FRIDAY APRIL 15
YOGA AND A SHOW: If good theater is all about audience immersion, Keegan Theatre is taking things to another level with complimentary yoga before select shows of YOGA PLAY, a comedy by the playwright Dipka Guha. Two hours before performances on April 15 (and April 21 and 22), ticket holders can take classes with local teachers like 532 Yoga, Flow Yoga Center, and the play’s assistant director Shadia Hafiz. Mats and refreshments will be provided; an RSVP is required. YOGA PLAY runs through April 23. (Keegan Theatre; yoga at 6 p.m., show at 8 p.m.; tickets start around $50).
NOTRE DAME WITHOUT THE PLANE TICKET: The National Building Museum debuted its latest installment this week: an augmented reality version of Paris’ Notre-Dame. Opening weekend coincides with the three-year anniversary of the famous cathedral’s fire in 2019. Visitors can use touch-screen tablets to trace the cathedral’s history from Middle Ages to its recent restoration, completely with 3-D models, stained glass window replicas, and audio of the Notre-Dame organ and tolling bells. (The National Building Museum, times vary, $10).
MORE: Fridays@FUTURES: Draw the Futures (Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building; 5:30 p.m.; FREE); Stand-Up Comedy Showcase (Dead Horse Comedy; 8 p.m.; $15);
SATURDAY APRIL 16
HEMP & HOPS: DC Brau will preview a taste of what’s to come at next weekend’s National Cannabis Festival with a Hemp & Hops event at the brewery. Brewmaster Jeff Hancock and the festival’s Kat Rust will lead a panel discussion on the intertwined history of hemp and hops as guests taste the newly released Legalize It! Lager and a Smells Like Freedom IPA brewed especially for the festival — a tribute to Initiative 71, which legalized the personal use, cultivation, and gifting of marijuana in D.C. The afternoon will end with reggae from DJ Grand Ancestor. Registration is encouraged. (DC Brau; 1 p.m.-4 p.m.; FREE).
PANDAVERSARY PARTY: To celebrate 50 years of saving giant pandas, the National Zoo will host special events all weekend long in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy. On Saturday, there will be lion dance performances, panda-themed food specials, Chinese fan crafts, live music by violinist Shu-Ting and trombonist Huai-En Tsai, and premiere showings of Smithsonian Channel’s documentary The Miracle Panda throughout the day. (National Zoo, 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m., FREE).
MORE CHERRY BLOSSOMS: Head to the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s Petalpalooza. Immersive art installations, live music, a beer garden, and activities for kids will take place along the Anacostia River, ending in a fireworks show at 8:30. (Capitol Riverfront at the Yards; 1 p.m.-9 p.m.; FREE)
CELEBRATE DC EMANCIPATION DAY 2022: The city’s annual celebration hosted by the mayor commemorates the DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862, which legally ended slavery in the District. Join Mayor Bowser for a parade to Freedom Plaza (starting between 10th and 14th Streets, food trucks, a concert at 3 p.m., and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. CeeLo Green, Crystal Waters, Eastern High School’s Blue and White Marching Machine, and others will perform. (Freedom Plaza, 2 p.m., FREE)
RUN FOR A CAUSE: A 5K run and walk at Hains Point in East Potomac Park will raise funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. After the run, hosted by local group TransPerfect, stay for a silent auction, entertainment, and brunch. (Hains Point; 7 a.m. registration, 8 a.m. race; $40 donation)
WRITE A NOVEL IN A DAY: Catch the 60-Second Novelist, who has made a living typing rapid-fire stories for people on the street, on the roof of Planet Word. Dan Hurley will post up on the rooftop terrace of the museum and write a novel on one sheet of paper throughout the day until it reaches the sidewalk below. Reserve your museum passes (with pay-what-you-can donation) to contribute to the plot, or write your own 60-second novel on one of the museum’s antique typewriters. The event will also be livestreamed. (Planet Word, 10 a.m., FREE)
GET ARTSY: Sandy Spring Museum in Sandy Spring, Md., will host a Spring Arts Sampler. Join local teaching artists for two classes to learn new skills for working with clay or embroidery. In the morning session, Pamela Reid of Blue Thistle Pottery will guide pottery techniques; in the afternoon, artist Suzanne Herbert-Forton will show how to incorporate recycled materials into embroidery. (Sandy Spring Museum, 10 a.m.; $25+)
BEASTGIRL: The stage adaption premiere of author Elizabeth Acevedo’s poetry collection Beastgirl and Other Origin Myths will show a sensory-friendly performance on Saturday afternoon. The story follows three first-generation American sisters as they make sense of their mythological and geographic identities. Stay after the show for a conversation and storytelling with the show’s artists. Beastgirl runs through April 22. (The Kennedy Center, 1:30; $20);
MORE: The 30th Hip “HOP” Old School Bar Crawl (U Street, 2 to 10 p.m. $20); Dilla Time book reading (Jack Morton Auditorium at The George Washington University; 1 p.m.; ); The Collective Good: A Benefit Show for Ukrainian Refugees (618 Cocktail and Whiskey Lounge; 8 p.m.; tickets start at $15); DC’s Best Comics (Hotbed Comedy Club; 8 p.m.; $20);
SUNDAY APRIL 17
EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE: After a two-year hiatus, you can again wake up at the crack of dawn for an Easter service at the Lincoln Memorial. The program, hosted by Capital Church in Vienna, will last about an hour and feature music by Lee University’s a cappella group Voices of Lee. ASL services and a livestream will also be available. (Lincoln Memorial, 6:30 a.m., FREE)
EASTER FRESH JAM: The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts will host a late-night Easter Fresh Jam with go-go artists Sirius Company, Ms. Kim & Scooby, and DJ Frank White. Tickets are required. (Bowie Center for the Performing Arts; 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; $25);
MORE: The History of Jewish Washington (Off the Mall Walking Tours; 3 p.m.; $25); Easter Gospel Brunch with The Gospel Angels (The Hamilton Live; 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; $45); Easter Sunday Jam (Busboys & Poets in Columbia, M.D.; 6 p.m.; $25), The Sunday Showcase (Room 808, 7:30 p.m., $5).
