FRIDAY MAY 6
BROCCOLI CITY FESTIVAL: “Black Change Weekend” is the theme for the 10th anniversary of Broccoli City Festival, an annual event focused on building thriving communities and racial equity through social impact. The weekend starts with Broccoli Con from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday at The Gathering Spot DC, featuring panels around networking, Black wellness, small businesses, and career development. The festival continues throughout the weekend; participate in the 5K at Anacostia Park or get tickets for a musical line-up at RFK Stadium that includes headliners like 21 Savage, Wizkid, Ari Lennox, Lil Durk, and more. (Various locations and times, FREE to $109+).
FLOWER MART: All Hallows Guild hosts its annual flower market to benefit Washington National Cathedral’s gardens and grounds after a two-year pandemic lapse. Find more than 65 vendor booths, an antique carousel, free dance and music performances, food, and a children’s area with games and rides on the cathedral’s front lawn. Don’t miss the international flower display inside the cathedral. (Washington National Cathedral; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; FREE).
MARY LOU WILLIAMS JAZZ FESTIVAL: The Kennedy Center marks the 25th anniversary of its festival honoring jazz pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams with two evenings of music. There will be performances by some of the top contemporary jazz artists, such as drummer Allison Miller and bassist Derrick Hodge, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington + vocalists Social Science, and the ensemble Artemis. The event is wheelchair accessible. You can also stream the official festival playlist online. (The Kennedy Center; 7 p.m.; $40+).
MORE: Cookies & Fizz Happy Hour with Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin (Bold Fork Books; 5:30 p.m.; $10+); St. Clair Detrick-Jules: My Beautiful Black Hair (The Apollo Rooftop Conservatory; 6:30 p.m.; $42.50); Steve Byrne (DC Comedy Club; 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.; $25+); LP (The Anthem; 6:30 p.m.; $35); White Ford Bronco: DC’s All 90’s Band (Union Stage; 7 p.m.; $25+); Amaru & Friends (Songbyrd Music House; 7 p.m.; $20+); Cut Copy (9:30 Club; 7 p.m.; $35); JXDN (The Fillmore; 8:30 p.m.; $25, standing only); Birckhead: A Night of Jazz Celebrating the Scope of Black American Music (Olney Theatre Center; 8 p.m.; $35); J.A.M. IIIriple Threat (The Fredgren Studio Theatre at BalletNova Center for Dance; 8 p.m.; $25+); Off Track Comedy (metrobar DC; 8:30 p.m.; FREE with two drink or food purchases)
SATURDAY MAY 7
AN ARTIST’S TAKE: Head to the National Museum of the American Indian to hear glass artist Preston Singletary, whose exhibition “Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight” is on display through January 2023, explain his creative process and inspiration behind his representation of one of the most well-known stories of the Tlingit. Programming will also happen at the same times on Sunday. (National Museum of the American Indian; 11:30 a.m. and 12:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m.; FREE).
DC FUNK PARADE: U Street Corridor’s eighth annual celebration of its storied history as Black Broadway returns after two years off, with music, dance, and art. “The Magic of Music” will have three performance sites featuring live music throughout the day, including a main stage at the African American Civil War Memorial. Right Proper Brewing Company will provide the beer at 624 T Street NW. (U Street, various locations; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; FREE, though donations are welcome via text. Text “FUNKPARADE” to 44-321 to donate.)
AROUND THE WORLD EMBASSY TOUR: Embassies around the city will put on open houses with tours and celebrations at the popular yearly event for the first two Saturdays in May. Visitors can learn more about the culture, music, and food of each host country, with participants such as Costa Rica, Egypt, Peru, Kenya, and many others. Thai boxing, karate demonstrations, sari wrapping lessons, and henna tattoos are just a few of the activities. Each embassy will have its own mask and vaccination policy. (Various locations; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; FREE).
BIG GAY FUNDRAISER: Loyalty Books is hosting a virtual reading to benefit queer and trans youth. More than a dozen authors, including Nicole Dennis-Benn, T Kira Madden, Amber McBride, and Mark Oshiro will participate. Tickets, which are by donation, as well as any books sales, will go to Zebra Coalition, Equality Texas, and Lambda Legal. (Donations welcome, registration is required.)
