The Cherry Blossom Festival is wrapping up, and the parade is on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets NW on Saturday.

Lots of roads will closed for it, so avoid it if you're driving. But if you want to catch Quad City DJs (C'mon N' Ride it [The Train]) and Cameo (Word Up) as well as lots of other performers, you'll want to get tickets to the parade.

I also want to ask a favor: will you provide some (anonymous) feedback on the newsletter? I want to make it worthwhile for you, and your insight will really be helpful to do that.

Whatever you do, get out and enjoy spring!

Valerie

Historic Photo of the Week

O Street Market, 1974

Things to Do in DC: Next 4 Weeks

Looking for cherry blossom events? Check out the special cherry blossom issue.

Did you go to one of these? Reply and let me know how it was!

Know of something cool happening? Submit an event for consideration!

This Week

Wednesday

• 🌸 Have fun with magnetic fields, origami art, and cherry blossoms at this family-friendly interactive exhibit for kids and families at the festival. Now until this Sunday, 4/13. $13 advance; $15 at the door.
• 🤓 Catch on until April 30 for a haiku contest on themes like “Only in DC” or “Freedom and Diversity” and get your work featured + prizes! Now until Wednesday 4/30. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Pitch your single friends with a short presentation to a lively audience of eligible singles and maybe spark some love connections. Wednesday 4/9. $5.
• 📖 How’s your flirting skills? Bestselling romance author Jasmine Guillory talks about her book Flirting Lessons that focuses on self-discovery, dating, and breaking out of the comfort zone. Wednesday 4/9. Free.
• 🤸 Wind down with a free gentle yoga session using traditional yoga practice with instructor Beth Lawrence. Wednesday 4/9. Free.
• 🤸 Step, slide, spin, and meet new people at line dancing at the Kennedy Rec Center. Wednesday 4/9. Free.

Thursday

• 🌸 Come for the three-part music series with top DC talents and enjoy lawn games + special giveaways! Until Thursday, 4/10. Free.
• 🍲 Have you heard the news about the Chocolate festival on the 25th? There’s a special pre-tasting event this week where you can get first crack at chocolate samples. Thursday 4/10. $25.
• 🛍️ Pancakes & Booze Art Show is a pop-up featuring 750+ works, live DJ sets, body painting, and the best - an eat-all-you-can pancake bar! Thursday 4/10. $15.
• 🕺 The Kohala Mountain Boys are live for a special concert of heirloom songs from Hawaii Island’s Kohala region. Thursday 4/10. Free.
• 🤝 If you’re looking for a job and need resume help, have someone review it for you for tips and feedback to help you stand out. Thursday 4/10. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Jeopardy! Fans, get ready. Pop Culture Jeopardy! is making its way to DC with special appearances at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Thursday 4/10-Saturday 4/12. Price not stated.
• 🧠 Still learning about chess? Learn the basics or improve your current skill level with a chess learning class. Thursday 4/10. Free.

Friday

• 🖌️ Learn ceramics and paint your own pottery piece, kiln-fired and glazed. Come solo or in a claydate with friends. Friday 4/11. $85.

