The annual geek and nerd fest, Awesome Con returns to the convention center this weekend and so will the superheroes, comic characters and scifi characters. If cosplay isn’t for you, the Sweetlife Festival brings more than two dozen musical acts to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia.

This weekend, Yellow Line trains will operate regular weekend service between Huntington & Fort Totten. Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between College Park and Branch Avenue stations; the Greenbelt station will be closed with buses replacing trains between College Park and Greenbelt. Orange, Silver and Blue line trains will operate every 26 minutes and Red Line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and every 10-12 minutes between Friendship Heights and NoMa Gallaudet from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

A boy meets a Power Ranger at last year’s Awesome Con. (Photo: Awesome Con)

Awsome Con

Awesome Con, the comic and pop culture convention, is the place where D.C.’s geek flag flies highest and nerd pride reaches its pinnacle. Celebrities include Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill from Dr. Who; Kristen Bauer, Merrin Dungey and Victoria Smurfit from Once Upon a Time; Sean Astin and John Rhys-Davies from the Lord of the Rings; Seth Rollins and Diva Natalya from WWE; the Power Rangers; the original voices of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Star Trek’s William Shatner and George Takei and http://www.awesome-con.com/washington-dc/guests-washington-dc/ more. There’s also a K Zone for kids and costume contests. More than 100 exhibitors will be selling comics, toys, video games, collectibles and all sorts of memorabilia.

May 29 from noon-8 p.m., May 30 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and May 31 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Tickets range from are $31.73 for Friday or Sunday admission to $79.32 for a three-day pass online or at the door. Kids under 10 are free.

Northern Grade

Shoppers browse at last year’s American Grade. (Photo: American Grade)

Northern Grade, the roving pop-up marketplace featuring American manufactured brands, will land in D.C. for the first time. The two-day, open-to-the-public retail experience is free and takes place inside of Union Market’s Dock 5. The Northern Grade D.C. lineup includes 26 retailers from across the US including local brands Gordy’s Pickle Jar, Appointed, Boldfoot Socks, Gitli Goods, Mallory Shelter, Jewelry, Kicheko Goods, Caryn Cramer, Mutiny DC and Federal.

May 29 from 3-8 p.m., May 30 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and May 31 from 11 a.m.-5p.m. at Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NW. Admission is FREE!

Picnic in the Park

Picnickers enjoy lunch in Farragut Park. (Photo: Golden Triangle BID)

Each Friday throughout the summer, Picnic in the Park is the perfect way to enjoy lunch, fun lawn games and other activities. Thousands of people join together at Farragut Park to relax and eat lunch at the bistro tables and chairs. They also enjoy lawn games, trivia prizes and table tennis (free-play and competition). Buy lunch from the food trucks or bring your own.

May 29 and every Friday throughout the summer from noon-2 p.m.at Farragut Park, Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW. Admission is FREE!

Jazz in the Garden

Concertgoers enjoy Jazz in the Garden among works of art in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.
(Photo: National Gallery of Art)

There’s nothing better than free outdoor music on a warm summer night. Pack a picnic and enjoy the music at Jazz in the Garden. A different jazz artist will be featured each Friday during the summer. You can bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, but beer, wine, sangria and mixed drinks must be purchased from the Pavilion Café. A special menu of appetizers, entrees and salads is also available at the café, while an outdoor grill will serve barbecue pork sandwiches, beef and chicken kabobs and chicken sausages. A gelato cart will also be available. Jazz vocalist Juanita Williams performs this week followed by jazz drummer and keyboardist Robert Jospe and Butch Taylor next week.

Every Friday through Aug. 28 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!

New Belgium’s Tour de Fat

A bicyclist rides a bike with sneakers for wheels at last year’s Tour de Fat. (Photo: New Belgium Brewing Co.)

Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing Co.’s annual traveling festival, is part bike race, part concert and part carnival. This year’s festival will feature a number of New Belgium’s brews including the rare Pear Ginger Beer, a parade and music from roots group Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and soul singer extraordinaire Charles Bradley. There will also be yo-yo performances and vaudeville acts. Proceeds benefit the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Black Women Bike DC, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts and Phoenix Bikes. Last year, more than $57,000 was raised.

May 30 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Admission is FREE! Beer is $5.
 
 

Sweetlife Festival

Visitor’s to last year’s Sweetlife Festival enjoy the music. (Photo: Sweetgreen)

Kendrick Lamar headlines this year’s Sweetlife Festival from 9:45-11 p.m. on Saturday. The two-day festival features more than 22 hours of music from more than 25 artists. Other Saturday performers include Billy idol from 8:20-9:20 p.m., with Calvin Harris from 9:45-11 p.m. Sunday and Charlie XCX from 4-4:50 p.m. that same day. There will also be food, lots of food. In addition to salads, there will be a chef’s corner will Spke Gjerde from Woodberry Kitchen, Erik Bruner-Yang from Totki Underground and Maketto, and Nick Wiseman from DGS. There will also be concessions from Luke’s Lobster, Shack Shack, Eat Pops, Chaia Tacos, Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza, Dolcezza, Vigilante Coffee, Gordy’s Pickle Jar and food trucks such as Takorean, Big Cheese, Pho Wheels, Crepe Love, Astro Doughnuts and Woodland’s Vegan Bistro. There’s also beer from Flying Dog Brewery, Heavy Seas Brewery, DC Brau, Stack Wines and others as well as non-alcoholic drinks from Honest Tea, Stumptown Coffee and Jrink.

