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Give it up for pandas and Commandas!
Of course, we’ve had “root for the Commanders in the divisional round of NFL playoffs” on our calendar for months. 😉 Just in case you didn’t, we’ve found some fun spots to #RaiseHail on Saturday.
Pro tip: If you’re not a Commanders fan, just shhh, would ya? We get it, the team has had some… fumbles… but some of us have waited 19 years for this weekend. Just be cool and enjoy all four games.
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In other things commanding our attention, the pandas are making their grand debut very soon.
Plus, a reminder that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to serve the community. We have lots of ways to celebrate below.
4 things to know about the weekend
- Weekend weather: The good news: Friday, Saturday and Sunday will bring our highest temps of the week. The bad news: It's still cold. Here's the forecast.
- D.C. native Dave Chappelle will host “Saturday Night Live” this weekend with musical guest GloRilla. Next up: Timothée Chalamet.
- Inauguration Day will bring closures, including for roads and some Metro stations on Sunday and Monday. Here's a full list.
- The Smithsonian museums on the National Mall will be closed Monday. The National Gallery of Art will be closed Saturday and Monday.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Throughout his life, Martin Luther King Jr. championed civil and human rights across the country, including here in D.C. where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
This year, the annual commemoration of the late civil rights leader coincides with Inauguration Day. That means crowds, road closures and Metro stations shut down on Sunday and Monday.
Smithsonian museums on the National Mall, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will be closed. But the Anacostia Community Museum will be open and hosting community events for MLK Day.
Here are some of the best ways to honor the holiday.
Volunteering
For the long weekend and any time of year, you can find lots of ways to give back.
Montgomery and Arlington counties have days of service planned. In Prince George's, there's MLK Unity Day: A Service Day for Sickle Cell Warriors. Fairfax County also has service projects you can join.
Visit the AmeriCorps website, enter your zip code and select the “MLK Day” checkbox. You can also check with United Way or websites like VolunteerMatch and JustServe any time of year.
Free pick
Peace Walk and Parade
Sat., Jan. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Entertainment and Sports Arena (1100 Oak Dr. SE)
🔗 Details
The 20th annual Peace Walk and Parade will take place inside the Entertainment and Sports Arena for the first time this year. The event will also include a health and wellness fair, student essay competition awards and giveaways of groceries and local merchandise.
Before the parade, community members are invited to a rally focusing on Black women's struggles at Shepherd Park at 9:30 a.m. Rallygoers will walk to the Entertainment and Sports Arena about 10:30 a.m.
Registration and the full schedule of events are on Eventbrite.
Free pick
Let Freedom Ring Celebration
Sun., show at 7:30 p.m., the Kennedy Center Concert Hall
🔗 Details
The Kennedy Center and Georgetown University will host a free musical tribute to King’s legacy. The annual program is hosted by Taye Diggs and will feature musical performances from artists like Christopher Jackson, Esperanza Spalding and Chelsey Green.
It's completely free to go, but this event is popular. You'll want to show up early to get tickets. The ticket giveaway begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hall of Nations. Each person in line can get two tickets.
Free pick
Say It Loud: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown
🔗 Details
Honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with a day of art, music and discussion. BlackRock will host a free film festival, record store pop-up and workshops.
More weekend highlights
Inauguration weekend at Mount Vernon
Admission costs $26 for adults, $13 for youth who aren't members
🔗 Details
To get up close with inaugural history without braving crowds, head to former President George Washington's ex-estate. You can see Washington's inaugural suit coat or get a tour from a reenactor sharing facts about the first president's swearing-in. Special talks happening this weekend include The History of Inaugurations and the White House and a lecture on presidential transitions.
Free pick
“Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”
Through Sun., the National Gallery of Art
🔗 Details
Exploring the beginning of the impressionist art movement, this exhibit includes 130 works by artists including paintings by Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, and Camille Pissarro.
The National Gallery of Art will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 18, due to inauguration and security needs, so you have a very limited window to see it before it's gone.
