Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater kicks off the 2019/20 Season with a free Community Day and Props Sale on Saturday, August 24, 2019 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mead Center (1101 Sixth Street, SW). The day will feature an Arena Stage Prop Sale with beautiful pieces from Arena Stage productions up for sale; performances from award nominated tap dancer Leo Manzari (Arena Stage’s Sophisticated Ladies, Tappin Thru Life and Hoizer’s music video for “Almost (Sweet Music)”); and a behind-the-scenes Q&A with our Arena Stage Production Team to discuss some of Arena’s most exciting productions!
Filled with activities for all ages, this full day of programming celebrates Arena Stage’s 2019/20 Season. Feel the rhythm of Southwest D.C. through dynamic, live music, face painting, storytelling, great food, pony rides and dance performances that reflect the sounds and themes of the upcoming Arena Stage season. Traditional and contemporary Cuban rhythms will be brought to life by the DC Cuban All-Stars; the jazz, blues and soul vocalist Akua Allrich will give audiences a feel for the music in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars; and the DC Casineros Dance Company will offer classes and performances that can make anyone a dancer. Community Day is FREE and open to the public. No reservations are required.
Other scheduled activities include live music from Americana band Justin Trawick and the Common Good; fantastic aerial performances from Wings Aerial Entertainment; music by trumpeter, singer and lyricist Jared “MK Zulu” Bailey; face painting; and great food from restaurants in Southwest D.C. including Masala Art and Station 4.
Arena Stage’s Props Sale beginning at 1 p.m., features select prop items from historic productions including Carousel, Anything Goes, South Pacific, Kleptocracy, Disgraced, Smart People, Mother Courage and Junk. Items range from $1-$900 and include full dining room table sets, lounge chairs, and specially-priced handmade prop and set pieces that will be perfect in any living or office space. Both cash and credit cards are accepted.
Beginning at 2 p.m. Arena’s Grape Stand will open. This wine and beer garden will offer guests 21 and over the opportunity to relax on Arena’s terrace with a glass of wine or a cold beer while playing a variety of lawn games.
For additional details about Community Day on August 24, visit arenastage.org/communityday.
Join us for an exhilarating dance performance!
Step Afrika!, the world’s first professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, celebrates its 25th anniversary season with the energetic and exciting 7th annual Step Xplosion tour of all eight wards in Washington, D.C. This free tour includes performances and workshops for all ages. NMWA hosts the Ward 2 lunchtime performance. Enjoy this interactive experience and then grab a bite at the museum’s Mezzanine Café. For more information about other tour performances, visit www.stepafrika.org.
PRICE: Free. Registration not required.
Cultural Capital: Step Afrika!
Friday, Aug. 30, 12–1 p.m.
Step Afrika!, the world’s first professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, celebrates its 25th anniversary season with the energetic and exciting 7th annual Step Xplosion tour of all eight wards in Washington, D.C. This free tour includes performances and workshops for all ages. NMWA hosts the Ward 2 lunchtime performance. Enjoy this interactive experience and then grab a bite at the museum’s Mezzanine Café. For more information about other tour performances, visit www.stepafrika.org. Free. No reservations required.
District Hemp Botanicals announces its Grand Opening Happy Hour and Wellness Pop-Up to celebrate its third location at 1323 Connecticut Avenue (2nd Floor) on Friday, September 6, 2019 from 6-8 pm.
“We are thrilled to have a new location of District Hemp Botanicals in the heart of DC’s vibrant Dupont Circle neighborhood and we are looking forward to bringing the highest quality CBD products, wellness workshops, and events to the surrounding community,” said owner Barbara Biddle. “Our grand opening celebration will showcase a variety of our favorite wellness brands and we invite the whole community to join in the fun.”
The grand opening will feature music, product demos, giveaways, free CBD massages, CBD-infused mocktails, swag bags, samples, tastings, and food from HipCityVeg. As part of the evening’s grand opening festivities, District Hemp will host a wellness pop-up in the adjacent Epic Yoga space featuring:
- District Herbs
- Georgetown Massage & Bodywork
- Aethera Beauty
- Rose Glow Tea Room
- Hemp Kettle Tea
- Kazooted Chocolates
- Extreme Terpz
- i and i Botanicals
- National Holistic Healing Center
- Klean by Kerensa
- And more!
