DC on Heels » Bon Secours Training Center

Weekend Guide

Mark Heckathorn — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 07:47:43 +0000

It’s Time for the Montgomery County Fair

The countdown to fall has begun with school in many are school districts getting ready to begin in a few weeks. But in the meantime, it’s time for the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair with plenty of animals, Italian sausage sandwiches, fried Oreos and funnel cakes. But if you aren’t up for fun down on the farm, there’s plenty of other things to do in the DMV.

This weekend, Yellow and Green line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Orange, Silver and Blue line trains will operate every 20 minutes and Red Line trains will operate every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont with trains running every 12-14 minutes between Farragut North and Rhode Island Avenue between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

It’s time for the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. (Photo: Katie Maciocha)

Montgomery County Agricultural Fair

Looking for family friendly entertainment this weekend? Load the kids into the minivan and make for I-270: That’s the surest way to find the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, which features a huge midway plus more than 2,000 animals, monster trucks and deep-fried curiosities. Special attractions, which are NOT included with admission include a truck and tractor pull on Monday, Monster Truck Madness on Wednesday and Thursday, and a demolition derby next Friday and Saturday. There is a free skid steer rodeo on Friday, a draft horse pull on Saturday, a draft horse and mule shown on Sunday and truck pull on Tuesday as well as ZuZu Acrobats, a comedy hypnotist, racing pigs and goats and a magician all week long. Animal and other exhibits, except commercial exhibits, do not open until Sunday.

Aug. 14-Aug 22 from 10 a.m.-midnight daily at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 501 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg. The carnival area is ope from 3 p.m.-midnight on Aug. 14 and noon-midnight the rest of the week. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 11 and younger. A season pass with parking is $75 and three-day pass with parking is $45. On-site parking is $10, but free parking and shuttle service is available from Lakeforest Mall.

Red Bull Global Rallycross

The Red Bull Global Rallycross returns to RFK Stadium this weekend. (Photo: Red Bull Global Rallycross)

After taking over city streets last June, the Red Bull Global Rallycross heads back to the nation’s capital for another event in Washington, D.C. This weekend’s race at RFK Stadium features 600-horsepower cars racing around a mixed-surface track with sharp turns and a 70-foot jump.

Aug. 14 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Aug. 15 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium Lot 8, 2400 E. Capitol St. SE. Tickets are $45-$75 for two-day passes, $25-$35 for Friday and $40-$50 for Saturday.

Zac Brown Band and the Avett Brothers

The Zac Brown Band plays at Nationals Park on Friday. (Photo: Zac Brown Band)

On its summer tour of major league baseball stadiums, the Zac Brown Band will bring its Jekyll & Hyde Tour to Nationals Park outfield with another popular country crossover group, the Avett Brothers. Brown has been mixing in the hits he’s known for, such as Chicken Fried, with such newer songs as the single Homegrown and his cover of Jason Isbell’s Dress Blues. The Avetts, meanwhile, mix things up from night to night, pulling from nearly 15 years of playing together.

Aug. 14 starting at 7 p.m. at Nationals Park, Nationals Park, 1500 S. Captial St. SE. Tickets are $51.50-$108.50.

Live Music on the Plaza

The Southern Maryland Jazz Orchestra will perform a free concert at National Harbor on Friday. (Photo: National Harbor)

Enjoy live music by the Southern Maryland Jazz Orchestra at Live Music on the Plaza at National Harbor. The orchestra is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to performing contemporary big band jazz. A part of the Southern Maryland Concert Band organization, the SMJO performs jazz, rock and swing music in the American “Big Band” style and tradition that began in the 1930s and continues right up to the present day. Current repertoire includes tunes by Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, Lady Gaga, the Beatles, Black Eyed Peas, Adele and others.

Aug. 14 from 7-8:30 p.m. at The Plaza at National Harbor, 165 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, Md. Admission is FREE!

Bikes & Brews brewery tour

Wrap up D.C. Beer Week with the Bikes & Brews brewery tour. (Photo: Capital City Bike Tours)

By the seventh day of D.C. Beer Week, you’ve probably consumed a few more calories than you meant to. Get rid of them during a special Bikes & Brews brewery tour sponsored by City Bikes. Beer-loving cyclists will leave the Adams Morgan bike shop heading for the Hellbender and Atlas breweries for tours and tastings, and then to Glen’s Garden Market for $4 draft beers. Maps and guides will be provided, but riders need to bring their own helmets, water bottles and locks.

Aug. 15 from noon-4 p.m. departing from City Bikes, 2501 Champlain St. NW. Admission is FREE, but advance registration is requested.

