While the weather forecast for Saturday isn’t too good, we’re shaking off the holidays and weekend activities are gearing up again. The annual auto show is back in town starting today with more than 700 cars on display. If you missed out on the Metropolitan Restaurant Week, which runs through the weekend, Alexandria’s begins today and runs through Feb. 1. Prices across the river are a little better, with some offering dinner for to for $35. The popular orchid show opens at the Museum of Natural History this weekend. And, for you vinyl collectors, the sixth annual D.C. record show is Sunday.

It will be another weekend of work on all six of the lines. Orange, Silver, Blue, Yellow and Green line trains will operate every 24 minutes. Red Line trains will run every 20 minutes between Glenmont and Shady Grove and every 10 minutes between Shady Grove and Judiciary Square between 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Chevrolet’s Z06 Corvette is on display this week at the Washington Auto Show. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Washington Auto Show

More than 700 new cars from more than 42 manufacturers are on display for 10 days at the Washington Auto Show filling two floors at the convention center. Among the celebrities slated to appear at Sadie Robertson from Duck Dynasty tonight from 6:30-8 p.m.; NFL legends Dave Butz, Charley Taylor and Mark Mosley from 6-8:30 p.m. on Monday; and the WWE’s Randy Orton from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday. You can also test drive Mazdas, Toyotas, Kias, Scions and others; and be driven through an obstacle course at Camp Jeep.

Jan 23-Feb. 1 from noon-10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Jan 25, noon-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m.- p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for children 6-12 online or at the door. Children 5 and under are free. Discounts include AutoTrader.com Day today with $4 off with coupon from the website, Student Day on Monday with $7 off with student ID, military free on Tuesday with military ID, $2 off any weekend with your Metro SmarTrip Card, active and veteran military and seniors 65 and older $4 off weekdays and $2 off weekends and students $4 off weekdays.

Alexandria’s winter restaurant week is happening Jan. 23-Feb. 1. (Graphic: Visit Alexandria)

Alexandria Restaurant Week

Visit any of the more than 60 participating restaurants during Alexandria Restaurant Week and for $35 choose from a dinner for two or a three-course prix-fixe menu, depending upon each restaurant’s special offer. At a range of locales, from fine dining establishments to casual neighborhood favorites, guests savor the flavors of Alexandria’s distinctive collection of eateries. This year, a handful of restaurants are also offering lunch specials ranging from $10-$20.

Jan. 23-Feb. 1 at more than 60 participating restaurants in Alexandria. Price: $35 for dinner for two or a three-course prix-fixe dinner. Click here to see specific restaurant’s offers and menus.

An Evening with Jason Alexander

Jason Alexandria is at the Mayerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore this weekend. (Photo: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra)

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra hosts An Evening with Jason Alexander, a series of comedy and musical theater performances. Just don’t expect anything from Seinfeld This show focuses on Alexander’s time on the theater stage, not the TV screen. Before Seinfeld, the 55-year-old’s Broadway resume had already included Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along (1981), The Rink from John Kander and Fred Ebb (1984) and Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound (1986). Since the sitcom ended, he served as artistic director from 2007 to its closure in 2013 of the Reprise Theater in Los Angeles. He directed Damn Yankees and Sunday in the Park with George there in 2007 and 2008, respectively. He also staged showcase performances featuring Patti LuPone, Ben Vereen and Carol Burnett. In this show, he’ll perform his favorite showtunes.

Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets are $35-$85 online or at the door.

Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge

Polar Bear Plunge participants jump into the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis. (Photo: Steve Ruark)

People from all over the area will jump into the Chesapeake Bay Saturday to help raise money for Special Olympics at the 19th annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. This year’s goal is to raise $2.5 million for the program that benefits Maryland’s children and adults with intellectual disabilities to participate in Special Olympics.

Jan. 24 at 8 a.m. at Sandy Point State Park, 1100 E. College Parkway, Annapolis. Admission is free for spectators. Plungers must raise at least $75 and register here.

