What You’re Doing When You’re Not Eating: The List’s Seasonal Activation Roundup

Spring has sprung! And with it, so many fun & exciting ways to celebrate the season. The best way to soak in the sunshine? All these springtime activations:  

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 

Marcela Hazan x Smithsonian American History Museum: Marking the centennial of Marcella Hazan’s (1924–2013) birth, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has received a donation from the family of the influential cookbook author and legendary teacher of regional Italian cuisine in the United States and United Kingdom. Hazan is widely known for her six cookbooks on the cuisines of Italy, published between 1973 and 2004. Her husband Victor Hazan, an authority on Italian food and wine, and son Giuliano, a chef and cooking teacher, donated 20 of her specialized Italian cooking tools, including a passatelli press, garganelli pasta comb, a mattarello for rolling out pasta, her wood cutting board, lasagna pan and her cotton apron to the museum’s food history collections. The donation also includes a selection of her recipe notebooks, written in Italian, that will be housed in the museum’s Archives Center. Hazan immigrated to the United States from Cesenatico, Italy, with her husband in 1955, and they made their home in New York City where she opened a small cooking school in her apartment in 1969 and published her first cookbook, The Classic Italian Cookbook, in 1973. Hazan was the recipient of numerous awards, including the International Association of Culinary Professionals Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), Cavaliere della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana Award (2003) and the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (2000).Constitution Avenue NW, between 12th and 14th streets; americanhistory.si.edu  

Reston Concerts on the Town: Reston Concerts on the Town featuring Sip & Stroll every Saturday at the Reston Town Center Pavilion, May 18-Aug. 24, 7:30-10:00 pm. Concert linup includes: 

May 18 - Old Skool (R&B/Hip Hop/Pop)
May 25 - Reston Chorale (a Star Spangled Salute)
June 1 - Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (Zydeco)
June 8 - Hard Day’s Night (Beatles tribute)
June 15 - Herr Metal (80s Hair Metal)
June 22 - Lee Rocker + DJ (Rock)
June 29 - Lao Tizer Band (Blue-Eyed Soul/Jazz/R&B)
July 6 - La Mafia Del Guaguanco (Salsa)
July 13 - Big Sam’s Funky Nation (Funk)
July 20 - Deanna Bogart Band (Boogie-Woogie/Jazzy Blues)
July 27 - The Reflex (80’s tribute)
August 3 - Sam Grow Band + DJ (Country)
August 10 - Three Sheets to the Wind (Yacht Rock)
August 17 - Right On Band (Disco)
August 24 - Magic! + DJ (Reggae Fusion)

Jazz @ Met: National Landing is hosting their second Jazz festival. Enjoy music outside on a comfy blanket all summer long. May dates include: 

May 16: Samuel Prather & the G.O! 4tet (Jazz/soul/funk fusion)

May 23: Joe Brotherton Quartet (Afro-Latin New Orleans Jazz)

May 30: The Marshall Keys Group (Jazz fusion)

June 6: Alex Hamburger (Electric and acoustic)

June 13: Siné Qua Non (Neo-classical jazz fusion)

June 20: Akua Allrich & The Tribe (Pan-African)

Studio Theatre 2024-2025 Season: Studio Theatre's 2024-2025 season is here. The 2024-2025 season slate demonstrates Studio’s ongoing commitment to advocating for uncompromising contemporary artists and providing a home for plays that get you to think by asking you to feel. The lineup includes Summer, 1976, and more. More info here. 

King Tut's Tomb: An Immersive Experience: “Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures,” the most in-depth and historically accurate recreation about King Tut and his treasures ever mounted, and it has never previously toured in Washington, D.C. Produced by Exhibition Hub and Semmel Exhibitions in partnership with Fever, this hands-on experience offers guests the chance to explore ancient Egypt with unprecedented detail and scale, mirroring Egyptologist Howard Carter's discovery right in Washington D.C. Find out more info here. 

