Memorial Day Weekend in the DMV
It is Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial start to summer. If you haven’t packed up the car and headed for the beach this weekend, there’s plenty of things to do in the DMV to fill your three-day holiday weekend. If you do have outdoor activities planned, Saturday looks the best with partly cloudy skies in the low-80s. Sunday could have isolated thunderstorms in the low-90s and Monday is expected to have scattered thunderstorms in the mid-80s.
Major Metro disruptions begin this weekend with all six Blue and Yellow Line stations south or Reagan National Airport including Braddock Road, King Street, Van Dorn Street, Franconia-Springfield, Eisenhower Avenue and Huntington closed from May 25-Sept. 8. On the Blue Line, shuttle buses will operate between Franconia-Springfield, Van Dorn Street, King Street and National Airport, but not Braddock Road. There will be also be an express shuttle between Franconia-Springfield and the Pentagon Station. On the Yellow Line, buses will operate between Huntington, Eisenhower Avenue, King Street, Braddock Road and Crystal City, but not National Airport. There will also be an express bus between Huntington and Pentagon Stations. Blue and Yellow Line trains on the remainder of the route will run on regular weekend schedules, with Yellow Line trains now running to and from Greenbelt. Red, Orange, Silver and Green Line trains will operate on a regular weekend schedule. On Memoria Day, the system will be open from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. and operate on a Sunday schedule with off-peak fares and free parking.
Rolling Thunder
After 32 years, this will be the final year that the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally comes to the DMV. Ride organizers have blamed the mismanagement of the annual “Ride for Freedom” by Pentagon officials. Last year, participants, sponsors and vendors were denied access to parking lots that the group paid “exorbitant permit fees” to secure for the Pentagon stating area, according to Rolling Thunder Inc. executive director and former army Sgt. Artie Muller. Also, many of the founding participants are getting older and can’t ride far distances, some can’t get time off work or can’t afford long-distance trips. Instead, beginning in 2020, chapters will organize local or regional events. Following Sunday’s ride there will be a program at 1:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial. Other events this year include a Blessing of the Bikes at 5 p.m. Friday at Washington National Cathedral and a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 9 p.m.; Thunder Alley, the official vendor site at 22nd Street and Constitution Avenue NW is open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday.
May 26 starting at noon in the North Pentagon parking lot. The parade will cross the Arlington Memorial Bridge then proceed east on Constitution Avenue, south on Third Street and west on Independence Avenue to the finish in West Potomac Park. Admission is FREE!
Poppy Wall of Honor
It will be impossible to miss the 133-foot long, 8 1/2-foot-tall wall quickly filling with thousands of vibrant red poppies on the National Mall this Memorial Day weekend. The poppies — approximately 645,000 of them — are meant to represent the American servicemen and women who have given their lives since World War I. The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor this year will also commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
May 24-26 on the southwest side of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial with the Reflecting Pool due north and the World War II Memorial to the east. Admission is FREE!
Helen Zughaib: Migrations
D.C.-based Arab American artist Helen Zughaib’s Syrian Migration Series explores the mass exodus of refugees from Syria’s civil war in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, using her bold, colorful style to portray their plight. The gouache and ink pieces reference Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series, which depicted the Great Migration of African Americans to the North in the early 20th century. The exhibit coincides with the centenary of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, where Western nations drew the problematic border of the modern Middle East.
May 24-July 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Tuesday and Sunday at the Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S St. NW. Tickets are $5-$10 at the door. Children younger than 12 are FREE!
National Geographic Photo Camp
The National Geographic Photo Camp provides immersive learning experiences for underprivileged and at-risk youth around the world. They learn how to use photography to tell their own stories, explore the world around them and develop deep connections with others. The Kennedy Center exhibits the work from these camps in its Hall of Nations and Hall of States. Visitors can see photographs, videos and text that will unveil the narrative of the displaced youth during their time with National Geographic photographers, telling their stories of triumph and resilience in vivid detail.