The first 30 customers will receive a free 250 mg CBD tincture with RSVP and purchase.
8 p.m. Eisenhower Theater
What the Constitution Means to Me
Heidi Schreck’s timely and galvanizing play, directed by Oliver Butler, became a sensation off-Broadway last fall before transferring to Broadway this spring and receiving two Tony Award® nominations (Best Play, Best Actress in Leading Role in a Play)and two Drama Desk Award nominations (Outstanding Play, Outstanding Actress in a Play).
Tickets: $45-129
Bring the whole family—including pets!—to support Smithsonian conservation efforts all over the world at The Fast & the Fierce 5K, sponsored by Aegis Project Controls. Friends of the National Zoo will host its second annual race for wildlife at Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., Saturday, Sept. 14.
Like the inaugural run, the event focuses on a Conservation Nation rhino project. This year, the race will raise funds for black rhinos in South Africa, where researchers hope to learn critical information about how the species’ diet impacts its immune system and ability to reproduce as its numbers dwindle in the wild.
Costumes are encouraged, but not required, and the 5K will be followed by a short afterparty featuring an award ceremony honoring winners in all categories, including top runners by age group, stand-out pups and stellar outfits.
“Run or walk, fundraise, wear a fun costume or just cheer on fellow conservationists from the sidelines—support wildlife conservation however you can. Your pet can even register for their own fundraising page,” said Lynn Mento, Executive Director of Friends of the National Zoo.
Though race day might be months away, conservationists don’t have to wait to make a difference for animals. Participants can create their own page now atwww.fonz.org/5k to fundraise for Conservation Nation, a Friends of the National Zoo initiative that supports global wildlife projects to save endangered animals.
In addition to creating their own pages, supporters can set goals and win prizes for reaching milestones. Those who can’t attend can still sign up for free as a virtual runner, fundraising and helping to save rhinos from the comfort of their own couch.
Registration closes at noon on Friday, Sept. 13. Fundraising proceeds will directly benefit rhinos and Conservation Nation projects across the globe, including those that focus on marine mammals in Peru, tapirs in Paraguay, Meadowlarks in North America and elephants in Myanmar.
Go to www.fonz.org/5k for more information or to register.
Downtown DC’s newest pop up arts market launches as Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRB/ITC) hosts Capital Arts Collective. The series kicks off on June 20 and continues through September every third Thursday of the month from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Locals and passersby can shop and explore a curated selection of items by the area’s most talented creatives, including everything from jewelry, paintings, candles, custom designed items, home goods, and more.
Capital Arts Collective aims to celebrate and support the local art scene. The RRB/ITC is excited to welcome homegrown artisans to Wilson Plaza; with plenty of seating and eateries it’s the perfect place for art enthusiasts of all ages, to grab lunch, browse and shop from the best creators in the DMV area. Capital Arts Collective is a program of RRB/ITC and is sponsored by TCMA (A Drew Company).
View this summer’s artists: https://itcdc.com/capital-
What: Capital Arts Collective (#CapitalArtsCollective)
When: June 20, July 18, August 15, & September 19, from 10 am- 2 pm.
Where: Wilson Plaza at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Metro: Federal Triangle Station
Who: Free and open to the public
Fresh Talk: Judy Chicago: New Views
Sunday, Sept. 22, 4:30–6 p.m., followed by book signing and Catalyst, a cocktail hour with a topic and a twist, 6–7 p.m.
Join iconic feminist artist Judy Chicago for the debut of Judy Chicago: New Views—the first major monograph on the artist in nearly 20 years. Published by NMWA and Scala Arts Publishers, Judy Chicago: New Views offers fresh perspectives on the artist’s oeuvre by leading scholars and curators. Chicago joins book contributor Martha C. Nussbaum, philosopher and Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, to discuss New Views and the current exhibition Judy Chicago—The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction, featuring her newest body of work. The exhibition is on view at NMWA from Sept. 19, 2019, to Jan. 20, 2020. Reservations required. $80 general, $65 members, seniors, students. Price includes museum admission, program, one copy of Judy Chicago: New Views (available for preorder in the Museum Shop for $49.95) and Catalyst cocktail hour (during which Chicago and Nussbaum will be available to sign copies of Judy Chicago: New Views). Reserve online.