The Weekend Round-Up: May 18-19

There’s no excuse for boredom this weekend with so many fantastic events going on around the area. However, if the forecast is right, you might want to refer to this list of indoor suggestions, too. (And if the sun keeps shining, get even more ideas from the post about the best outdoor places.) Happy Weekend!

Kazuko Family Obstacle Course Challenge
Where: American University
When: Saturday, 10:30am – 4pm
Admission: Varies
KazokuFit, a new company that produces obstacle courses and adventure races with all ages in mind, presents DC’s first-ever family obstacle course challenge this weekend. Families are encouraged to run, jump, crawl, climb, and, of course, have fun as they complete the course. There will be heats at 10am, 10:45am, and 2:30pm. Cost is $25 for a single participant, $45/team of 2, $60/team of 3, $70/team of 4. Read more about the event in this post from a few days ago or go ahead and register your family.

Colonial Spring Market Fair
Where: Claude Moore Colonial Farm
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 4:30pm
Admission: $6/adults, $3/ages 3-11, free for 2 and under
Celebrate spring at the local colonial museum and working farm’s first Market Fair of the season. There will be loads of activities for all ages to enjoy: Dance and sing to period music. Play quoits and other games, and watch a children’s puppet theater. See chickens, turkeys, pigs and other farm animals. Take a fencing lesson or watch the Blacksmith in action. Order herbs and flowers from the plant vendor and browse other colonial market stands. Purchase roast chicken, fresh vegetables, fruit pies and more. Tavern offers fresh lemonade and ginger ale, wine, beer and ale. Along with the special festivities, enjoy the ongoing offerings as you stroll the living history museum grounds and see farm family and community members in character and costume.

Friday Night Concert
Where: Yards Park
When: Friday, 6:30-8:30pm
Admission: Free
A fun and relaxing way to start the weekend, this session of the weekly Friday Concert Series at Yards Park will feature Jimmie Smooth and HitTime, a local R&B band. Spread out a blanket and set up a picnic dinner (or dicnic, as my friend Mom in DCity and her family have so cleverly termed it). BYO food and drinks (the grown-up kind are okay) or pick up from vendors there.

Good Neighbor Day
Where: Kenilworth Aquatic Garden
When: Saturday, 10am – 2:30pm
Admission: Free
Join Kenilworth Aquatic Garden’s first annual Good Neighbor Day! Start the day by pitching in to improve the park by planting flowers, picking up trash or removing invasive plants from 10am-12pm. A family friendly park celebration will follow, featuring guided park tours at 1pm, 1:30pm and 2pm, art created by the youth of Life Pieces to Masterpieces, steel drum music from East of the River Police Boys and Girls Steelband, and more. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the fun!

Fiesta Asia
Where: Pennsylvania Avenue, from 3rd – 6th Streets
When: Saturday, 10am – 7pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Asian Heritage Month at the annual street fair presented by the Asia Heritage Foundation and Passport DC. This showcase of Asian art and culture will include music and dance performances, martial arts demos, food, hands-on activities, and more. Especially for kids is the Kiddiz Cool Zone, with origami, sidewalk chalk, doll making, glitter & henna art, story telling, balloon art, and more. While admission is free, be prepared to spend on food and marketplace fun.

Opera in the Outfield
Where: Nationals Park
When: Saturday, 5pm
Admission: Free
How about opera where there’s usually baseball? The Washington National Opera presents Opera in the Outfield for the 5th year with a simulcast performance of the American classic “Show Boat” on Saturday evening. The show starts at 7pm, but gates open at 5pm for “pregame” activities for the entire family, including dance demos, a costume dress-up station, face painting, a screening of the Bugs Bunny cartoon “What’s Opera Doc?”, chances to win prizes, and more. Get there early for a seat on the field, otherwise there will be plenty of seating in the stands.

Art Museum Day
Where: Local art museums
When: Saturday
Admission: Free
There are actually some museums in DC that charge admission, but this Saturday you can even get into those for free thanks to Art Museum Day, an initiative of the Association of Art Museum Directors to celebrate the importance of art museums in our world. Participating museums in our area are The Phillips Collection, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Show Time
Where: Local Theatres
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
Here’s the live entertainment on local stages this weekend:
– Catch a performance of Big Nate at Adventure Theatre.
– The Amazing & Marvelous Cabinets of Kismet, a special puppet show, will be at Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint for its final weekend.
– The Magic Finger & James and the Giant Peach are still on the Imagination Stage – shows have been extended through June 2!
– See the marionette version of Cinderella or a Tiny Tots show at The Puppet Co.
– An NSO Family Concert: The Cricket in Times Square will play at the Kennedy Center on Sunday.
–Hello Dolly! is still on stage at Ford’s Theatre production.

Pirate Fest
Where: Darnall’s Chance House Museum
When: Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: $5
Ahoy, matey! Have ye ever dreamed what life on the high seas was like in the 18th century? Why did sailors swab the deck? Did they really walk the plank? Come to Pirate Fest and find out these answers and more. Featuring swashbuckling reenactors, hands-on children’s activities, live music, concessions stand, children’s pirate costume contest, a treasure hunt and more for wannabe pirates and landlubbers alike!