Expect a long line to get into the exhibit.
Union Stage Presents: Rare Essence, EU feat. Sugar Bear, DCVybe
Sun., 8:30 p.m., Howard Theatre, $55
🔗 Details
If you have a three-day weekend, why not spend Sunday night dancing along to some legendary D.C. bands?
Music Snob's top concerts this weekend
Tycho, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 Club, $45
For more than two decades, Scott Hansen’s San Francisco project has been making gorgeous, tranquil techno/electronic music. Details.
Elucid, 7 p.m. Thursday, Union Stage, $20-$40
Gritty, socially conscious lyricist (and part of the excellent duo Armand Hammer) raps over frenetic beats and industrial sounds. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
Rock the Rink at The Wharf: Thurs., 6-10 p.m., The Wharf Ice Rink, anyone in Capitals gear gets $5 off admission
National Symphony Orchestra on the Millennium Stage: Fri., 6 p.m., The Kennedy Center, free but arrive early to get tickets
MLK Shabbat: Visions of Freedom and Justice: Fri., 7 p.m., Sixth & I, free
Concert: Mo Lowda & The Humble and Illiterate Light: Fri., 8 p.m., 9:30 Club, $25
20th Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade: Sat., 11 a.m., Entertainment & Sports Arena, free
MLK Day of Service: Pope Branch Park cleanup with Anacostia Riverkeeper: Sat., 2900 M Place Southeast, free
Nerd Nite irreverent lecture series: Sat., doors 6 p.m., DC9, $10 (in advance) or $15 (day of)
Black A** Comedy: Sat., 7 p.m., Busboys and Poets 14th Street, $25
Charli x Sabrina x Chappell Dance Party: Sat., Black Cat, $10
Defying Gravity: A Wicked Party: Sat., Union Stage, $15+
Ye Olde Feast of Saint Vincent of Zaragossa!: Sun., 2 p.m., St. Vincent Wine at 3212 Georgia Ave NW, $72
Let Freedom Ring Celebration featuring Christopher Jackson and esperanza spalding, hosted by Taye Diggs: Sun., 7:30 p.m. The Kennedy Center, free (note: ticket giveaway begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hall of Nations, limited to two tickets per person)
Union Stage Presents: Rare Essence , EU feat. Sugar Bear, DCVybe: Sun., 8:30 p.m., Howard Theatre, $55
Last chance – “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”: Through Sun., the National Gallery of Art, free
Things to do in Maryland
Theater: "What the Constitution Means to Me": Jan. 15 to Feb. 16, Round House Theatre, $50+
SA-ROC (+ DJ OSO Fresh After Party): Fri., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $35
Yoga at Brookside Gardens: Sat., 9:30 a.m., Wheaton, $14
Say It Loud: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown
Be'la Dona Brunch: Sun., 2 p.m., Bethesda Theater, $41.45 (including fees)
"Paper Dreams" at Imagination Stage: Through Feb. 16, Bethesda, $19.50
Things to do in Virginia
Sean Gavin and Josh Dukes in Concert: Thurs., 7-9 p.m., Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, $25 ($10 under 18)
Comedy - Justin Martindale: Fri. and Sat., Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, $20
Silly Suds: Humorous Soapmaking Workshop: Sat., 9 a.m. to noon, Del Ray Artisans Gallery in Alexandria, $45-$55, plus $10 supply fee (must register by Weds.)
NOVA Wine Expo: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dulles Expo Center, $40+
Presidential Transitions Lecture & Historic Document Viewing: Sat., noon to 3 p.m., George Washington Presidential Library, $10
La Vang Lunar New Year Festival: Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, $10 ($5 with student ID or for kids 2 to 11)
Comedy Night in Leesburg Presented By The DC Improv: Sat., Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, $20-$32
Ice & Lights-The Winter Village at Cameron Run: Through Feb. 23, Cameron Run Regional Park in Alexandria, $8.55+
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