You can celebrate local artists and booze or ride a bucking shark. Really, the weekend is what you make it.
Lauryn Hill performs at the Kaya Fest at Bayfront Park Amphitheater on April 22, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
BLOODY GOOD TIME: Sure, we’ve all ridden a country bar’s bull at one point or another. But have you ever been bucked from the back of a thrashing shark? Now you can, but without the fear of certain death and maiming! National Geographic and Brightest Young Things are teaming up to bring you an event that combines two of the organizations’ strengths: sharks and socializing. Sharks and Recreation will feature cocktails, photo booths, a mechanical shark ride, food trucks, live music, a Ron Swanson look-a-like contest, lightening talks from real-life explorers, and more. You’ll also get access to 3D movies and the Nat Geo Museum’s soon-to-close exhibit Sharks: On Assignment with Brian Skerry. (National Geographic HQ, 8 p.m. $25)
RAP ROYALTY: Girls, you know you’d better watch out—for a ride, because Jiffy Lube is definitely not Metro-able and this Friday night, you might want to make the trek. Ms. Lauryn Hill and Nas are performing on stage, along with reggae artist Chronixx and comedian Hannibal Buress. We’re not sure what Hannibal is doing there, but we don’t hate it. If I ruled the world? I’d free up my Friday to see these wordsmiths do their thing (that thing that thing that thiiiiiiing). (Jiffy Lube Live, 6:30 p.m. $27-195)
PUNCH LINES & PICKIN’: Steve Martin and Martin Short will take a walk down really funny memory lane this Friday night, sharing stories and their music. Steve Martin, while well-known for his acting career, is also a Grammy Award-winning musician. Increasingly over the last few years, he’s been less into the big screen and more about the banjo. Come hear for yourself, and have a few laughs while you’re at it. (Filene Center, 8 p.m. $45-125)
The H Street Festival is an annual neighborhood takeover and cultural celebration that you won’t want to miss–unless of course you hate crowds. (Photo by Andrew)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
H STREET FESTIVAL: This neighborhood festival is not messing around. H Street Festival will take over 11 blocks this Saturday, presenting a range of music and dance performances, kids activities, art, and more. Come contribute to participatory artwork, learn about arts education, and see work by local artists. Check out a fashion show, do some hot yoga, or dance up an appetite. The concert lineup is long and diverse, leaving something for everyone. (H Street, 12-7 p.m. FREE)
PLACES, EVERYONE!: Another op’nin’, another show—or rather, another season. Learn what’s in store for the upcoming 2017-2018 theatrical season at theatreWashington’s theatreWeek Kickoff Party. More than 20 local theaters will give you a peak behind the curtain at their upcoming calendars, and a few companies will provide live entertainment. There will also be free food and drinks, giveaways, and a small cash-only “yard sale” of stage props and small furniture. TheatreWeek begins Tuesday, and is the drama nerd answer to Restaurant Week. (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 12-4 p.m. FREE)
PEW PEW PEW: Nerd out this Saturday at District Arcade. Presented by International Game Developers Association (IGDA) DC, the video game expo will feature more than two dozen new arcade adventures by local indie developers. Classic games will also be available, for those of you who just can’t pass up PAC-MAN. (Bravo! Bravo! 12-5 p.m. FREE)
A “NEAT” EVENT: This Saturday, One Eight Distilling will crack open its brand new Rock Creek Bourbon Whiskey, the first bourbon to be distilled, aged, and bottled in D.C. since Prohibition. You can try it at the spirit’s release party, where you’ll get a tasting tour, enjoy live entertainment, and munch on snacks that feature bourbon’s main ingredient: corn. Does the thought of corn doughnuts, elotes, and sweet corn gelato get your mouth watering? Quench that thirst with a delicious bourbon featuring a crème brûlée and fig finish. If you really love it, pick up a custom engraved bottle. (One Eight Distilling, 1-5 p.m. FREE)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
FIESTA DC: The Fiesta DC Latino Festival is taking over the National Mall once again with its annual parade showcasing countries, native Latino cultures, and local groups. The festival has been going strong for more than 45 years, and is highlighting Panama as this year’s featured country. Come check out the parade and learn more about Panamanian art, dance, music, food, tourism, crafts, literature and more. (Constitution Avenue, 1-5:30 p.m. FREE)
PELÍCULAS: The American Film Institute’s Latin American Film Festival opens this weekend, running through October 5. The festival will include films from Spain and Portugal, in addition to the offerings from Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, and beyond. Read our preview of the event here. This Sunday, your options include a special presentation of the comedy-drama The Queen of Spain, the Uruguayan drama Breadcrumbs, in which a woman relives the horror of being a political prisoner in the ’80s, and Don’t Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl!, a coming-of-age tale about a young Brazilian boy who falls in love with an indigenous Paraguayan girl amidst a brewing gang war. (AFI Silver, Various Times, $15-200)
COSSACKS & CABBAGE: The 15th Annual Washington Ukrainian Festival is this weekend, running Friday night through Sunday. You can see Ukrainian dance ensembles, hear traditional music, eat pierogies, borscht, stuffed cabbage, and kebabs, and wash it all down in the beer garden. There will also be crafts and activities for the little ones. (St. Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, 11 a.m. – dusk. FREE)