Through June 20 beginning at 10 a.m. daily at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE!
In Peak Bloom
In celebration of spring, Artechouse offers In Peak Bloom, an immersive digital art installation influenced by the breathtaking beauty of cherry blossoms. The symbolism of the mystical and fragile tree is showcased by a range of artists in the exhibit. Other themes also bleed through in the pieces, including the transient nature of life (known as “hakanai” in Japan) and the genre of Ukiyo-e, which translates to “pictures of the floating world.”
Through June 2 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW. Tickets are $8-$16 online and $10-$20 at the door.
Hometown Holidays
The 31st annual three-day Hometown Holidays festival in the heart of Rockville will have a rotation of artists throughout playing across four stages on Saturday and Sunday. Bands include Justin Trawick and the Common Good, Phillip Michael Parsons, the Lloyd Dobler Effect and more. Check the full schedule. In addition, there will be kids activities including performers on the Town Square stage and inflatable amusements (tickets required). There will be a 10 a.m. outdoor yoga class before the festivities on Sunday. Food and drink will be available at the Taste of Rockville with 19 restaurants from noon-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday along Courthouse Square. Tickets are $1.25 each and dishes require 1-5 ticketes. .Memorial Day morning will be dedicated to events to remember the occasion with the Rockville Concert Band and Chorus at 9 a.m. followed by a wr ath-laying and rifle salute at 9:30 a.m. and the 75th annual parade beginning at 10:30 a.m. N. Washington Street and Martins Lane over Beall Avenue south on Maryland Avenue through Rockville Town Square ending at W. Montgomery Avenue and Monroe Place.
May 25 and 26 from noon-8 p.m. and May 27 from 9 a.m-noon at Rockville Town Square, Rockville. Admission is FREE!
JxJ
This is the final weekend for the multidisciplinary arts project JxJ, which combines the Washington Jewish Film Festival and the Washington Jewish Music Festival, along with original cutting edge hybrid arts programming. The film festival, now 29 years old, offers a diverse lineup of international film premieres, panel discussions, Q&As and sneak previews shown at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring. The closing night film is The Tobacconist about a young man and his friendship with Sigmund Freud during the Nazi occupation of Vienna at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The music festival wraps up its 20th year with Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird at 3 p.m. Sunday at City Wintery.
Through May 26 at various times and locations in D.C. and Maryland. Tickets are $13.50-$30 in advance and $16-$36 at the door.
National Memorial Day Choral Festival
The National Memorial Day Choral Festival features a 300-voice choir accompanied by the U.S. Air Force Orchestra. The musicians and singers come together in perfect harmony from across the U.S., performing patriotic classics in honor of those who have fallen while defending the country.
May 26 at 3 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Admission is FREE, but tickets are required. Tickets will be distributed in the Kennedy Centers’ Hall of Nations on the day of the concert.
National Memorial Day Concert
PBS’ 30th annual National Memorial Day Concert salutes the sacrifice made by the men and women in uniform, as well as their families. Actors Joe Mantegna and Mary McCormack will host the proceedings, which will include Gen. Colin L. Powell, actors Sam Elliott, Dennis Haysbert and Christopher Jackson, and singers Patti LaBelle, Gavin DeGraw, Alison Krauss, Amber Riley and Justin Moore, along with the National Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, the U.S. Army Chorus and Army Voices, the Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, the U.S. Navy Band Sea Changers, the U.S. Air Force Singing Seargeants and more. A full dress rehearsal will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday with gates opening at 5 p.m.
May 26 from 8-9:30 p.m. on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, East Capitol Street NE and First Street SE. Gates at Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and Third Street and Maryland Avenue SW open at 5 p.m. Admission is FREE!
