Things to Do

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

Bruno Mars concert, Passport DC, and Adams Morgan PorchFest are cool things to do.

Written by | Published on
Support local musicians at Adams Morgan's Spring PorchFest. Photograph by Albert Ting.

Happy Monday, DC!

Cha-cha with Bruno Mars at Northwest Stadium or groove to local sounds at Adams Morgan PorchFest. You can also attend Around the World Embassy tours as part of Passport DC this weekend.

 

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

April 27–May 3

    1. Bruno Mars concert. Megastar Bruno Mars is back on tour after a near-decade hiatus to belt out tunes from his new hip-swaying album The Romantic. Snag a ticket to one of his two DC shows (Sat-Sun, $145+, Northwest Stadium).
    2. Passport DC. Passport DC is a month-long event during International Cultural Awareness Month that highlights the rich traditions of diplomacy in Washington. This year, the festival will feature the Around the World Embassy tour on May 2, where guests can experience art, culture, food, and fashion from around the globe by visiting participating embassies. Plus you can check out the EU Open House tour on May 9 and the Fiesta Asia fair on May 16 with outdoor crafts, performances, and street food (Fri through May 31, free, various participating embassies).
    3. Adams Morgan Spring PorchFest. The spring edition of Adams Morgan PorchFest turns up the volume across 25 neighborhood stages. More than 100 artists and bands play live jazz, rock, bluegrass, R&B, pop and more genres on lawns, porches, and parks. All ages and pets are welcome (Sat, free, $5 suggested donation, Adams Morgan).
    4. Flower Mart. Flower Mart returns to Washington National Cathedral this weekend. The family-friendly event features carnival rides, choral performances, dance, and a chance to shop for flowers, plants, books, and more across 65 boutique booths. The annual event helps support the cathedral’s gardens and grounds (Fri-Sat, free, Northwest DC).
    5. M3 Rock Festival. M3 Rock Festival has been rocking out for more than 15 years. This year, veteran metal bands such as Queensrÿche, Buckcherry, and Cinderella’s Tom Keifer turn up the volume at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Fri-Sat, $55+, Columbia).
Related
April Culture Guide: 43 Things to Do in the DC Area

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

  • Corcoran School students show off their end-of-year dance, art, music, and other projects at Next Festival (through May 14, free, *George Washington University).
  • Journalist Jodi Kantor unpacks her new book How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work with Dr. Anthony Fauci and Derek Thompson at Sixth & I (Tues, $22.50+ for in-person, $12+ for virtual, Downtown).
  • Poet Jasmine Mans performs spoken word and live storytelling alongside six local poets (Tues, free, MLK Library).
  • View “Where the Light Falls,” an audio-visual installation inside the Hi-Lawn dome (Tues, $22+, Union Market).
  • Tune into the latest Survivor drama on DC9’s roof deck with fellow fans of the show (Wed, free, Shaw).

Community and heritage:

  • Local botanists and food experts discuss the future of food waste at US Botanic Garden Conservatory (Thurs, free, but registration required, Southwest DC).
  • Watch adorable chihuahuas race across a 60-foot track in support of Rural Dog Rescue. There’s a pet parade and beer garden, too (Sat, free, Wharf).

Theater and shows:

  • Watch or participate in a night of short plays as part of the Theatre Lab’s Dramathon (Mon, pay-what-you-can, Downtown).
  • Broadway’s comedic musical The Book of Mormon arrives at National Theatre (Tues-Sun, $89+, Downtown).

Music and concerts:

  • Singer-songwriter Liz Cooper performs songs from her recent indie-rock album New Day (Mon, $22+, Shaw).
  • Listen to different eras of music from Cyndi Lauper to Hindustani rhythms at Hillwood’s Jazz on the Lunar Lawn (Wed, $30 for adults, $5 for ages 6 to 18, free for ages 5 and younger, Northwest DC).
  • Bring a lawn chair to Tregaron Meadow for an outdoor jazz concert featuring Leigh Pilzer’s jazz trio (Sun, free, Northwest DC).

Exercise and wellness:

  • Mark the return of migratory birds with a dawn hike and writing workshop at Peirce Mill (Sun, free, Rock Creek Park).
  • Bring a yoga mat and a reading recommendation to this exercise session (Sun, free, MLK Library).

Bites and beverages:

  • Drink punch for a good cause. DC Migrant Mutual Aid is celebrating four years of service with libations from local bartenders (Mon, $25, Union Market).
  • Taste a family-style meal paired with Lebanese wines at Medina to help raise funds for the Lebanese Red Cross (Tues, $125, Shaw).

Things to do with kids:

  • After a three-year renovation, the historic Smithsonian Carousel is reopen for families to ride (daily, $6, National Mall).
  • Kiddos can enjoy an outdoor screening of Disney’s Soul at Milian Park (Wed, free, Mount Vernon Triangle).

An earlier version of this post listed the NEXT Festival as located at Georgetown University, but it is not. We regret the error.

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.

More:
Join the conversation!
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.