Washington, D.C

The Weekend Scene: Shakespeare's birthday, roller derby and more to do around DC

Published

1 year ago

April 17, 2025

The Weekend Scene: Shakespeare's birthday, roller derby and more to do around DC

Hello to everyone, but especially the mama mallard who built a nest outside the Planet Word Museum. The Duck Cam might be our favorite thing on the internet this week.

If you’re trying to stay on top of any kids on spring break, here are some great ways to keep kids busy for free and cheap.

Happy Passover and Easter to all who are celebrating. You’ll find egg hunts at Water Park, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Fan Fest and Tudor Place.

For Earth Day, catch “The Wild Robot” in The Yards Park, unplug at the Anacostia Community Museum or celebrate with Nature Forward’s Lake Buddies program for kids.

Heads up! Head to the bottom of this article to find a quick list of all this week’s events in chronological order.

Weekend weather: How does 80 degrees sound? Make outdoor plans because Friday through Sunday look warm and dry. Here’s the forecast.

Weekend highlights

Free pick
The Occoquan PEEPS Show
Through Sat., historic Occoquan
🔗 Details

As if you needed a reason to stroll the dynamic small businesses along the water in Occoquan, the annual Easter tradition brings a friendly competition of creativity. Shop, stroll and vote for your favorite scene centered around PEEPS candy.

The PEEPS Show returns to Occoquan

Free pick
Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration
Sat., 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library
🔗 Details

What’s in a birthday? If you’re Shakespeare, it’s free cupcakes, a puppet show version of “Twelfth Night,” dancing and a sword-fighting demonstration.

The Folger Shakespeare Library is going big for The Bard with this free party for all ages. Doors open at 11 a.m. so your group can explore the exhibition halls, theatre and Reading Room, plus see printing press demos. At 1 p.m., head outside for lawn games and other “ruff-making” until it’s time to sing “Happy Birthday” at 2:45 p.m. (that’s when the cupcakes come out).

Folger suggests a $15 donation to keep the celebration going.

Grown Shakespeare fans may also be interested in a lecture that evening from the library’s director.

The NOVA Roller Derby league holds its spring exhibition Saturday. News4’s Tommy McFly spoke to the league president and breaks down what to expect and how to enjoy the whole event.

NOVA Roller Derby Spring Fling
Sat., The Michael & Son Sportsplex in Sterling, $0-$15
🔗 Details

Get ready to rock, roll and maybe crash at an exhibition for the roller derby curious and those who want to watch this unique sport.

The “tiny-but-terrifying Rookie Showcase” begins at 12:30 p.m. before an exhibition game at 1 p.m. You’re guaranteed high-speed action either way. Tickets are free for kids 11 and under, $5 for teens and $15 for adults.

“We actually have the perfect thing planned if this is your first-ever time going to roller derby because we’re going to a full three-jam demo, explaining how points are scored, how the game is played and what kind of penalties you’re likely to see,” she said. “Get there as early as you can!”

Free pick
DPR Spring Break
Though Sat., various locations
🔗 Details

The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation has a packed schedule of free events for spring break week, ranging from a karaoke night to an all-day skate party to Easter egg hunts.

People kayak on the Potomac River near the Georgetown neighborhood and Theodore Roosevelt Island in Washington, DC, September 3, 2018, during the Labor Day holiday, the traditional end of the summer vacation season. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Float your boat

Fletcher’s Boathouse in Upper Northwest plus the Key Bridge Boathouse and Thompson Boat Center in Georgetown are open for the season, with double kayak rentals starting at $23-$32. The Wharf Boathouse is currently open on weekends.

NOVA Parks offers Northern Virginia residents kayak rentals starting at $18 for one hour. Find more information here.

Golf with Us: Golf under $5 for kids
🔗 Details

Kids can get out onto the green for $5 or less if they sign up for Bank of America’s Golf with Us program with Youth on Course. Find information on signing up here.

With a one-year, free membership, kids can visit thousands of courses across the country, including the Rock Creek Park Golf Course, Paint Branch Golf Complex and the Burke Lake Golf Center.

Sign-ups will close once there are 75,000 memberships or on May 24.

Concerts this weekend

MIKE, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Black Cat, $27 (advance)/$32 (day of)
Incredibly prolific rapper/producer with a straightforward, narrative style that’s unique for its subtlety. Details.

Everyone Asked About You, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, The Atlantis, $22
Quintessential Midwest emo. This band had a short run in the late ‘90s but has returned with its heartstringy indie rock in recent years. Favorite upcoming young indie rock trio of D.C. alt rock progeny Birthday Girl DC open. Details.

Night Train 357, 6 p.m. Friday, Byrdland, free with RSVP
In-store performance of positivity preaching D.C. emcee’s “Affirmations” album. The event features special guests and a discussion of the album. Details.