Saturday

• 🌸 Tour & build a bouquet from flowers you’ll collect along Georgetown! There are 12 participating businesses you’ll visit, each with a flower for your arrangement. Saturday 4/12. $40.
• 🤝 Volunteers needed for pollinator planting along the Connecticut Avenue Pollinator Corridor, all ages welcome. This Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🎭 Listen to five comedians do storytelling on their personal mishaps, life-changing moments, and other personal narratives. Saturday 4/12. $22.
• 🛍️ Ready for the best vintage finds around DMV? Find vintage fits, accessories, vinyls, glassware, books, and more old stuff! Tickets required. Saturday 4/12. $5+.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Join this bar crawl with a twist: you’ll be traveling by DC’s Metrorail. Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🖌️ Learn how to make glowing popsicle stick sculptures and build glowing crafts like a tiny lantern, abstract tower, or something unique. Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🎈 Celebrate spring with neighbors at Wangari Gardens! Enjoy a potluck, yard games, music, and fun workshops! Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🍾 This Spring Wine Fest, sip 30+ spring wines on a seated tasting setup at Evening Star’s No. 9 Lounge. Saturday 4/12. $45.
• 🌲 Go on a forest bathing walk at the National Arboretum for stress relief, reflection, and a tea ceremony. Saturday 4/12. Pay what you can starting at $15.
• 🤝 Volunteer to improve the Mount Vernon Trail by removing English Ivy, trail edging, or picking up trash along the trail. Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🎭 Watch the Space Race documentary at no cost this Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Dine with strangers in a social dinner party! You’ll be seated with one or two strangers at a time as seats are rotating. Perfect if you’re looking to meet new people. Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 🎭 It’s more fun when you have comedy, karaoke, and trivia in one place. Test your knowledge, sing like a superstar, and join the comedy show with Kasha Patel. Saturday 4/12. $15 admission.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 If you’re married and committed, but have a single friend looking to date, this pitch dating game is the perfect place to match them. Saturday 4/12. $15 admission.
• 🤸 There’s a field day for adults at Oxon Run Park. Participate in classic games like sack race, tug-of-war, and three-legged races. Saturday 4/12. $10+.
• 🤝 There’s a Plus Size Clothing Swap at Culture House if you’re looking to swap new clothes. Plus, there’s live music and tarot reading sessions. Saturday 4/12. $15.
• 🍾 Taste 20+ natural wines at this exclusive All-Natural Wine Tasting event. All wines are crafted with organic and biodynamic methods. Saturday 4/12. $49.
• 🤸 You can do both yoga and being emo with an all-level Vinyasa flow and Paramore music at Atlas Brew Works. This Saturday 4/12. $28+.
• 🤝 Swap plants, seeds, or take home a free seed starter package to start your own garden. Saturday 4/12. Free.
• 📜 Learn about the AFRO-American Newspaper’s legacy in documenting Black culture. Saturday 4/12. Free. Registration required.

Sunday

• 🏞️ Walk 5 miles to enjoy the tulip scenery along the Mount Vernon Trail. Sunday 4/13. $10.
• 🌲 Otherwise, join a relaxed 8-mile bike ride to three tulip sceneries along the Mount Vernon Trail. Sunday 4/13. $10.
• 🤸 If you've ever wanted to play ultimate frisbee but didn’t know where to start, WAFC’s Learning League is a beginner-friendly program with structured 5v5 games, skills training, and guidance from experienced players. This Sunday 4/13 until 6/8. $55 with pay-what-you-can options.
• 🏰 See and reflect on the Akili Ron Anderson’s Last Supper Sculpture, as part of one of the series of public viewings this Holy Week starting Sunday 4/13 - Friday 4/18. Free, donations welcome.
• 🌲 It’s National Gardening Day! Come to plant, weed, or simply enjoy the beauty of the garden. Sunday 4/13. Free.
• 🤸 Ride a bike confidently on the road with bike handling skills. Learn hazard avoidance and traffic safety tips to ride safely in traffic. Sunday 4/13. $10.
• 🧠 Learn how to make your own herbal tea blends at this workshop. Sunday 4/13.
• 🖌️ Color for fun and drink cocktails to unwind with the Cocktails and Coloring group. Sunday 4/13. Free.
• 🏞️ Run (or walk!) 5K along Taiwan, Yoshino, Kwanzan, and Higan cherry trees at Congressional Cemetery. Sunday 4/13. $30.
• 🎈 A citywide celebration for the 20th Anniversary of DC Emancipation Day is happening this Sunday with a parade down Penn Ave, live concert, and grand fireworks at Freedom Plaza. Sunday 4/13. Free.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Historical romance fans, Spill The Tea 2025 is here for an afternoon of bookish fun, tea, and great company in Old Town Alexandria. Sunday 4/13. $150.
• 🤸 It’s fitness day at Alethia Tanner Park. Join movement classes, wellness activities, a 5K run, and bike safety checks. Sunday 4/13. Free.

