Happy Monday, DC!
Get tickets to Lily Allen’s concert or binge-watch an array of international flicks and documentaries at Filmfest DC this week. Also, DC Emancipation Day parade returns to Franklin Park this weekend.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
April 13–April 19
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- Lily Allen concert. The English singer-songwriter arrives at Warner Theatre to promote her acclaimed album West End Girl. The project speaks candidly to her impassioned relationship with Stranger Things actor David Harbour over soul-pop melodies (Sun, $228+, Warner Theatre).
- “Of the Hills” exhibit at National Museum of Asian Art. Here’s a rare chance to see historic abstract, watercolor, and more works made for Hindu kings in India’s Pahari region between the 17th and 19th centuries as part of the “Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India’s Himalayan Kingdoms” (Sat through July 26, free, Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art).
- 44: The Musical. At Shakespeare Theatre Company, 44: The Musical jokes and sings through a reflection on Obama’s presidency (Sat-May 10, $44+, Downtown).
- Filmfest DC. Watch international movies, documentaries, and shorts at Filmfest DC. Some of the highlights are German and Icelandic comedies Comandante Fritz and Divine Remedy, plus a screening of two original films from DC filmmakers (Thurs through April 26, $110 for director’s pass, various locations).
- DC Emancipation Day parade. Attend the DC Emancipation Day parade at Franklin Park in commemoration of the more than 3,000 enslaved persons who were freed on April 16, 1862. There will be live music performances and family-friendly activities (Sun, free, Downtown).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Watch the WNBA Draft at Her Diner with fellow Mystics fans (Mon, free, Adams Morgan).
- This NMWA Nights event is showing off upcycled and sustainable designs in a museum fashion show (Wed, $25, Downtown).
- Palestinian peace activist Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli peace activist Maoz Inon discuss their book The Future Is Peace at Sixth & I (Thurs, $20+ in-person, $12+ for virtual, Downtown).
- Enjoy the spring weather at an outdoor screening of Freaky Friday at NOW Pop-Up Park (Thurs, free, Arlington).
- The new “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa” exhibit shares the history of Afro-Cuban music in America (opens Sat, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino).
Community and heritage:
- Historian John Garrison Marks gives a lecture on George Washington and slavery in America (Tues, free, Georgetown).
- Reflect on the 161st anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination during a guided tour of the Petersen House (Tues, free, Downtown).
- Stroll through the blossoming White House gardens this spring (Sat-Sun, free with timed-entry tickets available outside of the White House Visitor Center, White House).
- Celebrate Holi with family and friends during this outdoor dance party at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods (Sun, free, Columbia).
Music and concerts:
- Vocalist Angelina Miers and her quartet pay tribute to the jazz tunes of Ella Fitzgerald at Blues Alley (Mon, $25, Georgetown).
- Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams takes the stage solo in promotion of her third project Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (Wed, sold out but prices vary for third-party tickets, Silver Spring).
- David Michael Wyatt croons R&B covers at Howard Theatre (Thurs, $49+, Shaw).
- Techno DJ Juliana Huxtable headlines charged-up dance party Ethernet at Transmission (Fri, 19+, H Street Corridor).
- Tech-house DJ Chris Lake headlines Glow Block Party (Sat, $100+, Downtown).
- Get tickets to a captivating concert of Nordic folk works performed by Danish String Quartet and Danish National Girls’ Choir (Sat, $86.25, Downtown).
- Local students, an 80-piece orchestra, and tap dancers will perform at District Sounds Festival (Sat, free, Wharf).
- South African DJ Black Coffee teams up with party promoters Nu Androids for an outdoor house music pop-up (Sun, sold out but join waitlist for pricing, Anthem Row).
Get involved:
- Volunteer for a spring cleanup of Takoma Park (Sat, free, Takoma Park).
- Jog through Diamond Teague Park while picking up litter (Sat, free, Anacostia).
Things to do with kids:
- Sandbox VR has a new location in DC where families can go on a virtual adventure, discovering dinosaurs and competing in interactive games (daily, $55+, Downtown).
- Springfest in Old Ellicott City returns for family entertainment, crafts, and live music (Sat, free, Ellicott City).
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 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.
