From DC Emancipation Day to the reopening of Six Flags, News4’s Tommy McFly breaks down the best things to do the weekend of April 11-13 in the D.C. area.
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Hear that? The sound of hundreds of Arlington students chanting “Ovi! Ovi!” earlier this week rocked the MedStar Capitals Iceplex.
As the celebrations of Alex Ovechkin breaking a record continue, don't forget to soak up the last major weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
- Weekend weather: Storm Team4 is tracking wet weather, especially on Friday and Saturday, but things should dry up in time for Emancipation Day celebrations on Sunday.
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Here's what to do this weekend in D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Rainy day and indoor activities for all ages
With rain in the forecast on Friday and Saturday, we're highlighting some of the indoor activities you'll find below:
- Attend the fan event celebrating Alex Ovechkin at Capital One Arena on Friday. There's also a game on Sunday.
- Check out a museum, including the recently opened Go-Go Museum or one of these unique art museums. You could take a tour to see a favorite Smithsonian in a new light.
- New exhibits at D.C. museums include Guerrilla Girls: Making Trouble at the National Museum of Women in the Arts and Reasons to Gather: Japanese Tea Practice Unwrapped at the National Museum of Asian Art.
- Go inside The Butterfly Experience at Brookside Gardens' conservatory.
- Test drive the F1-themed "Build the Thrill" event at the LEGO Discovery Center in Springfield.
- Visit the That's So Vintage Market or The Bloomroom at Union Market.
- See “The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks,” a 360-degree film experience at The Kennedy Center.
- Remember that the sun will come out tomorrow while seeing "Annie" at the National Theatre. Or, look for discount tickets to other shows on sites including Theatre In DC and TodayTix.
- Explore an expansive collection of flowers at the U.S. Botanic Garden's Orchids: Masters of Deception exhibit.
Last call for the cherry blossom bash
The final events of this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival come this weekend (except for the Anacostia River Festival on May 17).
But if you still want to see cherry trees in bloom, the National Arboretum might be your best bet. They have a variety of cherry trees that bloom at different times. Here's a self-guided tour.
Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival
Sat. and Sun., Pennsylvania Ave. NW between 3rd and 7th streets, $15 (one-day) or $25 (two-day) in advance
🔗 Details
Dubbed the largest celebration of Japanese culture in the United States, this festival is packed with music, food and performances on four stages – including one devoted to J-pop. You’ll stay busy hitting up the Ginza Marketplace, checking out Japanese video games and people-watching for incredible costumes.
Highlights include Japanese food and beverages, vendors of traditional and contemporary Japanese goods and the Hakutsuru Sake 101 Experience.
Pro tips: We’ve seen the best food items sell out quickly! Go early and be prepared for lines. Ticket prices increase the day of the event.
The Bloomroom
Through May 18, Hi-Lawn at Union Market, $35
🔗 Details
Need a rain-proof cherry blossom spot, a scenic date night or a picture-perfect brunch? The Bloomroom on top of Union Market has you covered.
The 50-foot spherical dome is the star of the show, featuring a 90-minute display of floral artwork moving overhead, taking you to D.C., Costa Rica, Holland and Tokyo. D.C. native Chris Pyrate, whose cherry blossom artwork can be found across the city and on Wizards jerseys, created the experience with help from an animator.
Sip from a full menu of flower-adorned cocktails and mocktails ($8-$15), then munch on elevated, bloom-covered small plates that scream spring, including a salmon tartine and arancini with pea puree ($13-$22).
Each $35 ticket gets you inside The Dome for a 90-minute journey through bloom-filled scenes. Food and drinks cost extra.
It’s mostly for those aged 21 and up, but younger folks can go to the noon shows on Saturday and Sunday.
Free pick
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade
Sat., 10 a.m., Constitution Avenue NW between 7th and 17th streets, free or seating available for $25-$40
🔗 Details
Parade time is approaching fast! Enjoy colorful sights, marching bands, guest entertainers and cultural performances as the parade moves along Constitution Avenue!
Princess Ariel of "The Little Mermaid" is joining us in the District this year, along with pals Mickey and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World.
Tickets are up for grabs here if you want extra special views of performances, but guests who don’t get to secure tickets are still able to enjoy the parade for free.
More weekend highlights
Free pick
DC Emancipation Day
Sun., 2-8:30 p.m., Freedom Plaza, free
🔗 Details
A parade, festival, concert and fireworks will mark 20 years of D.C. officially celebrating its own Emancipation Day.
Grammy winner Anthony Hamilton, NAACP Image Award winner Chanté Moore, The Crank Crusaders featuring D.C.’s own Raheem DeVaughn and DJ Kool will take the stage for the All-Star Concert starting at 4 p.m.
The family-friendly festival has plenty for kids, too, including mini golf, a gaming lounge, crafts and carnival and arcade games.
Go early for the parade stepping off from 10th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW at 2 p.m., and stay late for the fireworks finale at 8:30 p.m.
The official Emancipation Day holiday on April 16 marks the day slavery was abolished in D.C. in 1862. The District’s joyful celebrations have deep roots dating back to the 1800s.
Free pick
Record Store Day
Sat.
🔗 Details
Give vinyl a spin on Saturday and support a local record store.
At Mobius Records in Fairfax, they plan to have DJ sets from Leon City Sounds and Crown Vic and custom-brewed beers. High Side will be serving Asian street food if you come hungry.
Festivities go from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the shop opens at 9 a.m. We hear they usually have a line of people waiting by 6 a.m. to shop exclusive and first-time releases.
