Washington, D.C

39 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

Press Room

39 Things to Do in the DC Area This Week and Weekend

The 2021 National Cannabis Festival. Photograph by Doug Van Sant.

Happy Monday, DC!

This week is jam-packed with live music shows, cultural festivals, and art exhibit openings. You can choose from partying at National Cannabis Festival, binging movies at Filmfest DC, or getting a first look at a new women’s exhibit at National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend

April 15-April 21

National Cannabis Festival. The two-day concert-style National Cannabis Festival returns to DC with a massive lineup of performances. Hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan and Redman headline the event alongside bassist Thundercat. If you’re looking for local musicians, go-go acts Backyard Band and Black Alley, and Noochie Live From The Front Porch will be there to represent DC (Fri-Sat, $55+, RFK Festival Grounds).
Filmfest DC. This binge-worthy festival returns to DC with a lineup of more than 60 films from 36 countries. Moviegoers can watch international productions such as Italian thriller Diabolik or French comedy A Difficult Year, plus two films about DC’s go-go and jazz scene: Bring the Beat and The Humbler (Thurs to April 28, $14+, various DC locations).
NMWA Nights and “New Worlds” exhibit. “New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024” presents 28 artists’ works as the latest installment of the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ triennial exhibition series. You can experience the new exhibition at the museum’s Earth Day-inspired after-hours party featuring music by artist Neffy and libations (Wed, $25 for adults, $22 for DC residents, sold out but limited walk-up tickets available, Downtown).
“Hair” musical. You are in for an electric ’60s-era show at Signature Theatre’s Hair musical. Set during the Vietnam War, this rock musical tells the psychedelic story of hippies on a coming-of-age journey in the face of pacifism and freedom (Tues to July 7, $40+, Arlington).
Corcoran’s NEXT Festival. This school-year-end celebration is back at George Washington University to showcase a vast display of projects from graduating Corcoran students. The month-long NEXT Festival lineup includes dance recitals, theater productions, music performances, and research panels (Wed to May 16, prices vary, Northwest DC).
Red Bull Showrun DC. Red Bull Showrun is making a grand DC debut this weekend along Pennsylvania Avenue. Driver David Coulthard and the Oracle Red Bull Racing team are inviting F1 fans to get a behind-the-scenes look at motorsport fun. Prior to the car showing, there will be a fan fest at Union Market on Friday where guests can participate in racing simulators, a Q&A with the Red Bull racing team, and interactive race car activations (Fri-Sat, free, Union Market and Downtown).
Georgetown House Tour. This neighborhood jewel has been running for more than 90 years. Home and history enthusiasts can take a self-guided tour of some fabulous Georgetown homes to help raise funds for St. John’s Episcopal Church’s outreach and ministry. In addition to the adventurous stroll, you can sip hot tea, and snack on sandwiches and sweets at the historic St. John’s Church (Sat, $60+, Georgetown).
ChocolateCon. The producers of Porchfest DC are bringing a new cultural convention to town this weekend. Chocolate Con celebrates the heritage and creativity of DC through live go-go and DJ performances, a small business vendor fair, community conversations, spoken word performances, art, games, and much more (Sun, free+, Southeast DC).

Want More Things to Do?

Arts and culture:

See a screening of the documentary Signing Black in America at Planet Word (Mon, free, Downtown).
There’s hot chocolate, popcorn, and more Selena-themed snacks at Rhizome’s screening of the biopic movie (Mon, free, but registration encouraged, Takoma).
Sip wine with author Rosa Jackson as she discusses her cookbook Niçoise at Bold Fork Books (Mon, free, Mount Pleasant).
Test your Swiftie knowledge at As You Are’s competitive Taylor Swift Trivia (Wed, free, Southeast DC).
International author David Diop visits the Alliance Française (Wed, $5+, Kalorama).
Paint-your-own pottery with a Shop Made in DC instructor (Tues, $80, Georgetown).
Two paintings by French Post-Impressionist Paul Cezanne will be unveiled at the Phillips Collection (Thurs to July 14, $20, Dupont).
Also, stop by the Phillips Collection for their after-hours art event where you can explore “Bonnard’s Worlds,” “Jennifer Bartlett: In and Out of the Garden,” and more (Thurs, free, Dupont).
All ages can contribute to a community mural, color in chalk, and attend talks with design professionals at the National Building Museum (Sat, free, Penn Quarter).

