Entertainment abounds at the Atlas as the theater kicks off its annual INTERSECTIONS Festival
This week was short, but long… you know what I mean? It’s been emotional, with so much to digest and contemplate. But it’s also been a bit hopeful, thanks to some amazing, inspiring, courageous kids. Happy Weekend!
Intersect with the Performing Arts
Where: Atlas Performing Arts Center | H Street NE, DC
When: Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
Admission: Varies – see the website
The Atlas is kicking off its annual INTERSECTIONS festival that presents tons of fantastic performances in music, theatre, dance, film, and spoken word with several exhibitions especially for families. See Theater for the Very Young: Inside Out. Enjoy Shakespeare for the Young with The Tiniest Tempest. The In Series presents Bastian & Bastiana, a family fairytale opera. Take in Billosophy: For Kids by Dreamcatcher Entertainment. And shake those sillies out with Mr. Skip at the Free Cafe Concert. These are just the most kid-friendly shows — the whole line-up throughout the Festival is worth checking out by adults.
Magic of Spying: Tradecraft Trickery
Where: International Spy Museum | Penn Quarter, DC
When: Saturday, 11am – 12pm
Admission: $10 ($9/members)
In the real-life world of espionage, spies often call upon the art of magic and illusion to distract the enemy, make evidence disappear, and escape unnoticed. Join professional magician, Peter Wood, as he demonstrates the art of misdirection, sleight of hand, and other illusions used by skilled spies. This one of a kind performance, custom-designed for the Spy Museum, is guaranteed to fascinate children and adults alike. For ages 7 and up.
Celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year
Where: Textile Museum | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Join the Textile Museum to celebrate the Year of the Dog! Enjoy music performances, create colorful zodiac animals from paper, and design your own jewelry inspired by the traditions of China’s Guizhou Province. While you’re there, visit the galleries to see the exhibition Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures from Southwest China during its opening weekend. All ages are welcome.
Black History Month Walking Tour
Where: Woodlawn Manor | Sandy Spring, MD
When: Saturday
Admission: Free
Enjoy free, educational events that highlight the stories, struggles, and successes of African Americans. Activities include guided tours of the park, the screening of a PBS documentary about the park, and the annual spoken word poetry event, “Lyrical Rhythms: The Sounds of Freedom.”
More Ways to Celebrate Black History
Where: Around the area
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by activity
February is Black History Month, and there are events and activities throughout the DC area to celebrate it. Museum programs (including an entire museum!), special tours and exhibits, story time sessions, and more will be enlightening and fun for all ages. See where they’re happening this weekend.
Fool for All
Where: Gallaudet University | Northeast DC
When: Saturday, 12- 2:15pm
Admission: Free
Join the Faction of Fools Theatre Company for the 9th Annual “Fool for All” Festival: Tales of Pith & Pesto. Among the festivities that celebrate Commedia are a kids’ workshop offering a primer on the theatre tradition, where participants will learn about stock characters and how the plays are made. There is also a kids’ mask-making session, offering aspecial look behind the masks of Commedia and a chance for students to create their very own.
Family Workshop: Mass-Produced Art in Ancient China
Where: Freer|Sackler Gallery | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am & 1:30pm
Admission: Free (but registration required)
Push your art-making skills to the next level and learn about how to make copies of your art. Begin with an educator-led tour of Art and Industry: China’s Houma Foundry. Then, return to the studio to create a pattern block and mass-produce your design with teaching artists from FutureMakers. This program is designed for children ages 6-12 and adults to enjoy together. Free registration is required — email AsiaWorkshops@si.edu with your name, session and number of registrants (include youth and adults).
Flights of Fancy Story Time
Where: National Air & Space Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 11am & 1:30pm
Admission: Free
Take little ones to story time at the National Air & Space Museum, where staff read stories about famous aviators, hot-air balloon flights, trips to Mars, characters visible in the night sky, or creatures that have their own wings. This weekend, guests can hear The Hallelujah Flight by Phil Bidner. Each session includes a hands-on activity along with the story. Of course, plan to tour the rest of the Air & Space, a fave of museum-goers young and old, while you’re there.
Show Time
Where: Theatres around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Varies by venue
* Reserve free tickets for Stephen Christoff: Colonial American Music, this week’s Saturday Morning at the National performance
* See Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at Adventure Theatre
* The Prince and the Pauper – A Bollywood Tale is on the Imagination Stage
* Catch a fairytale classic as The Puppet Co. presents Beauty and the Beast
* And Dragon Babies is the Tiny Tots performance for littles there on Sunday
* SteveSongs is playing two Saturday shows at Jammin Java
* Make it a date night or take older kids to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Hamlet
Roll with It
Where: DC Armory | Southeast DC
When: Saturday, 4:30pm (doors open at 3:30pm)
Admission: $15
DC Rollergirls, the National Capital Region’s only women’s flat-track roller derby league, are kicking — or make that, rolling — off another season of hard-hitting skating. The event will start with the DC All-Stars taking on skaters from the Charlottesville Derby Dames. In the second half, the Rollergirls’ National Maulers will face off against Charlottesville’s B-level team.