The Record Exchange in Frederick, Maryland, Rockville’s Purple Narwal or Alexandria’s Crooked Beats might be closer to home, and this day is all about supporting your local indie store. See what’s near you on the Record Store Day website.
Free pick
Metropolitan Beer Trail
Through Dec. 31, Northeast D.C.
🔗 Details
If you like breweries and hiking, the Metropolitan Beer Trail is the adventure for you. Explore twelve draft destinations from Union Station, NOMA, Eckington to Brookland along the Metropolitan Branch Trail. Remember to hike, bike and sip responsibly.
You can sign up for an exclusive passport for access to any discounts each brewery offers.
Concerts this weekend
The Spits, 7 p.m. Thursday, Songbyrd, $25/$28
Beneath ‘90s-style guitar fuzz lurk punk tunes reminiscent of old school Ramones. The Seattle-via-Michigan band has been at for more than three decades. Details.
Gruff Rhys, 7 p.m. Saturday, DC9, $22 (advance)/$25 (day of)
The Super Furry Animals frontman plays “American Interior.” It's his fourth solo LP (2014) but his first to break from the folky territory of previous solo work and return to the psychedelic glam rock of the alt-90s he was known for with his band. Details.
Mercury Rev, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, The Atlantis, $30
Another act from the 1990s, the Buffalo psych-poppers have constantly incorporated increasingly varied genres into its shimmering, hypnotic soundscapes. Details.
YHWH Nailgun, 7 p.m. Sunday, Songbyrd, $17/$20
Experimental New York quartet has an eclectic mix of influences from rock to electronic played with frenetic punk energy and edge. Details.
List: What to do in D.C.
Theater - “cullud wattah”: Through April 27, Atlas Performing Arts Center, $61.50+
Live! At the Library: Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey and traditional Hawaiian music from The Kohala Mountain Boys: Thurs., 7-8:30 p.m., Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, free
“The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks” 360-degree film: Through April 20, The Kennedy Center, $29 (limited $10 tickets available at the box office on the day of shows)
The Washington D.C. Pancakes & Booze Art Show: Thurs., Hook Hall in Northwest D.C., $15
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade: Sat., 10 a.m., Constitution Avenue NW between 7th and 17th streets, free or seating available for $25-$40
Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival: Sat. and Sun., Pennsylvania Ave. NW between 3rd and 7th streets, $15 (one-day) or $25 (two-day) in advance
Georgetown Flower Tour: Sat., 1-5 p.m., check in at Georgetown Neighborhood Library, $40
D.C. United Cherry Blossom Night: Sat., 7:30 p.m., Audi Field, $29+
That's So Vintage Market: Sat. and Sun., Dock5 at Union Market, $5-$25
DC Beer Fest: Sat., Nationals Park, $55-$90
Blossom: A Spring Fashion Pop Up: Sun., metrobar in Northeast D.C., free admission
Spring into Fitness: Sun., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Alethia Tanner Park, free with RSVP
DC Emancipation Day parade, festival, concert and fireworks: Sun., Freedom Plaza, free
DC Design Tours: Various dates and locations, $20 (child)/$35 (adult)
List: What to do in Maryland
The Butterfly Experience: Opens Thurs., Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, $9 (ages 3-12)/$14 (ages 13+), free for kids under 3
Cinema Hearts and Gabby & Nick Cameron: Fri., 8 p.m., Brentwood Arts Exchange, $20
Garden Supply Pop-Up Shop at Community Forklift: Fri. to Sun., Edmonston, free entry
Holi Color Fun Run/Walk: Sat., 10:30 a.m., Chrysalis, Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods in Columbia, $28.52+
Paint & Sip: A Celebration of Black & Brown Queer Community in the DMV: Sat., 2-5 p.m., Solaire Social in Silver Spring, $39.19
Eggstravaganza: Sat., noon, Granville Gude Park in Laurel, free
Cherry blossom mixology class: Sat., 5-7 p.m., The Westin Washington National Harbor, $76.54
Miho Hazama & m_unit: Sun., 8 p.m., The Music Center at Strathmore, $28 - $68
List: What to do in Virginia
Spring Egg Hunt at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens: Daily through April 30, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, $8 per egg hunter
Spring Egg Hunt at Potomac Overlook: April 12-20, Arlington, $8 per egg hunter
F1 - themed ‘Build the Thrill’: Through April 27, LEGO Discovery Center Washington, D.C., $24.99+
Pink Beats: Thursdays through April 10, 5-8 p.m., Water Park in National Landing, free
American Horticultural Society's Spring Garden Market: Fri. and Sat., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., River Farm in Alexandria, $20 per car or $5 for walk-ups
Wine & Watercolors: Fri., 5 p.m., Shop Made in VA in Alexandria, $25
Art of Pink: Fri., 5-10 p.m., Metropolitan Park at National Landing, free
Full Moon Hike at Neabsco Regional Park: Sat., 7 p.m., Woodbridge, $12
MoCA on the Move at Met Park: Sundays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Arlington, free
Tulip Ride and Walk on the Mount Vernon Trail: Sun., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., meet at Compass Coffee (1201 Wilson Blvd, Arlington), $10
International Food and Culture Fest: Sun., The Manassas Museum, free entry
Sip & Shop by Pop Up Gallery: Sun., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Port City Brewing in Alexandria, free entry
90’s Music Bingo: Sun., 2-4 p.m., Lost Boy Cider in Alexandria, $5
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