News4’s Tommy McFly breaks down the best things to do the weekend of Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day.
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Special announcement! Tommy McFly and The Scene Team talk to so many cool people around town. We decided, why not put our heads together to help YOU have the best weekend you can?
Next week, Ron Moten, curator of the Go-Go Museum, will be the first EVER guest author for The Weekend Scene newsletter.
He’ll have an inside look at The Go-Go Museum & Cafe, which opens officially next week, and other great places to visit in the Anacostia area. He knows D.C., and we have some exciting surprises in store! Sign up for The Weekend Scene newsletter (it’s free!) to get Moten’s weekend picks on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
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4 things to know for the weekend
- Weekend weather: Plan some indoor activities because a little snow and a lot of rain are expected this weekend. Here’s your forecast.
- The National Cathedral is giving you a time and place to be mindful all week long. Take a beat with “Seeing Deeper: Mindfulness Through Light and Movement.” Info here.
- Love is in the air! If you’re looking for date ideas – or a singles-friendly activity – we’ve got you covered below and in our full guide.
- Black History Month continues and so do the events to celebrate it. This weekend, try a Black Artisans Market in Brentwood, or one of these museum exhibits.
Valentine's Day picks
Get crafty
Fri., Sat. and Sun., Hammer & Stain Rockville, prices vary
🔗Details
If your lover is a fan of DIY, this Rockville craft studio has a whole host of date-night options. From an open studio day with sign- and pottery-painting options to a “Coasters and Cocktails” night to a “Treats and Tarot” afternoon (where you can decorate your own chocolate-covered strawberries!), there’s something for everyone at every skill level.
Dance at Glen Echo Park
Sat., 8:30 - 11:30 p.m., Glen Echo Park, $15 (in advance) - $20 (door price)
🔗Details
Want to twirl your beau around the dance floor? Glen Echo Park hosts social dances, and this Saturday you can attend a Heartbreakers' Honky Tonk dance in the Bumper Car Pavilion. Jam out to Baltimore native Americana band Rusty Sal and practice your two-step.
Other social dances this weekend include contra, swing, Bollywood, waltz and tango.
Whisk up a cooking date
Sat. and Sun., La Cosecha, $150 for 2 people
🔗Details
Skillette, a cooking school inside Union Market’s La Cosecha, has all the foodies covered. The classes are offered on a weekly basis, but Valentine’s weekend options include courses on winter salads, chicken and dumplings, eclairs and cream puffs and how to prepare an entire leg of lamb.
If none of these are quite right, you can always take a page out of Tommy’s book – but you’ll need some cash to burn to show how much you care. He recommends hard-boiling first.
Single and salty? Embrace it
Not everyone is in love this Valentine’s weekend, and that should be embraced.
Let a cat do its business on your ex
All February long, Crumbs and Whiskers, $5
🔗Details
Local cat café Crumbs and Whiskers is hosting their, ahem, “S**t on Your Ex” campaign all month long. Donate $5 to cover the medical bills of cats and kittens that need forever homes, and they’ll write your ex’s name in a litter box. You can guess where it goes from there.
Clearwater Ex-Terminators
All February long, Clearwater Nature Center, $20 (virtually) - $30 (in-person)
🔗Details
In a similar vein, if a breakup is bugging you, this nature center in Clinton, Maryland – for a small fee – will name a roach after your ex and feed it to residents like Chiba the snapping turtle. 🐢 Is it a healthy way to get over them? Who knows. But there are worse ways to be petty than supporting a local nature reserve.
Presidents Day
Free pick
George Washington’s Birthday
Mon., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mount Vernon
🔗 Details
Presidents Day was originally created to honor America’s very first president, and George Washington's former estate offers free entry on the holiday.
Monday visitors to Mount Vernon can see the presidential tribute at Washington’s tomb, listen to some fife and drums, and even make George a birthday card.
There’s a limited number of tickets available, so get to the historic Alexandria mansion early for your best chance.
Free Pick
Capital Orchestra Festival
Mon., 2 p.m., Kennedy Center
🔗 Details
What’s better than one orchestra? FIVE orchestras! Groups from South Carolina, Iowa, Florida and Connecticut will perform pieces by some of the famous composers you know and love. The show will run for about two and a half hours, with a short intermission.
More weekend highlights
Free Pick
Love, Hope and Art Crimes
Through Feb. 21, Honfleur Gallery, gallery hours 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Thurs. - Sat. or by appointment.
🔗 Details
Tons of famous artists started their creative journey with street art and graffiti, then went on to create masterpieces. Street art, like the hip-hop culture it’s a part of, is also a tool for self-expression, rebellion and storytelling for marginalized communities. This exhibit in Anacostia features work from 10 artists that bridge the gap between urban culture and fine art. You can see them for free for another week and a half – including on Valentine’s Day, if you’re looking for another date idea.
Free Pick
Step Afrika!
