Weekend picks in and around Washington, DC

Spring bucket list is here! We love making our seasonal bucket lists and in fact looking back at them can give you some ideas of annual events to mark down on your calendar! We are enjoying the colorful blooms popping up throughout the District and hope for warmer days ahead.

Mount Vernon Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour takes place all weekend. Join for the most popular event of the year. Taste unlimited samples of wines from Virginia’s finest wineries. Bring a blanket and relax on the east lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Sample wines from Virginia wineries.

Show Way, The Musical at The Kennedy Center is playing Friday through May 29, 2022. The award-winning book from Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson becomes a world premiere stage adaptation with new music.

The Washington Nationals are in town for 4 games facing the Mets & Astros with a fun kids giveaway!

Friday

7:30pm-10:30pm: Drive-In Movie at Union Market: Space Jam
Let’s roll down the windows, feel that summer breeze and turn up the radio because the 10th Annual Drive-In at Union Market is back. A DC “must-do,” the series of six movies launches May 13, and will continue on the second Friday of every month through October 14. This is a cinephile and foodie match made in heaven with better than average concessions. Watch movies under the stars while munching and sipping on local, regional and international foods: Great Britain’s classics by AboveGround, Japanese comfort food + Ramen from UZU, creative cocktails from Suburbia and more Union Market favorites.

Saturday

8:30am-10:30am: Pop-Up Fishing at Diamond Teague Park
The Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) invites you to join staff and volunteers of the Aquatic Resources Education Center (AREC) for a free fishing clinic at Diamond Teague Park. Complete this waiver. All participants must have a completed waiver. Hard copies will also be available on site. Get your fishing license! Anglers, aged 16-64, require a DC fishing license. Don’t have one? No problem; it’s easy to get! Click here to get your license online! We’ve got the rest covered! Equipment, bait, and tackle provided!

9:00am-1:00pm: Cleveland Park Farmers Market
Kicking off it’s 6th season this weekend on the west side of the 3400 block of Connecticut Ave.  This week’s vendors: Kuhn Orchards, Hog Haven (NEW!) with meat and breakfast sandwiches, Via Volcan Coffee, VegHeaven vegan  bakery, Chapel Ford Farms with chicken and lamb, Mastiha greek bakery, Panorama Bakery with fresh bread, Juice Trap fresh pressed juices, Roots n Shoots microgreens, and Garners Produce.

10:00am-4:00pm: EU Open Houses
The European Union and its Embassies open their doors to the public for a day of culture, food, music, and more. No registration, tickets, or passport required!

10:00am-12:30pm: Acton Children’s Business Fair
The largest entrepreneurship event for children in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

10:00am-1:00pm: Lincoln Memorial Centennial Family Day
Join the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre Society, Library of Congress, National Archives, President Lincoln’s Cottage and Tudor Place for a Family Day in honor of the Lincoln Memorial Centennial. Meet staff from local historic sites and engage with hands-on activities that connect to the Lincoln Memorial story. Learn something new and be inspired to explore sites around the District. Plus – earn the special Lincoln Memorial Centennial commemorative Junior Ranger badge!

10:00am-11:30am: Tudor Place Outdoor Adventure
Discover bugs, birds and wildlife that live at Tudor Place while earning your Bug and Outdoor Adventurer badges.

10:00am or 10:30am: Brunch on the Go
Back by popular demand! We’re partnering with Pacers to produce a cardio club for the brunching set. Treat yourself to bubbles and brunch with your walking/running crew. Cardio options: 10:00 AM: 2 mile walk or 5 mile run or 10:30 AM: 2 mile walk or 5 mile run. Participating Yards Restaurants:
La Famosa, Osteria Morini & Chloe.

10:30am-11:30am: Paddle Doll Making Workshop at The Kreeger Museum
Join artist Cheryl Edwards for an all-levels mixed media Paddle Doll making workshop. Participants will create an original piece of take-home artwork inspired by the Paddle Dolls of ancient Egypt. This workshop is recommended for young artists ages 3-7. Each artist should bring a found object from home (i.e. buttons, thread, flowers, dried beans). Parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

11:00am-3:00pm: Pachamama Day Celebration
The Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (MOLA) invites you to Pachamama Day a family fun day event to celebrate Earth Day! MOLA is partnering with DOEE, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, DPR, and other community-based organizations to provide: different eco-friendly workshops for all ages, cultural performances from Latin America, community-clean up, and much more!

7:30pm: Maryland Youth Ballet Spring Concert
Join Maryland Youth Ballet for an exciting Spring Concert featuring Swan Lake Act II, one of the world’s most famous ballets and Coronation of the Dragonfly Queen, a children’s ballet originally choreographed in 1973 by MYB’s Founder and presented in honor of her 100th Birthday this year!

Sunday

9:30am-4:30pm: Last Day of Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! Exhibit
Don’t miss your chance to meet members of the Steam Team in real life in the Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! exhibit. Dreamers will use their STEAM skills to help Thomas and his engine friends overcome a variety of challenges. Recommended for ages 2-7, the exhibit is on display in the Visiting Exhibit Hall.

11:00am-5:00pm: Books in Bloom Festival
The regions most progressive literary festival will be in Columbia, Maryland. This year’s festival will also featured a pop-up bookstore with dedicated banned books section, a children’s corner with activities including a bookmark-making section, exclusive food and beverage offerings from local favorites, a photo booth and more.

12:00pm-4:00pm: SeeWorthy in the Park
The free SeeWorthy in the Park event will include opportunities to talk with archaeologists about ship research and preservation, as well as STEM-based activities for all ages. Learn how wooden ships were reused in the 18th and 19th centuries as landfill with Shoreline Engineering, discover the physics behind moving large ship timbers with Mini Forklift Hydraulics, and find out what can be learned from ship wood with Dendrochronology Dating.

1:00pm & 5:00pm: Maryland Youth Ballet Spring Concert
Join Maryland Youth Ballet for an exciting Spring Concert featuring Swan Lake Act II, one of the world’s most famous ballets and Coronation of the Dragonfly Queen, a children’s ballet originally choreographed in 1973 by MYB’s Founder and presented in honor of her 100th Birthday this year!

2:00pm: 10th annual Running of the Chihuahuas at The Wharf
The Running of the Chihuahuas will feature over 90 Chihuahuas racing in groups of eight on a sixty-foot race track, with all the action captured on a huge video screen. Only Chihuahuas may participate in the races, but all dog breeds can take part in the excitement with the all-dog contest for best-dressed dog. The races and costume contest are free to view and open to the public. 

6:00pm: Movies on the Potomac: 101 Dalmatians (1996)
Pack your chairs, grab food to go from one of the delicious dining establishments, and meet on the Plaza’s big screen for a *FREE* evening of fun for all ages! Family Movie Nights: Sundays at 6pm | Date Night Movies: Thursdays at 7pm.

Adult outings:
Dock Days of Summer Free Music Series at DC Brau
Metropolitan Beer Trail Launch Party

Rainy day/indoor ideas:
US Botanic Garden
Hirshhorn: One with Eternity Yayoi Kusama exhibit
ARTECHOUSE: Pixelbloom
Bowl with the family and have brunch
Paint pottery at All Fired Up
Smithsonian FUTURES or any Smithsonian Museum

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Family performances at Wolf Trap