May 30 and 31 starting at noon at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets range from $175-$350 for a two-day pass and $97.50-$225 for a one-day pass.

D.C. Bacon and Beer Festival

The D.C. Bacon and Beer Festival comes to Penn Social on Sunday. (Photo: Where to Eat)

Fun + bacon + beer while raising money for Food & Friends at the second annual http://www.wheretoeat.in/2015-dc-bacon-and-beer-festival/ D.C. Bacon and Beer Festival. The event features creative bacon-inspired bites and tasty beers from area restaurants and breweries. Vote for “Beast in Show” for both restaurant and brewery categories. Restaurants include Art & Soul, Barrel, Belga Café, Brookland’s Finest, Cuba Libre, Dino’s Grotto, GBD, HighlineRXR, Kangaroo Boxing Club, Macon Bistro, Mad Fox, Nage, Penn Social, Smoth & Barrel, Tico and Wagshal’s. Breweries include Adroit Theory, Devil’s Backbone, Dogfish Head, Full Tilt, Mad Fox, Port City, Sam Adams and Starr Hill.

May 31 from 2:30-5 p.m. at Penn Social, 801 E St. NW. Admission is $45 http://www.etix.com/ticket/p/8516047/2015-dc-bacon-and-beer-festival-boston-eat-boston online or at the door.

Although the calendar doesn’t yet say Winter, the temperatures this weekend does. Almost as if it was planned, Ice!, the gigantic ice show, opens at Gaylord National Resort this weekend and so does the ice skating rink at Washington Harbour in Georgetown. This weekend also brings many holiday shopping opportunities such as the annual Museum Shop Around at Strathmore, the Northern Virginia Christmas Market at the Dulles Expo Center, and Fifth Street Folly and Emporiyum at Union Market. If you’re not quite in the mood yet, you can keep warm at the Smithsonian’s Ballywood film festival or the American Festival Pops Orchestra’s concert at George Mason University.

Silver and Yellow line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. On Saturday, Blue ine trains will operate every 12 minutes between Van Dorn Street and Largo Town Center and every 20 minutes at Franconia-Springfield. Orange Line trains will operate every 12 minutes between Vienna and Stadium Armory every 12 minutes on Saturday and every 20 minutes between Stadium-Armory and new Carrolton. Both lines will operate every 12 minutes on Sunday. Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between Branch Ave and College Park with buses running between College Park and the closed Greenbelt Station both Saturday and Sunday. Red Line trains will operate every 16 minutes with additional trains providing service every 8-10 minutes between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Ice! returns to Gaylord National Resort this weekend with a Frosty the Snowman theme. (Photo: Gaylord National Resort)

Ice!

Ice!, the life-sized ice show returns to Gaylord National Resort, this year featuring Frosty the Snowman, everyone’s favorite snowman. Carved from over 2 million pounds of colorful ice, enjoy larger than life scenes from the classic tale, side down two-story high ice slides and watch artisans in action at the new Frostbite Factory, an interactive live carving area. As part of Christmas on the Potomac, the Gaylord atrium is also transformed into a winter wonderland with a free nightly indoor snowfall at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m., more than 2 million lights that illuminate the glass atrium and outdoor garden areas, the free fountain show with the water and lights “dancing” to the music of the Christmas story at 7 and 9 p.m. and classical Christmas carols at 6 and 8 p.m. There is also a 60-foot-tall Christmas tree made of synthetic “candy” glass suspended from the center of the atrium. Photos with Santa start at $25 and are available through Christmas Eve from 1-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Nov. 27-27 and Dec. 12, 22-23 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 20-Jan. 4 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, 201 Waterfront St.,Oxen Hill in National Harbor. Adult tickets range from $34-$21 and childen’s tickets range for children 3-11 range from $28-$14 depending on dates. Tickets and the schedule are available here.

Museum Shop Around

Stacked Bangles by SSD, artist Melissa Lowery (Photo: Strathmore)

Strathmore celebrates 25 years of its artsy holiday bazaar Museum Shop Around, featuring pop-up shops from 20 of the DMV’s favorite cultural institutions. This community favorite has built a reputation for infusing the holidays with the unexpected, heartfelt, handmade and art-inspired—a virtual treasure trove of holiday gifts. Organizations bringing their shops on the road include The Kennedy Center, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, The Phillips Collection, National Building Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Popcorn Gallery at Glen Echo Park, National Geographic Museum, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Foundation for the National Archives, American University Museum – Katzen Arts Center, Just Imagine! The Shop at Imagination Stage, Brookside Gardens, Supreme Court Historical Society, International Spy Museum, Audubon Naturalist Society, Herb Cottage at Washington National Cathedral, Montgomery County Historical Society, President Lincoln’s Cottage, the College Park Aviation Museum, and, of course, Strathmore.

Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Nov. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Admission is $8 if purchased online and $9 at the door. Admission is valid for all days of Museum Shop Around.

Ice skating at Washington Harbour

The ice skating rink at Washington Harbour in Georgetown opens this weekend. (Photo: Washington Harbour)

The ice skating rink at Washington Harbour is open! The fountain at the Washington Harbour in Georgetown has transformed into a shimmering ice skating rink at the edge of the majestic Potomac River. This rink’s bigger than New York’s Rockefeller Center. Be sure to pick up your skates at the new skate shop, conveniently located next to the ice rink and join the fun!

Through March at Washington Harbour, 3050 K St. NW. The rink is open Monday-Thursday from noon-9 p.m., Friday from noon-10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, children/seniors/military are $9 and skate rental is $5. Thursday is College Night with $2 off with student ID and 8-10 p.m. Saturdays is Rock N Skate with skating to today’s hits.

Northern Virginia Christmas Market

The Northern Virginia Christmas Market comes to Dulles Expo Center this weekend. (Graphic: Events Management Group)

The Northern Virginia Christmas Market brings together 250 artisans featuring quality fine arts and crafts, Christmas collectibles, handcrafted edibles and thousands of home decorating ideas for the holidays. New to this year’s show is Vintage Alley, a showcase area dedicated to upcycled gifts, re-purposed home good, vintage and shappy chic creations and reclaimed furniture in bright new hues and textures.

Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Nov. 16 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Va. Admission is $8 for adults at the door and free for children 12 and under. Get $1 off admission with a canned food donation to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. Free parking and second day return.

Union Market hosts Fifth Street Folly and Emporiyum this weekend. (Photo: Union Market)

Fifth Street Folly

Union Market is hosting Fifth Street Folly, a weekend-long street party, and everyone is invited. In addition to the ongoing shopping space, Thread, and the ticketed Gilt City Warehouse Sale, the venue will host a pop-up beer garden featuring Bluejacket brews and Red Apron hotdogs, a pop-up from Boston skincare shop Follain and a clothesline art sale called Hanging on a Line.

Nov. 14-16 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE. Most events are FREE!

Emporiyum

Emporiyum, a market and food show, debuted in Baltimore in April. Now it comes to Union Market. (Photo: Emporiyum)

Emporiyum, a two-day, food-fueled marketplace that brings together more than 60 acclaimed artisans from around the U.S. Items that will be available include Crack Pie, a mix of butter, sugar and eggs from New York’s Momofuku; Baltimore-style pit beef from chef Spike Gjerde’s Woodberry Kitchen; Tsukemen buns made with lemongrass, pork, shrimp and ramen broth from East Side King in Austin, Texas; and cocktail mixers from Bittermilk in Charleston, S.C. Local favorites Astro Doughnuts, Toki Underground and Runningbyrd Tea Co. will be there also.

Nov. 15 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Nov. 16 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Maurice Electric Warehouse at Union Market, 500 Penn St. NE. General admission tickets are $20 and VIP tickets, with an extra hour of shopping starting at 10 a.m., are $40 in advance. General admission tickets at the door are $40.

Beyond Ballywood Film Festival

Meet the Patels kicks off the festival at 1 p.m. (Photo: Smithsonian)

The Beyond Ballywood Film Festival is one day film festival of compelling short and feature films about the life and culture of Indian immigrants and Indian Americans. Topics explored in the films include migration and assimilation, identity, intergenerational and intimate relationships, aging, gender roles and cultural connections to the United States and the homeland. The film fest compliments the museum’s exhibit, Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation, a groundbreaking exhibition showing at the museum through Aug. 15 that explores the heritage, daily experience and numerous, diverse contributions that Indian immigrants and Indian Americans have made to shaping the U.S. See the full schedule here.

Nov. 15 from 1-9:15 p.m. at Baird Auditorium of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural Histrory, 10th & Constitution Ave. NW. Enter from Constitution Avenue. Admission is FREE!

American Festival Pops Orchestra: Litghts, Camera, Action!

The American Festival Pops Orchestra performs at George Mason University Center for the Arts on Saturday. (Photo: George Mason University)

The American festival Pops Orchestra plays the best of pop culture, with a set list taken from film, television and Broadway. They professional musicians be joined by featured pianist Normal Douglas Zimdahl, who will perform her own work, Norma’s Jazz Classic.

Nov. 15 starting at 8 p.m. at George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax. Tickets are $29-$48.