30 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Happy Monday, DC!

Rock out this week at Adams Morgan PorchFest or the M3 Rock Festival. For a more relaxing option, you can shop floral arrangements at Flower Mart, or stroll through an embassy during the Around the World Embassy Tour.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

April 28–May 4

1. 1. Passport DC. Taking place during International Cultural Awareness Month, Passport DC is a month-long event that highlights the rich traditions of diplomacy in Washington. There’s no passport necessary to explore exhibitions, workshops, and open-air festivals during the May showcase. Special events to check out include the International City Food Festival on Saturday, and the Fiesta Asia fair on May 17 with outdoor crafts, performances, and street food (Thurs through May 31, free, various participating locations).
   2. Adams Morgan PorchFest. Local bands and soloists perform jazz, go-go, bluegrass, funk, pop, rock, and other genres across more than 20 neighborhood porches, lawns, and stages at Adams Morgan PorchFest . There’s about 100 artists participating including indie pop vocalist Ari Voxx and lively soul group the Experience Band and Show (Sat, free, Adams Morgan).
   3. Flower Mart. Flower Mart blooms at the Washington National Cathedral this weekend. The family-friendly event features choral performances, carousel rides, dance, and a chance to shop flowers and plants to help support the cathedral’s gardens and grounds (Fri-Sat, free, Cathedral Heights).
   4. Around the World Embassy Tour. The annual Around the World Embassy Tour returns this weekend. Guests can immerse themselves in art, culture, food, and fashion from around the globe by visiting participating non-European Union embassies. Expect unique activities such as robot playtime, alpaca meet-and-greets, indigenous dance, and more fun (Sat, free, various participating locations).
   5. M3 Rock Festival. Rock out to heavy metal at the M3 Rock Festival with music legends David Lee Roth, Sebastian Bach, Ace Frehley, and more artists at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Fri-Sun, $50+, Columbia).
   6. The Running of the Chihuahuas. Watch adorable chihuahuas speed down a racetrack to help raise funds for Rural Dog Rescue; there’s a DJ, beer garden, and a dog costume contest (Sat, free, Wharf).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

• Watch international movies, documentaries, and shorts at Filmfest DC before the showcase leaves town (closes Sun, $14 for general screenings, $10 tickets for ages 16 to 25, various locations).
• Book-lovers can nerd out over antique manuscripts, historic documents, and unique maps at the Capital Rare Book Fair (Fri-Sun, $15 general admission, free for ages 16 and younger, $60 for opening night, Downtown).
• Author Yepoka Yeebo discusses Anansi’s Gold— a Ghanian history book—at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, virtual, Northwest DC).
• Browse fashions, taste chocolates, and make jewelry at Alexandria Spring Fling (Sat, free, Alexandria).
• May the 4th Be With You at Smithsonian’s Star Wars discussion where you can learn about props from the film and preservation (Sun, $25, virtual).

Community and heritage:

• Learn about the environment at a neighborhood talk during DC Climate Week (Mon-Fri, free, various participating locations).
• May is Bike Month. You can participate by going on a social ride with neighbors through Potomac Yard (Thurs, free, Arlington).
• The Annapolis Irish Festival is two days worth of Ireland-inspired fun packed with live music, vendors, and food (Fri-Sat, $15+; kids under 12 free on May 3, Crownsville).

Theater and shows:

• Studio Theatre transforms into a Detroit jazz club for the play Paradise Blue (opens Thurs, $55+, Logan Circle).
• Washington National Opera performs the original tech opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Fri through May 10, $45+, Kennedy Center).
• Folger Consort performs country dances and chamber music from 16th and 17th century England (Fri-Sun, $20+, Capitol Hill).
• Commemorate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the library’s performance pop-up featuring Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (Sat, free, MLK Library).
• Actor Ramy Youssef does standup at Warner Theatre (Sat, $51+, Warner Theatre).
• Filmmaker Akira Kurosawa talks about yogurt and movies in this world premiere by playwright Julia Izumi (Sun through June 1, $55+, Penn Quarter).

Music and concerts:

• Watch Jim Henson’s Labyrinth—a musical fantasy film from the ’80s—accompanied by a live score of the soundtrack (Wed, $40, Warner Theatre).
• This concert at Rhizome combines meditative and folk music with art (Wed, $15+, Takoma Park).
• Singer-songwriter Miya Folick performs at The Atlantis (Thurs, $22, Shaw).
• Max Richter joins the American Contemporary Music Ensemble to perform two works: The Blue Notebooks and In a Landscape (Fri, $39+, Kennedy Center).

Plan ahead:

• Disco at a retro prom for this edition of National Gallery Nights (May 8, free, with lottery registration opening Mon, National Gallery of Art).

Sports:

• Bring your pups to Audi Field to watch DC’s women’s soccer team Washington Spirit face off against Angel City FC (Fri, $35, Audi Field).

Bites and beverages:

• Watch the Kentucky Derby while sipping mint juleps at Next Whisky Bar; there’s a prize for whoever wears the best hat (Sat, $75+, Georgetown).
• Eat southern cuisine, listen to live music, and dress derby-style to win a prize at Hen Quarter (Sat, free entry, Alexandria).
• Taste of Tysons Corner serves samples of food from more than 40 eateries. You can view cooking demos, meet chefs, and enjoy live music at PenFed Plaza (Sat, free, $30 for VIP ticket, Tysons).

Things to do with kids:

• Families can attend the opening of Glen Echo Park’s historic carousel, and watch Step Afrika perform at Carousel Day (Sat, free to attend, $2+ for carousel rides, Glen Echo).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

Briana Thomas

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.