FRIDAY, FEB. 2
FOODUARY: Bring an empty stomach to National Harbor this weekend. Fooduary, National Harbor’s winter restaurant week, kicks off this Friday with prix fixe menus and cooking demonstrations from restaurants like Bombay Street Food, Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, Succotash and more. (National Harbor; through Feb. 11; $25+)
MORNING AFTER GRACE: Three baby boomers walk into a funeral in Morning After Grace, Carey Crim’s heartwarming 2021 play that comes to Anacostia Arts Center this weekend. The show follows a wine-fueled hookup between Angus and Abigail after they meet at the funeral, and the neighborly visit they get the next morning from former major league baseball player Ollie. The show’s run had to be cut short due to the gas explosion at a building near the center, so be sure to grab tickets before it closes this weekend. (Anacostia Arts Center; Thursday through Sunday; $20)
MORE: Long Lunch: Asian Dumplings with Chef Mark Haskell (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; $55), “The Power of Red” Opening Reception (Arts Club of Washington; 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; FREE), First Fridays Art Night: “Folk Art is Fine Art: Heritage Alive!” (Amy Kaslow Gallery; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; FREE), Free Tarot Readings (People’s Book; 6 p.m.-7 p.m.; FREE), The Record Company (9:30 Club; 6 p.m.; $25), American Zion: A New History of Mormonism author Benjamin Park (Lost City Books; 7 p.m.; FREE), The Bill Gates Problem: Reckoning with the Myth of the Good Billionaire author Tim Schwab and Amy Schiller in conversation with Bella DeVaan (Politics and Prose; 7 p.m.; FREE), “Where Islands Converge” Opening Reception (Homme Gallery; Friday and Saturday 7 p.m.; FREE), The Ultimate 2000s Dance Party (9:30 Club; 10 p.m.; $22)
SATURDAY, FEB. 3
LUNAR NEW YEAR FAMILY FESTIVAL: Lunar New Year is almost here, and the National Museum of Asian Art is celebrating the arrival of Year of the Dragon with a Lunar New Year Family Festival featuring traditional performances, chef talks, tours, interactive workshops and more. (National Museum of Asian Art; 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; FREE)
BLACK HISTORY x FASHION: See the work of local designers inspired by Black History Month at a fashion show, Stitching Our Legacy: Unveiling Threads of Black History, in Congress Heights. The afternoon will feature four local designers, as well as performances by comic AnjeeWho and rappers Da Fleet X. (THEARC; 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; $10)
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: Tysons is ringing in the new year in style. Head to Tysons Corner Center’s Fashion Court for a Lunar New Year Celebration hosted by the Asian American Chamber of Commerce. Festivities include a lion dance, a dragon dance, a magic show, live music, a fashion show and more. (Tysons Corner Center; 1 p.m.-3 p.m.; FREE)
JAZZ ERA WALKING TOUR: Stroll around the neighborhood once known as Black Broadway this Saturday at Ellington to Langston: The Jazz Era in DC. Hosted by Off the Mall Tours, this walking tour will school visitors on U Street corridor’s significance as a site of vibrant jazz and Black intellectualism in the early 20th century. (Howard Theatre; 3 p.m.-5 p.m.; $24)
BROADWAY’S LEADING MEN: A bit of Broadway is coming to D.C. this Saturday with American Pops Orchestra’s Broadway’s Leading Men: A Musical Celebration. An ode to musical theater, this star-studded concert features celebrated performers like Christopher Jackson (Hamilton, And Just Like That…), Matthew Morrison (Glee, Light in the Piazza), and more. (Howard University; 7:30 p.m.; $45)
RHAPSODY IN BLUE: George Gershwin’s unforgettable, grandiose “Rhapsody in Blue” is the headlining composition at this Saturday’s Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presentation at Strathmore. Conductor, pianist, and noted Gershwin interpreter Wayne Marshall will lead the concert, which also features compositions by Leonard Bernstein and Duke Ellington. (Music Center at Strathmore; 8 p.m.; $85+)
MORE: Erg Sprints 2024 (Alexandria City High School; 7 a.m.; $15+), Mini-Oasis Restoration (Normanstone; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; FREE), City Cast DC Live Podcast Taping (The Square; 12 p.m.; FREE), Weekend Workshop: Learn Origami (National Portrait Gallery; 12 p.m.-3 p.m.; FREE), Girl screening (National Gallery of Art; 2 p.m.; FREE), Olney Barrel Aged Beer Event (Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd; 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; $20+), ktm eXtremes dance project presents The North Star Project (Dance Place; 7 p.m.; $30), Comedy Show Speed Dating (McGinty’s Public House; 7:30 p.m.; $20), Washington Bach Consort (Dumbarton Arts & Education; 7:30 p.m.; $14+), Count Basie Night Swing Dance (Glen Echo Park; 8 p.m.-12 a.m.; $25), Live Accordion (Galactic Panther; 8 p.m.-11 p.m.; $15), Morris & Friends: An Evening of Opera & Gospel (Takoma SDA Church; 8 p.m.; $35+), Merrily We Roll Along (Keegan Theatre; through March 3; $65)
SUNDAY, FEB. 4
ALEXANDRIA BOUTIQUE WAREHOUSE SALE: The annual Alexandria Boutique Warehouse Sale is back this weekend for its 20th installment. Across Old Town Alexandria, you’ll find over 50 independent boutiques selling discounted clothing, shoes, jewelry, home furnishings, and more in stores, pop-up tents and street fairs. (Alexandria; Saturday and Sunday; FREE)
CRÊPE DAYS: This Friday is La Chandeleur, also known as Candlemas, also known as a good excuse for eating a lot of crêpes. The French holiday marks the halfway point between winter and spring, and is observed by indulging in the beloved thin pancakes. Join in on the fun at Hillwood Estate’s Crêpe Days this Saturday and Sunday. (Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens; Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; $18)
ICE CREAM SOCIAL: Dolcezza and Shilling Canning Company are teaming up for the collaboration you didn’t know you needed. This weekend, the gelato outpost and locally-sourced restaurant will debut a buttermilk raspberry jam gelato flavor, and they’re hosting an ice cream social to celebrate. (Shilling Canning Company; 3 p.m.-4 p.m.; $10)
CIRQUE MECHANICS: Cirque Mechanics, a troupe of acrobats and aerialists that draw inspiration from modern machinery, have earned comparisons to Cirque du Soleil for their innovative circus shows. See for yourself this weekend at George Mason University, where the company will present Zephyr: A Whirlwind of Circus, a show that centers around a 20-foot tall rotating windmill. (George Mason University; Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m.; $38)
MORE: Free Community Day (National Museum of Women in the Arts; 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; FREE), Changemaking in Local Government (Edlavitch DCJCC; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; FREE), Workshop: Brain Full of Bees (Rhizome DC; 2 p.m.; $10+), Cradle and All… Community Engagement Event (Joe’s Movement Emporium; 2:30 p.m.-4 p.m.; $20), Gallery Talk: Material Histories (National Gallery of Art; 3 p.m.; FREE), Universally Adored Book Launch (BloomBars; 3 p.m.-5 p.m.; FREE), Virginia Opera: Sanctuary Road (George Mason University; Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m.; $45+), Beer v. Spirits (Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town Alexandria; 4 p.m.-6 p.m.; $75), Cherry Blossom Special in concert (Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital; 5 p.m.-7 p.m.; $5+), Matteo Lane: The Al Dente Tour (Kennedy Center; 6 p.m.; $49+), Shelley Star and the Galaxy Album Release Party (Jammin Java; 7:30 p.m.; $15)
