Weekend Roundup, May 18 – 21
By • May 18, 2023 0 1315
As we round out the spring and gear up for the unofficial kickoff to summer next week, so many great May activities await. Whether you’re biking to work for the aptly named “Bike to Work Day” or seeing “Beetlejuice” at The National Theatre or heading to events at Glen Echo Park, Congressional Cemetery of more, it should be a great weekend. Enjoy!
Don’t Say It Three Times… Beetlejuice at National Theatre
The musical based on Tim Burton’s classic movie is at The National Theatre now through May 28. Beetlejuice is directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers with an original score by Tony Award nominee Eddie Perfect. Keep in mind, if you’ve seen the movie, the musical is much of the same content: strong language, mature references and is recommended for ages 10+. More information on how to get tickets can be found here.
Oh Rats! Don’t Miss This Meeting
Beginning in just minutes is a Public Health Community Meeting with the Citizens Association of Georgetown. The topic will be reducing rats and trash and will feature remarks from the Georgetown Business Improvement District, D.C.’s Rodent Control Division and Georgetown University’s Office of Neighborhood Life. The location of the meeting is Christ Church Georgetown at 31st and O Streets NW. More information on the meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. can be found here. Refreshments served. Livestream available.
Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day!
On May 19, commuters are encouraged to leave their cars behind, save their Metro money for the weekend and take their bike to work. Riders will have over 100 pit stops throughout the DMV and BellRinger, a community working together to support cancer research, will be located at four stops around the area from Rosslyn to Bethesda. At Georgetown Waterfront Park the BID is hosting a pit-stop from 7-9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. More information on Bike to Work Day can be found here.
Get out and ride! Friday May 19 is Bike to Work Day. Courtesy BellRinger.
The Georgetown Rare Book Fair Is Back to Delight
Last year’s first Georgetown Rare Book Fair was so successful, another one is happening this week! Enjoy antiquarian booksellers from across the country at the City Tavern Club Saturday and Sunday. Friday evening is ticketed (if you want to get into the preview, click here). More info on Saturday and Sunday’s events can be found here.
The 2nd annual Georgetown Rare Book Fair is this weekend. Courtesy Georgetown Rare Book Fair.
The Dragons Are Coming! Enjoy the DC Dragon Boat Festival
One of Georgetown’s great riverfront spectacles, the DC Dragon Boat Festival returns to Thompson’s Boat Center, 2900 Virginia Ave. NW on Saturday May 20, starting at 9:00 a.m. Dragon boating is based on the 2300 year-old legend of Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and statesman who committed an act of protest by drowning himself in the Mei Lo river around 278 B.C.E. As local fisherman paddled their boats and thrashed the water, the sport of dragon boating honoring Qu Yuan’s sacrifice was born. In addition to team races, the festival includes eye-dotting ceremonies, lion dances, and other cultural demonstrations. For more info go here.
Courtesy DC Dragon Boat Festival.
JxJ Festival Ends This Weekend
The 31st Washington Jewish Film Festival and 22nd Washington Jewish Music Festival is winding down this weekend. JxJ features over 50 films, concerts and conversations and this year marked the first that the festival reached the whole DMV area. For more information on where to catch the last weekend’s offerings, click here.
Financial Times’ FT Weekend is Here
With big names galore, Financial Times’ annual FT Weekend is back at THE REACH at The Kennedy Center. Speakers include Hillary Clinton, Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Melissa Chiu, actress Jamie Lee Curtis and more. More on the weekend events can be found here, and if you’d like to attend, the venue is offering $20 off to Georgetowner readers. You can register here with the promo code discount.
Aerial view of the Kennedy Center and REACH. Photo by Richard Barnes. Courtesy Kennedy Center.
Join Glen Echo for their “Gala in the Park: Dancing into the Future”
This year’s Gala in the Park at Glen Echo Park plans to celebrate the Spanish Ballroom’s 90th anniversary and the diverse cultural programs at the park. There will be a silent auction, reception, dinner, awards presentation, live music and of course lots of carousel rides! More information on the event can be found here.
Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo. Courtesy Glen Echo.
Historic Congressional Cemetery will be Coming “Alive” this Weekend
This weekend at Historic Congressional Cemetery, check out “Gentleman’s Gambit,” a new and interactive immersive outdoor theater event Friday and Saturday evening. On Sunday, don’t miss the J. Edgar Hoover Graveside Event with Beverly Gage. The event is held in partnership with East City Bookshop. Yale historian Gage will be speaking about her book “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century.” After her speech, there will be a Q&A and book signing.
Arena Stage’s Voices of Now Festival Returns for the 18th Annual Production
The four-night event running now through May 20 at Arena Stage includes plays written and performed by nine ensembles of young, up-and-coming aritsts in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas. Over 70 artists ages 11 to 28 are showcasing original and biographical theater. More information on the festival can be found here.
Limited Tickets Left to Mount Vernon’s Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour
Now is the time to purchase tickets left for Sunday only for Mount Vernon’s popular Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour. Bring a blanket and relax on the lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Sample wines from local wineries and enjoy some live music too. More information on the event can be found here.
The Mount Vernon spring wine festival is back for the weekend only. Courtesy Mount Vernon.
Fine Wine Series Sips into Session
A Black-owned and operated lifestyle series to introduce young, Black professionals to learn about and indulge in wine is this weekend at Sandlot Anacostia. There are plans for a DJ, giveaways, and more with a brunch to culminate the weekend. More information on the events can be found here.
Turkey Earthquake Relief Concert this Sunday
A concert will be held this Sunday afternoon at Nolan Center for The Performing Arts (on Georgetown Visitation’s campus) to benefit Turkey earthquake relief. The “Turkiye Earthquake Relief Concert and Fundraiser” will be 3 to 6 p.m. and plans are to donate the proceeds to the Children Welfare Center. The center has been recently established to support Turkish-American doctors to give treatment and cover expenses for prosthetics for youth left amputated due to the earthquakes. More information on the concert can be found here.
See the Premiere of ‘The Love Letters of Ulysses S. Grant,’ with Scenes From Oak Hill Cemetery
Remember our Mapping Georgetown story about “A Presidential Love Story for the Ages”? On June 4 — the day in 1844 that Grant “wrote his first love letter to Julia” — attend the film’s premiere at Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