Fri. to Sun., various locations
🔗 Details
The land of the world’s largest pupusa is trying to break another world record. Step Afrika! (think dance company, but for stepping) is celebrating thirty years of dance with their “Step Classic” around D.C.
The three day celebration kicks off with a private welcome reception on Friday evening. Saturday is the headlining event with a free community day open to the public at the National Building Museum. At 11 a.m., artists will attempt to make a Guinness World Record for largest stepping dance.
Then on Sunday, catch Step Afrika! perform at the Warner Theatre.
Concerts this weekend
Washington Social Club, 7 p.m. Friday, DC9, $19.57
D.C. darlings have been playing infectious power pop for years but haven’t been very active of recent. Great chance to refamiliarize or introduce yourself to a truly fun band. Details.
Cymande, 7 p.m. Saturday, Howard Theatre, $30-$50
Brilliant British funk band influenced by the music of the Caribbean islands some of the members came from – a unique sound that’s mellow but not slow and joyful without getting cheesy. After a short run in the ‘70s, they’ve been at it again for more than a decade and have just released a new album, “Renascence.” Details.
Birthday Girl DC and Flowers for the Dead, 6 p.m. Sunday, The Pocket, $15/$18
Couple of D.C.’s best bands. Birthday Girl DC is a terrific, young indie rock trio of D.C. alternative rock progeny with a bright future. Flowers for the Dead is an excellent entry into the ‘90s alt-rock revival. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
Arts and museums
“Seeing Deeper”: Mindfulness Through Light and Movement: Mon. to Sat., Washington National Cathedral, $15-$27
Orchids: Masters of Deception: Feb. 14 to April 27, US Botanic Garden, free
Great Movies in the Great Hall: “Dune”: Sat., 6:30 p.m., National Building Museum, $15 (free for kids under 12)
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day Paint & Sip: Fri., 6:30 p.m., The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center, $50
Valentine's Day Showcase: Fri., 7:30 and 9:45 p.m., DC Improv, $27 GA/ $42-$47 reserved
Sports
Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic: Sat. to Mon., Washington Convention Center
WWE NXT - Vengeance Day: Sat., Entertainment and Sports Arena
Theater, comedy and dance
American Ballet Theatre: Crime and Punishment: Weds. to Sun., The Kennedy Center, $50+
Theater - “Games Women Play”: Thurs. to Sat., National Theatre
Step Afrika! Community Day: Sat., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., National Building Museum
Dance - Step Afrika! Step Show: Sun., 6 p.m., Warner Theatre
Theater - “Kunene and the King”: Feb. 16 to March 16, Shakespeare Theatre Company
Concerts and music
Concert - R&B Invitation Tour: Joe, Musiq Soulchild & Eric Benet: Sat. and Sun., DAR Constitution Hall
Concert - A Night of Love DC: Trey Songz & Tamar Braxton: Sun., 6 p.m., Entertainment & Sports Arena
Capital Orchestra Festival: Mon. (Feb. 17), The Kennedy Center, free
Things to do in Maryland
The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival: Fri. to Sun., Bethesda Marriot, $31.05+ (single tickets)
Full Moon Fridays: A Night Under the Stars: Fri., 5:30-7 p.m., Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda, $15
Boyz II Men: Fri. and Sat., MGM National Harbor
Cub Corner: Bessie Coleman: Sat., 10:30-11:30 a.m., College Park Aviation Museum, $5 adult/$4 senior/$2 student/free children under 2
Strathmore Music Center Birthday Bash: Sat. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., North Betheesda, free
Modern Weaving Workshop: Sun., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Shop Made in Maryland - College Park, $90.97
Black Artisans Market: Sat., noon to 4 p.m., miXt Food Hall in Brentwood, free entry
Eternal Love Heart Painting & Cookie Decorating: Sat., 2 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $13.50-$15
The Sound of DC: A Visual History of Go-Go Artist and Curator Talk: Sat., 2-4 p.m., Brentwood Arts Exchange, free
Valentine Comedy Game Night: Sat., 6:30 p.m., Busboys & Poets Hyattsville, $27
Concert – Black Alley: Sat., 9 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $35
Cake & Sip Class: Sun., 4 p.m., Whelan’s Beer and Wine in Potomac, $110
Josiah Henson Museum and Park open for Presidents Day: Mon., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., North Bethesda, $4 for kids and $5 for adults
Things to do in Virginia
“In the Heights”: Feb. 11 to May 4, Signature Theatre in Arlington, $40+
Middleburg’s 14th Annual Winter Weekend Sale: Fri. to Mon.
Movie screening - “Dirty Dancing”: Fri., 7 p.m., Library of Congress’ Packard Campus Theater in Culpeper, free
Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea at Mount Vernon Inn: Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mount Vernon, $70 per person
George Washington Birthday Parade: Sat., 2-5 p.m., Old Town Alexandria, free
Black History Month at the Meeting House: Sat., noon to 3 p.m., Frying Pan Farm Park, free but registration required
Free admission to Mount Vernon for George Washington's birthday: Mon., Feb. 17
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