Washington Redskins training camp

Fans collect autographs at Redskins training camp, which wraps up this weekend. (Photo: Washington Redskins)

With the start of football season only weeks away, this is your last chance to see the Washington Redskins practice and clamor for autographs from your favorite players at this year’s Redskins Training Camp. Get an up-close look at quarterback Robert Griffin III’s progress, new players on the offensive and the overhauled defense. Savor the moment, Redskins fans: Every NFL team is tied for first in the standings, nearly every football player is healthy and in great shape, and unbridled optimism is the dominant emotions.

Aug. 15 from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. with practice at 1:35 p.m and Aug. 16 from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. with walkthrough at 10:35 a.m. and practice at 3 p.m. at the Bon Secours Training Center, 2401 W. Leight St., Richomond. Admission is FREE, but pre-registration is required.

Capital City Showcase

Pete Bergen is among the entertainers at the Capital City Showcase’s fifth anniversary. (Photo: Pete Bergen)

The DMV is full of talented comedians, musicians and performance artists, some of the best of which have performed as part of the monthly Capital City Showcase variety show. This weekend, the show celebrates its fifth anniversary with set from musician Don Kim and comedians Jenn Tisdale, Pete Bergen, Shahryar and Kasaun Wilson.

Aug. 15 at 10 p.m. at the D.C. Arts Center, 2438 18th St. NW. Admission is $10.

Hot 5 @ Hill Center

Sine Qua Non will perform at the Hill Center. (Photo: Stuart Dahne Photographer

If District jazz band Sine Qua Non has a reliable signature, it might be the timbre of Victor Provost’s steel-pan sparks raining down over Michael Bowie’s bass lines, which can swerve and slink and pop. There’s an airiness to the group’s approach, but it can tighten up on a groove, too. Onstage, the band is mixing its new material in with the old, and a new album is expected this autumn. The band performs in the gardens as part of Hot 5 @ Hill Center, perfect for an evening picnic with family and friends. Beer, wine and other concessions will be available for sale.

Aug. 16 at 5 p.m. at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Admission is FREE!

Movies on the Potomac

Watch a free movie each Sunday beginning at 6 p.m. at National Harbor. (Photo: National Harbor)

Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars, and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than Movies on the Potomac at National Harbor. Pack your chairs, grab food to go from one of the area restaurants and meet at the Plaza’s jumbo screen. This week’s screening is Back to the Future Part II.

Aug. 16 from 6-8 p.m. at National Harbor’s Plaza, 165 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill, Md. Admission is FREE!

Weekend Guide

Mark Heckathorn — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 10:52:37 +0000

Redskins Training Camp Opens

There’s something for everyone to do this weekend in the DMV. The Loudon County Fair wraps up, while Redskins training camp begins. The Capital Fringe Festival is also wrapping up with extra performances of audience favorites.

This weekend, Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals. Orange, Silver, Blue and Yellow line trains will operate every 24 minutes. Red Line trains will operate every 16 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont with trains running every 8-10 minutes between Dupont Circle and Rhode Island Avenue between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Fans get players’ signatures from RGIII on the first day of Redskins training camp in Richmond. (Photo: Washington Redskins)

Washington Redskins Training Camp

The Washington Redskins fire up training camp this weekend in Richmond, with open practices on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Redskins fans can get up-close look at quarterback Robert Griffin III’s progress, new players on the offensive line and the overhauled defense. Savor this moment, Redskins fans: Every NFL team is tied for first in the standings, nearly every football player is healthy and in great shape, and unbridled optimism is the dominant emotion.

Through Aug. 16 with walkthrough at 10:35 a.m. and practice at 3 p.m. with the Bon Secours Training Center, 2401 W. Leigh St., Richmond, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is FREE with online registration, but parking is $10, cash only, throughout the city.

Loudon County Fair

The carnival at the Loudon County Fair opens at 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. (Photo: Loudon County Fair/Facebook)

The Loudon County Fair continues at the fairgrounds in Leesburg. On Friday, see an acrobatics show, tinsmithing, a livestock auction and a watermelon eating contest; on Saturday, the professional bull riding and rodeo and the Kiss-A-Pig contest both start at 7:30 p.m., followed by open mike karaoke. The carnival, meanwhile, starts at 1 p.m. each day.

July 31 and Aug. 1 from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. at the Loudon County Fairgrounds, 17558 Dry Mill Road, Leesburg. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children. Carnival rides and games are additional.

Capital Fringe Festival

A scene from St. Jimmy Celebrates The Food at Our Feet at the Capital Fringe Festival. (Photo: Capital Fringe Festival)

The expanded Capital Fringe Festival, one of the largest fringe festivals in the country, wraps up this weekend with shows through Sunday. Still going: St. Jimmy Celebrates The Food at Our Feet,” about a spiritual voyager who interacts with celebrity chefs from television — all played by Jimmy Grzelak; and #sexts, a one-act play by Ande De that gets all up into our relationships and technology.