Yesness, 8 p.m. Saturday, Pie Shop, $20
A couple of post-rock originators — Damon Che of Don Caballero and Kristian Dunn of El Ten Eleven — teamed for an album of instrumental math rock with a groove that creeps under the skin. Details.

Same Heads, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Black Cat, $15 (advance)/$20 (day of)
D.C. band offers reverb loaded indie rock that often borders on hardcore or the ear-bleeding end of the shoegaze spectrum. Local shoegazers Pinky Lemon open. Details.

Things to do in D.C.

Adams Morgan Art Walk: Through April 27, free

NEXT 2025 Festival student performances: Opens Thurs., George Washington University, free

Spring Sake Festival: Thurs., The Morrow Hotel, $95+

Comedy – We Listen and We Don’t Judge: Thurs., 7:30 p.m., Prima DC, $10

Eat. Drink. Shaw. food festival: Thurs., 7-9:30 p.m., The Howard Theatre, $100

Concert – Lucy Dacus: Fri. and Sat., The Anthem, officially sold out but available for $32+ on third-party sites like StubHub

Earth Day Movie Night: “The Wild Robot”: Fri., 8-10 p.m., The Yards Park, free

Eggstravaganza!: Fri. and Sat., Tudor Place in Northwest, $10-$20

Bloom Ride & Spring Picnic: Sat., begins and ends at Franklin Park, $15-$75

Common Good City Farm’s Spring Kickoff seedling sale and seed + plant swap: Sat., noon to 3 p.m., 300 V St NW, free entry

First Studio: Art, Story, and Workshop for kids 3-5: Sat., The Kreeger Museum, $10

Earth Day Celebration: A Day Unplugged: Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Anacostia Community Museum, free

Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebration: Sat., 11 a.m., Folger Shakespeare Library, free ($15 donation suggested)

Uncorked wine festival: Sat., 4-8 p.m., Nationals Park, $75+

Concert – Oh He Dead: Sat., doors at 6 p.m., 9:30 Club, $25

Trap Poetry DMV: Sat., 6:30 p.m., 1360 Okie St NE, $30+

Sucka for Love: R&B Experience: Sat., 8 p.m. to late, ART DC – Arlo Rooftop Bar, free admission before 9:30 p.m. with RSVP or $25

Black A** Comedy: Sat., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., Busboys and Poet 14th Street, $25

Bachata Class: Sat., Ruben’s Dupont Circle, $10

DC Improv Stand-Up Showcase: Sat., 6 p.m., Dupont, $22

Coffee Club from Daybeaker morning party: Sun., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Flash DC, $39-$44

Crochet 101 Workshop: Sun., 2-4 p.m., 301 Tingey St SE #120, $35

National Cannabis Festival Movie Night: “Pineapple Express”: Sun., 6 p.m., Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DC Bryant Street, $20

Things to do in Maryland

Bunnyland at Butler’s Orchard: Thurs. to Sat., plus April 21 and 26-27, Germantown, $12-$15 (online)/$15-$18 (at the gate)

Zydeco Dance with Ruben Moreno and the Zydeco Re-Evolution: Fri., Glen Echo Park, $20

Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Fan Fest and egg hunt: Sat., gates open at 10 a.m., Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, free

Earth Day activities with Nature Forward: Sat., 10 a.m. to noon, Chevy Chase Lake, free

Arbor Day Celebration and Tree Planting: Sat., 8:30 a.m. to noon, University Hills Park in Hyattsville, free

Things to do in Virginia

The Occoquan PEEPS Show: Tues. to Sat., historic Occoquan, free

Theater – “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”: Through June 22, Signature Theater, $47+ (including fees)

“Nailed It”-Style Cake Decorating Competition & Class for tweens and teens: Thurs., 1-3:30 p.m., Fran’s Cake & Candy Supplies in Fairfax, $120

Line Dancing with W.I.L.D: Thurs., 7-9 p.m., Honor Brewing Company in Sterling, $15

Candlelit Sound Bath: Fri., 7-8 p.m., MIYU Beauty & Wellbeing – Falls Church, $37

Y2K After Dark @ Punch Bowl Social: Fri., 9 p.m. until late, Arlington, free admission

Water Park Easter Egg Hunt: Sat., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., National Landing Water Park in Arlington, free

Nova Roller Derby Home Round Robin: Sat., The Michael & Son Sportsplex in Sterling, $0-$15

Easter at The Perch: Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Capital One Center in Tysons, $20-$40

Easter Bunny Hosts Kids and Family Festival: Sun, Shipgarten in Mclean, $0-$10

Concert – Junkyard Band: Sun., 4-9 p.m., BABYLON in Falls Church, $25

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

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Washington, D.C

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

Published

3 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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