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.
Even though earlier this week it was 80+ degrees and sunny, it’s still the middle of March. Despite the perpetually unpredictable weather, this time of year is filled with fun activities: From magic to movies, soccer to skipping small talk, Persian New Year to Pi Day, this weekend holds a wide world of possibilities. Plus, Women’s History Month celebrations are continuing across the city!
THURSDAY, MAR. 12
Artist Talk: Arlene Shechet 📍 Hirshhorn Museum (7th St. & Independence Ave. SW) ⏰ 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. 💸 FREE (advance registration recommended) For decades, artist Arlene Shechethas been experimenting with forms and materials, creating sculptures that seem to defy the rules of physics. To celebrate her sculpture “Maiden May” coming to the Hirshhorn, the artist will be speaking at the museum with curator Anne Reeve. You may have seen her work before at places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Centre Pompidou, the National Gallery of Art, or Storm King Art Center.
Down the Rabbit Hole: A Journey Through Magic and Illusion 📍 The DC Arts Center (2438 18th St. NW) ⏰ 7 p.m. 💸 $17.10 ($8 for a livestream ticket) Watch closely, and you might just be able to see something incredible at this night of illusion and magic. Headliner Peter Wood describes himself as a “collector of the impossible” — a collection of strange and interesting objects including paintings, cameras, and other oddities contribute to his magical experiences.
Story District: She Comes First 📍 Penn Social (801 E St. NW) ⏰ 6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. show 💸 $38.82 Every year, Story District celebrates Women’s History Month with a night of bold, funny, honest storytelling from local women. Seven storytellers from different backgrounds will share tales of love, hardship, ambition, friendship, motherhood, and more.
Ska Night at Wonderland 📍 Wonderland Ballroom (1101 Kenyon St. NW) ⏰ 8:30 p.m. doors 💸 $15 cash/$17 card Calling all rude boys and girls to Wonderland’s monthly celebration of ska and reggae! Put on your checkered Vans and head to the upstairs bar, where you can skank all night long to music from Bad Leavers and the Maka Sticks.
Celebrate Nowruz at the National Museum of Asian Art this weekend. (White House / Flickr)
FRIDAY, MAR. 13
Nowruz Family Festival 📍 National Museum of Asian Art (1050 Independence Ave. SW) ⏰ 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 💸 FREE (advance registration recommended) Nowruz, which marks the vernal equinox and the first day of spring, has been celebrated in Iran and much of the Ancient Near East for 3,000 years. Today, people mark the 13 days of festivities with an array of unique regional variations. This festival at the Asian Art Museum is just one day — but offers ways for the whole family to celebrate, including storytelling performances, calligraphy instruction, a scavenger hunt, and more. Persian food and sweets from local businesses will be available to purchase.
Book Talk: Medium Rare, A. Natasha Joukovsky 📍 Solid State Books (600 H St. NE) ⏰ 7 - 8 p.m. 💸 $7.72, or $23.31 with a book A. Natasha Joukovsky’s modern tragicomedy Medium Rare transforms the myth of Icarus into a romp through bureaucracy, B-list fame, and college basketball. It’s a shrewd examination of desire and credibility that examines why so many refuse to listen when prophetic women speak. Joukovsky will discuss the book with local writer Rachel Vorona Cote.
Skip the Small Talk Night 📍 metrobar (640 Rhode Island Ave. NE) ⏰ 7 - 9 p.m. 💸 $19 Ever find yourself wishing you could jump past chatting about weather and jobs and get straight into the deep stuff? Think: What makes you feel fulfilled, what you wish more people knew about you, or how you were shaped by the people who raised you. This is your chance to connect on a deeper level with strangers (maybe new friends?). In addition to “big talk” conversational prompts, the organizers will provide ground rules for safer sharing.
Washington Spirit 2026 Season Home Opener 📍 Audi Field (100 Potomac Ave. SW) ⏰ 8 - 11 p.m. 💸 $33.79+ Our Washington Spirit are kicking off the 2026 home season with a game against the Portland Thorns. This is the first chance to see the Spirit’s star forward Trinity Rodman back on the field in D.C. after she signed a record-setting contract earlier this year. The game will also feature the debut of the Spirit Crew, the NWSL’s first-ever co-ed dance team, performing a special halftime show. More on how to root for the team in our season preview.
March 14 is a great day to celebrate pi(e) in all its possible forms. (Rob Wicks / Unsplash)
SATURDAY, MAR. 14
Big Draw Festival 📍 National Building Museum (401 F St. NW) ⏰ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 💸 FREE This all-day festival is a celebration of drawing and coloring, with chances to meet and learn from local artists. Throughout the day you’ll find activities like demonstrations and workshops from Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay, a coloring workshop with illustrator Trap Bob, and more. You can bring your own sketchbook if you have one, but if not the museum will have plenty of materials on hand for experimenting.