July 31-Aug. 2 at various times at the Logan Fringe Arts Space, 1358 Florida Ave. NE. Tickets to individual shows are $17; all Fringe-goers age 13 and older must make a one-time purchase of a Fringe button for $7. Tickets are available at the box office from 5-10:30 p.m. Friday and noon-10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Nationals at 10: Baseball Makes News

An exhibit celebrating a decade of the Nationals in D.C. opens this weekend at the Newseum. (Photo: Newseum)

A decade after the Montreal Expos relocated and the Washington Nationals became this city’s boys of summer, a new exhibit, Nationals at 10: Baseball Makes News opens at the Newseum. The exhibit examines the media coverage of the team during those 10 years and displays significant items, such as the ball Ryan Zimmerman poked over the fence in the first game at Nationals Park and Bryce Harper’s “Clown question, bro” T-shirt. On Saturday, there are special activities to mark the opening of the exhibit. Activities include indoor batting practice from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., gallery talks at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., decorate baseball keepsakes including visors and foam mitts at noon and 4 p.m., race across a giant gameboard as you identify elements of a front page using sports milestones at 1 and 3:30 p.m., and take a look back at the team’s 10-year history with sports writer James Wagner at 2:30 p.m.

Aug. 1 and 2 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Admission on Saturday and Sunday is just $10 for adults and seniors — the Nats are out of town. The exhibit runs through Nov. 27 — but otherwise admission is $22.95. Up to four youths are free with each paid adult or senior admission.

Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale

Shop Old Town and Del Ray this weekend for bargains up to 80 percent off during Summer Sidewalk Days. (Photo: Visit Alexandria)

Grab bargain basement seasonal deals at stores in Old Town and Del Ray this weekend at the sixth annual Alexandria Summer Sidewalk Sale. More than 50 boutiques will offer deeply-discounted summer merchandise up to 80 percent off. Find incredible bargains and unique reassures from Alexandria’s small business boutiques selling fashion to jewelry to home décor, culinary, seasonal and gift items.

Aug. 1 and 2 in Old Town and Del Ray sections of Alexandria. Hours vary by merchant. Admission and parking at city meters are FREE!

Visit Gateway DC’s Summer Spalsh party at St. Elizabeth’s for fun and health screenings. (Photo: Gateway DC)

Summer Splash Party

Gateway Park and Pavilion continues its Gateway to Health summer series with a summer splash party with live music and a health fair. The family-friendly event features the Rob Flowers Jazz Quartet and DJ Redds, moon bounce and water games, free rapid health screenings, free $20 grocery vouchers to individuals who get tested, BBQ food vendors, a farmers market, art and jewelry vendors, face painting and more.

Aug. 1 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Gateway DC, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE. Admission is FREE!

Maysles Films Inc.: Performing Vérité

The National Gallery of Art East Building’s auditorium reopens this weekend with free movies. (Photo: National Gallery of Art)

The East Building of the National Gallery of Art has been closed for renovations for more than a year. But patrons who have missed visiting architect I.M. Pei’s modern building can catch a glimpse this weekend when the 500-seat auditorium reopens for film screenings. This weekend’s films are a tribute to Albert Maysles, who died in March. On Saturday, Grey Gardens will be shown at 1 p.m. and Salesman at 3 p.m. Sunday’s film is the Rolling Stones concert documentary from 1970, Gimme Shelter at 4 p.m.

Aug. 1 at 1 and 3 p.m. and Aug. 2 at 4 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art’s East Building Large Auditorium, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is free, but seating is first come, first served.

Star Trek at Wolf Trap

Wolf Trap will show Star Trek with score by the National Symphony Orchestra on Saturday. (Photo: Paramount Pictures)

Watch Star Trek at Wolf Trap — it could be the perfect environment in which to watch director J.J. Abrams’s 2009 reboot. The movie will be shown in HD on a big screen while the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Emil de Cou performs Michael Giacchino’s score live.

Aug. 1 beginning at 8:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. Tickets are $30-$58 online or at the gate.

Signature Theatre Open House

The Signature Theatre in Shirlington will hold an open house on Sunday. (Photo: Ecragg/Wikipedia)

The Signature Theatre Open House packs a lot into one day, with singers, bands and choruses performing on the Plaza Stage and a Signature Voice competition in the Max Theatre, in which the winner gets to join the Broadway on the Plaza Grand Finale performance. Thre will be performances every 15 minutes, master classes and cabarets. In addition, there will be activities and games for families, free snacks and opportunities to purchase discounted tickets to shows from the upcoming season. A complete schedule is available online.

Aug. 2 from noon-8:30 p.m. at the Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arington. Admission is FREE!.