Community and heritage:

Theater and shows:

It’s the last call to experience dance-theater show Message In A Bottle (closes Sun, $35+, Kennedy Center).
Comedian Winston Hodges tells jokes at Le Mont Royal (Wed, $10, Adams Morgan).
TV producer and foodie Phil Rosenthal arrives at Warner Theatre (Wed, $40+, Downtown).
See Scena Theatre drama The Last Drop at DC Arts Center (Thurs to May 12, $45, Adams Morgan).
Prepare to burst into laughter at Dan Soder’s DC Improv comedy set (Fri-Sun, $35+, Downtown).
The Color Purple is the second in-house-produced musical by BlackRock Center for the Arts (Fri-Sun, $42+, Germantown).
Tickets to see actress and comedian Wanda Sykes are sold out, but there are seats available via third-party sellers. Don’t miss the chance to laugh out loud with her at the Warner Theatre (Sat, $55+, Downtown).
Ammigone readapts Athenian tragedy Antigone into a story about queerness, faith, and family at Woolly Mammoth Theatre (Sat to May 12, $25+, Penn Quarter).

Music and concerts:

Jazz pianist Ellington Carthan performs Duke Ellington’s little-known concert pieces (Tues, $45+, Kennedy Center).
Rap duo Atmosphere make a tour stop at The Fillmore (Tues, $41+, Silver Spring).
Multi-instrumentalist Elliot Moss sings sonic tunes at DC9 Nightclub (Wed, $22+, Shaw).
Southern Rapper Bby Mutha performs at Union Stage with Virginia’s Fly Anakin (Wed, $22, Wharf).
Rock and roll hall-of-famer John Mellencamp brings his tour to DAR Constitution Hall (Thurs, $77+, Downtown).
Simone Young conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s elegant Piano Concerto No. 9 (Thurs, Sat, $15+, Kennedy Center).
Legendary musicians Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Ravi Coltrane are teaming up for a concert as part of the Kennedy Center’s inaugural Hip Hop &… Festival (Fri, $59+, Kennedy Center).
Local musicians come together to perform “The Big Lebowski Experience“—an in-costume concert featuring songs from the movie soundtrack (Sat, $16+, Wharf).

Things to do with kids:

DC students on spring break can have a Day of Play at RFK Campus to participate in football, bean bag tosses, tug of war, and frisbee games (Tues, free, RFK Campus).
Springfest in Old Ellicott City features music on two outdoor stages, food trucks, crafts, and a scavenger hunt for kids (Sat, free, Ellicott City).
Learn about Earth Day Heroes with interactive exhibits and family-friendly activities at National Academy of Sciences (Sat, free, but registration encouraged, Downtown).
Musical performances, craft workshops, and more are a part of Smithsonian’s Earth Day Family Festival (Sat, free, National Portrait Gallery).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.

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Washington, D.C

Storm Team4 Forecast: A chilly, gusty Sunday before a cool start to the week

Published

8 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Storm Team4 Forecast: A chilly, gusty Sunday before a cool start to the week

4 things to know about the weather:

Chances of rain in the morning
Gusty Sunday
Chilly Monday
Temps will rise again through the work week

Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.

After a nice and warm Saturday, changes arrive for part two of the weekend.

The first half of your Sunday will have a chance for showers. Winds will pick up with our next system and are expected to gust to about 20-30 mph. Cooler air will settle in, and lows Sunday night fall into the 40s.

Highs temps Monday will reach only into the mid to upper 50s.

However, temperatures will rise through the week, so you won’t need your jackets every day.

QuickCast

SUNDAY:
Showers, then partly cloudy
Wind: NW 10-15 mph
Gusts @ 30 mph
HIGH: Lower 60s

MONDAY:
Partly cloudy
Wind: NW 10-15 mph
Gusts @ 25 mph
HIGH: Upper 50s

Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.

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Washington, D.C

‘It’s a twilight zone’: Iran war casts deep shadows over IMF gathering in Washington

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

‘It’s a twilight zone’: Iran war casts deep shadows over IMF gathering in Washington

The most severe energy shock since the 1970s, the risk of a global recession and households everywhere stomaching a renewed surge in the cost of living – hitting the most vulnerable hardest.

In a sweltering hot Washington DC this week, the message at the International Monetary Fund meetings was chilling: things had been looking up for living standards around the world. But then came the Iran war.

“Some countries are in panic,” said the fund’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, addressing the finance ministers and central bank bosses in town for the IMF and World Bank spring meetings. “The sooner it [the Iran war] ends, the better for everybody.”

