Cherry Blossom Festival Calls It a Wrap
It is the weekend before Easter and the last weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This weekend you can take in not just the National Cherry Blossom Parade, but also the D.C. Emancipation Day parade one after the other on Saturday. There will also be fireworks and a concert Saturday and a street festival downtown. If you would rather look at cars than be stuck in one, the Washington Auto Show wraps up its 10-day run this weekend at the convention center.
In order to accommodate visitors to the cherry blossoms, all Metro rail lines will operate on regular weekend schedules until 10 p.m. After 10 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Red Line trains single track between Silver Spring and Forest Glen, Blue Line trains single track between Stadium-Armory and Addison Road, and Green Line trains single track between Southern Avenue and Anacostia. Also after 10 p.m. both nights, Silver Line trains will run between Wiehle-Reston East and New Carrollton.
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade
The culmination of the National Cherry Blossom Festival yields arguably its most popular event: the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Catch everything from giant helium balloons including Olivia the Pig, Where’s Waldo, Brainy Smurf, Cheer Care Bare, Voltron and Domo, to elaborate floats to live musical performances. This year’s honorary grand marshal is Anthony Anderson, star of Black-ish. Other celebrities include singer, rapper and actor Todrick Hall, Cece Peniston, Rayshun LaMarr of season 14 of The Voice and Miss America Nia Franklin. Hunker down in the grandstand or walk along the parade route – which runs for 10 blocks along Constitution Avenue NW.
Apr. 13 from 10 a.m.-noon along Constitution Avenue NW between Ninth and 15th Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival
Enjoy the tastes, sounds and feel of Japan at the Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival. The largest one-day celebration of Japanese culture in the US, the festival has for stages with 30 cumulative hours of performances and demonstrations, cultural exhibitors, food vendors, cooking demonstrations, a children’s corner and more! Held the same day as the parade, this rain-or-shine event welcomes more than 80 cultural groups, arts vendors and food booths.
Apr. 13 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between Third and Seventh Streets NW. Admission is $10 online or at the gate. Children 12 and younger are FREE!
Washington Auto Show
This is the final weekend of the Washington Auto Show, one of the nation’s largest auto shows. The 2019 edition to dazzles with more than 600 new makes and models from 35-plus manufacturers. Visitors can take part in three different indoor ride and drive experiences, and also take a car out for a test drive on the streets of D.C. Throughout the show, there will be artists painting cars live on-site, VIP tours led by automotive writers and local sports stars and mascots make appearances.
Apr. 12 from noon-10 p.m., Apr. 13 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Apr. 14 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Tickets online or at the door are $12 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and children 5 and younger are FREE!
D.C. Wine Fest
Wine lovers, rejoice. D.C. Wine Fest is back for a fourth year. You will have the opportunity to sample some of the best varietals from around the world while also enjoying live music by the Janine Wilson Band during session 1, Shelby Blondell during session 2 and Darcy Dawn during session 3, taking in art and eating food. Sixteen wineries will sample 64 different wines, meads and ciders. Food will be available for purchase.
Apr. 13 from 1-3 p.m., 4:30-6:30 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. at Long View Gallery, 1234 Ninth St. NW. Tickets are $35 for general admission or $60 for VIP (with 1 hour early admission).
The Me I Want to Sing
Opera legends Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price perform together in The Me I Want to Sing, which was a smash hit with audiences at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage back in 2017. The two women will sing opera, art songs and narrate through spoken word. The challenges faced by both African American women and ongoing race issues take center stage in this work that was originally commissioned by the Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello.
Apr. 13 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.
Le Corsaire
The legendary Mariinsky Ballet completes its annual engagement at the Kennedy Center with a captivating adaptation of Marius Pepita’s story of bold pirates, passionate maidens, shocking betrayal and a dramatic shipwreck rescue. Le Corsaire features breathtaking choreography, jaw-dropping scenery and a strong sense of adventure from Mariinsky Ballet, which last performed this masterpiece over a decade ago to sold out crowds at the Kennedy Center.
Apr. 13 at 1:30 p.m. and7:30 p.m. and Apr. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $79-$249.
D.C. Emancipation Day
Celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day, which honors the Emancipation Act of 1862 that ended slavery in the nation’s capital. The day will include a free parade led by Mayor Muriel Bowser, a free concert in Freedom Plaza and a fireworks display on Pennsylvania Avenue to cap off the night.
Apr. 13 from 2-8:30 p.m. with the parade beginning at 2 p.m. along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 10th and 14th Street NW, followed by the concert beginning at 3 p.m. at Freedom Plaza featuring Faith Evans, Doug E. Fresh, Kenny Lattimore, MYA and others followed by fireworks. Admission is FREE!
P.Y.G. or the Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle
P.Y.G. or the Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle takes a look at cultural and racial appropriation in a fictionalized exchange of deologies, vernacular and alleged street cred. Dorian Belle is a big deal. He is a Canadian pop sweetheart, and he is ready to be taken seriously. So his people hire his favorite hip-hop artists — Black and Alexand, the “bad boy” rappers of Petty Young Goons — to help him toughen up his image. They are black, he is white. They are from Chicago, he is from Canada. It is all on reality TV. What could go wrong? This world premier is inspired by Shaw’s Pygmalion.
Through Apr. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St. NW. Tickets are $20-$69.
Sakura Sunday
Celebrate all things blossoms across the Potomac River at bustling National Harbor during Sakura Sunday. This celebration of the Japanese-American friendship features cosplay and dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, live bands, cultural performances and a zen garden. There will be cherry blossom art classes and a live painting demonstration, as well as a sake-rosé-beer garden and a Japanese-inspired market. Feel free to set up a picnic and enjoy the live music and entertainment during this once-per-year event.
Apr. 14 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at National Harbor, 150 National Plaza, Oxen Hill. Admission is FREE!
Community Celebration
Oliver Lee Jackson: Recent Paintings goes on display this weekend at the National Gallery of Art, and the museum is hosting a community celebration with live performances and family activities. The main attraction is a selection of 18 pieces from American artist Oliver Lee Jackson’s last 15 years of work. The Oakland, Calif.-based artist works in large-scale images that are inspired by his interests in African cultures and American jazz. The East Building will host D.C. saxophonist Herb Scott for two performances starting at 1 and 2 p.m., and live readings from local poet Charity Blackwell from 1-3 p.m. Visitors can also make a torn-paper collage using color fields like those in Jackson’s artwork.
Apr. 14 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art East Building, Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Shakespeare’s Birthday
The Folger Theatre celebrates Shakespeare’s birthday with this annual open house. The birthday of the Bard will be honored with birthday cake, musical and theatrical performances, stage combat demonstrations, discussions from Folger curators and scholars, tours of the Folger reading rooms and even food trucks. There will Elizabethan arts and activities, an interactive performance of The Gravedigger’s Tale, rare treasures from the Folger vaults, a sonnet contest, English country dancing, and more. The WETA Classical Players will be in performance, as well as the Washington Revels and the U.S. Army Baroque Ensemble. Queen Elizabeth will cut the birthday cake at 4 p.m. and serve to all in attendance! Bring the whole family out to wish Will a happy birthday.
Apr. 14 from noon-5 p.m. at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Admission is FREE!
Ongoing events
All Work, No Pay from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through February 20
20 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
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. 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!
LAST CHANCE! 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!
Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975 from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Aug. 18 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. 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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
LAST CHANCE! 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!
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!
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.
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.
Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is Prologue from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Sept. 2 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
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.