Washington, D.C
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.
Washington, D.C
Senators Seek to Change Bill That Allows Military to Operate Just Like Before the DC Plane Crash
Senators from both parties pushed Thursday for changes to a massive defense bill after crash investigators and victims’ families warned the legislation would undo key safety reforms stemming from a collision between an airliner and Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board investigating the crash, a group of the victims’ family members and senators on the Commerce Committee all said the bill the House advanced Wednesday would make America’s skies less safe. It would allow the military to operate essentially the same way as it did before the January crash, which was the deadliest in more than two decades, they said.
Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell and Republican Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz filed two amendments Thursday to strip out the worrisome helicopter safety provisions and replace them with a bill they introduced last summer to strengthen requirements, but it’s not clear if Republican leadership will allow the National Defense Authorization Act to be changed at this stage because that would delay its passage.
“We owe it to the families to put into law actual safety improvements, not give the Department of Defense bigger loopholes to exploit,” the senators said.
Right now, the bill includes exceptions that would allow military helicopters to fly through the crowded airspace around the nation’s capital without using a key system called ADS-B to broadcast their locations just like they did before the January collision. The Federal Aviation Administration began requiring that in March. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy called the bill a “significant safety setback” that is inviting a repeat of that disaster.
“It represents an unacceptable risk to the flying public, to commercial and military aircraft, crews and to the residents in the region,” Homendy said. “It’s also an unthinkable dismissal of our investigation and of 67 families … who lost loved ones in a tragedy that was entirely preventable. This is shameful.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is looking into the concerns but thinks they can be addressed by quickly passing the aviation safety bill that Cruz and Cantwell proposed last summer.
“I think that would resolve the concerns that people have about that provision, and hoping — we’ll see if we can find a pathway forward to get that bill done,” said Thune, a South Dakota Republican.
The military used national security waivers before the crash to skirt FAA safety requirements on the grounds that they worried about the security risks of disclosing their helicopters’ locations. Tim and Sheri Lilley, whose son Sam was the first officer on the American Airlines jet, said this bill only adds “a window dressing fix that would continue to allow for the setting aside of requirements with nothing more than a cursory risk assessment.”
Homendy said it would be ridiculous to entrust the military with assessing the safety risks when they aren’t the experts, and neither the Army nor the FAA noticed 85 close calls around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years before the crash. She said the military doesn’t know how to do that kind of risk assessment, adding that no one writing the bill bothered to consult the experts at the NTSB who do know.
The White House and military didn’t immediately respond Thursday to questions about these safety concerns. But earlier this week Trump made it clear that he wants to sign the National Defense Authorization Act because it advances a number of his priorities and provides a 3.8% pay raise for many military members.
The Senate is expected to take up the bill next week, and it appears unlikely that any final changes will be made. But Congress is leaving for a holiday break at the end of the week, and the defense bill is considered something that must pass by the end of the year.
Story Continues
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Washington, D.C
Bill would rename former Black Lives Matter Plaza for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk – WTOP News
A South Carolina Republican Congresswoman wants to rename a well-known stretch of 16th Street NW in D.C. after slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A South Carolina Republican Congresswoman wants to rename a well-known stretch of 16th Street NW in D.C. after slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Rep. Nancy Mace introduced legislation Wednesday to designate the area once known as “Black Lives Matter Plaza” as the “Charlie Kirk Freedom of Speech Plaza.” The proposal comes three months after Kirk was killed while speaking at a free-speech event at a Utah college.
Mace said the change would honor Kirk’s commitment to the First Amendment, calling him “a champion of free speech and a voice for millions of young Americans.” Her bill would require official signs to be placed in the plaza and updates made to federal maps and records.
In a statement, Mace contrasted the unrest that followed George Floyd’s killing in 2020, when the plaza was created, with the response to Kirk’s death, saying the earlier period was marked by “chaos and destruction,” while Kirk’s killing brought “prayer, peace and unity.”
She argued that after Floyd’s death, “America watched criminals burn cities while police officers were ordered to stand down,” adding that officers were “vilified and abandoned by leaders who should have supported them.”
But D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton pushed back, saying Congress should not override local control.
“D.C. deserves to decide what its own streets are named since over 700,000 people live in the city,” Norton wrote on X. “D.C. is not a blank slate for Congress to fill in as it pleases.”
The stretch of 16th Street was originally dedicated as Black Lives Matter Plaza in 2020 following nationwide protests over Floyd’s death. Earlier this year, the city removed the mural.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office declined to comment on the bill, as did several members of the D.C. Council.
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Washington, D.C
Chicago woman testifies about being dragged out of car, detained by federal agents in viral video
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 2:09AM
Chicago woman Dayanne Figueroa testified in Washington, DC about being dragged out of a car by federal agents in a viral YouTube video.
CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago woman, who is a U.S. citizen, testified in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday about her experience being dragged out of her car and taken into custody by federal agents.
Dayanne Figueroa told a group of senators that on Oct. 10, she had just dropped off her son at school when an SUV rammed into hers.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Once she was stopped, she says masked men dragged her out of her car.
A video posted on YouTube that has been seen more than 42,000 times shows what happened.
Figueroa was one of five U.S. citizens who testified.
Figueroa said she suffered severe bruising, nerve damage and aggravated injuries to her leg.
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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