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They’re here! Longer days, that is. We’re springing forward this weekend and jumping into a new Instagram Broadcast Channel for The Scene. Think of it as a group chat. We’ll share insider tips and new SCENE stuff so you can be in the know while we wait for the next newsletter.
Join The Scene DC Instagram Broadcast Channel party here. We hope you check it out, especially if you crave peak bloom updates.
Spring has us hatching plans for backyard chickens (you can rent them!) and exploring new music venues and cool movie theaters (RIP, Landmark E Street Cinema).
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But the future scene crystal ball is filled with cherry blossoms. What’s new this year? All aboard for BUDS II BLOOMZ! You can cruise the Potomac with Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men, Your love of blossoms and boy bands will be *NSYNC because Joey Fattone will be on board, too.
4 things to know for the weekend
- Weekend weather: This weekend will be a little cool, but not too bad. Here’s the forecast.
- If you care to find Cynthia Erivo, look to WorldPride! The "Wicked" star will headline the free festival after the District's Pride Parade.
- Join our cherry blossom challenge by sharing your peak bloom prediction. You could win a prize pack!
- Free and family-friendly: Mardi Gras crafts at the Anacostia Community Museum, a Family Fun Day at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, St. Patrick’s Day Acoustics & Ales in Silver Spring and the Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Weekend highlights
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Free pick
Orchids: Masters of Deception
Through April 27, U.S. Botanic Garden, free
🔗 Details
Who knew that orchids are masters of deception? Clearly, the plant experts at the U.S Botanic Garden did, and now the tea is spilled.
The 29th annual orchid show features thousands of flowers and spotlights plants that have adapted methods to deceive pollinators.
Make sure to stop by the Garden Court to see an homage to cherry blossoms: two 9-foot-tall tree sculptures covered with hundreds of pink and white orchids.
The exhibit is open through April 27.
Blooming Wonders: A Best-of-Spring Exhibition
Opens Fri., ARTECHOUSE DC, $27.56+
🔗 Details
ARTECHOUSE’s 8th annual cherry blossom exhibit splashes digital blooms and butterflies across its huge projector wall and fills galleries with “the best of spring.”
The indoor art space that specializes in digital projections and interactive displays cherry-picked some of its best installations from years past. The multi-story screens in the main room show “PIXELBLOOM: Timeless Butterflies,” while side galleries allow visitors to engage with virtual bees, step into video games and stroke plants that move when gently touched.
The cherry blossom-themed experience opens Friday and will stick around until the end of April.
Tour museums for International Women’s Day
There are a ton of ways to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on Saturday, including a bunch of great museum events and more.
“Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist” opens Sunday at the National Gallery of Art. It’s a major exhibit of more than 150 works, including some that are rarely seen, of a “visionary artist-activist” with D.C. roots.
Right now at the Renwick Gallery, remarkable quilts are on display in a can’t-miss exhibit: “We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists.” Take a 15-minute walk down H Street to the National Museum of Women in the Arts to see the new exhibit “Uncanny.” Head over early for International Women’s Day Yoga or relax at home and catch a virtual talk on Frida Kahlo.
The National Portrait Gallery has a day full of events inspired by the women found in the museum’s artwork. Sketching, a recipe swap, tours and story time for kids are all on the schedule.
Concerts this weekend
The Spirit of the Beehive, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Black Cat, $22 (advance)/$25 (day of)
Philly’s abstract, psychedelic indie rockers have continuously evolved their sound over more than a decade, dialing back the noise and visiting dreamier pop territory, but usually with some degree of feedback. Their nonlinear compositions take the listener for a ride. Details.
The Avengers, 9. p.m. Sunday, Comet Ping Pong, $22.25
First-wave punks from San Francisco opened for the Sex Pistols’ legendary final show (“Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”) but also had a short run of their own. They’ve been active off and on over the past 20 years. Opening the show are Lupo Citta, garage rock trio from Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Come), and D.C. pop punk supergroup The Owners. Tickets.
