Laugh like you’re not paying for this
Between drink mínimums and cover fees, comedy is rarely a free entertainment option. (If you’re looking to enjoy a professional set, anyway: Your buddy Ryan is still a riot, but in an inside jokes and spot-on memes kinda way.) Come to The Kennedy Center for the real deal as comedian Kate Willett brings her raunchy, feminist, storytelling-style comedy to the stage. You can snag a pair of tickets to the show in person beginning at 5 p.m.
The Kennedy Center, Friday, 6 p.m.
Make art; take action
Attend a free workshop led by D.C.-based activist and poet Micah Powell. The Beyond the Studio Workshop with The Barbershop Project will explore ways to use art to change the world and our communities. It’s organized in partnership with CulturalDC’s Barbershop Project, the art project giving away free haircuts in a psychedelic mini barbershop. You’ll write and perform poetry, and put your heads together to brainstorm ways to inspire action. You’ll need to register in advance.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Saturday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Put the “rock” in Rockville
It’s a tradition 31 years in the making. Rockville’s Memorial Day Weekend Hometown Holidays Musicfest kicks off on Saturday. The music and fun will continue through Sunday, with free performances by Justin Trawick and The Common Good, Dumpstaphunk, Americana band The Black Lillies, reggae group Jah Works, and more. Before you start crying about going all the way to the ‘burbs, the festival is a five minute walk from the Rockville Metro station. So chill.
Rockville Town Square, Saturday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-8 p.m.
Feed your soul and your belly
Art can be nourishing in a sense, which is especially true when you take your culture with a side of curry. Rirkrit Tiravanija: (who’s afraid of red, yellow, and green) just went on display. Now that the opening weekend crowd has come and gone, come see the installation for yourself at the Hirshhorn. The exhibit is not only art that’s evocative of protest imagery, but also a communal dining space. Share a meal with other visitors as you take in and discuss the Thai artist’s work. Curry is served from 11:45 am–1:30 p.m., or until the grub lasts.
Hirshhorn, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Observe Memorial Day with music
Memorial Day is often marked with BBQ, beer, and fun, but it’s in many ways a somber occasion, a day to remember and honor the memories of those military members who died in service to their country. One way to do that, while having an uplifting evening, is by watching the 30th annual National Memorial Day Concert. Every year, stars and service members perform a free show. The 2019 lineup includes Patti LaBelle, Gavin DeGraw, Alison Krauss, Amber Riley, and more. Watch the performance live on PBS, or go see it in person.
U.S. Capitol West Lawn, Sunday, 8 p.m.
