The Hill is Home is celebrating 15 years and you’re invited to the blog’s Quinceañera! We’re teaming up with Eastern Market Main Street for a fun “Sweet 15” style party and benefit. DJ Tony T will be spinning records, Capitol Jill will bring CAKE and we will have a forever-corsage station thanks to Relume! Mark your calendars for THURSDAY, MAY 16, 6-9 p.m., Eastern Market’s North Hall. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!!! Eastern Market Main Street supports businesses along historic Eastern Market and Pennsylvania Avenue and helps them thrive, so they can keep being part of our community!
Barracks Row Main Street observes First Friday tomorrow! You can get more info about that event here. It’s also the beginning of May The Fourth weekend, and you’re encouraged to come down to Barracks Row dressed as your favorite character! Check out their Eventbrite for their events, and make your plans!
Coffee With a Cop will take place this Friday, May 3, at the Signing Starbucks, 625 H Street NE, starting at 11 am. Stop by!
There is a very intense and graphic exhibit at the Main Hall of Union Station through May 4. Overcame: Art of the Abused Child is part art exhibit; part extremely graphic and depressing art as therapy made by survivors of sexual, physical and verbal abuse; and part fundraiser. You are encouraged to witness but not take photos. Instead, you are directed to a QR Code that takes you to a donation page for the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. Learn more here. The exhibit is not appropriate for younger children and you may need a few moments to process the contents.
It’s May the Fourth Weekend AND it’s also Derby Weekend! Will you be wearing a fascinator wherever you go? I’ll be happy to try and score a Star Wars Light Side/Dark Side beanie at Nationals Park on Sunday. By the way, there are fun activities Friday through Sunday at the park Check them out here. What else shall we do?
Feeling the volunteer spirit moving you? Then Gardenpalooza is the event for you! Help your neighbors’ gardens look their best and have fun sprucing up the hostas while you meet new friends! Capitol Hill Village is seeking volunteers! Contact them at info@capitolhillvillage.com or give them a call at 202-543-1778. Yay, gardening!
The Anacostia River Festival is happening on Saturday, May 4! Celebrate the past, present and future of our beautiful river with a wonderful festival and market in Anacostia Park, just across the river from us, as well as a. There will be music, activations and more. Click here for more information.
In the afternoon, head on over to Eastern High School for the BATTLE OF THE BANDS! Starting at 2 p.m.(but be there early), listen to the Blue and White Marching Machine go toe to toe… to toe with bands from Maryland and Virginia. VIP tickets go for $20, regular admission is $10 and all proceeds help Eastern High School get to Memphis, Tenesseee for a competition.
You can always count on Barrel to have excellent timing for events. If you want to watch the Derby in your finest Star Wars fascinator (they have to exist, come on), drink Star Wars-themed cocktails and eat some of Chef Walfer’s Hot Brown Skillet, Barrel’s got your back. The best derby outfit wins a $50 gift card to Barrel! May the odds be ever in your favor! (Wait… that’s Hunger Games– also what I call it when it’s brunch o’clock and I’m starting to get hangry.)
Brunch on the Go is back at The Yards! Every weekend in May, get your walk on and brunch your way to health–– or just happiness. For tickets and more info, click here.
Do you love CHAW? Do you want to help them with their goals to provide free tuition to kids who need help? Do you love an evening of song and merriment? Then CHAWbaret is the show for you! This year’s version, happening May 3 and 4, is all about animal songs and it’s called PAWbaret! More info and tickets here.
POSTPONED UNTIL MAY 19!!!!!And also on May 4, the magnificent and majestic Running of the Chihuahuas at the Wharf. Sign your chihuahua up for the races, participate in the costume contest with your doggo (all breeds welcome) and prepare for a day of mirth and merriment. For more information, click here.
Stave off the Sunday Scaries with some Schumann. Capital City Symphony’s Take Me to the River program on May 5 takes you on a riparian journey that sounds beautiful. For more information and tickets, click here.
