Welcome to Gemini season, y’all. I truly think everyone is typically happier this time of year. It’s probably due to the kick-off of all things summer and likely not the annual celebration of my birth, but I could be wrong.
This will be a three-day weekend for many of us who are not working the events described below. If you are going away, safe travels and wear sunscreen! If you are here, I have a few low-key suggestions.
Tonight at 6:30 p.m., East City Bookshop presents a discussion on Queering Science Fiction and Fantasy with authors Day Al-Mohamed, Ruthanna Emrys, Malka Older and Sarah Pinsker. The conversation will be followed by a Q and A and a book signing. Free!
Friday at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Taffety Punk Theatre Company presents two interpretations of Greek classics. Antigonick by Sophokles, translated by Anne Carson and directed by Kelsey Mesa, and The Fragments of Sappho, a new dance by Katie Sopoci Drake with text translated by Anne Carson. In Antigoick the classic tale of a woman silenced is told with poetry, dance and music. The Fragments of Sappho uses all that remains of her poetry through music and dance. The show runs through June 8th and tickets are $15.
Saturday, DPR officially kicks off summer by opening all of our outdoor pools. Before you ask, Hains Point is still under construction. However, you still have so many others to choose from.
The Nats host the Marlins all weekend and Saturday is Marvel Super Hero Day and the first 10,000 fans will get a Captain Zimmerman bobblehead. Just go with it. There will superheros on site and food specials and everyone is encouraged to don their best cape.
Sunday is the annual Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol. This year’s performers include Patti LaBelle, Gavin DeGraw, Justin Moore and Alison Kraus. You don’t need a ticket to attend and the Capitol grounds open at 5 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m. (Don’t like crowds? The cool Hill kids know to go to the rehearsal on Saturday night.)
This year is the final year of Rolling Thunder and there will also be a Poppy Wall of Honor consisting of about 645,000 red poppies meant to represent the American servicemen and women who have given their lives since World War I. The wall will be on the southwest side of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial Friday to Sunday.