Happy Aries Season! The pollen is ready to attack but so are the thunderstorms and everywhere, bold Aries babies are CELEBRATING. If it’s your birthday, have a happy one! Don’t forget to celebrate Metro’s 46th on March 27 by lovingly telling them 20-minute headways are the worst.
What is there to do this weekend?
Brief heads-up and reminder that we have not just one, but two races coming through the area this weekend. On Saturday, March 26, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series half-marathon and 5K will take over the area. The race course is below and you can find street closures here. As an additional heads-up, this event will affect DC Streetcar service and trains will start running at 3 p.m.
On Sunday, March 27, the ScopeItOut 5K hosted by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance will take over the area around Freedom Plaza. Find out more here and read up on street closures here.
Our beloved Eastern Market has a great calendar of weekend activities going on! This weekend, enjoy a tour of crafts on Saturday and wear cherry blossom pink on Sunday! This bit of fun is in addition to all the wonderful vendors who come to the market every week. Make sure you follow them on Instagram so you can keep up to date! And pet parents: Bring your pampered pooch or other adventurous animal to the market on Sunday, April 3, and they may have a chance to be crowned the first annual Little Furry Cherry Blossom!
On March 26, join the Guerrilla Gardeners of Washington and help clean up Triangle Park. From 10-noon, help out with general cleaning, pruning and beautification. The Guerrilla Gardeners will provide the gloves and tools, unless you prefer to bring your own. For more information or to join them, visit their website.
The Capitol Hill Restoration Society Mother’s Day tour is coming and we have details below. Not sure what to expect during the tour? Why not take a preview tour on March 26-27? Click here to find out more and reserve your tickets.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington will be holding their Spring Fling March 28-April 3. This celebration of wonderful wine, pairings and expertise will happen in restaurants around the area. Click here to read more information.
Do you want an event with all the drama of March Madness and… actual drama? How about Monologue Madness? On Monday, March 28, watch as 32 actors battle it out for the glory (and the cash prize) at the new AC Hotel Capitol Hill! More details and information here.
Get ready to paint the night pink on March 31: Cherry Night, a special nightlife event part of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Go to venues that will be lit up for the evening and wear your finest pinkery or your pinkest finery. More details here.
Biergarten Haus on H Street NE is open again! Enjoy beers and brats in a lovely outdoor patio space. For hours and more information, visit their website. By the way, if you’re still looking for a little COVID socialization outside but with the comforts of the indoors, you’re absolutely going to flip over their little pods. For now, the pods are first-come, first-served, but you will be able to reserve them soon via Resy.
As you may have surmised, the cherry blossom explosion is under way. If you need a little inspiration, check out neighbor Erik’s lovely blog post sharing where around the area you can find our spring belles of the ball.
More cherry-themed things, you say? Our indefatigable friends at Wunder Garten are coming in strong with Cherry Fest, a two-week long festival of all things cherry and cherry blossom. Check out the full schedule here.
Crossing at Navy Yard has a Cherry Blossom Book Nook starting on March 28. What is special about this book nook? For starters, it’s in an alley called Bond Alley! (I’m a sucker for alleys.) Starting on Monday, you can find two pink bookshelves bearing new books by Japanese authors or about Japanese culture. You can enjoy the books at the alley or take them home. Make sure you also make it about the ‘gram because if you post your photos and tag @crossingdc on Instagram, you will be entered to win a $100 gift card to Slipstream!
The Eastern & Barrel are hosting two very special events on March 28, benefiting Fredy, a member of their staff who recently lost a loved one to cancer. All proceeds from both events will go directly to Fredy and his family.
- The Eastern will be hosting a Wine Class featuring 4 different wines from 6-8 p.m. For more information and tickets, click here.
- Barrel will be hosting a Whiskey Dinner featuring 5 courses with Redemption Whiskey pairings. For more information and tickets, click here.
