Spring is only weeks away, which means the National Gallery of Art will soon be hosting its highly popular National Gallery Nights. Each year, these after-hours events draws thousands of participants who flock to the museum to enjoy art, music, and dancing in the East Building.

The event series takes place on the second Thursday of the month in March, April, and May, from 6 to 9 p.m. While it’s free, there’s an involved registration process due to high demand. Potential attendees need to enter a lottery system the week before each event; if you’re lucky, you’re notified the Friday before the event that you’ve been chosen to register for a pass. Feeling very lucky? There are also a very limited number of same-day passes available at the East Building Entrance starting at 5:30 on the afternoon of the event.

No matter what the theme, the National Gallery Nights events have light refreshments, gelato, wine, beer, and specialty cocktails available for purchase throughout the East Building and from the Terrace Café and Espresso & Gelato Bar. The first three themes for this year’s events are as follows:

March 14: Color Theory

The event series will kick off with a celebration of color, with performances by Hot Club of Baltimore, DJ Lady Lavender, and DJ Native Son. Guests can visit the museum’s Mark Rothko exhibition and create their own Rothko-inspired artwork. There’ll be color-themed pop-up talks and a scavenger hunt, and local artists and museum experts will be available to chat about color theory. Suggested dress code: a favorite color, or colors.

The lottery for this event opens March 4 at 10 a.m. and closes March 7 at noon. The museum will notify those chosen to register on March 8.

April 11: Flowers After Hours

Like in last year’s series, there’ll be an ode to cherry blossoms, and the roof terrace will be open for the occasion. There’ll be dance performances by Emerge 125 and artists demonstrations on the museum’s 4th Street Plaza — those will actually be open to the public with no registration required. Inside, guests can dance to DJ Rustam and make wearable flower art with local artist Emily Paluska. There’ll also be photo opportunities at a live flower wall and a blossom scavenger hunt. Emerging artists will also give special pop-up talks and National Gallery staff will offer a sneak peek behind the scenes.

The lottery for registration opens April 1 at 10 a.m. and closes April 4 at noon. The museum will notify lottery winners April 5.

May 9: Art Prom

Dress code: your most glamorous outfit (formal or quirky!). Prom guests can dance the night away to DJ Heat, meet local artists and designers, and check out the museum’s exhibition “Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction.”

There’ll again be activities on the 4th Street Plaza that are open to all, but registration is required for East Building activities. The lottery opens April 29 at 10 a.m. and closes May 2 at noon, with lottery results released May 3. And don’t worry if you don’t make the cut for the first three; the National Gallery usually hosts another season of their night events in the fall.