News4’s Tommy McFly breaks down the best things to do the D.C. area for the first weekend of May.
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Editor's Note: The Running of the Chihuahuas at The Wharf has been rescheduled to Sunday, May 19 due to the weather.
We’re back at work/school, but D.C. is in full spring break mode… just in case you weren’t tipped off by a student tour group using every single fork at Nando’s (unfortunately, a true story).
But if your PTO is lagging your wanderlust, never fear. Embassy tours, Derby parties and Cinco de Mayo fiestas are more than enough for a super fun staycation this weekend (despite some rain in the forecast. Check with any outdoor events before you go!).
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It’s like your parents used to say… We have spring break at home!
Weekend highlights
Free pick
Around the World Embassy Tour
Sat., 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
🔗 Details
You can go around the world in a day – without a passport – when dozens of embassies open their doors to the public this Saturday and next.
Tommy visited the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago, just one place going all-out for the tour with soca dancing, steel drums and carnival vibes during the Around the World Embassy Tour.
“As you walk in, you’ll feel the natural warmth of the Caribbean,” Joan Bremmer, the embassy’s senior officer, said.
Countries from Angola to Zambia will share music, dance, kid-friendly crafts and cuisine. You can find a list of each embassy’s offerings here (Click “Embassy Activities”). Here’s a map showing all the locations.
Take a peek at The Weekend Scene newsletter for pro tips for a full day of globe-trotting.
- Next up: The EU Open House on Saturday, May 11, is when you can check in on your favorite European Union countries.
Free pick
National Cathedral Flower Mart
Fri., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., National Cathedral in Northwest D.C.
🔗 Details
In addition to the showstopping International Floral Display and the huge plant sale, Flower Mart visitors can ride an antique carousel, watch free performances and climb the cathedral’s skyscraping towers. Activities for kids and food vendors will be on-site.
International City Food Festival
Fri., 4-9 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., The Square (1875 I St NW, Washington, D.C.), free admission
🔗 Details
Celebrating how food brings people together, this festival is set to present performances, crafts and vendors from around the world inside the downtown food hall.
Sligo Creek Fest
Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Silver Spring, Maryland, free
🔗 Details
Montgomery County is trying something new. A stretch of Sligo Creek Parkway is going to the walkers, bikers, boarders and dogs (as long as they're leashed) for an outdoor festival!
From Dennis Avenue to University Boulevard, you'll find a stage with live music, kids' performances, food trucks, a beer tent featuring local breweries and hands-on activities.
RESCHEDULED: Running of the Chihuahuas
🔗 Details
Note that this even has been rescheduled to Sunday, May 19.
Concerts this weekend
Bad Moves, 8 p.m. Friday, Songbyrd, $15/$18
Single release show for four D.C. punk veterans who got together almost a decade ago to make incredibly infectious power pop. Details.
Chastity Belt, 8 p.m. Saturday, Black Cat, $20
Indie rockers are touring in support of their fifth LP, “Live Laugh Love.” Over the past decade-plus, they’ve moved away from tongue-in-cheek feminist wit to more serious and introspective songwriting that’s more subdued and quieter, as rock bands often tend to as they age. Details.
Owen, 8 p.m. Saturday, Songbyrd, $15/$18
Intimate solo project of Mike Kinsella, veteran of emo legends Cap’n Jazz and American Football. Maryland’s guitar-godly, post-hardcore band Spring Silver opens. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
Smithsonian Craft Show
Weds. to Sun., National Building Museum, $20 for general admission
MVT20 festival
Sat., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 600 block of K Street NW, free
Nationals STAR WARS™ Weekend
Fri., Sat. and Sun.
Friday night fireworks
Ballpark Boathouse kayaking season set to begin
Fri., Navy Yard
NGA First Saturdays
Sat., National Gallery of Art, free
Adams Morgan Spring PorchFest
Sat., 2-6 p.m., 18th Street NW, free entry
Things to do in Maryland
City of College Park Parade
Sat., 10 a.m., begins at Hollywood Shopping Center on Rhode Island Avenue, free
"May the Fourth Be With You" Star Wars movie festival
Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $10 per ticket
Things to do in Virginia
Quantico 14th Annual International Wine & Food Festival
Fri., 4-8 p.m., The Clubs at Quantico, $50
FYI: Check Marine Base Quantico access rules
Revolutionary War Weekend
Sat. and Sun., George Washington’s Mount Vernon, $22 (youth)/$35 (adults)
Run the Greenway
Sat., Loudoun Station, $25-$65 (free for kids 4 and under)
Rosslyn Reads Book Festival
Sat., 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Central Place Plaza (1800 N Lynn St.), free
Alexandria Art Show and Craft Spring Fair
Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., John Carlyle Square Park in Alexandria, free entry
NVA Thai Street Food & Culture Festival
Sun., The Manassas Museum, free entry
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