The first weekend of 2024 is here with can’t-miss art exhibits and plenty of performances to enjoy. News4’s Tommy McFly breaks it all down.
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Happy New Year! 2024 got off to a rockin’ start with an earthquake centered in Rockville, and Storm Team4 is keeping an eye on a little snow, then plenty of rain for Saturday. We’re taking those as signs for an exciting year to come.
We’re already counting down to plenty of goodness…
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We'll share our Winter Restaurant Picks on Wednesday in The Weekend Scene newsletter.
But until then, we have fun fitness, shows with some surprising twists and more to fill up these cold January days.
Elvis Birthday Fight Club
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
📅 Fri. and Sat.
📍 GALA Hispanic Theatre
💲 $33
🔗 Details
The zany wrestling show celebrating The King’s birthday is back for its 13th year, so those entering the ring should expect some side-splitting bad luck. Get ready for seven rounds of cartoonish fisticuffs featuring a secret list of celebrities, pop stars and politicians (well, impersonators) with burlesque breaks and the fight club’s inaugural drag performance.
Shows will begin at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night; it will also be in Baltimore next weekend.
Musicals you can sing along to
Two jukebox musicals – shows powered by some of your favorite songs – will be in D.C. for a couple more weekends, through Jan. 14.
“As You Like It” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company has the Bard’s romantic comedy come together with The Beatles music and a ‘60s setting.
Fans of The Avett Brothers and roots music should check out “Swept Away”, which recently extended its run at Arena Stage.
Sandbox VR
📍 McLean, Virginia
💲 $50-$55 per person
🔗 Details
Strap on a virtual reality headset and enter a different dimension where you journey to space, fight off a zombie ambush or test your fortitude in Squid Game.
Sandbox VR just opened in December and, unlike some other VR arcades we’ve visited, this one has you wear sensors on your ankles and wrists for a full-body immersive experience.
You can book a room for two to six players, which includes 30 minutes of gameplay where you move around the room wielding swords, firing lasers and dodging enemies.
It would be a fun, weather-proof birthday outing for any gamer Capricorns or Aquarians! Guests must be 48 inches or taller to play, and people under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.
ICYMI: Great museum exhibits
January is the perfect time to revisit a favorite museum and catch up on what’s new.
If you missed seeing Oprah’s portrait debut at the National Portrait Gallery over the busy holiday season, now is a great time to go.
One of the most big-deal exhibits to open in the District last year, the National Gallery of Art’s Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, is worth checking out before it closes at the end of March. You may encounter a line, so be patient!
At the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, you can visit the 9th Annual Workhouse Glass National through Jan. 14 in the Vulcan Gallery, showcasing local and national artists; and Kinetic Candy exhibit through Feb. 4.
The Glenstone Museum in Maryland recently opened “Iconoclasts,” and its retrospective on the work of minimalist painter Ellsworth Kelly is on display through March. Make sure to reserve tickets early. Admission is also guaranteed for students and visitors who arrive via the RideOn bus.
Concerts this weekend
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Birchmere, $49.50
Multi-Grammy-winning country and bluegrass legend. Details.
Jackie and the Treehorns, 8 p.m. Saturday, Pie Shop, $15
Prolific and inventive alternative rock from Alexandria. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
First Friday Art Walk - Dupont
Fri., 6-8 p.m., free
Your Rich BFF: Vivian Tu
Sat., Miracle Theatre, $29.50+
Reopening: “Beyond the Light”
Fri., ARTECHOUSE, $26+
Last chance: Georgetown Glow
Through Sun., free
Book talk: “King: A Life” by Jonathan Eig
Mon., 7 p.m., National Museum of African American History & Culture, free (in-person and virtual)
Things to do in Maryland
Film Screening: “The Endless Summer”
Thurs., 7 p.m., Gateway Arts Center in Brentwood, free
C&O Canal Sunset Hike and Bonfire by REI
Fri., 3:30 p.m., Potomac, $60-$90
Artful Afternoon
Sun., 1-3 p.m., Greenbelt Community Center, free
Book talk on Black surgeons in the Civil War
Sun., 2 p.m., National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, free
Things to do in Virginia
Last chance: Bull Run Festival of Lights and Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights
Open through Sun.
Visions of Resilience: Art for Climate Justice
Opening reception Fri., open through 1/27, Del Ray Artisans gallery in Alexandria, free
The D.C. Big Flea & Antiques Market
Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center, $10 (adults over 12)
Navidad Flamenca
Sat., 7 p.m., McLean Community Center’s Alden Theatre, $20-$30
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