Photo courtesy of Ben Folds
It’s a holiday day weekend: your opportunity to celebrate America, eat some good food, drink a little more than usual, and check out the 50th Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
FRIDAY, JUNE 30
TEASE: Most of us put our clothes on and take them off again every day. Removing a pair of pants might seem like a mundane activity, but there’s an art to stripping down. Discover the artistry of undressing and the satirical charms of burlesque at the Capital City Burlesque and Vaudeville Festival. It runs through Sunday. (The Black Cat, 9 p.m. $20)
BEN FOLDS: The National Symphony Orchestra recently selected Ben Folds as its new artistic advisor. You can see his first concert in the Ben Folds Presents series this Friday. Blending orchestral music and pop, the show will feature music by Folds, as well as singer/composer/producer/guitarist Blake Mills, and Cuban R&B/rap singer Danay Suárez. (The Kennedy Center, 9 p.m. $39)
QUIZ TIME: Does this all feel like a game to you? If the answer is yes, Astro Pop can work with that. This Friday, the creators of Elvis’ Birthday Fight Club bring you America The Game Show. F*ck Yeah! The interactive show will have attendees participating in the contest and play an assortment of games inspired by the current political climate. (GALA Hispanic Theatre, 8-9:30 p.m. $20-30)
SKATE ART Kick flip the script on your Friday night. The Late Shift: Freestyle is the first in a three-part series of events that creates a skate park meets secret pop-up art show atmosphere. Come skate the indoor park, check out the artwork, take in the fun with a beer, and more. Later, dudes. (Torpedo Factory Art Center, 7 p.m. FREE)
THAT FOLK LIFE: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus may be dead, but the circus is very much alive. You can see for yourself on the National Mall, where the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary with performances and events that explore the history, evolution, and breadth of the circus arts. You’ll learn how the circus works, while watching professionals in action. The festival will also include hip-hop artists, muralists and poetry slam performers, as it explores forms of American expression outside the big tent. (The National Mall, Various times, FREE)
SATURDAY, JULY 1
Photo by Craig.
BEACH PARTY: Someone pass the daiquiris. DC Carnival Experience
presents a “4th of July Weekend” Beach Party featuring live entertainment. (National Harbor Beachfront, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. $40)
GOD BEER AMERICA: Raise your chalice to America’s birthday at the Red White and Brew festival this Saturday and Sunday. Sample pours of more than 100 beers, wines, and ciders, play some boozy bingo, then sober up with food truck fare. (The Yards, 1-4 p.m. or 6-9 p.m. $29-50)
PATRIOT PARTY: Not to steal too much attention away from America, but it’s also JFK’s birthday. Your next JFK100 event has an open bar. Brightest Young Things and the National Museum of American History are teaming up to bring you We The Party People, an after hours takeover of the museum. You’ll hear DJ sets by Purity Ring, Jonathan Toubin, and King Congo Powers, learn a few things at TED-Style lightning talks, and see some pretty cool artifacts. Dress code is Mad Men-inspired. (National Museum of American History, 7-11 p.m. $55)
UNDERGROUND ART: Head underground for an immersive, interactive art party. Tunnel Vision DC features live projection art by a carefully curated group of creators who are exploring human emotion and interaction through their work. (Dupont Underground, 9 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. $20-25)
QUEER FOR THE PARTY: Lesbian bar Phase 1 is gone, but the Phazefest lives on! Now in its 10th year, the queer festival will feature performances by DJ Tezrah, Coolots, Homosuperior, Olivia & The Mates, Be Steadwell, DC Kings, Heather Mae, and Kellyn Marie Goler. (9:30 Club, 8:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. $15)
STARS, STRIPES & SOIREE: Pull on those white jeans and a blue (or red!) shirt. Art Soiree presents Stars & Stripes pARTy, an Independence Day weekend kick-off event featuring electronic and live music, dance, circus arts, and video art projections. (Rooftop at The Liaison Capitol Hill, 8-11:30 p.m. $10-20)
MUSIC BY WOMEN: The D.C.-area’s first all-female fronted music festival is this Saturday, bringing together a range of musical acts. The HERA Music Festival will showcase the talents of Mary-El, Lato, Fuzzqueen, More AM Than FM, Party Like It’s…, Run Come See, and more. The festival aims to create a community of positivity, growth, empowerment, and unity for women and girls of all ages. (State Theater, 3:30 p.m. $20)
More: Family Day: A Taste of Chocolate City, Bus to see Fireworks at Mount Vernon, Independence Day Film Series
SUNDAY, JULY 2
Photo by Jen.
JOLLOF: West Africa is far away. Save yourself the trip without missing out on the culinary experience by checking out the DC Jollof Festival. Cooks from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya, and beyond will be serving up their best versions of the rice-based dish. Who makes the best jolloff? That’s for you to decide. (1630 19th Street NW, 1-8 p.m. $25-150)
PRINCE PARTY: Sunday is looking sunny, but the forecast in Bethesda calls for Purple Rain. Bethesda Blues & Jazz presents the return of its Prince Tribute Show. You’ll hear live performances of your favorite songs, as Edward “Junie” Henderson of E.U. takes the mic as Prince–if only for a few hours. (Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club, 8 p.m. $25)
ALIENS: Cook-outs and fireworks are great on the 4th of July. Alien invasions? Not so much. Luckily, Will Smith is here to kick extraterrestrial butts and take names. This Sci-Fi Sunday, see the 1996 film Independence Day at the Smithsonian’s Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater. Big screens make for bigger explosions (and victories!). (Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 5:50 p.m. $15)
LITTLE MERMAID: Do you want to be where the people are? Some of them will be at Wolf Trap seeing the closing performance of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. It’s a matinee performance of a Disney film, so be prepared for plenty of kids and families. Try not to sing along too loudly, Ariel (it’s annoying). (Wolf Trap, 2 p.m. $48-150)
