Lunar New Year, performances, arts
Fire and Ice Festival. Image courtesy of The Wharf.
Happy holidays everyone!
It’s cold outside, but that doesn’t stop this fun group from weekend fiestas. Sample new alcohol-free cocktails at the Non-Alcoholic Drinks Celebration, or get cozy with fire dancers and live music at the Wharf outdoor party.
The best things to do on the weekend
- Mindful Drinking Festival. The ultimate Dry January event brings a host of non-alcoholic beverage tasting workshops to Selina DC. Derek Brown Mindful Drinking Festival It will also include a bartender competition serving non-alcoholic spirits and wines, where guests can vote on their favorite. There’s a party after that, too (Saturday, $75 or up tickets for the great tasting are sold out, but all-day admission tickets are still available, Northeast, DC).
- Fire and Ice Festival. Head to The Wharf for an afternoon filled with live entertainment. Third annual Fire and Ice Festival It’ll turn up the heat with a DJ, fire swirls, s’mores at the fire pit, and whiskey tastings. Cool off with rounds of cornhole and shuffleboard on ice (Saturday, Free, Wharf).
- Musical “Cats”. Rediscover Broadway this weekend at the National Theatre. Andrew Lloyd Webber the cats Filled with exciting choreography, detailed costume design, and performances of songs like “Memory” (Thursday-Sunday, $35, National Theatre).
- Lunar New Year at MGM. Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit MGM National Harbor. You can see a vibrant display of jade rock fountains, a 15-foot-tall animatronic rabbit, a money tree, and more holiday-themed decorations at the conservatory through March 18. Pan-Asian Ginger Restaurant offers a special Lunar New Year menu until January 29th. There is a traditional lion dance show that starts in the casino and ends in the winter garden (The Sun, Free, MGM National Harbor).
- Our Fight for Justice: A Day in Action. The National Portrait Gallery hosts a Work day In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event will feature art pop-ups and live music by DJ Adrian Loving and emcee Healacist HipHop Momma Princess Best, along with tours of the permanent exhibition.The struggle for justiceand discussions with local social justice activists. The program is geared toward high school and college students, but is open to all (Sun, courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery).
Want more things to do?
Budget friendly. go to the US Air Force Orchestra A chamber concert highlighting elements of jazz, funk, hip-hop, and more (Thursdays are free in Alexandria). Laugh out loud with a group of comedians at Kelly Irish Times (Thursday, free, NW DC).
Arts and culture. Watch the multisensory exhibitPreston Singletary: The Raven and the Daylight Fund‘ before closing (Through January 29, free of charge, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian). Join a three-session webinar: Staking Claim: Latino Art and American American Experiences (Fri, free, virtual, National Gallery of Art). Opinion A sky of shattered glass reflected by the bright sunBy the artist Stephanie Mercedes at the House of Culture (Saturdays through February 25th, free, Southwest DC). Sit down to an artist talking about his oil paintings Zenith Gallery (Saturday, free, Northwest DC). Visit a receptionPlanting worlds within what you can’tat the Washington Art Project (Saturday, free, Northwest DC). Check out the cartoon-themed artwork on display at Nepenthe Gallery (Thursday-Saturday, free, Alexandria).
History and heritage talks. Honoring the life of an activist scholar Mike Davis At Creative Grounds (Thursday, free, NW DC).
Theater and performances. Attend the Washington National Opera play about The National Negro Opera Company Founder Mary Cardwell Dawson (Fri-Sun, $49+, Kennedy Center). Get tickets for the grand opening show at New Give A Hoot Comedy Club, featuring comedian Chris Cuccia; A portion of the proceeds will go to local charities (Fri-Sat, $20, Gaithersburg). Watch a theatrical play first face at Harman Hall (Thursday-Friday, $20, Northwest DC)or The seagull at Harman Hall (Sunday – Feb. 3, $20, Northwest, DC). Don’t miss the opening The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boya new production at the Museum of the Bible (Through March 4, $54 or more, SW D.C.). Live recording experience for Not another D&D Podcast (Thursday, $70, Lincoln Theatre).
Music and concerts. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Korea with Drums Washington Samolnori In honor of the Lunar New Year (The Sun, free, National Gallery of Art). Party with the DJ and start your karaoke skills at Ginza Lunar New Year celebration (Saturday, $58+, Southeast DC). Relaxing meditation music with Verdi’s Requiem and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Thursday-Sat, $25 or up, Baltimore, Bethesda). Check out an evening of music with DC’s songwriters on Pearl Street Depot (Thursday, $10+, The Wharf). Listen to Live classical music From the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program (Thursday, free, virtual, Kennedy Center). Put on your dancing shoes and join in Country dance, night and competition (Thursday, $10+, Arlington). Rapper Future and special guests You make a stopover tour of the capital (Sun, $115; Capital One Circuit). DC hip-hop experimental duo Home form Performs at Comet Ping Pong (Fri, $18 or up, Northwest, DC). And Shangela Live at Warner Theatre (Friday, $27+, Northwest DC).
game night. Here’s a fun way to liven up your bingo game: put on your pajamas and game The game with the friendly neighborhood goat (Saturday, $40, Arlington).
Things to do with kids. Lunch and a movie? We are back. Watch a movie show fools While eating breakfast in a restaurant Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Saturday, $11, Northeast DC, Arlington). Discover a new exhibit at the National Children’s Museum: “XOXO: An exhibition on love and forgiveness” (Opens Saturdays, Closed Tuesdays, $16, Northwest, DC).
Share. Volunteer at live plant! and assistance in planting large greenhouses (Saturday, Free, Silver Spring).
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Brianna A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in researching the history and culture of DC. She is the author of Black History, Black Broadway in Washington, DCa story first published in The Washingtonian in 2016.