Things to do the week of April 15-18, 2024
We've gathered up some things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Zen and the Open Road
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the National Museum of American History places the writer’s 1966 Honda Super Hawk motorcycle in a temporary display within the permanent America on the Move exhibit. Encounter Pirsig’s stories related to riding, writing and sailing and check out cool artifacts such as his typewriter, a manuscript of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and a recently attributed book on the 14th century bubonic plague.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560
ISEKAI: Blooming Parallel Worlds
ARTECHOUSE welcomes visitors to its seventh annual installation dedicated to celebrating the beauty of the cherry blossoms in DC. The museum treats your eyes to an exhibit inspired by the Isekai genre of Anime, allowing for the exploration of alternate universes stacked with colors, adventures and immersive technologies. Make sure to take advantage of tickets with a 10% discount.
Tickets (10% off)
ARTECHOUSE, 1238 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20024
Washington, DC International Music Festival
The Kennedy Center’s concert hall invites you to explore and engage with music from all over the world as performed by the Arrowhead Union High School Wind Ensemble (from Hartland, Wis.), the Lexington High School Wind Ensemble (from Lexington, Mass.) and the Concordia University Ann Arbor Orchestra & Choir (Ann Arbor, Mich.).
7:30 p.m. | Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Real Estate
Now 15 years into their career, Real Estate have blossomed into elder statesmen of indie rock, blazing a torch one sun-streaked song at a time. The group believes they’ve just made their best album, Daniel, which was released this past February to widespread acclaim. They’re coming to DC’s iconic 9:30 Club as confident and cohesive as ever.
7 p.m. | Tickets
9:30 Club. 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Tuesday
Celebrate DC Emancipation Day at local restaurants
Enjoy special discounts and offers at eateries throughout the District on the city's Emancipation Day. The DC Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 ended slavery in DC, freed 3,100 individuals, reimbursed those who had legally owned them and offered the newly freed women and men money to emigrate. In honor of this, have a meal at a restaurant immersed in one of the coolest and most diverse dining scenes in America on Emancipation Day.
New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024
Discover how recent global turmoil has impacted and inspired women artists. Works by 28 artists are featured in New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024, offering pieces that explore a range of geographies, cultural viewpoints and perspectives. The exhibit immerses visitors in the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ renewed spaces. It is the seventh and largest installment of the museum’s Women to Watch exhibition series.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Peter Pan
The Broadway musical based on J.M. Barrie’s legendary character turns the National Theatre into Neverland. The play, which has been dazzling audiences for more than 70 years, receives a reimagination by playwright Larissa FastHorse and is directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price. Peter Pan and his fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell, will take the entire family on a magical voyage, performing songs like “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow” and “I Won’t Grow Up” along the way.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Beyond Category: The Concert Music of Duke Ellington
DC native and musical icon Duke Ellington is most well-known for his beloved jazz compositions and standards. However, the Duke also wrote brilliant concert pieces, several of which will be celebrated by the Kennedy Center during this special performance. Jazz pianist Ellington Carthan will take the audience on a journey through Ellington’s work, including his magnificent Black, Brown, and Beige, the suite from the ballet The River and the debut of Scott Silbert’s orchestration of Caravan featuring guest conguero Felix Contreras.
7:30 p.m. | Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
The Pharcyde
With hip-hop roughly 50 years into its existence, few groups have been as distinctive as The Pharcyde. When the group released Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde in 1992, they truly were taking music fans on a journey they’d never gone on before. Mixing playful, story-minded and eccentric lyrics with jazzy, soulful beats, the group redefined West Coast hip-hop in the ‘90s. Don’t miss the group’s show at the legendary Howard Theatre.
7 p.m. | Tickets
The Howard Theatre, 620 T Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Wednesday
Grandma Moses, 'The Old Oaken Bucket', 1945.
Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860-1960
This year, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden brings you one exciting event after another in celebration of their 50th anniversary. The museum's latest exhibit features works from more than 120 artists, so we suggest giving yourself plenty of time to soak up all the wonder. The revolutionary installation offers well-known masterpieces alongside contemporary creations from a wide range of artists including Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, Lee Krasner, Wifredo Lam, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock.
10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Free admission
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue & 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20560
Message In A Bottle
A jaw-dropping new dance-theatre show from five-time Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince inspired by and set to the iconic hits of 17-time Grammy Award–winning artist Sting drops in at the Kennedy Center. Message In A Bottle focuses on three siblings in the village of Bebko, which has come under sudden attack. The trio embarks on a perilous journey to survive that will uplift and inspire.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Unknown Soldier
Arena Stage welcomes an elegiac musical that concerns Ellen Rabinowitz, who discovers a photo of an anonymous soldier while cleaning out her grandmother’s home. Daniel Goldstein and the late Michael Friedman penned this captivating tale of a woman’s journey to uncover the secrets of her family’s past, inevitably leading her towards the future.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
HAIR
Signature Theatre Company hosts a classic rock musical that broke new ground with its rebellion, spirit and psychedelic colors when it debuted in 1967. HAIR concerns a group of hippies on the verge of adulthood who champion freedom, pacifism and joy, but are confronted by a world thrown into chaos when one of their friends is drafted to the Vietnam War. The play features unforgettable songs such as “Aquarius,” “Let the Sunshine In,” and “Good Morning, Starshine”.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Thursday
Up Close with Paul Cézanne
The Phillips Collection unveils two recently conserved works by French painter Paul Cézanne in an exciting new exhibit. The major paintings, Mont Sainte-Victoire (1886-87) and Self-Portrait (1878-80), are part of the museum’s world-renowned collection by the legendary artist and will be displayed together for the first time in decades along with five other pieces by Cézanne. Learn about the conservation of Mont Sainte-Victoire and Self-Portrait and how it reveals details previously obscured by varnishes while providing insight into the artist’s process.
Hours & Admission
The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
VOCA: A Not So Quiet Nocturne
Atlas Performing Arts Center stages a new play from Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA), which supports the works of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing BIPOC artists. A Not So Quiet Nocturne takes place in New York City in the early 1990s and follows Charyn, a young Black Deaf woman who has contracted AIDS and has lost her husband and infant daughter. In the face of immense tragedy and struggle, Charyn showcases her resilience and is able to blossom and evolve even in the face of her own mortality.
Tickets
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Filmfest DC
The largest and longest-running annual international film festival in Washington, DC, Filmfest DC returns with another varied lineup featuring quite the genre exercise: comedies, dramas, thrillers, shorts and documentaries will all be on display.
More Info & Tickets
DAR Constitution Hall
John Mellencamp
Catch the highly anticipated second part of John Mellencamp's sold out tour, Live and In Person. For one night only, the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer will wow audiences with not only his unparalleled heartland Americana, but his electric stage presence, comedy and commentary. The setlist includes hits like "Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane" as well as material from his latest LP, Orpheus Rising.
8 p.m. | Tickets
DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
Places to Stay
Need some inspiration for a place to stay in between events? Washington, DC is filled with a multitude of hotels to fit your needs. Whether you are looking for that specialty boutique hotel or booking at your favorite hotel brand, Washington, DC's booking engine has it all. Find your stay today!
#Only1DC Photo of the Week
Do you know where you’ll be dining pre- or post-event? From pop-up restaurants to Michelin-starred hot spots to laid-back food halls, our DC food guide is perfect for helping you plan a more memorable experience.
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