Such gatherings are not typically used to fight geopolitical battles. “You don’t get people shouting at one another at these things,” one senior figure remarked. But, as a record-breaking April heatwave swept the US capital, no one could ignore the mounting damage from the Iran war.

Those familiar with the mood over breakfast at a meeting of the G20’s representatives on Thursday, which included Donald Trump’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and the outgoing US Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell – said the atmosphere in the room was sombre amid an open exchange of serious views.

“It is such a twilight-zone meeting,” said Mohamed El-Erian, a former IMF deputy managing director who is now chief economic adviser at the Allianz insurance group. “There are several shadows hanging over it: one is the shadow that comes from concern about the global economy as a whole.

“The second is that some countries are going to be particularly hard hit, and it’s mostly countries that very few people are talking about. But the third concern is the adding of insult to injury: the fact that the US, which started a war of choice, is going to be hit, but by a lot less than elsewhere in relative terms.”

Before Thursday’s breakfast, Rachel Reeves had started her day with an early-morning jog. Joined by her counterparts from Spain, Australia and New Zealand for a run down the iconic National Mall, she posted an Instagram selfie with a not-so-subtle dig: “Friends that run together – work together.”

A day earlier, the chancellor had told a CNBC conference that she thought “friends are allowed to disagree on things” as she criticised Trump’s Iran war as a “mistake” and a “folly” that had not made the world safer.

Rachel Reeves posted this image on Instagram from Washington DC on Thursday with the message: ‘Friends that run together – work together.’ Photograph: Rachel Reeves/Instagram

Speaking at a venue just steps away from the White House, before a one-on-one meeting with Bessent, she said this “fair message” was needed because UK families and businesses were feeling the pain from higher energy prices triggered by the conflict.

Those close to Reeves insist her meeting remained cordial. Britain and the US have significant shared interests in AI, financial services and trade. The chancellor also said the UK government had little time for the Iranian regime.

But with the IMF having warned on Tuesday that the Iran war could risk a global recession – in which Britain would be the biggest G7 casualty – it was clear Reeves had travelled to Washington ready to pick a fight.

“I’m struck by how vocal she has been and the words she used,” said one global financier. “We know the disagreement between Bessent and [European Central Bank president] Christine Lagarde earlier in the year. But that was in private.”

At a cocktail party held at the British ambassador’s residence for hundreds of diplomats and financiers – including the Bank of England’s governor, Andrew Bailey, the chief executive of Barclays, CS Venkatakrishnan, and dozens of senior figures – this transatlantic tension, weeks before King Charles’s US state visit, was a major topic of conversation.

The other, in the balmy residence gardens, was one of its former occupants, Peter Mandelson, as revelations about the former ambassador’s appointment threatened to further rock the UK government.

Before the war, the agenda for the IMF had been about global cooperation; the adoption of AI, jobs and work to eradicate poverty. Each of those tasks had now been complicated, but not least the task of countries working together.

For many at the meetings, the focus was on forging closer global cooperation without the world’s pre-eminent superpower.

“Everybody is talking about how you hedge against American decisions,” said David Miliband, the former UK foreign secretary, who now runs the International Rescue Committee. “You can’t do without them, because they’re 25% of the global economy. But, in a lot of fora, they’ve pulled out.

“So everyone has to think, how does one structure international cooperation? The old west is not coming back. And so everyone has to figure out how to position themselves for that world.”

For those gathering in Washington, there was irony in the fact that they were meeting in the halls of institutions founded, under US leadership, to promote global cooperation after the second world war. The whole idea of the Bretton Woods institutions was to avoid the dire economic conditions and warfare of the 1930s and 1940s. Yet this year’s meeting was taking place amid these intertwining problems.

In their conversations about the best economic policy response to the shock of conflict, the economists also knew the real power to make a difference lay two blocks across town from the IMF and the World Bank – behind the security cordons and construction equipment blocking the White House from public view. “It is not clear they can do anything about it,” said El-Erian.

Still, with a booming economy driven by AI – including Anthropic’s powerful Mythos model, the topic of much conversation – most countries cannot afford to completely break off US ties.

“People want to find ways to insulate themselves from the mess. But, on the other hand, they admire the US private sector,” El-Erian said. “The best way I’ve heard it put, is: they want to go long the private sector and short the mess. But it’s almost impossible to do.”

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