Weekend Round Up June 21, 2018
By • June 21, 2018 0 786
Plan to stuff yourself this weekend. Metropolitan Washington BBQ & Grilling Week ends Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue will be smokin’ for the National Capital BBQ Battle. Also on Sunday, eight top chefs will cross claws at the DC Crab Cake Competition, where you can sample all eight cakes. In between meals, check out the new, free, multi-venue By The People Festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday. For more June and July events, visit The Georgetowner’s online calendar.
Chamber Dance Project Opening Night
The program for this performance, on Thursday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m., includes the world premiere of “Chant,” a ballet with live Gregorian chant, presented by Chamber Dance Project at the Lansburgh Theatre, 450 7th St. NW, in collaboration with National Cathedral Music Director Michael McCarthy. A Summer Solstice Party at Kimpton Hotel Monaco will follow. Tickets start at $155. Additional performances ($35 and $48) are Friday, June 22, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 23, at 2 and 8 p.m. For details, visit chamberdance.org.
BBQ & Grilling Week
Metropolitan Washington BBQ & Grilling Week, presented by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and sponsored by ProChile, Salmon from Chile and Patagonia Mussel, ends Friday, June 22. Area restaurants — including America Eats Tavern and Martin’s Tavern in Georgetown — are offering fixed-price options for $11, $22 and $33. For details, visit bbqweekdc.com.
‘Botticelli in the Fire’
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW, presents the U.S. premiere of “Botticelli in the Fire” by Jordan Tannahill. While painting “The Birth of Venus,” the limits of Sandro Botticelli’s dedication are tested by the arrival of a conservative priest leading a populist revolution in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s Florence. Performances are: Thursday, June 21, and Friday, June 22, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 23, at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, June 24, at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $69. For details, visit woollymammoth.net or call 202-393-3939.
Book Talk: ‘The Royal Art of Poison’
On Friday, June 22, at 7 p.m., Eleanor Herman will talk about her book “The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul” at the Alliance Française of Washington, D.C., 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW. Tickets are $15. For details, visit francedc.org or call 202-234-7911.
Melissa Etheridge at the Kennedy Center
The National Symphony Orchestra presents Melissa Etheridge, who will bring her raw, expressive voice and powerhouse guitar prowess to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for a sampling of heartfelt hits from her groundbreaking career. Performances are Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 to $99. For details, visit kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.
‘I Do’ Bridal Event
On Saturday, June 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Georgetown Main Street hosts “I Do.” More than 25 participating Wisconsin Avenue businesses will offer discounts on wedding-related services including makeovers and calligraphy lessons, plus tastings and giveaways. Check-in is at the historic Georgetown Theater, 1351 Wisconsin Ave. NW, with a swag bag for the first 250 to RSVP. Admission is free. For details, visit georgetownmainstreet.com.
David Engel Wizard Academy
David Engel will be at Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road in Vienna, Virginia, on Saturday, June 23, to lead a 10:30 a.m. trip to the Hogwarts Academy. Participating children will learn the secrets of their innermost powers and live a mystical day-in-the-life of a Wizard in Training. Tickets are $12. For details, visit wolftrap.org or call 703-255-1900.
‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
Picnic Theatre Company’s one-act version of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” will be performed at Dupont Underground, 1500 19th St. NW, on Saturday, June 23, at 7 p.m. The performance, featuring the most famous handbag in theater history, will be preceded by a cocktail hour at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15. For details, visit dupontunderground.ticketfly.com or call 919-265-8925.
America Now: Solstice Edition
Also on Saturday, June 23, at 5:30 p.m., as part of the By The People Festival and the Smithsonian-wide Solstice Saturday, the National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave. NW, hosts a speakeasy happy hour. Participants will then head over to the block party at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F Streets NW. The evening will conclude with a 9:30 p.m. concert by Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics and D.C.’s own Oddisee. Admission is free, with drinks and food available for purchase. For details, visit npg.si.edu or call 202-633-8300. For the full festival schedule, visit halcyonhouse.org.
Giant National Capital BBQ Battle
The 26th annual BBQ Battle, benefiting USO Metro and the Capital Area Food Bank, will take place on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 3rd and 7th Streets on Saturday, June 23, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, June 24, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thirty bands will perform on three stages and there will be food samples, microbrew and wine tastings, cooking demos, interactive exhibits and BBQ competitions. Celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, champion eater Joey Chestnut and the Weinermobile and Nutmobile will be on hand. Admission is $12 per day or $20 for a two-day pass. For details, visit bbqindc.com.
DC Crab Cake Competition
The Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse, 1356 Okie St. NE, and the DC Food & Beverage Collective host the 13th annual DC Crab Cake Competition on Sunday, June 24, from noon to 3 p.m., raising funds for culinary internships, scholarships and educational programs. Guests can sample crab cakes from competing chefs Marcelle Afram of Bluejacket, Cathal Armstrong of Kaliwa, Matt Baker of Gravitas, Jay Caputo of Ivy City Smokehouse, Alex Mccoy of Lucky Buns, Daniel Perron of Whaley’s, Kevin Tien of Himitsu and Bart Vandaele of Belga Cafe. There will also be an oyster bar, a New England clam chowder station and passed appetizers. Tickets are $85, which also includes selected wines, beer, tax and gratuity. For details, visit eventbrite.com.
Herbie Hancock at Strathmore
Legendary pianist and composer Herbie Hancock — who received an Oscar for his “Round Midnight” score and 14 Grammy Awards, including one for album of the year in 2008 for “River: The Joni Letters” and another for lifetime achievement in 2016 — will perform at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, Maryland, on Sunday, June 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $59 to $119. For details, visit strathmore.org or call 301-581-5100.