National Memorial Day Observance
The annual 151st National Memorial Day Observance to honor America’s fallen military service members is scheduled for Monday at Arlington National Cemetery. The day starts with a Presidential Armed Forces full honor wreath-laying ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by an observance program in the amphitheater. A prelude by the U.S. Coast Guard Band will begin in the amphitheater at 10:30 a.m. Attendees are encouraged to be at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or in the amphitheater by 9:30 a.m. A free shuttle service will provide transportation to the amphitheater beginning at 8 a.m. Walking to the amphitheater is prohibited. After the observance, shuttles will provide transportation back to the welcome center until 1 p.m. Attendees will be required to pass through a security checkpoint. Prohibited items include large bags or backpacks, firearms and weapons of any type, laser pointers, aerosol containers, soda cans, umbrellas, coolers, picnic baskets, tripods, lighters, screwdrivers (or similar tools), air horns, personal protection sprays and insulated beverage containers. Clear plastic water bottles are permitted.
May 27 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Avenue, Arlington. Admission is FREE!
Alexandria Jazz Festival
The 42 annual Alexandria Jazz Festival highlights the diverse style of jazz. The U.S. Army Blues will kick it off with big band jazz followed by Veronneau with global jazz music, the Dave Kline Band playing contemporary jazz and Good Shot Judy with big band swing. Take your lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets. Food is available for purchase. Grilling, pets and alcohol are not allowed. If it rains, the festival will be relocated to the Lee Center Kauffman Auditorium.
May 27 from 1-6 p.m. at Waterfront Park, 1 Prince St., Alexandria. Admission is FREE!
National Memorial Day Parade
The 15th annual National Memorial Day Parade ushers marching bands, youth groups, floats, performers and, of course, veterans, down Constitution Avenue. This televised parade is the largest of its kind in the U.S. and honors those who have served or presently serve in the U.S. military. This year’s grand marshals and celebrity guests include actor Joe Montegna, chef Robert Irvine, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst and Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris. Musical performances will include Justin Moore, Dennis Quaid and Jamie James, Kiefer Sutherland and Maelyn Jarmon, winner of season 16 of The Voice. Arrive well before the 2 p.m. start time for the best seating.
May 27 at 2 p.m. along Constitution Avenue NW from Seventh to 17th Streets. Admission is FREE!
Ongoing events
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!
Animals, Collected from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.6 p.m. Sunday through Spring 2020 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Tickets are $7-$10.
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!
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!
Capital Harvest on the Plaza from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Fridays through Nov. 22 at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. 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!
The Children at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. and Sunday and 7 p.m. Sunday through June 9 at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW. Tickets are $20-$97.
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!
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!
Enrico David: Gradations of Slow Release from 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. daily through Sept. 2 at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue SW and Seventh Street SW. 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!
Fame, the Musical at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through June 9 at the GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. Tickets are $30-$80.
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, 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!
LAST CHANCE! God of Carnage at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday through May 25 at Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW. Tickets are $20-$50.
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!
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.
In Mid-Sentence from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. daily through Mar. 8 at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
In the Library: Frederick Douglass Family Materials from the Walter O. Evans Collection from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday) through June 14 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
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!
Jazz in the Garden from 5-8:30 p.m. through Aug. 23 at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden, Sixth and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!
Love’s Labor’s Lost at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday through June 16 at the Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $42-$85.
More is More: Multiples from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday through Sept. 22 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for people 65 and older and students, and children 18 and younger are FREE!
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!
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!
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!
LAST CHANCE! 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!
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!
Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Jan. 3, 2021, at the National Archives, 701 Constitution Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Rirkrit Tiravanija: Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow, and Green, from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through June 24 at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW. 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.
Sooner/Later at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through June 16 plus 11 a.m. June 5 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $20-$50.
Striking Iron: The Art of African Blacksmiths from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 20 at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Ave. SW. 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 Avnue 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!
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!
LAST CHANCE! Tosca at 7 p.m. May 25 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are $35-$300.
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.
The Way of the Kami from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Nov. 1 at the Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!
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!
Whistler in Watercolor from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. through Oct. 6 at Freer Gallery of Art, 1050 Independence Ave. 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.