CELEBRATE EID: A festival in the Freer Gallery’s outdoor plaza will mark Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. The event, put on by the Qatar America Institute for Culture and the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts, includes master calligraphers, food from Fava Pot, henna designs, and music by Syrian Music Preservation Initiative and the Zaynab Ensemble. (Freer Gallery of Art; 2 p.m.; FREE).
MOTHER’S DAY A DAY EARLY: Three powerhouse female singers will pay tribute to some of the greats at the Ladies of Soul Tribute Mother’s Day celebration at Bowie Arts Center. The concert will feature Ameya Taylor singing from Aretha Franklin’s catalog, Halima Peru singing Stephanie Mills, and Pam Ward representing Tina Marie. (Bowie Center for the Performing Arts; 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show; $35-40)
MORE: Rodrigo Pradel/Art Whino mural debut at The PARC (The PARC Tysons; 12-5 p.m.; FREE); DC Veg Restaurant Week Launch (sPACyCLOUd Lounge; 4 p.m.; FREE); Tariq Darrell O’Meally: Performance Lab: Good Grief (Dance Place; 5 p.m.; FREE—$100); Disclosure (The Anthem; 6:30 p.m.; $45+); The Antlers (Miracle Theater; 6:30 p.m.; $25); The Quebe Sisters (Wolf Trap; 8 p.m.; $25+); Tres Minutos 10-Year Anniversary Show (Songbyrd Music House; 7 p.m.; $20); A Super Mario Bros Themed 80’s Prom Dance Party (Black Cat; 9 p.m.; $15+); A Spring Dawn: Video Game Music Concerts (Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra; 4 p.m.; $12+); Karaoke Night Hosted by Dwayne B (Busboys & Poets Anacostia; 7 p.m.; $5)
SUNDAY MAY 8
OPERA IN THE PARK: The Washington Concert Opera and Washington Parks & People will host Opera Outside, an outdoor concert in Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park. Bring chairs and blankets to hear performances by soprano Melissa Wimbish and tenor Jonathan Pierce Rhodes. No tickets are required. (Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park; 11 a.m.; FREE).
INVISIBLE WORDS GALLERY: Take in an art exhibition featuring more than 50 signs by people experiencing homelessness on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, on view through the end of June. The exhibit, created by social activist Wendy Abrams, aims to increase conversation around issues of homelessness. An official opening will take place on May 9. (MLK Jr. Memorial Library; various times; FREE).
SPONSORED WHY I LIVE AT THE P.O.: UrbanArias presents a delightful new addition to the opera canon with the World Premiere of Why I Live at the P.O. which takes the comic masterpiece by beloved author Eudora Welty and combines it with classic and contemporary American musical styles to tell the story of some supremely relatable family drama. (Keegan Theatre, April 30 – May 7; $35 – $50)
FRUHLINGSFEST: Celebrate Germany’s “Springfest” (Oktoberfest’s lesser-known “little sister”) with local brews and German fare. Entry to 3 Stars Brewing’s event includes food by D.C. sandwich shop Meats & Foods, live music in the afternoon by The Edelweiss Band, a pint of Maibock, and a commemorative Pilsner glass for the first 100 guests. (3 Stars Brewing; 1 to 8 p.m.; $20).
MORE: Mother’s Day Yoga (National Building Museum; 10 a.m.; $20); Black Mothers March on the White House (Lafayette Park; 11 a.m.; FREE); Mother’s Day Crab Fest (VFW POST 341 VETERAN HALL; 2 p.m.; $85); Mother’s Day Champagne Jazz Brunch (Wellspring Manor & Spa; 11:30 a.m.; $150); Sir Chloe (Songbyrd Music House; 7 p.m.; $18+); Aly & AJ (The Fillmore; 8 p.m.; $25); Meet Hannah Arendt (Goethe-Institut Washington @ The Liz; 2 p.m.; FREE); Pure Poetry Live presents “M.O.M.” (Busboys & Poets Hyattsville; 6 p.m.; $20+); Underground Comedy at Wonderland Ballroom (Wonderland Ballroom; 8 p.m..; FREE); Jazz Jam Sessions With The Julian Berkowitz Trio (Library Tavern; 7 p.m.; FREE)
