FRIDAY:

>> Octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson (at right), said to be the last black traditional string band player, plays a free show at The Kennedy Center's The Millennium Stage with fellow folk musicians Wayne Martin on fiddle and Bob Carlin, a clawhammer style banjoist. 6 p.m.

>> Space rockers The Gulf sold out their D.C. show in April, and are coming back to play at the Red and the Black with the Joonies, Twin Earth, and Receiver. $8, 9 p.m.

>> Irony will abound at the Crap dance party at Black Cat's backstage. $5 gets you the gamut of terrible music from Asia to Whitney Houston, 9:30 p.m.

SATURDAY:

>> Is Mid-Atlantic Brewing News your favorite periodical? Then sign up for the first annual Capitol City Carnival, a beer tasting fair event combined with carnival freak show that will bring over 100 regional breweries to Bull Run Park in Centreville. Tickets range from $35 for one day to $350 for a VIP weekend pass, and PartyDC is offering shuttle rides from Arlington. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., also Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

>> Our friend DJ Will Eastman and his Bliss dance party celebrate seven years tonight at the Black Cat's backstage. It's certain to be packed back there, but for only $6 and a guarantee that you'll hear music that'll make everyone in your crew want to move, it's well worth stopping by. Doors open at 9 p.m.

>> The Girls Rock & Girls Rule Tour hits DC9 tonight, showcasing the best female rock bands on the East Coast, with proceeds benefiting Willie Mae Camp for Girls, a New York City-based non-profit music summer day camp serving girls aged 8-18, and the subject of the excellent documentary Girls Rock! (see trailer above). Lineup includes Emiko and Olivia & the Housemates. $10, 7 p.m. doors.

>> Khmer-American rapper praCh Ly delivers hip-hop for the Cambodian diaspora and interested others in a free show at the Meyer Auditorium of the Freer & Sackler Galleries. Free tickets handed out 1 hour prior, show starts at 7 p.m.

SUNDAY:

>> As we noted on Wednesday, the Nationals bid farewell to RFK Stadium. Whether you view RFK as an archaic monstrosity or a charming reminder of a bygone era, you have to respect it; out of all active MLB stadiums, only Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Yankee Stadium predate the East Capitol Street fixture. If you're looking for some perspective on the issue, Dan Steinberg at the Sports Bog has a nice roundup of media tributes to the stadium. First 30,000 fans receive commemorative t-shirts. Ticket prices vary, and first pitch is at 12:05 p.m.

>> Washington Concert Opera will perform Bellini's bel canto classic I Puritani at Lisner Auditorium. Staging an opera with such an absurd plot is probably a waste of money, anyway: the reason for its place in the repertory is the demanding and beautiful vocal writing. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee will assay the outrageous high F of Arturo, and soprano Sarah Coburn will sing Elvira's mad scenes, both of them for the first time in their careers. $65 to $90 (discount for GW students). Some general admission seats, on folding chairs at the back of the auditorium, may be available directly from the WCO office. 6 p.m.

Matt Bourque and Charles Downey contributed