Metamorphosis at Folger Theatre: Folger Theatre is concluding its 2023/24 season with Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. The tales of Ovid here are placed in a modern-day setting with an all-Black cast of eleven and directed by Psalmayene 24 (Tempestuous Elements at Arena Stage and Good Bones at Studio Theatre). Metamorphoses is on stage at the Folger from May 7 through June 16. Staged as a series of interwoven vignettes, the play showcases the transformative power of myths through a rich tapestry exploring themes of love, loss, and the human experience. 

The Drive-In at Union Market: The Drive-In at Union Market is back for the 12th season.  Get ready for a  blend of movies and munchies with concessions. From street food to Michelin-starred fine dining, experience it all at Union Market District. Bring your chairs and blankets for a cozy picnic-style setup in front of The Market. No tickets are needed to watch on Neal Place. More info here. 

WHERE ELSE YOU'LL FIND US:

Little Shop of Horrors at Ford’s Theater: Little Shop Of Horrors is coming to Ford’s Theatre with a great cast and story of the classic tale. The musical classic is to be seen this spring in April. You can purchase tickets here. Now through May 14. 

Renwick Gallery Reopening: The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery has reopened to the public. It was closed temporarily for a project focused on replacing pipes under this National Historic Landmark building. Experience the special exhibition Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023, explore the dynamic landscape of contemporary craft in SAAM’s collection, and reflect in the quiet space of 1.8 Renwick.

Capital Wheel 10 Year Anniversary : The Capital Wheel at National Harbor has been spinning for 10 years. To celebrate the decade you are invited to enjoy 10 months of special offers, events, packages and, of course, unparalleled views. The events include: 

• May: Mom’s a Perfect 10! Mom rides free with a paying adult and enjoys a Mimosa Flight for only $10 Mother’s Day Weekend
• June: You’re a 10 Dad! Dad rides free with a paying adult and enjoys an IPA Flight for only $10 Father’s Day Weekend 

More info here. 

Perch Putt at the Watermark Hotel: Putt into spring with the re-opening of Perch Putt. The 18-hole putt putt golf course located at The Perch – a 2.5 acre sky park has reopened. The Perch offers guests rounds of golf with live entertainment accompanied by a Greyhound and a double decker bus that have been converted into food trucks, including a new addition this year, Bap-Bowl. Rhum Rhoost, a vibrant tiki bar, will also be serving special festive drinks for Easter, including Peeps Hot Chocolate and mimosa buckets.  .perchputt.com

New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024: Now open, the exhibition New Worlds highlights the work of 28 visionary artists from around the globe who reimagine past, present and alternate realities at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Works by the 28 artists featured in New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024 explore these ideas from perspectives that shift across geographies, cultural viewpoints, and time. Learn more here. 

Intercessions: This is Where We Meet: Intersections: This is Where We Meet invites viewers into Shawn Yancy's off-camera inner world and introduces them to yet another facet of her identity – Artist. Shawn uses abstract art and color relationships to express her thoughts and feelings about peace, chaos, joy, pleasure, pain, family, community and connection. It runs through May 29. 702 8th Street NW; rsvp here. 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania at The National Building Museum: The National Building Museum has opened Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania, an exhibition co-organized by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and Fallingwater, a property entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southwestern Pennsylvania is a journey into the famed architect’s mind, articulating—for the first time—his broader creative vision. Presenting both realized and unrealized projects Wright designed for the region from the 1930s through the 1950s, the exhibition examines how his vision of the future might have impacted urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Find out more info here. 

Whitlow’s on Water: The guys who brought DC’s only pedal party cruise boats, the Potomac Paddle Club, and only floating tiki bar party boats, the Potomac Tiki Club, will be back on the water for  the 2024 season with  a 48-passenger Tiki Boat in collaboration with iconic DC and former Clarendon bar, Whitlow’s. The 50-foot floating bar, Whitlow’s on Water, will sail from Georgetown Harbour and Navy Yard beginning St. Patrick’s Day weekend 2024. Whitlow’s on Water will have an 18-foot U-shaped bar surrounded by stool seating. The vessel will be fully covered allowing cruises in all kinds of weather. It will have two televisions, an on-board bathroom and plush seating couches. Find out more info here.