Things to Do DC

The Weekend Scene: Baseball, Blooms, Boy Bands and 10+ More Things to Do Around DC

Things to do and free events this weekend in D.C., Maryland and Virginia

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Editor's Note: Due to inclement weather the following events have been canceled or rescheduled: the children's portion of the Cherry Blossom 5K and the Tidal Basin Welcome Area for the National Cherry Blossom Festival is canceled; Bloomaroo and NOMA in Bloom are rescheduled to Sunday; Pink in the Park is postponed.

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Happy spring break/"stand on the left" season, D.C.! No joke: How is the first weekend of April already (almost) here?

We’re rating the weekend weather a 6/10: We’ll start with warm temps, plus showers late Friday and early Saturday. Sunday will be chilly and breezy. Here's the forecast.

Spring is in full swing around D.C.

Things to Do in Washington DC

Free pick — We Who Believe in Freedom: Black Feminist DC (Opening ceremony Thurs., MLK Library): The National Women's History Museum’s first full exhibit honors Black women who fought for freedom and liberty, including Anna Julia Cooper, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mary Treadwell and Nkenge Touré, for fellow citizens in the District and beyond. After the opening night celebration and ribbon cutting, you can visit the exhibit during the MLK Library’s normal hours. It's set to be open until September 2024.

Free pick — Cherokee Days Festival (Fri. to Sun., National Museum of the American Indian): Art demonstrations, musical performances and storytelling take over the museum's atrium.

Cherry Night (Fri., various venues): Clubs and bars across D.C. are throwing cherry-themed parties in honor of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Just to name a few options: Wunder Garten is throwing a Nicki Minaj dance party, Dirty Habit is featuring a special menu of Japanese eats and Hook Hall is hosting a silent disco.

Free pick — White House Spring Garden Tours (Sat. and Sun.): The White House only opens its gardens and South Grounds to the public a couple times a year, tops. Timed tickets will become available at the White House Visitor Center at 8:30 a.m. — line up early!

Free pick — Marvin Gaye Birthday Celebration (Sun., Sandlot Anacostia): The outdoor venue at 633 Howard Road Southeast will be celebrating Marvin Gaye's birthday with live music and entertainment from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday (there are also events happening at the Tysons and Georgetown locations).

Free pick — NoMa in Bloom Festival (Sat., Alethia Tanner Park): Bring a kite to fly, or stop by for live music, an artisan market, a live chalk mural creation and food.

Free pick — National Gallery First Saturday (Sat., National Gallery of Art): Register for a presentation and book signing by "plantfluencer" and "Living Wild" author Hilton Carter (1 p.m.), dabble in screenprinting or hear gallery talks by violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved. Kids can enjoy films and making flower collages.

Cherry Blossom Wine & Beer Festival (Sat., National Union Building, 💲💲💲): Grab your friends to sample unlimited wines, craft beers and ciders while enjoying live music. Tickets start at $60.

Free pick — Bloomaroo (Sat., 2-9 p.m.): The Wharf’s cherry blossom celebration will feature two stages of live music; activities including matcha tea sampling and a karaoke stage; a beer garden and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. Entry is free. 

Music Snob pick — Sunset Rubdown (Sat., 8 p.m., Howard Theatre, 💲💲): These Montreal art rockers reunited for a 2023 tour. Their initial, critically acclaimed run in the 2000s was a side project for Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug, centered by his unique vocals and quirky-but-catchy compositions.

Free pick — Oxon Run Pinknic & Kite Fly (Sun., Southeast D.C.): Free food and kite kits will be available, or you can shop at the Ward 8 Vendor Market, enjoy live performances and join various family-friendly activities.

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (Sun., 8 p.m., DC9, $15): Pigsx7 revives their native England's 1970s-'80s heavy metal (stoner leaning), with crunchy riffs and a sense of humor.

Free pick — Ay-Ō's Happy Rainbow Hell (Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art)

Things to Do in Virginia

Mr. Leesburg Pageant (Sat., Leesburg, 💲): Crooked Run Fermentation hosts the "first annual" pageant where a panel of judges will figure out who deserves the Mr. Leesburg title. Proceeds from the event benefit charities for at-risk women and youth, organizers say.

FXBG Brewfest (Sat., Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 💲💲): Sample craft beers from Virginia and nationwide, in addition to cides, spirits and wine. Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 day-of.

Free pick — Pink in the Park (Sat., Arlington): One of the National Cherry Blossom Festival's premier events comes to Long Bridge Park. Enjoy a day of live music, including Crush Funk Brass and Black Alley, a beer and wine garden, immersive art installations and giveaways.

Free pick — Manassas 150th Birthday Celebration (Sat., Jennie Dean Park): Local bands, hayrides, kids' games, fireworks and more excitement can be found at Manassas' big birthday bash.

Del Ray Dog Fest (Sun., George Washington Middle School parking lot, 💲): Bring your pup for yoga, doggy snack tastings, pet portraits, a dog fashion show, the Distracted Dog Race and more howling good times. Tickets cost $10-$15 and benefit rescue organization Project Second Chance. Dog Fest runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then local participating restaurants and bars are set to offer Yappy Hour specials 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Things to Do in Maryland

Free pick — Y2K Pink Party (Sat., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Bethesda): Boy bands unite! Who better to host an LFO and O-Town concert at Westfield Montgomery mall than Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC and Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees? Entry is free.

Melwood Recreation Center’s second annual Easter Eggstravaganza egg hunt aims to be inclusive to all children. News4’s Molette Green as a preview of Saturday’s event. Find more information here: https://melwood.org/event/melwoods-2nd-annual-eggstravaganza/

Melwood’s 2nd Annual Eggstravaganza (Sat., Nanjemoy): Melwood Recreation Center’s egg hunt aims to be inclusive to all children. Families can also enjoy carnival rides and games, food trucks, face painting, a petting farm and more springtime fun from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is free, but required, and families are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to donate.

Six Flags America opens for Scream Break (4/1 to 4/10, 💲💲): The park will be open daily through April 10, then will keep weekend hours through May.

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