Weekend Picks: October 6-8, 2017

You won’t want to miss Night Train 57: A Sensory-Friendly Folk Opera at The Kennedy Center this weekend. All aboard the Night Train! Enter the freewheeling musical world of Grammy® winner Dan Zanes, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Claudia Eliaza, and percussionist Yuriana Sobrino for an interactive folk opera that takes audiences on a far-out ride to the galaxies and back. During a joyous dusk-to-dawn trip through the stars, passengers on Night Train 57 will discover the power of friendship and community with the sounds of 21st-century handmade sing-along music. This world-premiere adventure welcomes travelers of all ages and sensory levels. Festive original folk songs played on guitar, trombone, mandolin, flute, harmonica, ukulele, percussion—and, of course, voices!—power the train, as homespun sets and video projection create an unforgettable intergalactic atmosphere. Visit psychedelic stars, navigate the challenges of whimsical space travel, and celebrate communal music-making while singing, laughing, and dancing towards a deeper sense of life’s best possibilities. NPR raves: Dan Zanes is “the gold standard in kids’ music.” Board the Night Train and find out why! Most enjoyed by age 3 and up. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. $20 a ticket, 60 minute show.

Sip, Savor & Celebrate at Taste of DC this weekend at RFK.

Fall Festivals have commenced!!! Let the apple and pumpkin picking start.

Maryland Renaissance Festival will be jousting and serving up lots of turkey legs for opening weekend!   Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, jousting, mazes, puppetry, pony rides, a huge pirate playground and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate or just watch! The Festival ends October 22 and is open weekends only.

Saturday-

9:00am-4:00pm: Conservation Conservation Day
(1500 Remount Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630)
Are you a budding biologist, curious conservationist or animal lover who’s passionate about science and saving the planet? Designed for sixth-graders to under-grads, this sci-tacular day at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute includes hands-on activities, research demonstrations and mini-chats on hot topics in conservation. Career panel discussions with conservation biologists, field ecologists, research scientists, veterinarians and animal keepers will open doors and minds to the professional possibilities within the conservation field. Follow your passion to the Blue Ridge Mountains for inspiration and insight on how you can join the conservation ranks and make a difference for wildlife and habitats worldwide. This is the one day this one-of-a-kind research facility located in scenic Front Royal, Virginia, is open to the public. SCBI is a large and hilly campus. Appropriate attire for outdoor activities and comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended. This event will be held rain or shine. Purchasing car passes in advance is highly recommended due to SCBI’s limited parking area.

11:00am-4:00pm: Taste of Bethesda
(held along Norfolk, St. Elmo, Cordell, Del Ray and Auburn Avenues)
Bethesda’s famous food and music festival brings 60 restaurants and five stages of entertainment to Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle. Each year, more than 40,000 attendees sample the delicious restaurants, enjoy the live entertainment and visit the kid’s corner for face painting and arts & crafts. Admission to the Taste of Bethesda is free. Taste tickets are sold on-site in bundles of four tickets for $5. Food servings cost one to four tickets.

2:00pm-6:00pm: 5th Annual Adams Morgan Porch Fest
Live music takes over the neighborhood on over a dozen different porches, patios, stoops, etc. featuring music from 44 bands playing on 16 porches. We’ll have maps available online and paper copies to hand out at the corner of 18th and Columbia Rd., NW on the day of the event.

4:00pm-11:00pm: OPUS 1
(Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods)
Celebrating the art of sound, the one day festival blends immersive art installations, mesmerizing music performances and treetop projection mapping. OPUS 1 is free and families of all ages are encouraged to join. Activations for kids and families include: The Lightning Cloud, an inflatable pavilion bedecked with light and projection will play host to a series of musical performances and participatory experiences throughout the day. Acclaimed multimedia artist Lonnie Holley will lead a hands-on sculpture workshop, teaching tips and techniques for creating improvised sculptures out of found objects. Just before dusk, Suzanne Dikker and Matthias Oostrik’s mirror feedback game invites kids to attempt to synch up their brainwaves with each other while also learning about neuroscience from the researcher-artist duo. The George Mason Pep Band will march festival goers all the way up to the Chrysalis Amphitheatre stage as they play covers of today’s pop hits. The Brooklyn Raga Massive brings an international perspective to Terry Riley’s minimalist classic In C, with over 20 musicians trained in the traditional music styles of India. A culinary village with some of the DMV’s best food trucks featuring glow in the dark cotton candy by Fluffness, and a specialty ice cream made exclusively for OPUS by Ice Cream Jubilee. Admission is free and open to all ages. Guests are encouraged to reserve their tickets for expedited entry.

Sunday-

12:00pm-5:00pm: KinderFest at Watkins Regional Park
(301 Watkins Park Dr, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774)
First held as an “Oktoberfest” for youth and their families and friends, Kinderfest has grown bigger and better every year. The population of Prince George’s County was just over 665,000 in 1981. Nearly 3,000 residents and guests came to Watkins Regional Park that year to enjoy: Carnival games, Costumed characters, Dancers, Hay rides, Lots of sweets and savory refreshments, Magician, Pony rides, Roving clowns, Scarecrow workshops, Singers and Watkins Park carousel and miniature train.

1:00pm-8:00pm: Tenleytown Block Party
(4100 River Rd)
Free Grilled Burgers/Hot Dogs/Drinks/Desserts & More, Free Ice Cream by local area favorite food truck, 45′ Inflatable Obstacle Course For Kids/Teens/Adults, Children’s Ferris Wheel & Bounce House, Face Painting/Balloons/Live Entertainers, The Fan Zone- Featuring Live Viewing Tent For NFL Games, Shaded Seating Areas, Heroes Spotlight with local Police and Fire Dept, 3-On-3 Basketball Tournament, Live DJ/Music, Cornhole & Football Toss, Help put together 150 care packages that will be distributed by Martha’s Table to neighbors in need, Cupcake Baking Competition, And Much More!

4:00pm: Lisa Loeb Kids Pajama Jam Party at AMP Strathmore
(11810 Grand Park Ave Bethesda, MD 20852)
You’ll recognize her voice as that of Princess Winger on Disney Junior’s Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Milli the Microphone on Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins, now see acclaimed artist Lisa Loeb bring all the magic of her expressive and playful children’s songs to AMP. Able to evoke the feeling of dancing around the campfire catching fireflies, Loeb’s whimsical folk renditions of classic children’s songs like “The Muffin Man” and lively originals will have kids and parents in that summer state of mind! Everyone needs a ticket! Doors open 60 minutes prior to the show. Seating will be available in the back of the house, but we plan to leave plenty of floor space for dance and play!

Shows:

How I Became a Pirate at Adventure Theatre- Sept 22 – Oct 22, 2017
(7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD. 20812)

Drumming with Dishes– Oct 6 – Oct 21, 2017
(The Lab Theatre at Convergence: 1819 N. Quaker Ln. Alexandria, VA. 22302)

The Smartest Girl in the World at Imagination Stage- Oct 7 – Oct 29, 2017
(4908 Auburn Ave. Bethesda, MD. 20814)