This weekend, brave April showers for your last chance to celebrate cherry season. If you’d rather avoid an umbrella, see some immersive art or hardcore punk sets inside.
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
DEADLIFT: No shame if your New Year’s resolution is but a memory at this point in the year. If you’re in need inspiration, spectate the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge, which runs all weekend. (DC Armory, 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m., $20-$80)
PLAY BALL: Friday’s forecast may call for rain, but the game goes on as the Nationals take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Be one of the first 25,000 fans to enter Nationals Park and you’ll score a Juan Soto bobblehead. (Nationals Park, 7:05 p.m., $16+)
ARTFUL SHOWERS: The former 14th Street home of Martha’s Table is set to be demolished and turned into condos, but first, the space will play host to a weekend art party. Umbrella includes art from D.C. artists and designers arranged into nine galleries designed for wandering around. Expect a line: More than 5,000 people are already signed up. (2114 14th St. NW, Friday-Sunday, FREE with RSVP)
MORE: Early Mountain Rosé Soirée (Glen’s Garden Market, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE), Hand Habits with Tasha (Songbyrd, 7 p.m., 8 p.m., $7-$10), White Ford Bronco (Rock & Roll Hotel, 8 p.m. doors, 9:30 p.m., $25), CHERRYPOP 2019 (Echostage, 9 p.m., $50)
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
FAREWELL FLOWERS: With warmer temperatures on the horizon, cherry blossom season winds down with one final farewell. The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, which runs from the National Archives to the Washington Monument, is a stylish sendoff. (Constitution Ave. between 9th and 15th Sts. NW, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., FREE)
FESTIVAL FEATURE: Hosted by the Japan-America Society of Washington DC, Sakura Matsuri is the largest annual one-day celebration of Japanese culture in the U.S. See taiko drumming and J-pop performances, plus feast on a variety of Japanese snacks. Keep an eye out for street closures if you’re traveling around the area. (555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., $10+)
CELEBRATION: Celebrated on April 16, D.C. Emancipation Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act by President Abraham Lincoln on April 16, 1862. The day begins with a parade, followed by performances from Faith Evans, Master Gee of Sugar Hill Gang, and EU featuring Sugar Bear; stick around for fireworks. (Freedom Plaza, 2 p.m. parade, 3 p.m.-8:45 p.m. concert, FREE)
SCREAM IT OUT: This year’s iteration of the annual Damaged City Fest features the first U.S. appearances of Japanese punk acts Low Vision and Milk, plus sets from national and local bands. The annual hardcore punk festival continues into the night with an after show at The Pinch and a Sunday art show at Hole in the Sky. (Black Cat, 2:30 p.m. doors, $35)
MORE: Sound Health: Community Yoga (The Kennedy Center Grand Foyer, 10:15 a.m., FREE), DC Wine Fest (Long View Gallery, 12 p.m.-10 p.m., $35+), The Me I Want to Sing (The Kennedy Center Family Theater, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., $20), Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals (Capital One Arena, 3 p.m., $79+), Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals (Nationals Park, 4:05 p.m., $12+), Priests Record Store Day In-Store Performance (Songbyrd, 5:30 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. show, FREE with RSVP), Nerd Nite DC (DC9, 6 p.m. doors, 6:30 p.m. show, $10), DC Comedy Festival (The Miracle Theatre, 8 p.m. doors, 8:30 p.m. show, $25-$35)
SUNDAY, APRIL 14
GREAT ESCAPE: Have your own The Amazing Race-style adventure with the Where to Next? Race. Your entry fee includes the cost of admission to race checkpoints scattered across D.C.; finishers receive a medal, T-shirt and team towels. (Dacha Beer Garden, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., $45-$170)
DOWN BY THE RIVER: Co-hosted by the 11th Street Bridge Park and the National Park Service, the fifth annual Anacostia River Festival marks the official closing of the 2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival. Commemorate the 100th birthday of Anacostia Park with canoe rides, lawn games and a bike parade. (Anacostia Park, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., FREE)
ON DISPLAY NOW: To honor the opening of Oliver Lee Jackson: Recent Paintings, the National Gallery of Art is having a daylong celebration. The program includes live jazz from Herb Scott, a performance from poet and educator Charity Blackwell and hands-on visual art activities. You can also check out the mural Faces of D.C. the gallery has installed near its entrance: Look closely and you might see some familiar faces of D.C. neighbors. (National Gallery of Art, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Cherry Blossom 5k Fun Run (United States National Arboretum, 9 a.m., $25-$35), Shakespeare’s Birthday (Folger Theatre, 12 p.m.-4 p.m., FREE), Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals (Nationals Park, 1:35 p.m., $11+), Palm Sunday Concert: Mozart’s Requiem (Washington National Cathedral, 4 p.m., $15-$95), Queen Latifah (The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, 8 p.m., $59-$199), Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran: Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration (The Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater, 8 p.m., $29-$69)
