Happy Monday DC!
Pride is officially underway with plenty of glitzy events popping up around the city. Plus, major artists are performing in DC this week: Chris Stapleton, John Legend and several more at Capital Jazz Fest.
The best things to do this week and weekend
June 3 to June 9
Do you want more things to do?
“The Migration” by Step Afrika! Migration photography by Jati Lindsay.
Art and culture:
- “She Drags in Crocs” at Friends Artspace by Brazil-born, Arkansas-based artist Bia Furtado wears Crocs to commemorate BIPOC drag queens (closed Saturdays, free, but by appointment only, Arlington).
- June Thomas presents her new book, A Place of Their Own: Six Spaces that Shaped Queer Women’s Culture (Mondays, free, Northwest DC).
- Author Brad Balukjian delves into the world of professional wrestling in his new book The Six Pack (Tuesday, $5 per ticket, $30 per ticket and book, Shaw).
- Watch a variety of films and documentaries, and participate in panel discussions with industry figures at the LightReel Film Festival at Angelika Pop-Up (Wednesday-Saturday, free+, Union Market).
- Professor Alice Randall discusses her recent book My Black Country at the NMAAHC (Fridays, free, but registration required, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture).
- Percival Everett talks about his latest novel, James, which reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s point of view (Fridays, free, DC Northwest).
- Shop for crafts, snacks, and treats at Eckington Hall’s Second Anniversary Party at Alethia Tanner Park (Saturday, free, Northeast DC).
- Find your next read at the DC Public Library’s used book sale (Saturday, free, Northeast DC).
Community and heritage:
- Commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings with a performance by the U.S. Army Band at the Eisenhower Memorial (Thursdays, free, southwest DC).
- The community-led DC Dyke March returns to champion Dykes Against Ge(NO)cide (Fridays, free, location TBA).
- Celebrate Pride at the Congressional Cemetery with other runners at the DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K (Friday, $45, Capitol Hill).
- Takoma Pride Day invites everyone to participate in a children’s parade and colorful street fair (Sunday, free, Takoma Park).
Exercise and well-being:
Theater and shows:
- This one-man show is a dark comedy at the Keegan Theater (through June 23, $50, Dupont).
- Rose: You Are Who You Eat’s gender-themed storytelling and puns are based on a true story (Wednesdays through June 23, $5+, Penn Quarter).
- Washington Ballet returns to CityCenterDC with outdoor performances of classical ballet and contemporary works (Thursday-Saturday, free, downtown).
- Six comedians take the stage at the Arab-American Comedy Festival (Saturday, $35+, Kennedy Center).
- Get the chance to see a double bill world premiere at the Universalist National Memorial Church. One show is about political ghosts and the second production is about a D.C. community garden (Saturday through June 30, $25, pay-what-you-can tickets available, Dupont).
Music and concerts:
- Go-go band Blacc Print Experience plays the final Mars Arts DC show at Songbyrd (Wednesday, free, Northeast DC).
- DC-based alt-rockers Flowers of the Dead have a live show at Songbyrd (Thursdays, $16+, Northeast DC).
- Bryson Tiller sings R&B harmonies on The Anthem (Thursday, $141+, Wharf).
- Celebrate Black music and Pride month at The Broccoli Ball (Fridays, $25+, Howard Theatre).
- Support the Washington Nationals and stay afterward for a postgame concert headlined by Flo Rida (Friday, $20+, Nationals Park).
- The National Symphony Orchestra has a new series of concerts. You can experience the launch of Opera in Concert this weekend (Friday, Sunday, $15+, Kennedy Center).
- Legendary soul divas Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight team up for a performance at Wolf Trap (Saturday, $49, Vienna).
- Dance the night away at Black Cat’s Femme Fatale Queer Pride Dance Party (Saturday, $15+, Shaw).
- Headliners at the 30th Annual Tinner Hill Music Festival include George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners and Blind Boys of Alabama (Saturday, $10+, Falls Church).
Snacks and drinks:
Sports:
- Receive a portable Nationals Night Out flag and cheer on our home team as they play the Braves (Thursdays, $19+, Nationals Park).
Plan ahead:
- Get tickets to next week’s Jazz in the Garden while lottery registration is open (free, June 14 lottery closes Friday, National Gallery of Art).
Things to do with children:
- Kids can decorate paper crafts, play lawn games, and eat treats at Ivy Bookshop (free Saturday, Baltimore).
If you enjoyed these events, don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media and subscribe to our newsletter for more things to do.
Briana A. Thomas is a journalist, historian, and local tour guide who specializes in researching DC history and culture. She is the author of the black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, DC, a story that first appeared in Washingtonian in 2016.
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