(Photo by Kevin Harber)
It’s the first weekend of summer! Don’t let the thunderstorms rain on your parade. Grab an umbrella and brave the outdoors, stay in with comedy shorts and hastily-made films, celebrate the solstice, or check out a satirical operetta.
FRIDAY, JUNE 22
PLAY HOOKY: It’s officially the first Friday of summer, so you really shouldn’t be expected to work past noon. That’s our story anyway, and we’re sticking to it. Lyft is hosting recess in NoMa Friday afternoon. There will be free beer and snacks, a DJ playing classic hits from the ‘80s and ‘90s, plus playground games and prizes. Just make sure you have your ID with you, and that the Lyft app is downloaded onto your phone. The event is free, but you can bring non-perishable food items to donate to So Others Might Eat. (Wunder Garten, 1-4 p.m., FREE)
UNIVERSOOOOOOOOUL: Historically, the circus doesn’t have the best track record with highlighting people’s differences. But instead of making fun of people or presenting them as oddities, Universoul Circus celebrates the things that make us unique, and the bonds that unite us. Also, it’s a circus, so ya know…constant energy, impossibly bendy people flipping about, fire twirling, gravity-defying acts, wild costumes, jokes the kids will love, and entertainment of that variety. It’s all coming to National Harbor this week. (The Plateau at National Harbor, 10:30 a.m. & 7 p.m., $64-103)
48 HOUR FILMS: What can you accomplish in 48 hours? Back in May, filmmakers across the country participated in the 48 Hour Film Project, a DIY film competition. Teams are given a genre, a prop, a character, and a line of dialogue, then have just two days to make a short film that includes those materials and prompts. Come see the top 20 contenders from the D.C. competition at the 48 Hour Film Project Best of Screening & Awards Show. (AFI Silver Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $13)
HA!: Need some lighthearted entertainment this weekend? The DC Shorts Laughs program is back with two shows that combine live performance and film. In Show A, you can see comedians Ryan Neser, Kandace Saunders, and Andy Kline perform in between funny shorts about overbearing parents, the struggles of dating, the mysteries of sex, and the joys of parenting. Show B features comics Natalie McGill, Eddie Morrison, and Denise Taylor, who will keep you laughing in between films about dog-sitting gone wrong, an insecure parking enforcement officer, a woman who writes eulogies for people who are still very much alive, and more. See one show, or stay for the double-header. If you can’t make it Friday, DC Shorts Laughs will do it all again on Saturday. (The Miracle Theatre, 8 & 10 p.m., $20-30)
MORE: Melissa Etheridge with NSO Pops, 5th Annual DC Zouk Festival , Ladies Night at Nationals Park
(Photo by Mr.TinDC)
SATURDAY, JUNE 23
IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A…ANOTHER BIRD!: The early bird catches the bird sightings. Join the DC Audubon Society for its monthly walk through Fort Dupont Park. At 376 acres, there are plenty of spots in the park for feathered friends to post up. Keep your eyes open for Wild Turkeys and D.C.’s official bird, the Wood Thrush. Check the weather first, bring water, and dress appropriately. (Fort Dupont Activity Center, 8-10 a.m., FREE)
ROLLER SKATING: Okay, so realistically the weather is going to suck this weekend. But that’s okay! You can get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors without being miserable outdoors at the Anacostia Park skating pavilion. Skate rentals are free all summer, and during the weekends, you can roll-dance while a DJ queues up the background music. (Anacostia Park, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., FREE)
LOOK UP: So what exactly is the solstice, and how does it work? Get your questions answered this Saturday and enjoy a guided tour of the sky as part of the 9th Annual Astronomy Festival on the National Mall (AFNM). Astronomers plan to set up nearly two dozen telescopes for your viewing pleasure. Some will be equipped with special filters so you can view sunspots beginning at 6 p.m. After dusk, get a close-up view of the moon, count Saturn’s rings, catch a glimpse of Jupiter and its moons, and spy some star clusters. There will be activities, demonstrations, and shows in the portable blow-up dome. Expand your mind, and learn about our universe at this family-friendly event. (Northwest of the Washington Monument, 6-11 p.m., FREE) Rain location: School Without Walls High School 2130 G St NW, on the George Washington University campus (tentative)
