Spring is here, which means cherry blossom season is blossoming! Though peak bloom isn’t predicted for another few weeks, celebrations get underway this weekend. And if you’d rather see green than pink, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (belatedly) instead.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
SCULPTURE SIGHT: Organized by The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia, Ursula von Rydingsvard: The Contour of Feeling is the first solo exhibition of the German sculptor’s work in Washington, D.C. The showcase includes abstract cedar sculptures and accompanying organic explorations. (National Museum of Women in the Arts, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $8-$10)
SOUND AND COLOR: The Smithsonian’s Year of Music continues with the Hirshhorn Shuffle. Explore works on display while listening to music that inspired the artists during a guided tour led by Caitlin Chan, gallery guide and George Washington University student in art history and international affairs. (Hirshhorn, 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., FREE)
THINK PINK: Don your pink-tie cocktail best: The annual Pink Tie Party fundraiser for the National Cherry Blossom Festival features bites from 15 restaurants from around the region. While you dine, sip on spring-inspired cocktails and take in performances from Oh He Dead and Yusaku Mochizuki. (Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 7 p.m.-11 p.m., $225)
BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD: New Jersey bluegrass group Railroad Earth bring their genre-bending bluegrass sound to the 9:30 Club for a two-night takeover. Michigan native, Nashville resident Lindsay Lou opens both nights; two-night passes are available. (9:30 Club, 7 p.m. doors, $28)
MORE: Bring Home the Bacon Happy Hour (Rock & Roll Hotel, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., FREE), Minnesota Wild vs. Washington Capitals (Capital One Arena, 7 p.m., $55+), Dilly Dally (Rock & Roll Hotel, 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, $15 advance/$20 day of show), NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron (The Kennedy Center Family Theater, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $39), Daft Punk Is Playing at My House (DC9, 10 p.m., FREE with ticket/$5 without)
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
ENCHANTED: You know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but this production at the National Theatre adds tunes to the tale. Catch a free staging with the little ones as part of Saturday Morning at The National. (National Theatre, 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., FREE)
GREEN WITH ENVY: Take that, Boston! D.C.’s own ShamrockFest, America’s largest St. Paddy’s Day festival, returns with a belated St. Patrick’s celebration. The day includes performances from the Mahones, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Andrew W.K.—because after all, what’s a party without Andrew W.K.? (RFK Stadium Festival Grounds, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., $29.99-$290)
IN BLOOM: The National Cherry Blossom Festival opening ceremony at the Warner Theatre is sold out, but you can still kick off the spring season. Saturday sees performances at the Tidal Basin Welcome Area & ANA Stage from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the festival; for a more educational approach, check out Japanese Culture Day at the Library of Congress. (Library of Congress, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., FREE)
MORE: The Veil Pop-Up Can Sale (The Bruery Store at Union Market, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., FREE), Cherry Blossom Celebration (Smithsonian American Art Museum, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., FREE), The R&B Club’s Diary of an R&B Classic: The Legacy of Sade (Songbyrd, 1 p.m. doors, 1:30 p.m. show, $5 advance/$7 day of show), Devils Backbone Pup-Up Bar (The Midlands, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., FREE), Georgetown Walking Tours: Cherry Blossoms and Cupcakes (Dumbarton House, 12 p.m.-2 p.m., $23-$25), Wow in the World Pop-Up Party (Lincoln Theatre, 4 p.m., $25-$75), Laurie Halse Anderson in Conversation with Jill Filipovic (GW Jack Morton Auditorium, 4 p.m., $8-22), Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards (Capital One Arena, 7 p.m., $40+), CherryFest (Wunder Garten, 7 p.m.-11 p.m., FREE), Queer Girl Movie Night (Black Cat, 8 p.m. doors, 8:30 p.m. show, FREE), Washington Performing Arts presents: San Francisco Symphony (The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 8 p.m., $50-$135), Anoushka Shankar (Sixth & I, 9:30 p.m., $45)
SUNDAY, MARCH 24
HOLI SUNDAY: Wear something white and celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi with the 15th annual Holi Hungama. The organizers ask that participants bring gulal and something to eat or drink (non-alcoholic). (Quincy Park, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., FREE)
WHAT’S NEW: The Kennedy Center’s DIRECT CURRENT, a two-week programming period centered on all things contemporary, returns. The celebration begins with Iceland’s Hugar, the multi instrumentalist duo of Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson. (The Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, 6 p.m., FREE)
BECAUSE THIS MUST BE: Last year Nils Frahm returned with All Melody, an electronic, melodic affair; he quickly followed the full-length with a shorter, quieter EP, Encore 1. The German musician-composer-producer’s tour, which also began last year, is his first since 2015. (9:30 Club, 7 p.m., $30)
MORE: Story Time (Kramerbooks, 11 a.m., FREE), Classic Album Sundays: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot (Songbyrd, 2 p.m., $5 advance/$7 day of show), Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals (Capital One Arena, 12:30 p.m., $75+), Homeshake with Yves Jarvis (Black Cat, 7:30 p.m. doors, $16 advance/$18 day of show)
