Weekend Roundup, April 14 – 17
By • April 14, 2022 0 1398
Happy Easter and Passover weekend, plus the month of Ramadan! The spring holidays bring so many activities to our area: D.C. Emancipation Day, Petalpalooza, the National Zoo’s celebration of pandas and so much more.
Celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day
Join D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Saturday afternoon for a parade, food trucks and fireworks, plus a concert to celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day, a commemoration of the law ending slavery in the District on April 16, 1962. The parade begins at 2 p.m. at Pennsylvania Ave. NW and 14th St., NW. Food trucks are slated to be at Freedom Plaza beginning at 2 p.m., with the concert and fireworks scheduled for 3 p.m. (also at Freedom Plaza). Register for the events here.
Escape to Paris with the National Building Museum
Beginning tomorrow, the National Building Museum is unveiling “Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition.” The exhibit’s North American debut at the Building Museum is on the third anniversary of the devastating fire that tore through the iconic cathedral. Expect to see large photo panels, 3-D models and interactive reconstructions. More information on the exhibit can be found here.
April 15, 2019 fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The National Building Museum is hosting a Notre Dame immersive experience. Courtesy NBM.
Washington Performing Arts Features Audience Favorite Zakir Hussain in Concert
The virtuoso Zakir Hussain is bringing a new show to the Sixth & I synagogue tonight featuring his Triveni trio. Hussain will be featuring two Indian women artists: Carnatic violinista Kala Ramnath and Jayanth Kumaresh on veena. Hussain is a tabla maestro known for his groundbreaking work in fostering musical dialogue between North and South Indian music. More on the show can be found here.
It’s Panda-monium at the Zoo This Weekend
The Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and Chinese partners are celebrating 50 years of saving giant pandas. This weekend, enjoy a “Pandaversary Party at the Zoo.” The free event runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Enjoy special treats from the Chinese Embassy, dance performances, live music and lots of panda-themed activities. More information on the event can be found here.
Celebrate First Ladies at the Ritz Carlton Georgetown
Ahead of Showtime’s “The First Lady” (premiering Sunday), the Ritz Carlton has unveiled a new dessert menu inspired by the favorite sweet treats of First Ladies. Stick around all weekend to try them all: Michelle Obama’s red velvet cake, Eleanor Roosevelt’s hasty pudding, Betty Ford’s strawberry shortcake, Barbara Bush’s chocolate chip cookies and Jackie Kennedy’s strawberry Romanoff. More information on the desserts can be found here.
First Ladies’ favorite desserts are available at the Ritz Carlton Georgetown. Pictured here is Jackie Kennedy’s favorite, strawberry romanoff. Photo courtesy of the Ritz Carlton Georgetown.
It’s Petalpalooza Time!
This Saturday from 1-9 p.m., enjoy eight straight hours of art, music, a beer garden, family-friendly activities and more at the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Petalpalooza. The evening will end with a choreographed fireworks show beginning at 8:30 p.m. Best of all, Petalpalooza is free! More information on the event can be found here.
Raise Your Pinkies — It’s time for the Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience
For fans of the Netflix show Bridgerton, there is an immersive Regency-era ball experience in town through June. Enjoy period costumes, gorgeous décor and music inspired by the show’s soundtrack. Will you impress the queen? Only time will tell! More information on tickets can be found here.
Celebrate the Spring Holidays Around Town
Those who celebrate Easter will enjoy a $110 three-course Easter meal at Bourbon Steak with Maine lobster pot pie, black truffle macaroni and cheese, wagyu steak and eggs, oysters and a decadent chocolate molten cake sundae. Reservations are suggested for the meal, which will be available on Easter Sunday. More information can be found here.
If you’re still thinking about what to do for Passover, Prescription Chicken in Shaw will be hosting a pop-up tomorrow through April 24 with matzo brei, a fried matzo dish that is a breakfast favorite around this time. There will also be bagels and lox and huevos rancheros, in fried matzo form. Dishes will be available for in-person ordering and pickup from 8-11 a.m. daily during the pop-up (as well as third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc.) More on the pop-up can be found here.
Ottoman Taverna is offering a special Ramadan menu all month long. The menu is extensive and has food for every palate — red lentil soup, falafel, moussaka, baklava and more. You can find the menu and more information on the Mt. Vernon Triangle restaurant here.
