Don’t Let Rain Dampen Your Weekend Fun
The lotuses and water lilies at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens are blooming, but it looks like Mother Nature may rain on the party with 80 percent chance of showers on Saturday and 60 percent of thunderstorms on Sunday. But in between, the temperatures should be nice with highs about 79 on Saturday and 83 on Sunday. Don’t worry, there are plenty of other things to do indoors so the rain doesn’t dampen your weekend fun.
Metro riders, brace yourselves for nearly two months of inconvenience as WMATA beings an extended shutdown on the Red Line between NoMa-Gallaudet and Fort Totten. With the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood and Brookland stations closed for major repairs to the platforms beginning Saturday, buses will replace trains through Sept. 3. Red Line trains will operate every 8 minutes between Shady Grove and NoMa-Gallaudet and every 10 minutes between Fort Totten and Glenmont. After 9 p.m., all Red Line trains will run every 15 minutes. Orange and Blue Line trains will single track between Foggy Bottom and Smithsonian every 26 minutes and all Orange Line trains at New Carrollton will board from one side of the platform. Silver Line trains will run every 26 minutes between Wiehle-Reston East and Ballston ONLY. Green Line trains will single track between L’Enfant Plaza and Navy Yard every 15 minutes, while Yellow Line trains will operate every 15 minutes between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square ONLY.
Lotus and Water Lily Festival
The Lotus and Water Lily Festival is an annual free, family-oriented celebration that honors the blooming of lotus and water lilies at the gorgeous Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens. Even if you don’t care about flowers, you are sure to be wowed by these blooms. Sacred lotuses stand on three-foot-tall stems and sport blooms the size of dinner plates. You will see lily pads big enough to surf on, not to mention wild birds, frogs and turtles – assuming you get there early enough, before the sun sends them into hiding. To go along with the picturesque plants, you and yours can also participate in gardening workshops, take in Asian and African dance performances and enjoy hands-on activities like face painting and lotus tea tasting. Take lawn chairs, blankets and a picnic or purchase food from vendors and enjoy a picnic in the park.
July 21 and 22 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, 1900 Anacostia Ave. SE. Admission is FREE! Free parking is available at 4047 Deane Ave. NE. There is also a free shuttle from the Deanwood Metro Station from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. both days.
Artscape
Many festivals promise “something for everyone.” Baltimore’s annual Artscape — the country’s largest free arts festival — comes closest to delivering. The three-day gathering in the city’s Station North and Bolton Hill neighborhoods is a riot of originality. Wander through the installations and interactive works created by Baltimore artists and a marketplace with almost 150 vendors, and you’ll find a “Dance Camp” with performances by local pros and talent shows for amateurs; performances by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, experimental opera groups, indie rock and hip-hop acts; pop-up comedy and improv groups; fancifully decorated “art cars”; and free movie screenings. The biggest draws are the evening concerts, with TLC (Friday) and Toots and the Maytals (Saturday).
July 20 and 21 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and July 22 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. in Baltimore’s Station North and Bolton Hill neighborhoods. Admission is FREE!
Mars Day
Learn about the red planet from National Air and Space Museum scientists, who will be at the museum for the annual Mars Day to discuss the history of water on Mars, the minerals found by the curiosity rover and other discoveries. Visitors can also see a real Martian meteorite and learn about the European Mars Express mission, which is using radar to map the planet’s atmosphere.
July 20 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the National Air and Space Museum, Independence Avenue at Sixth Street SW. Admission is FREE!
African American Civil War Memorial & Museum 20th Anniversary
The African American Civil War Memorial celebrates two decades on U Street NW with two days of living history exhibits, reenactors and storytellers at the museum, including a Friday performance of the play Harriet Tubman: The Chosen One. Authors of books on African American and Civil War history will discuss and sign their works both days. On Saturday morning, a walking tour (10 a.m.-noon) follows the new George Washington Williams Memorial Trail from Howard University to the memorial. Williams, a Civil War veteran and minister, attended Howard University before writing the two-part History of the Negro Race in America.