Orchid exhibition

The Smithsonian’s orchid exhibit runs through Apr. 26 at the Natural History Museum. (Photo: Owen Holmes/Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History’s 20th annual Interlocking Science and Beauty orchid exhibition opens Saturday. More than 300 orchids from the Smithsonian Gardens and the U.S. Botanic Garden will be on display, with more than 1,000 plants on display over the course of the exhibit. The exhibit will include a “green wall” of cloned phalaenopsis orchids. The exhibit looks at how new ideas, technologies and inventions change the way we study, protect and enjoy the flowers.

Jan 24 through Apr. 26 at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!

A monster truck at Monster Jam in Houston. (Photo: Kenny Lau)

Monster Jam

Monster Jam, the world’s foremost traveling monster truck show, returns to D.C. for three loud, destruction-filled shows this weekend. With two matinees, it’s a great opportunity to entertain the kids for an afternoon. And it’s the closest you can get to the state fair experience in the dead of winter.

Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Jan 25 at 2 p.m. at the Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW. Admission is $25-$75.

Choreographer’s Showcase

Chelsea Boyd-Brown and Bethany Disque perform. (Photo: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center)

For the 32nd year in a row, the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is hosting a choreographer’s showcase, a series of the best dance performances from local choreographers. Work’s at Saturday’s two shows include Kimmie Dobbs Chan’s “Creature,” Christopher K. Morga’s “Bruised” and Emily Heller’s “Blue Eyes.”

Jan. 24 at 3 and 8 p.m. at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, College Park. Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for students and children under 18 online and at the door.

A bartender pours a drink at last year’s Sips & Suppers. (Photo: Elizabeth Parker)

Sips & Suppers

Sips & Suppers, now in its seventh year, celebrates D.C.’s food community while raising awareness about hunger and homelessness in the city. First up for the two-part event is a cocktail party with tastes of signature dishes from area restaurants at the Newseum on Saturday (the sips part) , followed by a series of dinners in 30 Washington-area homes Sunday (the suppers). This year’s participating chef’s include Victor Albisu, David Chang, Vikram Sunderam and Alice Waters. Proceeds benefit D.C. Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table.

Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Tickets are $95 online. Suppers are at homes throughout the city with various chefs. Tickets to supper at $600 online.

Sixth Annual Meat Week

Meat Week is Jan. 25-Feb. 1. (Graphic: Meat Week)

For the sixth year, Washington barbecue lovers will gather to enjoy slow-smoked meats across the Washington region during Meat Week. Simply show up at the host venue and look for the Meat Week flags. Participants order and pay for their own food and drinks and then join in the festivities with other Meat Week attendees. Most host venues will be offering Meat Week specials. The food truck face-off has been dropped this year.

Jan. 25-Feb. 1 as follows: Jan. 25 – Urban Bar-B-Que (Rockville), 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 26 – Hill Country Barbecue Market, 6:30 p.m.; Jan 27 – Pork Barrel BBQ, 7 p.m.; Jan. 28 – Fat Pete’s BBQ, 7 p.m.; Jan. 29 – Sweet Fire Donna’s, 7 p.m.; Jan. 30 – Rocklands Barbeque & Grilling Co., 7 p.m.; Jan. 31 – Acre 121 for lunch at noon and Denizens Brewing Co. for dinner; Feb. 1 – Mr. P’s Ribs & Fish, noon.

Shoppers look through milk crates of vinyl records at D.C. Record Fair. (Photo: D.C. Record Fair)

D.C. Record Fair

The D.C. Record Fair, D.C.’s ONLY record fair, returns for its sixth year featuring more than 40 vendors hawking vinyl and DJs spinning while you shop.

Jan. 25 from 11 a.m-5 p.m. at Penn Social, 801 E St. NW. Admission is $5 from 11 a.m.-noon for first crack at the bins and $2 after.

It’s going to be a star-spangled weekend in the DMV. Just up I-95, with the 200th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner, the Inner Harbor and Fort McHenry will be buzzing with patriotic events. Closer to home, there are arts festivals, neighborhood festivals, film festivals, food festivals and more to fill your weekend.