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Next Week

• 🐾 Learn how to make vet-approved meals for your dog with this cooking class workshop from expert chefs. Monday 4/14. $39.
• 🤝 There’s a free drop-in session with career experts if you have questions about your job search journey. Monday 4/14. Free.
• 🖼️ The Cleveland Park Traffic Box Beautification Project is commissioning three artists to create vinyl-wrapped designs for local traffic boxes. Get a $700 honorarium when selected! Tuesday 4/15. Free to join.
• 🌲 Love nature gathering? Join forager and food writer April Thompson for a Spring Foraging Walk and find healthy edible ingredients in the local community gardens. Free spots are available for laid-off workers. Tuesday 4/15. $25.
• 🕺 For R&B fans, meet Jagged Edge at the altar in your white dress. They're bringing their 25 Years of J.E. Heartbreak Tour to DC. Wednesday 4/16. $82+.
• 🛍️ Shop from local artisans for gifts, crafts, and bites at the Cleveland Park Night Market from April to September. Starts Thursday 4/17. Free.
• 🖌️ Play around with glow-in-the-dark painting in a UV-lit studio, with a neon artwork you can take home. Friday 4/18-Sunday 4/20. $38.
• 🖼️ See art at night at the National Portrait Gallery with Friend Vibes Only for a meet-and-greet with art lovers + a self-guided gallery visit. Friday 4/18. Free.
• 🍾 Uncork and taste over 100 wines and bubbles from around the world + bites from local food trucks. Saturday 4/19. $75+
• 🎈 Shakespeare’s birthday celebration at the Folger Library features exhibitions, puppet shows, printing press demos, lawn games, and birthday cupcakes. Saturday 4/19. Free.
• 🤸 LW Race 2025, the biggest Class 5 race in US, will be back for an amazing whitewater race course. Buy your tickets before race day. Saturday 4/19. $75.
• 🤝 Bring your broken items to MLK Library’s fix-it DC clinic and have repair experts fix them, or learn repair techniques to fix it yourself. Saturday 4/19. Free.
• 🖌️ Soul Bloom is a creative community picnic for people to enjoy the outdoors and embrace self-expressions through journaling, bracelet making, art, and flowers. BYO Picnic. Saturday 4/19. Free.
• 🧠 Interested with bird photography? Learn the basic skills to start with live demonstration for beginners. Saturday 4/19. Donation.
• 🌲 Bring a basket (or borrow) for an exciting urban egg hunt, plus coloring activities and kid-friendly snacks at Edgewood Community Farm. Sunday 4/20. Free.

Further Out

• 📜 Join Profs and Pints in discovering how the DC Metro transformed Washington, DC, guided by Metro historian Zachary Schrag. Monday 4/21. $14.
• 🤸 Appreciate Earth Day with a 60-minute outdoor yoga class and a cocktail drink. BYO mat. Tuesday 4/22. $25.
• 🐾 Spend some time with goats! No yoga, just a fun hang out with goats. Take photos, mingle, and feed the goats. Thursday 4/24. $40.
• 🖼️ All the finest in American craftmanship will be at the Smithsonian Craft Show, featuring top artisans in ceramics, basketry, jewelry, furniture, textiles & more. Thursday 4/24-Sunday 4/27. $25.
• 🤓 Secure your tickets for this in-demand Bingo + Goats session. Play bingo and cuddle a herd of adorable Dwarf goats from Walnut Creek Farm. Friday 4/25. $40.
• 🐾 It’s bring your pups to baseball game day at the Nationals Park. Friday 4/25. Price varies.
• 🍲 The 8th DC Chocolate Festival is two days of chocolate tastings, workshops, and meeting with chocolatiers from aroung the world. Friday 4/25. $25+.
• 🍾 Visit three Virginia vineyards for a wine tasting day trip with friends (or come alone). Includes shuttle transport from DC. Saturday 4/26. $85.
• 🍲 Foodies, be the first to taste dishes from eight new kitchens on the block before they open. See award-winning chefs, exclusive dishes, and hear inside scoops before these new gems open to the public. Saturday 4/26. $119.
• 🤝 Live music all day will take over Petworth PorchFest this Spring with 300+ bands on 100 porches. This volunteer-led festival will be a giant outdoor concert! Saturday 4/26. Free.
• 🍽️ The Veg Society of DC is hosting a vegan potluck for vegan food lovers. Bring your plant-based dish, a recipe card, and swap recipes. Sunday 4/27. Free.
• 📖 See Tina Knowles on her book tour for MATRIARCH, where she talks about her powerful story on Black motherhood. Wednesday 4/30. $67+.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The 3rd Annual DC Boat Show features sailboats, motorboats, and industry experts you can ask regarding latest boating gears. Friday 5/2. $20+.
• 🏰 Did you know dinosaurs left footprints you can see? See for yourself at the DinoWalk to witness dino tracks in their original state. Friday 5/2-Saturday 5/3. $50.
• 🛍️ At the Garden Festival, you can shop from over 30+ vendors for rare plants, garden antiques, and architectural treasures for your outdoor decor. Saturday 5/3. $15+.
• 🎈 Healthy Homes Fair returns with 100+ exhibitors and an appliance “petting zoo” featuring the latest home technologies needed to decarbonize our homes. Win prizes and e-bike incentives. Saturday 5/10. Free.

Know of something cool happening? Submit an event for consideration!

* Items marked with an asterisks contain affiliate links (for which I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you) or sponsored. Events are featured based on if I find them interesting and think others will too, regardless if they are affiliate or sponsored.