Happy Monday, DC!
Passport DC’s Fiesta Asia returns for a massive cultural festival and parade. Plus, Washington National Opera performs the classic romance West Side Story.
Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend
May 11–May 17
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- Fiesta Asia. The Passport DC festivities continue with Fiesta Asia. This celebration of pan-Asian heritage will include over 1,000 performers, food vendors, and artisans, plus kid-friendly activities, karaoke contests, a sushi cook-off, street dancing, and a colorful parade. The fair has been a popular tribute to Asian culture since 2006 (Sat, free, Downtown).
- West Side Story at Strathmore. Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello brings the classic love epic West Side Story to Strathmore. Broadway actors Ryan McCartan and Shereen Pimentel are the main characters in this version of the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical (Thurs-Fri, $45+, Bethesda).
- “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness” exhibit. The Smithsonian continues America 250 commemorations with a new exhibit “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty, and Happiness.” Check out historic artifacts from the country’s founding era such as Thomas Jefferson’s desk and the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Thurs through December 31, free, Smithsonian National Museum of American History).
- Spring Night Market. Spring Night Market is back for another evening of cheer, eats, and lion and dragon dancing. Foodies will be transported to an Asian-inspired market on the Hi-Lawn rooftop with fare and sweets from eateries such as Tiger Fork, Love, Makoto, Chai Pani, and several others (Thurs, $5, Union Market).
- Lucketts Spring Vintage Market. Go on a shopping spree at Northern Virginia’s Lucketts Spring Market. Browse chic garden gems, painted furniture, architectural salvage, rustic antiques, and other vintage finds at this outdoor three-day market. Shoppers can expect live music, a beer garden, and food trucks. For a less crowded visit, the Friday early-buyer option is a morning pass to shop before general admission ticket holders (Fri-Sun, $20 general admission, $50 for early-buyer weekend pass, Berryville).
Want More Things to Do?
Arts and culture:
- Watch parts of Ken Burns’ film The American Revolution and join a post-screening talk (Thurs, free, Petworth).
- See more than 50 Native works as part of “Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting” (opens Fri, free, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).
- DC musician and critic J. Hunter Bennett discusses his new book More Punk Than the Public Library at Politics and Prose (Sat, free, Northwest DC).
- Participate in a cosplay contest and karaoke and grab bites from more than 60 food stands at Asian Festival on Main (Sun, free, Fairfax).
- Former Black Panther and novelist Wesley Brown tells the story of Washington in the ’70s in his new book Looking for Frank Willis (Sun, free, virtual, Northwest DC).
Sports:
- It’s Preakness weekend! The 151st race brings food trucks, race-day fashion, elevated suite experiences, and exciting horse racing to Laurel Park (Fri-Sat, contact for seat pricing, Baltimore).
Theater and shows:
- See the glitzy and provocative coming-of-age production Pippin at Signature Theatre (Tues through July 26, $47+, Arlington).
- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel The Great Gatsby comes to life on stage at National Theatre (Tues through May 24, $67+, Downtown).
- It’s the last call to see 1776 the Musical, a comedic reimagining of America’s founding at Ford’s Theatre (closes Sat, $38+, Penn Quarter).
Music and concerts:
- Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi conducts the world premiere of his Concerto for Orchestra (Thurs-Sat, $136+, Kennedy Center).
- Flavio Silva and Bruce Williams 4tet play live jazz at The Kreeger (Sat, $35, Berkley).
Exercise and wellness:
- Enjoy a Sunday reset at Wunder Garten with yoga, wellness sessions, and music (Sun, $17, NoMa).
Plan ahead:
- Tickets are going fast to catch rock-and-roll icon Sting in concert alongside bandmates Dominic Miller and Chris Maas for three nights at Wolf Trap (May 21-23, $66+, Vienna).
- Jazz in the Garden returns next week to the Sculpture Garden (May 22, free, required lottery registration open Mon-Fri, National Gallery of Art).
Bites and beverages:
- Raise a glass to Apéro’s fifth anniversary party featuring Parisian delights such as canapés and caviar (Tues, $195, Georgetown).
- Sample an array of local brews at Atlas Brew Works’ Craft Beer Fest (Sat, $33, Alexandria).
Things to do with kids:
- The SpongeBob Musical brings the Nickelodeon show to life on stage at Workhouse Arts Center (through June 14, $39, Lorton).
- Discover 111 Places for Kids in Washington, DC That You Must Not Miss with
writer Austin Graff (Tues, free, $28 for drink and book, H Street Corridor). - Kiddos can pick strawberries, and take a tractor ride at Lincoln Strawberry Festival (Fri-Sun, $16, Hamilton).
- Go on a family bike ride through one of Capitol Hill’s tiny streets; there’s free ice cream, too (Sun, free, 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.
