Happy Monday, DC!
If you’re looking for a good time and a ton of laughter, check out Robby Hoffman’s standup show at 9:30 Club this weekend. Also, there’s family-friendly fun and treats at Georgetown French Market and DC Chocolate Festival.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
April 20–April 26
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- Robby Hoffman standup. Comedian Robby Hoffman’s recent Netflix special has audiences everywhere laughing at her provocative jokes on gender norms and social commentary. Her two-show standup at 9:30 Club is sold out, but you can still snag a ticket from third-party sellers (Sat, $158+, Shaw).
- Georgetown French Market. Georgetown transforms into an immersive French market this weekend where you can shop sidewalk sales and deals from area boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and cafes. Dive into French culture along Wisconsin Avenue (from O Street to Reservoir Road) as stilt-walkers, jazz bands, face painters, balloon twisters, and a French unicyclist fill Book Hill at the three-day open-air market. Also, there’s European cuisines to taste, and books and vinyls to browse (Fri-Sun, free, Georgetown).
- An Asian American Dance Journey. DC’s Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company explores the Asian American experience at their new program at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The show includes the premiere of “Drawing in Space,” a dance honoring Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa (Fri through May 3, $30+, Penn Quarter).
- Raye in concert. Raye’s song “Where is My Husband!” is a viral sensation on social media. You can catch the genre-blending vocalist live in concert at the Anthem to sing along to more of her trendy records (Sun, sold out but prices vary for third-party tickets, Wharf).
- DC Chocolate Festival. Satisfy your sweet tooth with chocolate tastings and cocoa-making workshops at the Embassy of France. The event brings more than 30 chocolate vendors from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond to the embassy, where participants can learn how to make chocolate at guided micro workshops and listen to chocolatiers discuss an array of treats (Fri-Sat, $25+, free for ages under 10, Northwest DC).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- It’s your last chance to watch international movies, documentaries, and shorts at Filmfest DC (closes Sun, $15+ for single tickets, $110 for pass, various locations).
- Today Show host Sheinelle Jones discusses her new book Through Mom’s Eyes with Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl (Mon, free, MLK Library).
- Browse a selection of handcrafted ceramics, furniture, glass, metal, leather, basketry, and more at the Smithsonian Craft Show (Wed-Sun, preview night $300+, $25+ for craft show days, Penn Quarter).
- Pick mini flower bouquets and catch a live jazz performance during Bloom (Mon-Fri, free, Union Station).
- Craft an America 250-themed vision board at Heurich House Museum’s biergarten (Wed, free, Dupont Circle).
- Nerd out over games and snacks at the Awkward Party (Sat, $35, Park View).
- Spanish novelist Miguel Ángel Hernández unpacks his true-crime ghost story The Pain of Others at Politics and Prose (Sun, free, Northwest DC).
Community and heritage:
- Check out “¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa,” an exhibit about the history of Afro-Cuban music in America (daily, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino).
- Learn about the environment at a neighborhood talk during DC Climate Week (Mon-Sun, free, various participating locations).
- Discover jazz treasures from Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and more with museum curators during Jazz Appreciation Month (every Tues through April, free, Smithsonian
National Museum of American History). - Hear from more than 40 food writers, chefs, and farmers at Black Women in Food Summit (Thurs-Sat, $20+, U Street Corridor, Navy Yard).
Theater and shows:
- Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett cracks jokes about US politics at Lincoln Theatre (Thurs, $45+, U Street Corridor).
Music and concerts:
- Local pop singer Maddie is live in concert at DC9 Nightclub (Wed, $17, Shaw).
- Prolific French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet performs Claude Debussy’s complete Preludes at Strathmore (Thurs, $35+, Bethesda).
- Local cellist Janel Leppin performs at Rhizome with her ensemble Volcanic Ash (Thurs, $15+, Takoma).
- Synth-pop and electronic tunes take over this underground music fest at Berhta (Sat, $47+, Northeast DC).
Exercise and wellness:
- Yogis of all levels can breathe deeply and stretch outdoors in honor of Earth Day (Mon, free, Columbia Heights).
Bites and beverages:
- Sip more than 100 wines at Uncorked DC (Sat, $89+, Nationals Park).
- Toast to the spring edition of DC Wine Fest (Sat, $44+, Union Market).
Things to do with kids:
- Youngsters will have a blast winning chocolate-themed games and venturing through imaginative playgrounds at Hershey Super Sweet Adventure (opens Mon, $19.99, Tysons).
- There’s alpacas to greet, face painting, music, and more excitement at Hill Center’s Family Day (Sun, free, donations welcome, Capitol Hill).
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.