Check It Out: A Library & Pop-Up
Where: Hirshhorn Museum | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
This newish Saturday program at the Hirshhorn helps children experience the Museum! Find the cart in the galleries and check out a fun kit full of favorite finds for kids. Each kit is an art-meets-reading adventure with a special theme, children’s book, suggested artworks for viewing, and hands-on art making materials.
Experience the Seasons
Where: Trellis House | North Shaw, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday, 11am – 4pm
Admission: Free
Check out a pop-up art installation at North Shaw’s newest apartment community. Immerse in each season as you walk through floor-to-ceiling installations that envelop you in a multi-sensory experience. Breathe in subtle scents, touch stimulating textures, and soak up larger-than-life representations of quintessential seasonal sights in the District. Extend your individuality into the installation through the interactive elements. (Update: See readers feedback about this in the comments below.)
Dance Your Socks Off
Where: River Park Nursery School | Capitol Hill, DC
When: Saturday, 4-7:00pm
Admission: $40/family (+5 at door), $15/individual
River Park Nursery School’s annual Sock Hop is always a fun-filled, family-friendly event. Featuring entertainment by local musical celebrity Mr. Skip, food, games, and a silent auction, enjoy activities for all ages and an opportunity to support preschool education on Capitol Hill. And if you are interested in the school for your 3, 4, or 5 year old, the event is a great way to meet current and alumni families and get to know the wonderful teachers.
Movie at the Museum: Oseam
Where: National Gallery of Art | National Mall, DC
When: Saturday & Sunday
Admission: Free
Recommended for ages 10 and up, this movie by a South Korean filmmaker is presented in honor of the Olympics. Adapted from a fairy tale by the writer-poet Jeong Chae-bong, this is the story of a five-year-old boy, Gilson, traveling in search of his mother. Believing that she will be found in the place where the wind starts, Gilson sets out on a trek with his blind older sister. When the youngsters are met by Buddhist monks who take them in, their journey progresses from a physical search to a spiritual quest. With visually stunning, hand-drawn animation, Oseam presents themes of beauty, tragedy, and never-ending love that underscore the tenets of Buddhist tradition.
College Hoops
Where: Universities around the DMV
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Ticket prices vary
March Madness is right around the corner, and you can start getting psyched up for it at a local basketball game. With so many universities in the area, you can always see some good on-court action Here are some games to catch this weekend:
* Maryland men vs. Michigan on Saturday at 12pm (Go, Terps!)
* American men vs. Bucknell on Saturday at 2pm
* George Mason women vs. La Salle on Saturday at 2pm
* Howard men vs. Delaware State on Saturday at 2pm
* Howard women vs. Delaware State on Saturday at 2pm
* George Mason men vs. UMass on Saturday at 6pm
* GWU women vs. Richmond on Saturday at 2pm
* Maryland women vs. Nebraska on Sunday at 12pm (Go, Terps!)
Purim Carnival
Where: Agudas Achim Congregation | Alexandria, VA
When: Sunday, 10:30am – 1:30pm
Admission: See details below
Celebrate Purim with the Agudas Achim Congregration. This year’s medieval times-themed carnival will feature all your favorite Purim games, prizes, face painting, arts and crafts, a moon bounc,e and more! Popcorn, cotton candy, and lunch for purchase. Tickets: All you can play and bounce for $25. Individual game/bounce tickets: $.075 per ticket or 30 tickets for $15. Most games are 2 tickets to play. The first hour (10:30-11:30am) is open to children ages 0-5 only. Starting at 11:30am, the carnival is open to all children.
Wheaton Family Theatre Series
Where: Wheaton Interim Library
When: Sunday, 2:30pm
Admission: Free
Dance you way through books at the Wheaton Interim Library on Sunday afternoon as Interact Story Theatre presents this Family Literacy Fiesta. Kelly King, Artistic Director of Contradiction Dance Theatre, will lead kids and families on an exploration of a kid-friendly folk tale through creative movement and dance. Kids get to practice literacy and language skills while moving, dancing, and sharing stories with families and friends. What a fun way to dance away the winter blues! The free event is best for ages 3 and up.
Nature Explorations, Inside & Out
Where: Rock Creek Park | Northwest DC
When: Throughout the weekend
Admission: Free
Spend a day exploring at Rock Creek! Visit the Nature Center and catch a planetarium show on Saturday at 1pm and 4pm. If weather permits, hike from there to Peirce Mill, where you can check out its inner workings. Visit horses at the Horse Center (though pony rides are not offered this time of year). Or just wander along the trails in the woods and enjoy the nature around you.
***MORE GOOD STUFF TO KNOW***
* Watson Adventures’ next Harry Potter Wizard School Scavenger Hunt is coming up next weekend. These often sell out, so sign up soon.
* Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a week of summer camp with RDUTennis!
* You’ve probably already heard about the March for Our Lives, but mentioning it just in case.
* This may be the most poignant cartoon I have ever seen.