Oh yeah, Sunday is also Cinco de Mayo. Celebrate accordingly and support your favorite local taco-providing spots (and remember: Mexican Independence Day is September 16). We might have to drink a skinny marg at Los Caballeros because they are seriously excellent. Click here to check out their menu.
Want to know how Watkins Rec will be modernized? Join DPR, DGS and CM Charles Allen for a walk and talk this coming Monday, May 6 at 6 p.m.. To RSVP, click here.
Feel like doing something relaxed during the week? Walk by CHAW or the Hill Center and look at the galleries! This week at CHAW, Layers opens, with a reception on May 4, 5:30-7 p.m. The show will be on display through May 24, 2024.
The Hill Center is just finishing up their exhibit for their Regional Juried show. Learn more here.
The next 1D CAC meeting is May 7. Click here for more info.
On May 8 from 6-7:45 p.m., forage your way to fun with the DC Public Library! Spring Foraging for Wild Edibles means you’ll never go hungry. For more info and to register, click here.
And don’t forget! Bike and Roll to School Day is Wednesday, May 8. Meet at Lincoln Park at 7:30 a.m. Register here.
WEEKLY FUN
The Library of Congress is open late on Thursdays for Live! at the Library. These events are free but require timed passes. You can also sign up for a recording of the performance (more info here) and watch at home with your favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage.
At ReLume, you can make something beautiful and have fun while doing it! From candles to seasonal decorations to starting a new hobby, you can do it all there. This week, why not make your own candle? More info here.
Looking for something fun to do with your toddler? The Northeast Neighborhood library has Toddler Explorations on Mondays, from 11-noon. More info here.
Mr. Henry’s is THE place to listen to jazz on the Hill. They have performances FOUR nights a week! Check out their calendar of events here.
A Sunday tradition, the Flea Market at Eastern Market is your one-stop shop for wonderful art, clothing, cosmetics and more. Follow them on Instagram here.
Labyrinth has great events almost every night of the week, except for Monday. If you’re looking to demo board games or enjoy some of your favorites with old and new friends, check out their event calendar.
On Monday evenings, Trivia Kings takes over Barrel for trivia night. For more info, click here. (They also host trivia nights all over town.)
On Wednesday evenings, make it trivia! Two Girls Trivia runs a quiz at Fight Club starting at 7 p.m. For more information and quiz hints, check out their Twitter, @twogirlstrivia.
Every Thursday and Friday, Kelly’s Irish Times has comedy! The Batting Cage Comedy show starts at 8 p.m. and is free on Thursdays. More info here.
OFF-HILL
The Smithsonian Craft Fair is happening May 1 through 5 at the National Building Museum. A benefit for the Smithsonian and a celebration of folk roots, the festival will feature artists in different disciplines and you’re sure to find something you’ll love on the floor or at the online auction. Click here to plan your visit.
On May 3-5, visit the Capitol Rare Book Fair at the University Club in Downtown DC. Look for local fave Capitol Hill Books– they’ll be exhibiting! More info here.
On May 4, tour the world without crossing a boundary stone! It’s Passport DC, the event that welcomes you into embassies around the District so you can get a peek of their culture, arts and especially food! Click here and get excited!
The Metropolitan Beer Trail kicked off last weekend but it goes through December! Get more info and get your beer and bike or walk on here.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts has an incredible new exhibit titled “New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024.” This biennial show highlights some of the boldest, most touching and creative work by women and women-identifying artists working right now. From a haunting multimedia exhibit about climate change to a powerful nude sculpture and self-portrait of an artist who’s a breast cancer survivor, the show takes viewers on a circular journey where the past is also the future. Highly recommend it! For more information, tickets and membership options, click here.
The National Portrait Gallery has a new exhibit opening today, on view through June 3, 2025, called “Brilliant Exiles.” The exhibit, which takes over a large part of the second floor, focuses on mostly American women who emigrated to Paris between 1900 and 1939. During that tumultuous 40-year period, these migrants excelled in different areas. From writing, painting and dancing to publishing and interior design, these forward-thinking avatars pushed boundaries and found that Paris did not judge them for their womanhood or for being people of color or queer, but instead celebrated them and let them be. The exhibit is a carefully curated view of the women through their own eyes and, far more often than you might hope, through the eyes of important men in their lives. You can learn more and plan your visit here.