Things to do in D.C.
Exhibit - Orchids: Masters of Deception: Through April 27, U.S. Botanic Garden, free
Exhibit - How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition: Through July 2025, Folger Shakespeare Library in Southeast, free
Exhibit - Uncanny: Through Aug. 10, National Museum of Women in the Arts, entry is $16 for adults, $13 for seniors and D.C. residents, free for those under 21
RIVERDANCE 30 – The New Generation: March 4-16, The Kennedy Center, $39 to $199
Exhibit - Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist: Opens Sun., National Gallery of Art, free
Philips after 5 - Techno Takeover: Thurs., 5-8:30 p.m., The Philips Collection, $20
Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships: March 7-16, CareFirst Arena, 1100 Oak Drive SE, $9+
International Women's Day Agora: Thurs., 5-9 p.m., The Ven at Embassy Row in Northwest, $10
Her Plate: A Culinary Journey In Celebration of International Women's Day: Thurs., Hotel Zena, $105
Zenith Gallery’s 47th “Amethyst” Anniversary meet the artist receptions: Fri. and Sat., 1429 Iris Street, NW, free
SHE:DC Art Show Opening Party: Fri., 5-9:30 p.m., La Cosecha in Northeast, $15
Blooming Wonders: A Best-of-Spring Exhibition: Opens Fri., ARTECHOUSE DC, $27.56+
Family Fun Day at Atlas Performing Arts Center: Sat., 10 a.m. to noon, 1333 H St NE, free
International Women’s Day Yoga: Sat., 9 a.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, $20 ($17 for students, seniors and D.C. residents)
Family Fun Day: Sat., 10 a.m., Atlas Performing Arts Center, free
Drop-in Arts & Crafts for Mardi Gras: Sat., noon to 2 p.m., Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, free
Alton Brown Live: Last Bite: Sat., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., The National Theatre
Harlem Globetrotters: Sat., 1 p.m., Capital One Arena
CRUSH Women in Wine Tasting & Taco Party: Sun., Lulu's Winegarden on U Street, $55
Things to do in Maryland
miXt-Up Thursdays: Bingo!: Thurs., 7 p.m., 3809 Rhode Island Ave. in Brentwood, $12.51 (includes five rounds of bingo and a drink)
Polish Film Festival: Fri. to Sun., Bethesda Row Cinema, $20 – $150
B-CC High School Used Book Sale: Sat. and Sun., 4301 East-West Highway in Bethesda, free entry
St. Patrick’s Day Acoustics & Ales: Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., North Four Corners Park in Silver Spring, free entry
Women in Aviation Tour: Sat., noon, College Park Aviation Museum, included with admission
Book talk and demo - “Cooking Maryland’s Way: Voices of a Diverse Cuisine”: Sat., noon, Riversdale House Museum in Riverdale Park, free
Exhibit - Elisa Mayes: Form & Function: Opening and public reception Sat., Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, free
Book talk and tour - "Memories of a Tuskegee Airmen Nurse": Sat., 1 p.m., College Park Aviation Museum, $5
A Tribute to the Legends: Ray Charles, Billy Preston, Otis Redding, and Bill Withers: Sat., 1 p.m., Harmony Hall Arts Center in Fort Washington, $25
Things to do in Virginia
F1 - themed ‘Build the Thrill’: Through April 27, LEGO Discovery Center Washington, D.C., $24.99+
BlerDCon: Fri. to Sun., Hyatt Crystal City at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, $42.50-$73 for a one-day badge
Last chance - Reston Ice Rink: Open through Sun.
Kitten and baby wildlife shower for Animal Welfare League of Arlington: Sat., 19 a.m., 2650 S Arlington Mill Dr. in Arlington, free but RSVP requested
Greater Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Sat., 11 a.m., begins at Prescott Avenue and Quarry Road near Old Town Manassas, free
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