July 20 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and July 21 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the African American Civil War Memorial, 1925 Vermont Ave. NW. Admission is FREE!
Bound to Amaze: Inside a Book-Collecting Career
Discover the incredible book collection assembled by Krystyna Wasserman, curator emerita of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Some of these artists’ books are made from unconventional materials, including linen, wood and stone, and include a range of fascinating subjects. Although Wasserman assembled the museum’s collection of more than 1,000 artists’ books over a 30-year period, Bound to Amaze: Inside a Book-Colleting Career focuses on her discovery of books created through inventive techniques such as carving, piercing, pleating and curling, and will include both visitor favorites and items displayed for the very first time at the museum. With subjects ranging from Shakespeare’s Desdemona to the pleasures of eating, the books also reveal Wasserman’s love of drama and whimsy.
July 20-Nov. 25 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday 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, and FREE for youth 18 and younger.
District of Comedy
The Kennedy Center presents its third annual summer District of Comedy festival, bringing together acclaimed stars, like Chris Gethard (Friday at 9:30 p.m.) and Patton Oswalt (Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.), and rising acts for an all-laughs takeover of the nation’s center for the performing arts. With stand-up stars, sketch comedy, podcasts, improv, music, and more, the 2018 festival lineup serves up hilarity in all of its shapes and sizes. Map your perfect comedy spree over three days of sidesplitting performances, including several free Millennium Stage events!
July 19-21 at various times at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. Tickets are FREE to $75.
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.
Dave
From the Tony Award-winning team behind Legally Blonde comes a world-premiere musical based on another comedy film. Naturally, the musical version of the Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver political rom-com Dave is making its world premiere in the capital. When the President falls ill under less than “presidential” circumstances, a lookalike is thrust into the Oval Office and must regain the trust of the people and falls for the First Lady. Dodging scandal and an identity reveal throughout, the production promises plenty of laughs and unforgettable songs along the way.
July 18-Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW. Tickets are $76-$125.
Washington Kastles
The Washington Kastles are back and looking to claim yet another World Team Tennis championship title this summer, which would make seven total. The team regularly rolls out a roster of stars each year and 2018 is no different. At this matchup against the New York Empire, you’ll see Frances Tiafoe, a sensational young American player. Other upcoming home team action includes the San Diego Aviators at 7 p.m. on July 25, the Springfield Lasers at 7 p.m. on July 26 and the Philadelphia Freedoms at 5 p.m. on July 28,
July 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Kastles Stadium, 600 22nd St. NW. Tickets are $16-$116.50.
Garlic Festival
Gilroy, Calif., lays its claim as the garlic capital of the world, but hardcore fans of the pungent bulb don’t have to travel across the country to get their fix. The Takoma Park Farmers Market will transform into a celebration of all things garlic on Sunday for its Garlic Festival with talks from the Takoma Horticulture Club and a man simply billed as Tony “the Garlic Guy” about the various types of garlic and how-to’s on growing your own. Local eateries will have special dishes that highlight the plant, including Dolci Gelati, which will have a roasted garlic flavor available that day.
July 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Takoma Park Farmers Market, Laurel Avenue, Takoma Park. Admission is FREE!
SAAM Arcade
The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Kogod Courtyard turns into the area’s largest arcade during the day-long SAAM Arcade festival. Get nostalgic playing vintage Donkey Kong or X-Men console games, or get a sneak peek at the next wave of games with previews from independent developers. More than 100 games will be available for free play throughout the afternoon.
July 22 from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
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.
LAST CHANCE! 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!
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!
Damned If You Do 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 through July 29 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D St. NW. Tickets are $22.50-$55.
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!
Electrify! from 10 a.m.-building closing daily through July 30 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Hall of Nations, 2700 F St. 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!
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 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!
Sense of Humor from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 6 at the National Gallery of Art, Sixth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is 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!
Special Olympics at 50 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily through June 30 at the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. 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!
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.