Silver and Yellow line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals this weekend, but Yellow Line trains will run between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square only. Green Line trains will operate every 20 minutes. Orange and Blue line trains will operate every 24 minutes, and Red Line trains will operate every 15 minutes and every 10 minutes between Grosvenor and NoMa-Gallaudet from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Metrorail will open at 6 a.m. on Sunday for customers traveling to the Navy-Air Force Half Marathon. The closest Metro stop to the start of the race is Smithsonian Station on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.

Star-Spangled events will be going on all weekend at Inner Harbor and Fort McHenry to celebrate The Star-Spangled Banner‘s 200th anniversary. (Photo: Star Spangled 200)

Star-Spangled Spectacular

O Say Can You See! Tall ships, naval vessels and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will arrive in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to help celebrate the 200th anniversary of The Star-Spangled Banner. During the Star-Spangled Spectacular festivities will include live musical performances, a family fun zone, Chesapeake food and beverages and more. Events crescendo on Saturday with a star-studded patriotic concert at Pier Six Pavilion and a fireworks display over Fort Harbor National Monument and Historic Shrine and the Baltimore harbor. On Sunday, a ceremony and garrison flag raising at Fort McHenry, featuring Gov. Martin O’Malley, will memorialize the exact moment Francis Scott Key saw the flag raised over the fort and was inspired to write the poem that became our national anthem.

Sept. 10-16 at Inner Harbor and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore. Sept. 13 from 6-10 p.m. at Fort McHenry, 2400 E. Fort Ave., Baltimore, including the U.S Marine Band concert, the Morgan State University choir and others. A 30-by-4 foot Star-Spangled Banner will be raised. From 7-10 p.m there will be a concert at Pier Six Concert Pavilion hosted by actor John Lithgow and co-hosted by Jordin Sparks featuring Kristin Chenoweth, Melissa Etheridge, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves-Montgomery, Little Big Town, Pentatonix, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Train and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Tickets cost $79-$175. Free fireworks will follow the concert.

South Asian Film Festival

Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, which took the world cinema screenwriting award at Sundance in 2013 will be featured at the Washington D.C. South Asian Film Festival. (Photo: Ariroad)

The third annual Washington, D.C. South Asian Film Festival features the work of directors from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since very few of these films will receive commercial releases, this is a good opportunity to see movies like Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, which took the world cinema screenwriting award at Sundance in 2013. The film is about a student who discovers she’s pregnant – and since the baby’s father is now waffling about marrying her, she has more to worry about than morning sickness. All films have English subtitles, and most screening will include shorts from local filmmakers.

Sept. 12-14 at AMC Loews Rio Cinemas, 9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg. Times vary. Individual tickets are $15 online or at the door. The opening red carpet gala will be begin at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Courtyard Marriott Washingtonian Center, Gaithersburg and costs $85 including reception, food, meet and greet, movie and Q&A. The closing night and awards ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott. Cost is $55 and including movie, meet and greet, awards, stand-up comedian Dan Nainan, reception and food.

12th annual King Street Art Festival

More than 200 artists will fill King Street in Old Town Alexandria with their wares. (Photo: Visit Alexandria)

Festival booths will line King Street between Washington and Union streets during the 12th annual King Street Art Festival, featuring over six blocks of artwork by more than 200 artists from the U.S. and abroad. Art enthusiasts discover spectacular paintings, life-size sculptures, jewelry, photography, ceramics and more, offering extraordinary art for every taste. More than $15 million in art will be on display, providing visitors with the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind wares and meet the artists behind the work, hearing firsthand what inspires them. Plus, visitors can delight in interactive art activities and The Art League’s “Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser.”

Sept. 13 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sept. 14 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on King Street between Washington and Union streets. Admission is FREE!

Hispanic Heritage Family Festival

Families can help create saw-dust carpets, a 400-year-old tradition in Guatemala, where everyone lends a hand to create colorful works of art. (Photo courtesy of Yolanda Alcorta)

Take the whole family to the Hispanic Heritage Family Festival, the Smithsonian’s kickoff celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The day includes musical performances, interactive demonstrations, arts and crafts, storytelling, bilingual gallery tours of the exhibit Portraiture Now: Staging the Self and a special display of creative work by Fairfax County Literacy Program families.