In this time of uncertainty and chaos, consider spending some time volunteering with Good Neighbors Capitol Hill. GNCH is a coalition of 8 congregations and friends working together since 2016 to support refugee families, almost all from Afghanistan. The main mission of GNCH is to help furnish recently arrived refugees and their furniture inventory has been depleted. If you can provide bunk beds or twin bed frames and mattresses, tables and chairs, end tables, bureaus, desks, small bookshelves or storage units, and rugs, please contact GNCH at Info@goodneighborscapitolhill.org
PLAN AHEAD
Mark your calendars! You may soon head on back to the United States Botanic Garden’s conservatory! (The conservatory is the fancy term for the indoor area where the flower collections are kept.) The USBG finally announced they’ll be welcoming people back on Friday, April 1 and no, it’s not an April fool. Expect it to be open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.
CHAWbaret, celebrating 50 years of Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, is happening on April 2. From 6:30-10 p.m., you can enjoy jazz singer Amy K. Bormet and then a live CHAWbaret. In person seating is limited and $50 per person. If you would rather celebrate virtually, it’ll be free but a donation is encouraged, so CHAW can celebrate 50 more years! More information and tickets here. If CHAW has been a part of your life, you’re encouraged to send your reminiscences of your CHAWesome experiences.
Want to do some spring cleaning around your neighborhood? Make sure you keep April 2, 2022 open and stay tuned for more details about the Great Ward 6 Spring Clean!
The Capital Food Fight is back in person on April 7 at The Anthem and tickets are on sale now. Learn more about this raucous night of fun to feed those who need it most here.
Want to eat some good fish for a great cause? Boy Scout Troop 380 is holding a Lenten Fish Fry at St. Peter’s Church hall on April 8, from 5-8 p.m. More details and a QR code to place your order below. (Pro Tip: open this page on one phone and scan it with the other.)
Do you love the Anacostia River? Do you want to bid an official adieu to cherry blossom season? Then The Anacostia River Festival is a day for you! Plan on going to Anacostia park on April 10, 1-4 p.m.! For more details and to RSVP, click here.
Capitol Hill Village’s auction is coming up virtually April 14-24, as well as their virtual gathering on April 21. Tickets will be available soon. You can learn more about Capitol Hill Village’s mission to help all neighbors stay in their homes as long as they can, while leading independent lives, by clicking here.
The National Cannabis Festival is happening April 23 at the RFK Festival Grounds. The concert will feature Wiz Khalifa, but in addition to the music, there will be a whole host of events promoting community, education, policy and high times. Click here for tickets and vendor information.
The Mother’s Day House and Garden Tour organized by the Capitol Hill Restoration Society is one of those so very Capitol Hill events you have to do at least once (but you’ll want to do every year). The tour, which benefits and supports the mission of CHRS, will take place May 7 and 8, 2022. For more details and to secure your tickets, click here. Not sure what to expect? Why not take a preview tour on March 26-27? Click here to find out more and reserve your tickets.
Mark your calendars for May 7, 2022 when Maury at the Market: Lights, Camera, Auction is back in person at Eastern Market’s North Hall. You can follow Maury Elementary’s auction action and check out all the incredible things you can bid on via Facebook and Twitter. Remember: You don’t need to have a child enrolled in DCPS to enjoy the party or the loot!
OFF-HILL
Tonight, trek on down to the beautiful Arts and Industries building for a Cyborg Birthday Party. From 7-10 p.m., get into your most futuristic party clothes and boogie on down with cardio-monochromatic portraits and beats by DJ dagm. RSVP here.
On Saturday. March 26, the Congressional Chorus will hold “Beautifully Human,” a concert available both at the National City Church in Thomas Circle NW and online! For tickets and more information, click here. To enjoy their virtual broadcast, click here.
Through April 24, the United States Botanic Garden will be showcasing a beautiful collection of orchids at the Kogod Courtyard at the Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum. The collection is a celebration of women who’ve helped catalog, conserve and preserve these beautiful plants. More information here.