a day filled with activities. Votes for Women Day will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which officially gave women the right to vote. You will be able to hear stories of Americans who used their voices to inspire change, make a mini-banner, enjoy a scavenger hunt and much more.
Mar. 16 from 10 a.m-3 p.m. at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, First Street NE. Admission is FREE!
Nowruz: A Persian New Year Celebration
There are many places in the District to celebrate the Persian new year, or Nowruz, but the festivities at the Freer and Sackler galleries offer activities for all ages, including shadow-puppet and storytelling performances based on Persian stories; calligraphy demonstrations; and live music throughout the galleries. There will also be haft sin displays, featuring seven symbolic objects to welcome the new year. And what better way to ring in a new year than with eating and talking about food? Iranian chef and author Najmieh Batmanglij signs her newest cookbook, Cooking in Iran, while local eateries Moby Dick House of Kabob and Le Caprice Bakery sell Persian food.
Mar. 16 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Freer|Sackler galleries, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
Faust
In this Washington National Opera presentation, Faust makes a pact with Méphistophélès exchanging his soul for Earth’s mortal pleasures in the classic tragedy written by Charles Gounod and adapted from Goethe’s Faust: Part One. This three-act French opera has a deal with the devil at its center, as Faust accrues riches, but slowly realizes that his salvation is bound to others, including Marguerite, the love of his life. Expect unforgettable music and dizzying drama in this tale of redemption
Mar. 16, 18 and 30 at 7 p.m., Mar. 22 and 27at 7:30 p.m. and Mar. 24 at 2 pm. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $45-$300.
Ongoing events
Extended! Admissions at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 24 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$111.
All Work, No Pay from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through February 2020 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
https://www.nbm.org/exhibition/hoops/ Hoops from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 5 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. https://secure2.convio.net/nbm/site/Ecommerce?store_id=2041 Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for youth ages 3-17, students with ID and seniors ages 60 and older.
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. 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 July 27 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 Apr. 7 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Big Apple Circus at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, noon and 4 p.m. Sunday through Mar. 24 at National Harbor, 165 Waterfront St., Oxen Hill. Tickets are $20-$95.
LAST CHANCE! Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. through Mar. 17 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 Apr. 21 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!
Eugene Onegin at 7 p.m. on Mar. 23 and 25, and 7:30 p.m. on Mar. 20 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $45-$300.
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!
Hands on a Hard Body at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through Apr. 6 at Keegan Theatre,.1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $20-$62.
Into the Woods at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon on Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday through May 22 at Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. Tickets are $27-$81.
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!
JQA at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday through Apr. 14 at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $92-$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!
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!
Orchids: Amazing Adaptations from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Apr. 29 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery’s Kogod Courtyard, 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!
Perfume & Seduction from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday through June 9 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!
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!
Queen of Basel at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday through Apr. 7 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$111.
Queens of Egypt from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Sept. 2 at the National Geographic Museum, 1145 17th St. NW. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, students and military, $10 for children 5-12 and children younger than 5 are 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!
The REDress Project from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Mar. 31 at the National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. 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!
Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $12.71-$21.21 online or $14.95-$24.95 at the door.
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!
Section 14: The Other Palm Springs, California from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through January at the National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW. Admission is 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!
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!
Zilia Sánchez: Soy Isla (I Am an Island) 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 through May 9 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!
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.