Grab some beads and toast with a Hurricane because Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and the D.C. region is celebrating in style with several free community-wide extravaganzas.
Grab some beads and toast with a Hurricane because Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and the D.C. region is celebrating in style with several free community-wide extravaganzas.
In D.C.’s H Street neighborhood, family-friendly festivities are planned Sunday with several marching bands, drumlines and blues bands performing live.
The Atlas Performing Arts Center is also hosting a puppet show, a family-friendly matinee of “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” and performances by the Glade Dance Collective.
In Southeast D.C., the Barracks Row Main Street is hosting a Mardi Gras celebration with a parade and engaging with the community with live music, plus food and drink specials from several local businesses. It’s happening Friday at 8th Street in Barracks Row.
Elsewhere, in Northern Virginia, expect Mardi Gras celebrations Tuesday at Bayou Bakery in Arlington, Virginia, and at Shipgarten in McLean, Virginia.
The Wharf’s Mardi Gras celebration was postponed from this weekend to Feb. 22 because of the weather forecast, according to organizers. The festivities will include a parade with jugglers, the king and queen of Mardi Gras, floats and, of course, plenty of beads to pass around.
Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the DC area.
Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area:
DC
“Sucker for Love”
This one-night Valentine’s Day show is all about “funny, raw, awkward and unexpectedly moving” stories about dating and heartbreak. The event is hosted by Story District at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday.
Galentine’s Day Mini Market
Join the D.C. Influence and Cookbook Courtyard teams for a feel-good, friendship-forward shopping experience with a variety of local vendors hosted at Ver Studio. The mini market on Saturday costs $5 online or $10 on the day of to attend.
The Story of Chocolate
Mitsitam Cafe Executive Chef Alex Strong of the Smithsonian American Indian Museum is demonstrating how to make tasty chocolate treats Saturday. The event also includes a deep dive in the process of how cacao is turned into chocolate. Accompanying the free event are performances by dance group Danza Tecuanis and a bookmark-making activity.
Midnight Madness
On Monday, celebrate Lunar New Year early with Midnight Madness in D.C.’s Chinatown neighborhood. This evening event features thrilling lion dances, pounding drums and other “colorful festivities.” The event is free with no RSVP needed.
Descendants of Black Georgetown
This panel at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library dives into the hidden history of Black Georgetown from those who lived it. The event on Wednesday is free to attend. It’s hosted by the People’s Archive and the Black Georgetown Foundation.
Maryland
“Freckleface Strawberry”
This musical, presented at the Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, Maryland, is a family-friendly story about Freckleface Strawberry, who will do anything to get rid of her freckles, but learns that everyone is different, and that’s what makes everyone special. The musical runs from Friday through March 29. Tickets cost approximately $28 per person.
Cupid’s Chase 5K
Get your running shoes ready. The Cupid’s Chase 5K is being hosted on Saturday in Baltimore, Maryland. Last year, over 11,000 runners nationwide participated. Typically, runners race at Wheaton Regional Park as well, but that event was canceled because of leftover snow and ice from last month’s storm.
Slow Funeral + Pinky Lemon + Flo Petite
Two D.C.-based bands and one Greenville, South Carolina-based band are uniting for one musical evening on Wednesday. The event is at Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring with tickets that cost $20 per person.
Virginia
Ilia Malinin Winter Olympics Viewing
This Friday, cheer on local ice skating Olympian Ilia Malinin at his alma mater, George Mason University. The free event is happened at the university’s campus in Arlington, Virginia.
Galentine’s Slumber Party Pajama Jam
Get cozy this Friday at Ms. Moxie’s Moon Shop, a menstrual health boutique in Old Town Alexandria. The shop is hosting a Galentine’s Slumber Party Pajama Jam where guests can enjoy nostalgic games, a makeup and spa bar, crafting and delicious drinks alongside love note-writing. The dress code is, of course, to wear PJs. The all-ages event costs $15 to attend.
George Washington Birthday Parade
Head to Old Town Alexandria for the oldest and largest George Washington Birthday Parade in the country on Saturday. The parade features drum corps, bands, community and fraternal organizations, local merchants, as well as General Washington and Martha Washington impersonators. Find the parade route here.
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