FRIDAY, MAY 12
GREEK FESTIVAL: There’s a big fat Greek festival taking place in D.C. this weekend. Head to Saint Sophia’s for the annual Greek Festival, which brings you live Greek music and dancing, fresh spanakopita gyro sandwiches, and pastries; Greek beer, wine and coffee; and an artisan marketplace full of Greek-inspired crafts. (Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral; Friday-Sunday; FREE)
JXJ FESTIVAL: There’s no shortage of movies playing around D.C. this weekend thanks to the Jewish Film and Music Festival, taking over Bethesda Row Cinema, Cinema Arts Theatre and the JCC for the next ten days. A documentary on a mass shooting, a love story set in 1960s Poland, and a drama that unfolds in central Italy in the late 1930s are among this weekend’s options. (Various locations; through May 21; $15+)
PLANT WEEK: Get your green thumb going with DC Plant Week, presented by Little Leaf. This weekend is stuffed with discounts and workshops at your local plant purveyors: Enjoy 20% off houseplants from any ACE Hardware in the city, learn how to build your own terrarium at Alexandria’s PlantHouse, unwind with plant-lover happy hours around the city, and so much more. (Various locations; Friday-Sunday; FREE)
SPRING INTO ART: Want to get a head start on Father’s Day shopping? Or need a last minute gift for Mom? Look no further than the McLean Art Society’s Spring Into Art: Art Show and Sale. All weekend long, find local artists’ oil, watercolor, pastel and acrylic paintings, as well as sculptures, artists’ cards, and more. (McLean Art Society; Friday-Sunday; FREE)
CHASING HISTORY: No bike needed for this National Landing Bike Month event: Head over to Crystal City’s Alamo Drafthouse to catch a free screening of Chasing History: The St. Augustine Cycling Team, a documentary that tells the story of the first-ever cycling team at a historically Black college or university. (Alamo Drafthouse Crystal City; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; FREE)
MUNA: Get your miniskirt and your rollerblades on: MUNA is coming to The Anthem this Friday. The three-piece act, signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records, had their breakout moment last year with the breezy “Silk Chiffon,” which they followed up with the self-titled MUNA, an album full of glamorous pop music about being young, confused and queer as hell. (The Anthem; 8 p.m.; $40)
MORE: Celebrate Mom (O Street Mansion; Friday- Sunday; $52.50), Long Lunch: DIY Dumplings (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; $55), Cocktails by Candlelight (George Mason’s Gunston Hall; 6 p.m.; $35), Times Like These: A CreativeWorks Showcase (Joe’s Movement Emporium; 6:30 p.m.; FREE), Nancy Havlik’s Dance Performance Group (Rhizome DC; 7 p.m.; $10+). Reels & Wheels: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op; 7 p.m.; $25+), BRASSIE Monthly Residency (Little Penn Coffeehouse; 7 p.m.; $10 suggested donation)
SATURDAY, MAY 13
BOOKS IN BLOOM: Are you still chasing that Scholastic Book Fair high? Get a taste this weekend at Books in Bloom, Columbia’s annual literary festival. This outdoor event is full of author readings, activities for kids, a pop-up bookstore by Busboys & Poets, and more. This year’s headliners are Chasten Buttigieg and world-renowned poet Nikki Giovanni. (Color Burst Park; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
EU OPEN HOUSE: Leave your passport at home and take a trip around European embassies this Saturday at EU Open House. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., you’ll find Czech beer, Danish open sandwiches, Hungarian gulyás, Spanish paella and more food, drinks and free activities all along Embassy Row. (Embassy Row; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE)
WORLD BONSAI DAY: Bonsai, a Japanese and East Asian potted miniature tree, is more than just an aesthetically-pleasing addition to your plant collection. Across various cultures, bonsai trees represent peace, meditation and harmony. Find out more about the storied plant this weekend at World Bonsai Day, a day-long celebration capped off with a documentary screening. (National Bonsai & Penjing Museum; 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; FREE+)
A CENTURY OF ASIAN ART: Wish the National Museum of Asian Art a happy birthday this weekend with a slate of activities: From 12 p.m.-4:30 p.m., check out the Centennial Open Market (registration required) featuring local Asian eateries and a ton of cultural performances. Then, head to the Arts + Industries Building for a livestream of headlining performances by singer-songwriter heartthrob Eric Nam and dreamy R&B act Raveena. (National Museum of Asian Art; 12 p.m.-11 p.m.; FREE)
