Things to Do

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

National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, Cardi B concert, and "Dear America" exhibit at NGA are great things to do.

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Check out the The National Cherry Blossom Festival's parade. Photograph courtesy of National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Happy Monday, DC!

The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is back this weekend with a ton of pink spirit. Plus, rapper Cardi B is in concert at Capital One Arena.

 

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

April 6–April 12

    1. The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. The spring event we’ve been waiting for arrives in Downtown DC with balloons, floats, and marching bands. The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade will strut down Constitution Avenue, where people of all ages can enjoy Washington’s pink pride (Sat, $28+ for seating, Downtown).
    2. Cardi B concert. Rapper Cardi B makes a Little Miss Drama Tour stop at Capital One Arena. Tickets are going fast to see the high-energy lyricist perform catchy songs from her second album (Wed, $148+, Capital One Arena).
    3. “Dear America” exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. See more than 100 photographs, prints, and drawings depicting America’s expansive landscapes from prominent artists such as Dorothea Lange, Roy Lichtenstein, and Fritz Scholder. The “Dear America” exhibit explores 250 years of American history through art (Sat through September 20, free, National Gallery of Art).
    4. “America’s State Flowers” exhibit at the US Botanic Garden. Find magnolia flowers, roses, orchids, and more florals representing each state as part of the America 250 showcase at the US Botanic Garden. On opening day, there’s an after-hours Blossom Soirée featuring drinks and live jazz (Fri through October 12, free for exhibit, $35 for soiree, Southwest DC).
    5. Sakura Matsuri–Japanese Street Festival. Continue the cherry blossom fun at the Sakura Matsuri–Japanese Street Festival, where festival attendees can indulge in sushi, sake, ramen, and more Asian cuisine. There’s also art, fashion, craft-making for kids, plus J-Pop and a sumo wrestling demo (Sat-Sun, $20, Downtown).
Related
April Culture Guide: 43 Things to Do in the DC Area

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

  • Author Jim Collins unpacks how to navigate life in his latest book What to Make of a Life (Tues, $28+ for in-person, $15+ for virtual, Downtown).
  • Browse prints, photographs, and other works tied to America’s history in the new exhibit “Artistic Generosity and the American Artist Abroad” (Tues through June 13, free, but registration encouraged, Baltimore).
  • Create a hand-quilted potholder at the Renwick Gallery and enjoy live music, too (Wed, $25, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
  • Watch a presentation of Ralph Lauren’s current collection and learn about the designer’s legacy at the library (Wed, free, MLK Library).
  • This month’s event for National Gallery Nights explores pop art and American music (Thurs, lottery registration closed, limited walk-in tickets available, National Gallery of Art).
  • Art of Pink features cherry blossom-inspired pieces from more than 60 local artists at Met Park (Fri, free, Arlington).
  • Swap CDs, VHS tapes, and other vintage media items at Rhizome (Sat, free, donations welcome, Takoma).
  • This craft workshop will teach you how to make daffodils from crepe paper (Sat, $45, Arlington).
  • Gamers of all levels can play Dungeons & Dragons at Fantom Comics (Sun, $20, Dupont Circle).

Community and heritage:

Theater and shows:

  • Imaginative Broadway musical The Wiz returns to National Theatre (Tues-Sun, $59+, National Theatre).
  • Jacquelynne Fontaine-Isaac presents songs from Broadway musicals at Miracle Theatre (Thurs, $15+, Eastern Market).

Music and concerts:

  • Learn new moves at DC9 Nightclub’s queer line dancing night (Tues, $10, Shaw).
  • DC vocalist Rum.gold brings his soothing sound to the Atlantis (Thurs, $32.50, Shaw).
  • Ethiopian-American artist Meklit Hadero performs a jazz concert at a Smithsonian (Fri, free, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art).
  • Local bands Pretty Bitter, Spring Silver, Will Kobus, Colo and others battle it out at the Mosh Madness basketball tournament (Sat, pay-what-you-can+, Takoma Park).
  • Rock out to metalcore music for a good cause at DC9 Nightclub (Sat, $19+, Shaw).
  • Rap star Da Baby will have audiences rhyming along to his high-energy beats (Sun, $40+, Silver Spring).
  • Pacifica Quartet plays a strings concert in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Sun, $80.50, Downtown).

Bites and beverages:

  • Learn to make ravioli from scratch with fellow beginner cooks at La Cosecha (Wed, $71, Union Market).
  • General admission tickets grant access to unlimited samples from over 80 breweries as well as live music, a dueling piano bar, and a food truck alley at DC Beer Fest (Sat, $66, Nationals Park).

Plan ahead:

  • Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams takes the stage solo in promotion of her third project, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (April 15, sold out but prices vary for third-party tickets, Silver Spring).

Things to do with kids:

  • Families can visit the playground, play virtual golf, and listen to live music from local groups at Spring Block Party (Sat, free, Woodley Park).

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.

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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.