Happy Monday, DC!
Travel through Europe without taking a flight at EU Open House. Or spend Mother’s Day weekend at the theater; the Washington Ballet performs Cinderella at National Theatre.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
May 4–May 10
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- EU Open House. Check out Czech fashion, dance to Irish beats, taste Belgium waffles, sip Danish beer, try Austrian apple strudel, and enjoy more cultural fun at the annual EU Open House (Sat, free, various participating locations).
- Purlie Victorious play. Playwright Psalmayene 24 directs a Studio Theatre revival of Ossie Davis’ 1961 comedy Purlie Victorious which narrates the story of a preacher on a mission to buy back his neighborhood church (Wed through June 21, $77+, Logan Circle).
- Cinderella ballet. The Washington Ballet—accompanied by more than 80 student performers—present a modern version of Sergei Prokofiev’s timeless fairytale Cinderella at National Theatre (Fri-Sun, $58+, Downtown).
- Dry Cleaning concert. Hear songs from Dry Cleaning’s new album Secret Love this weekend. The post-punk quartet from London arrives at the Howard Theatre to perform their magnetic mixes of singing and spoken word (Fri, $39+, Howard Theatre).
- The Motion play. Four scholars explore humanity through debates, memory, and companionship in The Motion at Arena Stage (Wed through June 14, $49+, Southwest DC).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- May the fourth be with you at the library’s Star Wars movie day (Mon, free, MLK Library).
- Journalist Alexander Heffner leads a conversation on political rhetoric at Planet Word (Thurs, $15, Downtown).
- View photographer Phil Ceccola’s images of rock icon Bruce Springsteen at Nepenthe Gallery (Fri-Sun, free, Alexandria).
- If you’re looking to shop repurposed items, you can stop by the Takoma Flea Market for vintage clothing, records, jewelry, and furniture (Sat, free, Takoma Park).
- Historian Michael Auslin examines the origins of the Declaration of Independence in his new book National Treasure at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
- Treat your mom to a crafty floral arranging workshop for Mother’s Day at PLNTR (Sat, $85, Dupont Circle).
- Browse 120 booths full of fine arts from local and traveling makers at the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival (Sat-Sun, free, Bethesda).
Community and heritage:
- May is Bike Month. You can participate by going on a social ride with neighbors through National Landing (Thurs, free, Arlington).
- Go on an after-hours museum scavenger hunt and sip gin cocktails at Capital Jewish Museum (Thurs, $12, Downtown).
- History tours of Union Station are back this month (begin Thurs, $25, Union Station).
- Stroll through Georgetown’s beautiful gardens (Sat, $50, Georgetown).
Music and concerts:
- Punk band The Flatliners arrive in DC to promote their upcoming album Cold World (Tues, $34, Wharf).
- Pianist Vadym Kholodenko recites Beethoven, Lyatoshynsky, and more classical melodies at Sixth & I (Tues, $69, Downtown).
- Pop-punk band Major League plays live at Black Cat (Wed, $25+, Shaw).
- Composer Kali Malone performs at the International Conference on Music and Minimalism (Wed-Sun, free+, University of Maryland).
- Wolf Eyes hums otherworldly tunes at Rhizome (Fri, $15+, Takoma).
Plan ahead:
- Tickets are on sale now for Asian street food, lion and dragon dancing, and more at Spring Night Market (May 14, $5, Union Market).
Bites and beverages:
- Savor an elevated multi-course dinner accompanied by Austrian wines at CUT by Wolfgang Puck (Wed, $295, Georgetown).
- Dogs and humans can enjoy happy hour treats at The Stacks (Fri, free, but registration required, Southwest DC).
Things to do with kids:
- Families can watch a movie screening of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean on the lawn at Alethia Tanner Park (Wed, free, NoMa).
- Go on a bird-watching walk or taste bird-friendly coffee at the zoo with your family (Sat, free, but registration required, National Zoo).
- Check out the Library of Congress’ new discovery space for kids and teens (Sat, free but timed-entry passes required, Library of Congress).
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.