Sept. 13 from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the National Portrait Gallery’s Kogod Courtyard, 8th and F Streets NW. Admission is FREE!
 
 

Taste of Georgetown

The Taste of Georgetown moves to the waterfront this year with more than 35 restaurants. (Photo: Taste of Georgetown)

More than 35 of Georgetown’s restaurants will be serving their signature dishes at the 21st annual Taste of Georgetown. There will be a chef showdown, craft beer and wine pavilion, bocce ball, hula-hooping, face painting, balloon animal making and bluegrass and country music from Justin Trawick and the Common Good from 12:15-1 p.m., Letitia Van Sant & the Bonafides from 1:15-2 p.m. and Human Country Jukebox from 3-4:30 p.m.

Sept. 13 from noon-5 p.m. on K Street NW between Wisconsin Avenue and Thomas Jefferson Street NW at the Georgetown Waterfront. Tickets for food are $5 each or five for $20 in advance. Beer and wine tasting tickets are $4 for one or $10 for three.

The fifth annual 17st Street Festival brings more than 50 artist, musicians and local organizations to the 17th Street NW neighborhood. (Photo: Huffington Post)

17th Street Festival

The fifth annual 17th Street Festival brings entertainers, vendors and community groups to 17th Street NW. Entertainment includes Ladies of Cobalt from 3-3:30 p.m., Drag City: DC from 4-4:30 p.m. and the Gay Men’s Chorus from 5-5:30 p.m. More than 50 local artists will display their work. There will also be a kids zone and pet zone.

Sept. 13 from noon-6 p.m. along 17th Street NW from Riggs Place to P Street. Admission is FREE!
 
 

King Street Art Festival at the Torpedo Factory

The gazebo stage at the Torpedo Arts Factory. (Photo: Peter Radunzel/Flickr)

The Torpedo Factory Art Center will host several special programs as part of the 12th annual King Street Art Festival. Stop by throughout the day for family-friendly fun. The art studios will be open until 7 p.m. Events include local jazz band 2nd Independence on the Waterfront gazebo stage at noon along with hands-on arts activities. At 1 p.m., resident artist Tatyana Schremko will create an ice sculpture in the lobby. At 2 p.m., folk-rock band Hearts and Spades will perform at the gazebo followed by indie folk group Domestic Animals at 4 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Young Patrons Art Festival After Party begins with a DJ and projections on the Torpedo Factory until 11 p.m.

Sept. 13 from noon-11 p.m. at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. Admission is FREE!

Snallygaster

The Snallygaster beer jamboree is back at The Yards. (Photo: Snallygaster)

The Snallygaster beer jamboree returns for a day of drinking, eating and music. With 275 beers and ciders from around the world to choose from on the list curated by Bluejacket and ChurchKey beer director Greg Engert, selecting drinks is no easy test. Food vendors include Red Apron Butcher, GBD, Hill Country, Rappahannock River Oysters, D.C. Empanadas, D.C. Sices, Takorean, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Tasty Kabob, Big Cheese Truck and Lemnongrass Truck. Entertainment will be provided by bands !!! and Brett, and DJs Brothers Brau, Tony T, Kevin Bayly and DJ Cale.

Sept. 13 from 1-6 p.m. at The Yards, First and N Streets NE. Admission is $30 in advance and includes $25 in food and drink tickets, or $10 at the door with no food/drink tickets.

All Things Go Fall Classic

Bear Hands will perform at the All Things Go Fall Classic. (Photo: Bear Hands)

This alternative-rock festival, All Things Go Festival is a day of non-stop music, which includes live sets from Future Islands, Tove Lo, Haerts, Bear Hands, Panama Wedding, U.S. Royalty, Young Summer, Sun Club, and DJ B-Roc (of The Knocks). The All Things Go Fall Classic will also sport a curated food selection featuring Toki Underground, The Bespoke Kitchen, Takorean, Dolcezza and others.

Sept. 13 from noon-10 p.m. at Union Market’s Dock 5, 1309 Fifth St. NE. Tickets cost $50 in advance or $60 at the door.