Kids at Market
Where: Glover Park-Burleith Farmers’ Market
When: Saturday, 9am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Bring your kids to the Glover Park-Burleith Farmers’ Market this Saturday for a day of baby animals, local produce, and fun! The market will hosting a “Kids” at Market day. Several farmers will bring baby chicks and baby goats (known as kids) to market for children (and adults!) to see! Face painting, hula hoping, live music and a local food truck are some other highlights of this family friendly market. It’s located at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and 34th Street, NW in the parking lot of Hardy Middle School. A complete listing of the event and vendor offerings can be found here.

Strawberry Fields
Where: Area farms
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by location
The pick-your-own season has officially begun! A few local farms have opened their strawberry patches to the public, so you can get out there and start reaping the fruits. See this post for a list of area farms where you can gather your own strawberries, several offering much more than just picking.

Spring Arts Festival, Carnival and Yard Sale
Where: Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School
When: Saturday, 2-6pm
Admission: $10/adult
Head to Capitol Hill for a day of fun and to support a DCPS elementary school. The Festival will feature a “No junk” yard sale with high end items at great prices, two bouncy houses, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, live music, a yoga class for kids at 4:15pm, arts & crafts, a bake sale, a lemonade stand, and more. Pony rides are $3, but everything else is included in admission (except for food and drinks). Ludlow-Taylor is located at 7th & G Streets NE.

Dragon Boat Festival
Where: Thompson Boat Center
When: Saturday & Sunday,
Admission: Free
The Washington DC Dragon Boat Festival, now in it’s 12th year, is a two-day festival held along the Potomac River complete with cultural exhibitions, craft demonstrations, and of course… dragon boat racing. The event is sponsored by the Chinese Women’s League (CWL) and serves to promote Chinese culture to the Washington DC area through the sport of dragon boat racing.

Gaithersburg Book Festival
Where: Gaithersburg City Hall
When: Saturday, 10am – 6pm
Admission: Free
The City of Gaithersburg welcomes you to their fourth annual literary event! Festivities will include the chance to see and meet some of the world’s best writers, from best-sellers to acclaimed up-and-comers; join in literary workshops; and a full day of fun at the Children’s Village. The Gaithersburg City Hall is located at 31 South Summit Avenue. For more specifics, see the Festival website.

Taste of Arlington
Where: Wilson Boulevard in front of Ballston Common Mall
When: Sunday, 12-5pm
Admission: Free, but you must purchase tickets to taste
Head across the river for a day of food, fun, and more food. Over 40 Arlington restaurants will be offering samples of their fare at the annual street festival in downtown Ballston. And while the food is the main focus, there will be plenty more to enjoy, including live entertainment, the Washington Capitals and Wizards KidZone, and art for sale, a beer garden and champagne pavilion. Tickets are available for purchase through the Taste of Arlington website, or you can buy them the day of the event.

Spring Fling
Where: Hill Preschool/Ebenezer Park
When: Saturday, 10am – 1pm
Admission: $5/children 2 and up
The Hill Preschool on Capitol Hill is having its annual Spring Fling. Festivities will include bounce houses, clowns, face painting, live music, toddler tattoos, and more. The event will be held in Ebenezer Park next to Ebenezer Church at 400 D Street SE.

Jam with Mister G
Where: Jammin’ Java
When: Saturday, 10:30am
Admission: $10
Mister G is a talented, bi-lingual singer-songwriter with a really different sound from so many artists out there. He plays all over the place, from Boston to the Yucatan, and he has won wide praise from audiences and critics, including several Parents’ Choice awards and Grammy nominations. Check him out at the Jammin’ Java kids show on Saturday morning.

Stories and Music in the Garden
Where: Fort Hunt Preschool
When: Sunday, 4-6pm
Admission: Free, but donations welcome
Talented performers will present stories and songs in the preschool’s enchanting walled garden. The public is invited to join for what is always a glorious afternoon of entertainment for all ages. Sushmita Mazumdar, a Washington D.C. area book artist, writer and educator, will lead a bookmaking activity. Groovy Nate, a children’s performer who blends music, puppetry and comedy will perform and delight us. There will also be a silent auction. Families with young children are asked to bring a blanket for seating. Chairs will be available behind the blanket seating. Plan to stay for a picnic supper with hot dogs, sweet treats, refreshments for adults and more. In case of rain, the event will move inside the Meeting House Chapel. Fort Hunt Preschool is located at 1909 Windmill Lane in Alexandria.

NASA Sunday Experiment
Where: NASA Goddard Space Flight Visitor Center
When: Sunday, 1-3pm
Admission: Free
The activities, scientists, and engineers will inspire and wow at this monthly program that showcases Goddard’s world-renowned research and technological developments. Recommended for kids ages 5-10, the Sunday Experiment celebrates all things science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as it presents a new theme to visitors each session. This weekend learn about the James Webb Space Telescope.