STARGAZING: The Smithsonian Institution is celebrating the arrival of summer with Solstice Saturday. Most of the museums will stay open until midnight, including both of the National Air and Space Museum locations. Check out the stars, planets, and moons (including our own), through the museums’ telescopes, participate in solar system-themed trivia, and (weather permitting) see a 9 p.m. outdoor screening of WALL-E as part of the Reels on the Ramp series. (National Air and Space Museum and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 10:30 a.m. – Midnight FREE)
CELEBRATE SOLSTICE: A trio of Smithsonian Institution museums is co-hosting America Now! Museum After-Hours: Solstice Edition. Split between three locations, the event starts with happy hour at the National Museum of American History. They’re busting out some rarely-seen objects for the occasion, which will include specialty cocktails (for purchase), flower crown making, and a scavenger hunt. The museum will hail you a pedi-cab so you can continue the fun at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. There, you’ll be able to do some crafts, play lawn games, get your portrait drawn by a caricature artist, dance to music by DJ Ayes Cold, and enjoy performances by Batala Washington, Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics, and Oddisee. Grab a cold one from the pop-up beer garden, plus the galleries will also be open for all you party animals to enjoy. (The National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of American History, and Smithsonian American Art Museums, 5:30-11:30 p.m., FREE)
HAVE A BALL: Spend your Saturday in Sicily, without frantically rummaging around for your possibly-expired passport. Things To Do D.C. invites you to get all dolled up and dance the night away at its Sicilian Ball. Hear a live performance of opera classics, enjoy the open bar, and try not to spill your vino as you learn how to ballroom dance. VIP tickets will get you dinner, in addition to the buffet of Italian desserts. Holy cannoli, you better believe there will be tiramisu. (Embassy of Italy, 7-11:45 p.m., $89-120)
MORE: Paramore with Foster The People, Soccer Mommy (Merriweather Post Pavilion, 7 p.m., $45-86), Botticelli in the Fire (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 3 & 8 p.m., $22.50-69)
Singer Annie Rosen stars in The Seven Deadly Sins. (Photo by Aaron Perkins)
SUNDAY, JUNE 24
SEVEN DEADLY SINS: Halcyon, the Hong Kong Ballet, and Wolf Trap Opera are teaming up for a new production of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s satirical operetta The Seven Deadly Sins. Part of the By The People Festival, the show has appeal for dance, theater, visual art, and opera lovers alike. Split into two halves, the first part explores American music and landscapes through dance, photography, and well-known songs. The second half will be comprised of an English version of the 1933 opera-ballet. It follows two sisters on a seven-year journey across the U.S. They’re looking to earn enough money to build a home for their family. During their multi-city adventure, they instead encounter each of the cardinal sins. You can also catch the performance Saturday at 8 p.m. (Dock 5 at Union Market, 1 p.m. $45)
FAMILY FUNDAY: Grab the kiddos, and head on over to College Park for a family-friendly performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. A narrator tells the fairy tale, while an orchestra adds color and drama. The story is about a kid named Peter whose grandfather warns him not to wander alone, and to be wary of wolves. Spoiler alert: Peter catches a wolf. That’ll teach you, grandpa! Guardians schmardians. (Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, 3 p.m., FREE)
CELEBRATE LIGHT: Longer days are here, but the audio-visual light exhibit Naked Eyes goes dark after this weekend. Designed by artist studio NONOTAK, the immersive exhibition blends art and science to create dreamlike environments. Seize the opportunity, unless you’re prone to seizures. This exhibit is packed with highly-Instagrammable photosensory triggers. (ARTECHOUSE, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. $15)
MAGIC: What’s that behind your ear? Is it by any chance…a ticket to see magician, illusionist, and endurance artist David Blaine? Come see the man who is amazingly not dead after being buried alive and encased in a block of ice. (MGM National Harbor, 8 p.m., $71-250)
MORE: Beauty Pill (The Kennedy Center, 6 p.m., FREE)
