Things I'm Talking About

• Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is having late hours through Sep 6th. If you've tried to go during the week, you've probably run into their limited hours. Now, the parking lot will be open from 8 am to 8 pm, Wednesday through Sunday.
• K Street staple The Prime Rib is closing after 50 years, with last day of service June 17.
• Mount Pleasant is hosting World Cup watch parties in their plaza if you're looking for something free.
• Professional hater 50 Cent will be performing at the halftime show for the UFL United Bowl on Saturday. Apparently the UFL is an alternative to the NFL and this is their equivalent to the Super Bowl, and it's right here in DC at Audi Field!
• Early voting for the DC Democratic primary has started, with the primary election officially being June 16, with the replacements for Mayor Muriel Bowser and Delegate Eleanor Holmes-Norton on the ballot.
• As part of their farewell on their tour in DC, the Arkansas National Guard members signed DC flags, including a Free DC flag that has people wondering how they got it.
• I am shocked that INJI tickets at 9:30 Club on Sunday are not sold out. Her debut album Superlame is one of my favorites, and you may have heard her songs Madeline (Madeline let's roll) or Gaslight (Gaslight, gatekeep, call his new b mainstream) from a few years ago.

Valerie

Give your opinion, and check back next week for the results.

Last week, we asked: How are the rats by you compared to last year You responded:

• About the same (36.6%)
• Worse (34.1%)
• Better (17.1%)
• So much worse (9.8%)
• So much better (2.4%)

Tried & True features your favorite go-to restaurants that have been around for a while and serve you consistently good food.

This Week's Feature: Menomale

"I am also a huge fan of Menomale and their deli Salumeria!" Carly

Location: 33 N St NE; 2711 12th St NE
​Website​

😋 What is your favorite tried and true restaurant?

Where do you find yourself going back time and time again? Reply and let me know who should be featured and why, and share the love for a local DC restaurant.

✨ Premium subscribers: Access the events map & calendar!

See all events on a map or calendar, and filter events by category, date, and my top recommendations. Choose between a monthly or weekly view.

And you can add it as an app without downloading anything! Get the full list today.

Our premium subscribers get the full event list (250+!), weekly updates, and early access to exclusive Not Bored in DC events.

Looking for something specific? Check out these options:

• ​Ways to disconnect in DC​
• ​Museum parties & happy hours​
• ​Mosaics classes
• ​Pottery & ceramics classes​
• ​Knitting & crochet classes​
• ​Photography classes​

• 🍲 Taste the flavors of Hawaii right on Capitol Hill at this Taste of Hawaii on the Hill event featuring local cuisine, music, and over 30 exhibitors showcasing the islands' best businesses and products. Wednesday 6/10. Free.
• 🏞️ Get out and move with the Girls Club Weekly Run starting at the Smithsonian Metro on the Mall side. This is a popular group for women in their 20s and 30s, so make sure to RSVP! Wednesday 6/10. Free.
• 🕺 Majic Wednesdays brings free R&B, go-go, and jazz concerts to Sycamore & Oak with local bands and DJs curating the perfect summer soundtrack. Bring everyone you know for this weekly celebration of DC’s music scene. Wednesday 6/10. Free.
• 📜 Ever wonder how one of the world’s largest cathedrals actually got built? Take a guided outdoor tour around the Cathedral’s south and west sides to explore 118 years of Gothic architecture, intricate stone carvings, and the wild history from the 1907 foundation stone. Wednesday 6/10. $10.

• 🎭 DC/DOX is back with four days of documentaries that’ll make you think, feel, and want to talk about what you just watched. You’ll get to see films from around the world and catch filmmaker Q&As right after screenings. Thursday 6/11. $17+.
• 🕺 Come dressed as your favorite fashion era for this costume ball in the Library of Congress’s stunning Great Hall. Think dancing, photo ops, and exploring 250 years of fashion history in one of DC’s most gorgeous spaces. Thursday 6/11. Free.
• 🍲 If you’re a hot dog enthusiast or just someone who appreciates creative food, you’ll love this evening with author Farideh Sadeghin celebrating The Hot Dog Cookbook at Bold Fork Books. Chef G will be making fresh hot dogs on site, and your ticket includes one to enjoy while you hear about 50 recipes ranging from NYC classics to international favorites to wild originals. Thursday 6/11. $34.
• 🎭 Pack a blanket and some snacks for Adams Morgan Movie Nights, featuring student films from the Set in DC Film Festival in partnership with Sitar Arts Center. It’s a perfect family-friendly evening under the stars at Marie Reed Recreation Center. Thursday 6/11. Free.

• 🍲 $2 happy hour is back at Key Bridge Boathouse with cheap drinks, live music, and a waterfront view that can't be beat. I normally don't include happy hour deals but $2 is a deal you don't see any more. Friday 6/12. $2–8.
• 🌐 Come celebrate the summer solstice at the Swedish Midsummer Celebration on the National Mall, where you’ll find maypole dancing, live music from a Swedish cover band, flower wreath-making, and games on the Sylvan Theater lawn. Bring a picnic blanket and your friends for an evening of music, dancing, and fun under the long summer light. Friday 6/12. Free.
• 🍲 Come celebrate Friday Night Live with chicken poppers and Patrón at TheSHUL of the Nation’s Capital, where DC’s young Jewish professionals gather to welcome Shabbat together. You’ll start with a spirited service, then dig into creative chicken popper flavors like BBQ, Spicy Buffalo, Chipotle Maple, and Teriyaki. Friday 6/12. $18.
• 📜 Sails on the Potomac brings tall ships and Revolutionary War history to Alexandria’s waterfront for America’s 250th anniversary celebration. You’ll get to explore historic vessels, catch live music, and learn how Alexandria helped spark the revolution through exhibits and family activities. Friday 6/12-6/14. Price varies.
• 🎭 Get a behind-the-scenes look at How Shakespeare Saved My Life with director Tony Taccone and choreographer Tiffany Rachelle Stewart as they discuss the creative journey of this powerful production before the show starts. It’s a chance to hear directly from the people who brought this story to life and understand what makes it so special. Friday 6/12. $20.
• 🕺 Kick off your summer with Fridays at Fort Totten free concert series featuring live music, food vendors, and community hangouts every Friday night through August. Bring a chair, grab some Guate-Mex street food or fresh baked goods, and settle in for two hours of good music and neighborhood energy from 6 to 8 PM. Friday 6/12. Free.
• 🕺 Jazz in the Garden returns with American Sounds, featuring everything from Appalachian folk to Hill Country blues in the National Gallery’s Sculpture Garden. You’ll need to enter a lottery for passes, but they also release day-of tickets at 5pm if you want to take your chances. Friday 6/12. Free.
• 🎭 The Drive-In at Union Market is back with Barbie on the big screen, and you can watch from your car or bring blankets for a picnic setup while munching on everything from street food to fancy eats. Friday 6/12. $25 for cars, free walk-in.

