Of course, the central event of Memorial Day Weekend is always Rolling Thunder, when tens of thousands of veterans and supporters roll into the District. See their complete schedule here.
The Stars, Stripes and Spokes rally begins with a kickoff ride at the Southwest Safeway, when 50+ VIPs (including NBC Washington's Jim Vance and members of the military) ride through town to RFK Stadium (2400 E. Capitol St. N.E.). The day also includes live music, a police rodeo, a bike stunt show... and a bikini contest -- with Michaele Salahi judging. (We're sorry about that.) Bike lovers have all the ingredients for a fun summer party. No cover; VIP riders arrive at noon.
Mount Vernon (3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway) hosts a Sunset Celebration, nightly from May 27 to 29, complete with a George Washington-era atmosphere. Say hello to Martha, sip some wine or dance while you ring in Memorial Day weekend. 6-9 p.m.; $18 adults; $12 kids older than five.
The Dubsplash pool parties at Capitol Skyline Pool start up again, featuring hot local DJs and swanky cocktails. Saturday features "D.C. funk fixtures Thunderball joining Marvin's DJ Keenan," writes SouthwestQuadrant. $15; 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
The Justin Trawick Group brings their brand of folk rock to the 9:30 Club (815 V St. N.W.). RPM and lowercaseletters will hit the stage as well. 8 p.m.; $12.
SUNDAY, MAY 29
A performance of "Microfictions" brings selected short stories to the U Street neighborhood. The event stems from a novel of the same name by French writer Régis Jauffret, consisting of 500 short stories, each only one and a half pages long. Performers will share the tales in English during a walking tour starting from the African American Civil War Memorial (1200 U St. N.W.). 5 p.m.; free.
Tired of the same old summer barbecue? Then head to the Bayou Bakery (1515 N. Courthouse Road, Arlington) for their authentic crawfish boil. And it just wouldn't be New Orleans without Abita -- i.e., seven types of it. 1-4 p.m.; $15 per pound.
Evening Star Cafe (2000 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria) hosts a Memorial Day block party and Indy 500 anniversary barbecue. Enjoy the race's 100th anniversary on big-screen TVs while you chow down on Indy staples like hot dogs, hamburgers and (what else?) beer. No cover; doors open at noon.
The Dubsplash pool parties at Capitol Skyline Pool start up again, featuring hot local DJs and swanky cocktails. "Sunday's pool party features Volta Bureau -- a new DJ team featuring Will Eastman, Micah Vellian and Outputmessage -- with electro-spinner Chris Nitti opening," writes SouthwestQuadrant. $15; 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
MONDAY, MAY 30
This year's Memorial Day Concert on the Capitol's west lawn (1st Street S.E. and E. Capitol St.) features the sounds of the National Symphony Orchestra, B.B. King, Kris Allen and many more. See the complete list here. Free admission; gates 5 p.m.; broadcast portion of concert 8-9:30 p.m.
During the Cafe Saint-Ex (1847 14th St. N.W.) Annual Chili Cook Off, local restaurants will compete to see who cooks up the best chili. Go to enjoy great food, live music and cold beer. Not into chili? There's always the hot dog eating competition. 11-5 p.m.; no cover.
Musical performances and ceremonies will kick off the National Memorial Day Parade at the reviewing stand at the National Archives (7th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W.). The parade will move along Constitution Avenue, past the White House to finish at 17th Street. This year's event will include a special tribute to the memory of those lost on Sept. 11, 2001. Music 1 p.m.; Parade 2 p.m.; free.
