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Happy White House Correspondents' Dinner weekend to all who celebrate!
Wanna spot celebrities? With plenty of famous people including Nerd Prom host Colin Jost expected to be in town, here’s our pro tip: Grab a drink at the bar in a fancy hotel (think the Conrad, Four Seasons, Hay-Adams, etc.) and see who you see ...
Happy Maryland Day to all our Terps! On Saturday, the University of Maryland will host performances, a climbing wall, talks and many more events.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
Saturday is also Independent Book Store Day.
For those of us not on the A-list, we’ve got plenty to do, including five ways to channel Parisian vibes without leaving the D.C. area.
Weekend highlights
Washington Capitals in the playoffs
The Capitals are playing the Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. They’ll be home Friday and Sunday for games three and four. If you’re itching to go, prepare to shell out. Tickets are going for well over $100 on the verified resale market.
Rock the red:
- Capital One Cafe locations have free light-up bracelets and coffee deals (while supplies last)
- The team store at Capital One Arena has free ALL CAPS yard signs (while supplies last)
Dentzel Carousel Day
Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Glen Echo Park, free entry, $2 per ride
Details
Glen Echo Park’s historic carousel opens for the season with a party and unlimited rides for $5.
PNC Parkway Classic
Sun., Alexandria, $55-$100
🔗 Details
Lace up your sneakers for a run along the George Washington Memorial Parkway
The 10-mile course begins at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, along the parkway and through historic Alexandria for spectacular spring views. The five-mile course stays in Alexandria, beginning and ending around Oronoco Bay Park.
Registration will be open through the end of the week. The kids’ race is sold out, so don’t delay if you’re excited to take over the parkway!
French vibes
- Free pick: The Georgetown French Market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday is a sidewalk sale with live music, stilt-walkers, face painting, a mime and more. You’ll find it on Wisconsin Avenue NW between Reservoir Road and O Street.
- Take a first look inside the dazzling French restaurant now open inside a historic bank.
- La Maison Française – AKA the Embassy of France – will host a jazz concert on Thursday and the 7th Annual DC Chocolate Festival on Saturday ($25 or free for kids under 12).
- Take a French-inspired dance lesson at Glen Echo Park at 2:30 p.m. Sunday followed by a social dance for just $15 (cash/Venmo only at the door).
- Much-loved Great Falls restaurant L’Auberge Chez François celebrates its 70th anniversary with live music at a wine tasting and brunch.
Filmfest DC
Through April 28; most general admission tickets cost $14
Details
The District’s longest-running and largest film festival returns with international films, locally-made movies, shorts and more.
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
April 26 to May 5, Winchester, Virginia
Details
Cherry trees aren’t the only blossom game in the DMV! Centered in Winchester, Virginia, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival includes parades, a carnival, a wine fest, sports tournaments, beauty pageants and more over 10 days.
Project GLOW
Sat. and Sun., RFK Festival Grounds, $215.90 (two-day pass)
Details
Get your neon raver gear ready! ILLENIUM, Zedd, Lane 8, REZZ and dozens of other electronic acts are descending on the RFK Festival Grounds for this two-day music festival.
Purcellville Music and Arts Festival
Sat., noon to 7 p.m., Dillon’s Woods and the Bush Tabernacle, free
Details
Pack a lawn chair and head to the park for a day of live music, an art show and kid-friendly crafts.
The event is family-friendly – even dogs are welcome!
Parking is available at Emerick Elementary School, and some vendors only accept cash.
Celtic Festival of Southern Maryland
Sat., Jefferson Patterson Park in St. Leonard, Maryland, $25 (presale)/$30 (at gate)
Details
Head to St. Leonard, Maryland, to celebrate the heritage of the Celtic nations: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Brittany, Cornwall and Galicia/Asturias.
Concerts this weekend
Teenage Fanclub, 6 p.m. Friday, 9:30 Club, $30
The classic Scottish band returns. With multiple singer-songwriter approach, TFC was making perfect power pop back when grunge was king. Details.
David Grubbs and Eli Winter, 7 p.m. Friday, Rhizome, $10-$25
Composer and guitarist David Grubbs has had a varied and winding career in music, beginning with the acclaimed Louisville punk band Squirrel Bait in the ‘80s, then the post-punk Bastro and the avant garde Gastr del Sol (with Jim O’Rourke). He’s since played with several bands like Codeine, The Red Krayola and Bitch Magnet while contributing to even more artists and bands and releasing more than a dozen records.
Now, he’s teamed up with 26-year-old guitar composition wiz Eli Winter, heralded as a genre-hopping master of folk, rock and jazz. Should be an interesting cross-generational show. Details.
Terrence Blanchard, 8 p.m. Friday, Strathmore, $28-$108
The seven-time Grammy winning, two-time Oscar nominated composer, trumpeter and pianist brings to town his second “opera in jazz” — “Fire Shut up in My Bones.” Details.
Ty Segall, 8 p.m. Saturday, Lincoln Theatre, $35
Incredibly prolific garage rocker can play it psychedelic, folkie or grungy. Interesting venue for such a wild performer. Details.
BODEGA, 10 p.m. Saturday, Comet Ping Pong, $18.54
Brooklyn's post-punk band has pulled back the edginess of the music but not the anti-consumerism. The music has grown catchier while the lyrics continue to deliver witty commentary. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
Last chance: Artomatic
Through Sun., 2100 M Street NW, free entry
Last chance: Orchid exhibit
Through Sun., American Art Museum, free
Free wine tasting at Urban Grape
Thurs., 5-8 p.m., 1301 9th St NW, free
Ilana Glazer Live!
Thurs., Warner Theatre, $71+
“Here It Is: A Tribute to Leonard Cohen”
Fri. and Sat., The Kennedy Center, $49+
Disney Pixar’s “Elemental” screening
Fri., The Yards, free
DC United: Sustainability Night
Sat., Audi Field, $29+
Trevor Noah: Off The Record
Through Sun., DAR Constitution Hall, $150+
DC Cocktail Fest
Sat., 6:30 p.m., Dock 5 @ Union Market, $39+
The Illusionists magic show
Through Sun., The Kennedy Center, $35-$169
Things to do in Maryland
A Dance with Death: 1950's Murder Mystery Dinner
Thurs., 7 p.m., Le Fantome Food Hall in Riverdale Park, $28-$35
Montgomery County GreenFest
Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, free entry
Annual Montpelier Festival of Herbs, Tea, and the Arts
Sat., April 27, Montpelier House Museum in South Laurel, Maryland, free
Glow Golf Night
Sat., 7 p.m., Laytonsville Golf Course, $180 for two people
Arts and Crafts Fair
Sun., 1-6 p.m., Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, free entry
Things to do in Virginia
Spring Plant and Garden Sale
Sat., Mount Vernon overflow parking lot, free entry
FYI: Credit card only
PNC Parkway Classic
Sat., starts and finishes at Oronoco Bay Park
Party for the Arts
Sat., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Canal Center Plaza in Alexandria, free entry
Blue Ridge Arts & Crafts Festival
Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sam Michaels Park, free entry
Astro Beer Hall Shirlington Patio Opening Party
Sat., noon to 4 p.m., 4001 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, reservations encouraged
10th Annual Arlington Festival of the Arts
Sat. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., N. Highland and Washington Boulevard in Clarendon, free entry
Family Magic Show W/ Magician Braden Carlisle!
Sat., noon, Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, $10 (child) or $15 (adult)
Earth Daze with Aslin Beer Company and Clean Fairfax
Sun., 11a.m. to 4 p.m., 767 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia, free entry
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