• 🕺 PorchFest on Rhode Island Avenue is turning nearly three miles of the corridor into one giant neighborhood music festival with artists performing on porches, stoops, and storefronts. Just walk the avenue and discover local talent while exploring Northeast DC. Saturday 6/13. Free.
• 🖌️ Learn traditional Palestinian embroidery in this hands-on tatreez workshop where you’ll pick up foundational stitches, hear the stories behind the patterns, and create your own piece to take home. Saturday 6/13. $55.
• 🎈 Spend your Saturday exploring Trolley Trail Day across six communities along the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail, hitting 12 different hubs with live music, art, kids activities, and local businesses you can reach by trail. Stick around for the wrap party rock concert at the College Park Aviation Museum from 5 to 8 PM. Saturday 6/13. Free.
• 🖌️ Spend your evening getting messy in the best way at Analog Night with Shaylin Wallace: Doodleramics, where you’ll doodle and decorate your own ceramic piece with artist Shaylin Wallace. Bring something from home or grab one of the ceramics on hand, then leave with a totally unique creation that’s both functional and fun. Saturday 6/13. Free.
• 🕺 If you’re feeling nostalgic for the early 2000s internet, myspace nite at 9:30 Club is your late-night ticket to a throwback dance party. Relive the drama of the top 8. Saturday 6/13. $26. *
• 🌐 Experience the energy and tradition of the Piscataway-Conoy Festival and Pow Wow in Waldorf with invited drum groups, dancers, and community members celebrating heritage and culture together. Saturday 6/13-6/14. $10.
• 🏞️ If you want to explore DC history without the crowds, there’s a 2.75-mile hike through Rock Creek Park where a ranger will show you the presidential connections woven into the park’s trails. It’s a great way to get outside, learn something cool, and see a side of DC history that most people miss. Saturday 6/13. Free.

• 🤓 Discuss the indie RPG "Esoteric Ebb" where you play a conspiracy-unraveling adventure with a goblin sidekick. You don't need to finish the whole game to join the chat at this video game book club, but expect spoilers! Sunday 6/14. Free.
• 🧠 Want to actually help pollinators while making your outdoor space look great? Bee the Change: Start a Pollinator Garden is a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn which native plants work best in DC’s climate, how to design a garden that blooms all season, and what to avoid so invasive plants don’t take over. You’ll walk out with a seedling ready to plant and the knowledge to create a real habitat for native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Sunday 6/14. $5.
• 🎈 The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is making its only East Coast stop at The Wharf, bringing hundreds of amateur sailors and their boats from a 40,000-nautical-mile journey around the globe. You can tour the yachts, chat with crews, and soak up the maritime celebration atmosphere. Sunday 6/14-6/22. Price not stated.
• 🖌️ Bring one piece from your closet and transform it with studs, buttons, grommets, and rhinestones at this hands-on upcycle workshop. No sewing skills needed, just bring your creativity and leave with a one-of-a-kind piece that’s completely yours. Sunday 6/14. $40.
• 🕺 If you grew up in the 2000s, you know T-Pain basically rewrote the R&B playbook. The R&B Club is hosting a discussion about his legacy at Songbyrd in Union Market, mixing a day party vibe with real conversation about his autotune innovation and all those unforgettable hits. Sunday 6/14. $15 in advance; $20 at the door.
• 📖 Ever wonder how NASA convinced the whole country that the Space Shuttle was going to change everything? Author Amy Kaminski breaks down how the shuttle became “the people’s spaceship” and what that meant for American identity and space exploration. Plus, get an inside scoop on what’s driving today’s Artemis program and the future of human spaceflight. Sunday 6/14. $5.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Clean out your closet and find treasures at the Buy Nothing Exchange happening at Trinidad Farmers Market. Bring stuff you don’t need anymore and take home anything that catches your eye, all completely free. Sunday 6/14. Free.
• 🧑‍🍳 Spend your Sunday morning learning how to brew coffee like you actually know what you’re doing with Apiary Coffee’s bean-to-cup class. Nathan will walk you through tasting and brewing techniques, and you’ll head home with your own dripper and a bag of beans to practice with. Sunday 6/14. $65.

🤫 Psst! I couldn't fit everything in this issue. See all the events happening over the next week!

• homecoming exhibition
• pot plant workshop
• tapas tasting
• Family festivals
• Community craft walk

Click the Login link below the form and use the email you're subscribed with.

⚡ More events. More access. Zero FOMO.

Our premium subscribers get the full event list (250+!), weekly updates, and VIP access to exclusive Not Bored in DC events.

​👉 Upgrade to Premium here​

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.