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SPONSORED: From the Red Carpet to the Museum 📍 National Museum of the American Indian (Fourth St. & Independence Ave. SW) ⏰ 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 💸 FREE Hear from the artists behind the porcupine quillwork that adorns two Gucci dresses currently on view at the National Museum of the American Indian. Enjoy artist demonstrations, a curator-led tour, and more!
Mrs. Bethune and the Women's Army Corps 📍 Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site (1318 Vermont Ave. NW) ⏰ 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 💸 FREE Mary McLeod Bethune was one of the 20th century’s most important Black educators, civil and women’s rights leaders. In addition to her pioneering work in education, she was a member of the advisory board that in 1942 created the Women’s Army Corps. In honor of Women's History Month, the National Historic Site within the last home she lived in is hosting an event that explores the role women played in the military during World War II. Park rangers dressed in Women’s Army Corps uniforms will be there to guide visitors through the site and answer questions.
Pi Day Matinee 📍 Pie Shop (1339 H St. NE) ⏰ 1:30 p.m. doors, 2 p.m. show 💸 FREE There may be no better way to celebrate Pi Day than an afternoon punk show at the Pie Shop. Whether you’re in the area already, or further out in its radius, come by for free music from local bands Careless Flight, JJX, and losol, as well as specials on pies of all flavors.
The Science of Blind Wine Tasting 📍 Because Science (1759 Columbia Rd. NW) ⏰ 4 - 6 p.m. 💸 $25 This interactive tasting event, led by The Wine Zen founder Camille Cobbs, is designed to make learning about wine fun and unpretentious. You’ll learn how to trust your own palate while tasting. Tickets include a guided tasting and a four-glass flight, plus a chance to win a prize.
Pi Day Celebration 📍 National Children’s Museum (1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) ⏰ 5 - 6:30 p.m. 💸 $18.95, FREE for members and children under 1 The National Children’s Museum is staying open late to celebrate what is perhaps the year’s most mathematically significant day. Hands-on activities explore pi in mathematical, scientific, and artistic senses. And of course, there will be something round to eat — pizza is included with the price of admission.
Emo Night 📍 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW) ⏰ 10 p.m. 💸 $36.50 Grab your eyeliner and your skinny jeans for this dance party, where emo and pop punk will be bumping all night long. Scream-singalongs and mosh pits are encouraged.
At a walking tour this weekend, learn more about the National Woman Suffrage Parade in 1913. (Library of Congress)
SUNDAY, MAR. 15
Teen Studio Series: Stamp and Zine Making 📍 National Gallery of Art (4th St. and Constitution Ave. NW) ⏰ 2 - 5 p.m. 💸 FREE Printmaker and book artist Sarah Matthews uses layering and color to create her wonderfully textured work. She aims to challenge stereotypes and empower her audience to recognize the beauty, intelligence, and importance of all people, no matter where they come from. At this workshop, she’ll teach you how to make stamps and zines that reflect the things that make you special. All the materials you need will be provided. (Heads up: This event is only for teenagers, so you have to be between 13 - 19 to sign up.)
Walking Tour: Women Who Changed America 📍 Meet outside Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter Metro station (7th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW) ⏰ 2 - 4 p.m. 💸 $35 per person (FREE for government employees) This two-hour walking tour explores the local sites significant to historic women who fought for equality, freedom, and prosperity for their fellow citizens. You’ll see places that were important in the stories of American Red Cross founder Clara Barton, civil rights activist Dorothy Height, and workers’-rights advocate Frances Perkins, along with those of the thousands of suffragists who first marched for voting rights in March 1913.
DC Film Society Oscars Watch Party 📍 Arlington Cinema 'N' Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike; Arlington, Virginia) ⏰ 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show 💸 $15 for DC Film Society and WIFV members, $20 for the general public It’s only once in a Blue Moon that we can come to this place to watch the Academy Awards. At this event, hosted by critics Tim Gordon and Travis Hopson, you can see if the voters share Sentimental Value for your Oscars picks, or if taking home a trophy turns out to be One Battle After Another. In addition to the big show, there will be a prediction contest, a silent auction, and fun giveaways.
Sapphic Songwriter Night 📍 Songbyrd DC (540 Penn St. NE) ⏰ 7 - 8 p.m. 💸 $25.75 This night of music celebrates women who love women. The lineup features Be Steadwell, whose work explores the queer Black experience; Medusa’s Muse, a “femme-forward musical duo celebrating the multifaceted experience of the girls, gays and theys;” and Veronique, a D.C.-based singer-songwriter deeply influenced by jazz and folk music.
Michelle is a writer and editor based in Washington, D.C. She writes about science, nature, culture, and art. Her work has appeared in Atlas Obscura, National Geographic, and other publications.
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