The Hirshhorn kicks off their 50th Anniversary celebration with “Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1960-1960.” Enjoy 270 artworks by 126 different artists and especially enjoy the thoughtful curation on display, where pieces are in conversation and juxtaposition to one another– it’s a great way to better understand modern art. There will also be programming that goes along with the exhibit. Click here for more information and programming and don’t miss the Art Cart!
And speaking of the Art Cart, go to the Hirshhorn on May 4 for Build Day! From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., design, sculpt, explore and enjoy the beautiful Hirshhorn Plaza (unless it’s raining– event moves indoors then). More info here.
The National Building Museum has a new exhibit about Frank Lloyd Wright titled Southwestern Pennsylvania and features some of his more daring, beautiful concepts that never came to fruition for the city of Pittsburgh. The exhibit has beautiful models, delicate hand-drawn renderings and bold imaginings of what Pittsburgh might have looked like with avant-garde skyscrapers encrusted on the sides of its mountains. Majestic. More info here.
Mondays can be tough days, but Songbyrd has Music Trivia this and every Monday up in Union Market district to gladden hearts and fuel your competitive spirit. The best part? It’s ALL AGES! Enjoy it with friends or as a family. More info here.
PLAN AHEAD
The Drive-In returns to Union Market on May 10! Check out the movie lineup and secure your spot here.
The Capitol Hill Restoration Society House Tour is happening May 11 and 12. For more information and tickets, click here and here.
Also happening on May 11, the European Union opens their embassies to the public! EU Open House 2024 will take place along Embassy Row and other points in Northwest DC from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, click here.
Also Also on May 11, listen to George Takei read “My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story” for May Family Day at the Library of Congress. Get up to two free tickets here.
Finally, CHAW is holding their Family Day outdoors on the 11, from noon-2 p.m. Free art– yay!
On May 13, learn about a lost hero of the abolitionist movement with the latest Ruth Ann Overbeck lecture series at the Hill Center. Space is limited. RSVP here.
On May 14, there will be a Ward 7 candidate forum on transportation and environmental issues via Zoom. RSVP here.
Dish! The Storytelling Cocktail Hour returns to the Hill Center on May 15. Have a nice sip and enjoy some piping hot tea from talented storytellers. Think of it as giving mom the gift of laughter for Mother’s Day! For more info click here. For tickets, click here.
On May 16, Mosaic Theatre Company opens their newest play, Mexodus. Read all about it and get tickets here.
On May 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., stop by Eastern Market Pottery for their Spring student pottery sale. This year’s sale will feature a diverse group of local artists and will offer handcrafted pieces of functional and decorative stoneware. Support local students and local talent! Eastern Market Pottery is located in the basement of Eastern Market, corner of 7th and C Streets SE.
Also on Sunday, May 19, Chiarina Chamber Players will deliver the last concert of the season: BETWEEN WORLDS: DVOŘÁK, RAVEL, SIMON, PONCE. For tickets, click here. To become a supporter, click here.
And also on the 19, listen to a special storytelling session called Voices of Rosedale, from 2-4 p.m. and the Rosedale Library. To learn more about this project, click here.
Do you love barbecue? The Giant Barbecue Battle returns to DC on June 22 and 23 this year. Check out the guests and the fun and get pumped here.
And it’s not until July 27 and 28, but get pumped for the Broccoli City festival. This year, it’ll be at Audi field and the lineup looks very star-studded. Tickets are now on sale! Keep an eye on their website here.
The Because They’re Funny Comedy Festival, showcasing comedians of color, isn’t until September 27-29, but you can get your tickets starting May 1 here. Are you a young comedian? Why not submit a video to be considered for their Breakout of the Year contest? Click here for more info.
Finally, if you’re excited about the Folger re-opening, why not get a subscription? Check it out here.