Adams Morgan Day

Adams Morgan Day is back Sunday. (Photo: hungrycityblog.com)

Celebrate one of D.C.’s drunkest neighborhoods in the light of day at the 36th annual Adams Morgan Day street festival featuring music on two stages including the Chuck Brown Band and Marcus Johnson, dance performances, local vendors, a kids fair at the Marie Reed playground featuring a moonbounce, face painting, a puppet show, games and more. Nonprofits and local businesses will be along 18th Street and artists mostly from the region will be clustered on Belmont Avenue.

Sept. 14 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on 18th Street NW between Florida Avenue, Columbia Road and Belmont Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!

Kalorama House and Embassy Tour

The Embassy of Slovenia is included in the Kalorama House and Embassy Tour on Sunday. (Photo: Wikimedia)

Spend Sunday waking around the Kalorama neighborhood during the 29th annual Kalorama House and Embassy Tour, a self-guided house and embassy tour that includes the bright and modern Embassy of Slovenia, the Embassy of Latvia, historically known as the Alice Pike Barney Studio House, the Cultural Center of the Korean Embassy, the Ambassadorial Residence of Egypt, the Embassy of Luxembourg, the Embassy of Croatia, the private residence at 2346 S St. and the President Woodrow Wilson House. The jazz band Chrystal Chandelier will be playing at the Woodrow Wilson House. Those wishing to visit the embassies with required pre-screening must register by noon Friday.

Sept. 14 from noon-5 p.m. starting at the Woodrow Wilson House, 2340 S St. NW. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Children 6-18 are $10, children under 6 are free.

Spring is technically here, but it’s hard to tell with snow last Wednesday and a record cold of 15 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday morning. But temperatures are supposed to be in the low to mid-50s Saturday and Sunday. However, rain is predicted for Saturday and showers on Sunday That may mean a washout for the annual Cherry Blossom Kite Festival Saturday (with a rain date of Sunday). But don’t fret, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, there’s plenty to do inside this weekend including Lily Tomlin at Strathmore tonight, Shrek the Musical dinner theater in Columbia on Saturday and Sunday, and a free movie and Turkish food at the Freer Gallery on Sunday.

In celebration of the cherry blossoms and the visitors they bring, Metro has suspended weekend track maintenance through Apr. 13. Trains will run at regular weekend intervals of every 6-12 minutes during daytime hours. In addition, Metro will run more 8-car trains than normal to provide additional capacity. Eight-car trains are the longest possible on the Metrorail system.

Actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin appears at Strathmore tonight. (Photo: Matt Sayles/AP>

Lily Tomlin

Actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin will have the audience rolling in the aisles as she revisits her timeless characters, from Ernestine and Sister Boogie Woman to Mrs. Beasley and Edith Ann. One of America’s foremost comediennes, Tomlin has starred in television, theater and motion pictures. Over her more than 40-year career, Tomlin has received two Tonys, two Peabodys, six Emmys, a Grammy, the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards, and the Mark Twain Prize for American humor. She recently made headlines for marrying her longtime creative partner Jane Wagner on New Year’s Eve 2013.

Mar. 28 beginning at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets range from $27-$81.

Night of 1000 Hotdogs

Night of 1,000 Hot Dogs is Art Enables Spring fundraiser. (Graphic: Art Enables)

Ceramic hamburgers are so 2013! Join your fellow gourmands and art lovers for Art Enables‘ Spring event with music, art, circus acts and hotdogs…lots and lots of hotdogs! Art Enables gives people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to express themselves in images rather than in words with more than 30 artists whose disabilities include but are not limited to Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury, bipolar disorder. Their ages range from 21 to 78. Artists earn 60 percent of revenue from sales of their artwork.

Mar. 28 from 7-10 p.m. at Art Enables, 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required.

Stayin’ Alive: One Night of the Bee Gees

Stayin’ Alive conductor Matt Catingub. (Photo: BSO)

If you love the Bee Gees, but always thought the music of Saturday Night Fever would sound better with an orchestra, this show by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and tribute band Stayin’ Alive will be like too much heaven. Boasting nine Grammys and more than 200 million records sold, the harmony of The Bee Gees has strutted across five decades. Join the BSO for Stayin’ Alive, a tribute featuring every Saturday Night Fever smash, performed live in concert!

