Every Thursday, we share weekend events happening around the city. Are you planning an event you’d like us to consider for this roundup? Send it to our team at 51st.news/submit-events.
Find even more events in our Civics Roundup, which focuses on ways to get more involved locally.
Before the cherry blossoms depart, say goodbye with a blossom-inspired art show, bike ride, and parade. We’ve also got a spicy comedy fest, b-ball tourney and 20th-century-media swap to round out your weekend.
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
Culinary Botany: Flowers 📍 Hill’s Kitchen (713 D St. SE) ⏰ 6 - 7:30 p.m. 💸 $16 Flowers may be blooming on street corners throughout the District, but they’re not just beautiful to look at; these colorful plant components are vital to our meals. Learn more about the role of flowers in our food production at this informative gathering, hosted by a University of Maryland biologist at Capitol Hill’s cooking store.
Woke Mob Comedy Festival: “That's Hot!” 📍 Pikio Taco (1900 Connecticut Ave. NW) ⏰ 6:30 - 8 p.m. 💸 $23+ With an emphasis on “diversity, bodily autonomy, and democracy itself,” this four-day comedy summit aims to unleash the laughs while raising funds for local nonprofits, including the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights and DC Abortion Fund. The event’s first show is “That’s Hot!,” where DMV comics will crack jokes while downing spicy peppers.
Hop on a bike Friday night for a blossom-themed ride. (Conal Gallagher / Flickr)
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Art of Pink 📍 Metropolitan Park (1330 S. Fair St.; Arlington, Virginia) ⏰ 5 - 10 p.m. 💸 FREE, registration recommended
Part of National Landing’s “Pink in the Park” event series, this party is transforming a park into an indoor/outdoor art gallery. The exhibit, “BLOOM,” features work from dozens of artists with cherry blossoms as their muse. While there, catch a live “paint battle” and grab snacks and sips from Bar Chinois, Kusshi, Pentagon City Wine Merchants, and others.
Jazz Concert: Meklit Hadero 📍 National Museum of African Art (950 Independence Ave. SW) ⏰ 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 💸 FREE, registration required Ethiopian-American jazz vocalist Meklit Hadero, who makes music under her first name, released A Piece of Infinity in 2025, drawing on traditions in Ethiopian music. The museum will host the songwriter in celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Cherry Blossom Chase 📍 Dupont Circle (N & 18th Streets NW) ⏰ 7:30 p.m. 💸 FREE Volunteer-run D.C. Bike Party hosts themed monthly rides around the city. They’re often on Wednesday evenings, but this special-edition Friday night ride is focused on stopping and smelling the cherry blossoms (or at least spinning past them with dozens of your neighbors).
Got some videotapes or cassettes lying around? Head on over to Rhizome. (Mike Renlund / Flickr)
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade 📍 U.S. National Arboretum (2400 R St. NE) ⏰ 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 💸 FREE standing, $28+ seated Floats! Marching bands! Giant balloons! David Archuleta? The National Cherry Blossom Festival wraps up this weekend, but before it ends, catch the annual festival parade Saturday. (And maybe swing through the National Arboretum afterward to see what else is blooming.)
Physical Media Swap 📍 Rhizome (6950 Maple St. NW) ⏰ 12 - 4 p.m. 💸 FREE, donation suggested The A/V tech of the 20th century is back. Bring your least-wanted cassettes, videotapes, CDs, etc. over to Rhizome for this swap, and trade them out for something new (or at least, new to you) that you can throw in the ol’ VCR or boombox.
Mosh Madness 📍 Takoma Park Presbyterian Church (310 Tulip Ave., Takoma Park, Maryland) ⏰ 2:30 - 7:30 p.m. 💸 $20 They’re athletic. They’re artistic. And they’re battling for the honor of “Best Balling Artist in the Whole DMV Who Also Signed Up for This Particular Tournament.” See which local musicians win this three-on-three basketball extravaganza, accompanied by music from Pretty Bitter, Renriot, The JoGo Project, and others. Proceeds benefit the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Disc/Diversity Showcase Game at Howard 📍 Howard University Greene Stadium (Sixth and Girard Streets NW) ⏰ 5 - 7 p.m. 💸 FREE, donation suggested Five years ago, Disc/Diversity founder Shanye Crawford created the Con10enT tour to celebrate and raise the profile of Black players in ultimate frisbee. The tour stops at Howard University this weekend for a three-day event, including this showdown that features Black athletes from across the country.
Strutman Lane at 9:30 Club 📍 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW) ⏰ 5 p.m. doors 💸 $33 You’ve never heard Taylor Swift quite like this — and you just might get to hear it live when local eight-piece funk-pop band Strutman Lane (named for a Maryland street where the band used to practice) takes over the 9:30 Club. Show up on the early side to hear local openers Kids Table and Gabrielle Hights.
Tote your pup to a floral yappy hour — or meet adoptable pets there! (Ren Kuo / Flickr)
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
Spring Into Fitness 📍 Alethia Tanner Park (227 Harry Thomas Way NE) ⏰ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 💸 FREE, registration required Try out a range of wellness classes, take a walk through NoMa, enter raffles from fitness brands, and grab snacks from on-site vendors at this morning fitness fest. Get there early for your chance at a limited supply of neighborhood-branded yoga mats.
Paws & Petals Yappy Hour 📍Metrobar (640 Rhode Island Ave. NE) ⏰ 1 - 4 p.m. 💸 FREE, registration recommended Bring your dog over to this afternoon hang, featuring spring-themed beverages and pet health tips from Bond Vet. If you’ve been thinking about adopting, City Dogs and City Kitties Rescue will also be there!
Profs & Pints: History of Plastic Surgery 📍 Highline RxR (2010 Crystal Dr.; Arlington, Virginia) ⏰ 6 - 8:30 p.m. 💸 $15+ Join Wendy Chen, a surgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, for this discussion of plastic surgery’s origin story — which, perhaps surprisingly, dates back thousands of years.
Eliza Tebo is a multimedia journalist reporting for regional and national outlets. She specializes in arts and culture features, with bylines in The Washington Post, NPR, Grammy.com, The 51st, WAMU/DCist, Washington City Paper and Arlington Magazine.
Spring is here! Celebrate the city's favorite season by dancing with DMV-based DJs, taking a culinary trip to Eatonville, and exploring LGBTQ+ identity through African art.
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