ARTS, BEATS AND EATS: Prince George’s County is getting crafty this weekend with Arts, Beats and Eats, a festival that brings the Gateway Arts District an open studios tour. Hundreds of artists, musicians and restaurants will be opening their doors to festival-goers for studio tours, live performances and food specials. (Gateway Arts District of Prince George’s County; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
BOILER ROOM SERIES: What’s cooking at the Keegan Theatre? Find out at the Boiler Room Series, which wraps up this weekend. The series invites audiences to peek behind the curtain and see new works in development, free of charge. This weekend, catch Stephen Mill’s Waiting for Manilow and Angelle Whavers’ The Oreos. (Keegan Theatre; Saturday 3:30 p.m.; Sunday 7 p.m.; FREE)
MORE:The Mother of All Yard Sales (Adams Morgan; 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; FREE), Fields of Being: Traditions of Architecture in Yunnan, China (Asian Fusion Gallery; through May 22; FREE), Mother’s Day Sustainable Floral Design + Arrangement (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; $85), Black Barbie Bike Ride (Lydia On H; 12:30 p.m.; FREE), ICONS Choreographic Institute (Atlas Performing Arts Center; 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; $30), Mapping Segregation: A Walking Tour of DC (Big Bear Café; 2 p.m.; $15), Blue Lotus: A Tea Ceremony and Meditation Event (Femme Fatale DC; 7 p.m.; $15), House Rules Comedy Show (1320 Harvard St. NW; 7 p.m.-9 p.m.; $5), Of Sight & Sound (Church of the Epiphany; 7 p.m.; $30+), Sean Dorsey Dance: The Lost Art Of Dreaming (Dance Place; 7 p.m.; $25), Capitol Movement Project: Connections (Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center; 7:30 p.m.; $28), It’s Okay Knot To Be Okay Black Tie Gala (The Anthem; 7:30 p.m.; $125+), La bohème (Kennedy Center; through May 27; $99+), Boz Scaggs (The National Theatre; 8 p.m.; $60+); Bumper Opening Reception (Gifted Curators Gallery; 8 p.m.-11 p.m.; FREE)
SPONSORED Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: A Spotlight on Black Women Birders: Did you know that only 19% of biographies on Wikipedia are about women and only 10% of Wikipedia’s editors identify as women? The Smithsonian hosts Wikipedia Edit-a-thon events to improve these stats, and you can join the next one on May 17 at 6:30PM at the Natural History Museum. FREE.
SUNDAY, MAY 14
BETHESDA FINE ARTS FESTIVAL: Over 120 artists from across the country are setting up shop in Woodmont Triangle this weekend for the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, which brings you a weekend full of independent artisan vendors, local food vendors, and continuous live entertainment from artists like Carley Harvey and Eric Scott. (Woodmont Triangle; Saturday and Sunday; FREE)
HOUSE & GARDEN TOUR: What would life be like if you lived in a historic home in Capitol Hill? This weekend, you can pretend at the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s House and Garden Tour, which invites you into 11 homes and seven gardens and outdoor spaces, including two rooftop views of the storied neighborhood. Take a refreshment break at the Hill Center, and don’t miss architectural tours of the Hill Center and 10th Street SE. (Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital; Saturday and Sunday; $40)
FLORES FLAMENCAS FESTIVAL: Enjoy an afternoon of free flamenco — traditional folkloric music from Spain’s Andalusia region — at the Flores Flamencas Festival, which brings nine musical acts to Cabin John Regional Park. Plus: paella and sangria. (Cabin John Regional Park; 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE)
DEEP DIVE: Get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born this weekend at Deep Dive, an all-vinyl DJ showcase taking over the Pocket on Sunday. Four DJs — Katrina Mir, Enzo, Ramos and Tobu — will spin records all night long this Mother’s Day, free of charge. (The Pocket; 6 p.m.-11 p.m.; FREE)
MORE:Mother’s Day Yoga + Crystal Bowl Sound Bath (National Building Museum; 9 a.m.; $30+), Soft + Easy: A Nurturing Mother’s Day Yoga + Journaling Workshop (Ipade; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; $47+), The Station’s Mother’s Day Soirée (Le Fantome Food Hall; 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; FREE), Ben Mauger & His Trad Jazz All-Stars (Rosensteel Hall; 2 p.m.-5 p.m.; $22.50), Geneva Lewis (Kennedy Center; 2 p.m.; $30+), Transformations (National Portrait Gallery; 2 p.m.; FREE), Our Work Unfinished: A Black Composers Retrospective (Washington National Cathedral; 4 p.m.; $85), Operatic Odes to Moms (Arts in Color by Satarra Leona; 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE)
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