FRIDAY JULY 30
CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL: Kick off your weekend by attending the 6th annual World Children’s Festival on the National Mall (or via its live-streamed programming from your home). The event organizers describe the event “like a three-day summer camp.” Participants can expect everything from dance performances to art therapy workshops to mural painting for kids. (virtual or The National Mall; events begin at 10 a.m.; FREE)
MINI-SHAKESPEARE: On Friday, the City of Fairfax Theatre Company begins A Brief Shakespeare Festival that runs each evening this weekend. The showcase includes three groups of students performing portions of Shakespeare’s work and monologues. (Veterans Amphitheater; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; $15 – $25)
TAKE FLIGHT: Head to Uptown Market on Connecticut Avenue for their “Flight Night” with five wine tastings. This week, the event includes a seated five-course wine dinner that will include summer varieties like Vina Otano Reserva and Prematin Predo Ximenez. Wines will be poured by a certified sommelier. (Uptown Market; timed entry begins at 6 p.m.; $80)
SATURDAY JULY 31
YOU SCREAM: Ice cream. On Saturday, head to the Yards DC to visit “a 16-foot instagrammable Ice Cream Social installation” (or TikTok-able installation, as I guess we’re saying now). Make sure you’re one of the first 100 guests who post a picture of the installation to receive a free scoop from Ice Cream Jubilee and Jeni’s Ice Cream. The event continues on Sunday. (The Yards DC; 11 a.m.; FREE)
VALUE OFFER: On Saturday, spend your evening at a book talk at the Mansion on O Street. This weekend, #Values author Dr. Betty Uribe is hosting a conversation about values-based leadership and how to emulate it. Masks are required at the event. (The Mansion on O Street; 4 p.m.; FREE)
SEED SHARING: Spend your late afternoon with Share a Seed Project, Slow Food DC, and author Sarah Mock for a conversation on “our food/farm system, and what the f*&! we can do to improve it.” Participants can expect Mock reading an excerpt from her book, Farm (and Other F Words), a moderated Q&A, free seeds (and an opportunity to donate them), and books available for signing and purchase. (The Pug; 5 p.m.; FREE)
SUNDAY AUGUST 1
ORANGE YOU GLAD: Start winding down your weekend by heading to Wonderland Ballroom for “Bottomless Mimoshas.” The brunch comedy show is hosted by D.C. comedian duo Maddy & Kate on the first Sunday of every month. Ordering bottomless mimosas is encouraged. (Wonderland Ballroom; 1 p.m.; FREE)
FEELING ARTSY: Head to Okie Street NE this weekend for the Artsy Fartsy Pop Up Shop. The event is hosted by EthniCITY and will include a live fashion show, networking, music, and vendors. The theme will be “The Art of Streetwear.” The event is free, but tickets are required. (Okie Street Warehouse; 4 p.m.-8 p.m.; FREE)
PLANT SWAP: Share some growth by joining Femme Fatale DC’s plant swap. Bring a plant to share or a snipping to propagate, and arrive ready to bond over plants, food, and drinks. The event will be lead by a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturalist and a UMD Applied Entomology graduate student. (Femme Fatale DC, 3409 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE)
CONCERT JAMS: On Sunday, Jammin Java is hosting the musical group Terra Firma — a local soul, jazz, and R&B band. The group includes Kemi Adegoroye (lead singer), Joshua Jenkins (pianist), Benjamin Rikhoff (bassist), and Angel Bethea (drummer). (Jammin Java; 5 p.m. doors; FREE)
SKETCH & STANDUP: End your weekend at DC Comedy Loft for a sketch comedy and stand up show. Expect pre-recorded sketches from the Von Mychael Sketch Show and stand-up from comics including Lafayette Wright (Comedy Central), Natalie McGill (Redacted Tonight), and Rallo Boykins (Starz). (DC Comedy Loft, 7 p.m.; $10)
SCREENING: On Sunday, watch the new film from the team behind Anacostia Delta: the Legacy of DC’s TeleMasters. Their latest work is Pictures From a Hiroshima Schoolyard — a story that follows the relationship between a D.C. church and Japanese children living in the aftermath of the 1945 atom bomb. The film will screen on Maryland Public Television. (5 p.m.; FREE)
MORE: Opaline (The Underline; 6 p.m.-11 p.m.; $13 ADV / $15 ATD); Comedy Kumite: Champions (DCImprov; 7 p.m.; $18 – $22).