Mar. 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. and Mar. 30 at 3 p.m. at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Tickets range from $29-$94.

Bring It On: The Musical

Bring It On: The Musical comes to Strathmore for two shows Saturday. (Photo: Clint Tuccio)

Bitingly relevant and sprinkled with sass, this Tony-nominated Broadway musical takes you on a high-flying journey through friendship, forgiveness and determination, set in the extreme competition of high school cheerleading. With book and lyrics by the creators of Avenue Q and In the Heights, Bring it On snaps with wit and dazzles.

Mar. 29 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Tickets are $25-$81.

Shrek the Musical

Shrek the Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Md. (Graphic: DreamWorks)

In a faraway kingdom an unseemly ogre shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Add a donkey who won’t shut up, a villain with a short temper, a gingerbread man with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero! Shrek the Musical is the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre brought to life on stage and set to music.

Mar. 28-June 22 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. Tuesday-Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. and matinees Wednesdays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Doors open two hours early, meal served 1 hour and 45 minutes before until 30 minutes before show time. Tickets for adults range from $51-$56, children are $37.50 or by calling 301-596-6161.

Blossom Kite Festival

Cherry blossom kites at the 2012 Blossom Kite Festival. (Photo: Daniel Sone)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to inclement weather, the Kite Festival has been moved from Saturday to Sunday!

Spring is in the air. The fourth annual Blossom Kite Festival presented by the National Cherry Blossom Festival showcases the creativity of kite makers and skill of kite fliers from across the U.S. and other countries through a variety of competitions and demonstrations including the popular Hot Tricks Showdown and the Rokkaku Battle. Bring your own kites or children can make a kite at an activity station to fly on the Public Field. The Blossom Kite Festival includes 5 areas to enjoy: the Competition & Demonstration Field, Family Field, Kite Club Display Area, Activity Tents and Public Field. See the link above for the full schedule.

Mar. 30 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on the National Mall near the Washington Monument, Constitution Avenue and 17th Street NW. Rain date is Mar. 30. Admission is free.

Food and Film at the Freer

One Upon a Time in Anatola will be shown free at the Freer Gallery on Sunday. (Photo: Freer Gallery)

View Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, an award-winning film by one of Turkey’s most acclaimed directors, presented in conjunction with the Sackler exhibition In Focus: Ara Güler’s Anatolia. This mesmerizing drama won the grand prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. A group of men, including a police commissioner, prosecutor, doctor and suspected murderer, drive through the night in search of the alleged victim’s body. The suspect, who claims to have been drunk when the crime occurred, says he can’t remember where he buried it. As the search drags on through the rolling hills of the Anatolian countryside, the investigators’ own secrets begin to come to light. In Turkish with English subtitles. Before the screening, sample an array of Turkish food and drink with snacks from the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office/Embassy of Turkey.

Mar. 30 at 12:30 p.m. at the Freer Gallery’s Meyer Auditorium, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Admission is FREE!

Mao Sone Quartet

The Mao Sone Quartet (Photo: Mao Sone Quartet)

Born in 1991, Mao Sone started performing and composing under his father’s guidance at the age of 10. In 2009, he performed with the renowned jazz trio in Japan, WE3, with Norio Maeda, Yasuo Arakawa and Takeshi Inomata, then recorded the collaborative album The Legends of Jazz Trio Meets Mao. In 2010, Mao was granted a full scholarship to attend Boston’s Berklee College of Music. In 2013, he joined the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. Mao and the Mao Sone Quartet performed with Kaori Kobayashi at this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival opening ceremony.

Apr. 2 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Tickets are $18 online or at the door.

Cherry blossom lecture & book signing

Author Ann McClellan (Photo: Ann McClellan)

Author Ann McClellan, a renowned expert on the 1912 gift of cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to Washington, D.C. and the author of two books on the subject, lectures on the history of the gift. She will sign copies of her books from 11:30-noon with the lecture starting at noon.

Apr. 3 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Whittall Pavilion, 10 First St. SE. Admission is FREE!