What’s Going On This Weekend? Here are the Best Events in Town

By: Mimi Montgomery

We got the Cup!! And international eats, Pride, and, as always, more rosé.

Photo by Jim Havard

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

HISTORY CHAT… Chef Edward Lee of Succotash will be hosting a cooking demonstration at the Museum of American History tonight. The James Beard Award nominee will chat about the evolution and history of Southern cuisine, and how he puts his own twist on it as a Korean-American (all while cooking fried chicken and Korean doughnuts). After, Lee will sign copies of his book, Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine.

INTERNATIONAL OM NOM…A group of Ibero-American embassies (countries where Portuguese or Spanish is the main language) are getting together to host a food extravaganza. Head to the Mexican Cultural Institute to try bites from Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Uruguay…the list goes on. There will be refreshments, too (think mojitos, pisco sours, and Colombian coffee), as well as live music and raffles.

SECRET AGENT MAN…Is your kid itching to be the next Ian Fleming? Take them to a fiction writing workshop all about the spy novel. Author and former CIA intelligence officer Melissa Mahle will be at the Spy Museum to impart her wisdom on creating spellbinding thrillers. Why be Bond when you can dream up your own version?

AND…Get down with contemporary dance from Spain…March for the ocean…Drink book-themed cocktails…Talk about mental health and African-American expecting mothers…Sip wines from Chile…Catch Jordan Carlos of Comedy Central…Watch The Road to Mandalay...Take part in a sacred cacao ceremony + sound healing…See a Step Afrika! performance…Get your bonsai on…

Photo by Christopher Schmidt

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

PRIDE PARADE…While there are several Pride events throughout this weekend, one of the big ones is today’s Pride Parade. Join the crowds from Dupont Circle to Logan Circle as as floats, marchers, and plenty of rainbow paraphernalia celebrate throughout the afternoon. There will be a block party with a beer garden along the way, as well as a DJ.

SIPPIN’ ON THE PINK STUFF WITH THE NATS…You can rosé all day literally everywhere…even a baseball game. The Nationals are hosting a rosé event as they face off against the San Francisco Giants today–a ticket gets you into the game, a can of Sofia Rosé, and an in at the pop-up rosé garden. You can sip frosé  to your heart’s content, pose in the photo booth, and, you know, maybe watch baseball if there’s time.

LIONS, TIGERS, ‘N’ BEARS…Who doesn’t like a scavenger hunt? What about a scavenger hunt with pandas? That’s right, the National Zoo will have its very own scavenger hunt today. Show up to be divided into teams before taking off throughout the grounds to gather clues and do various tasks. Along the way, you’ll get to check out all the critters and learn a little bit about the animal kingdom.

NOW GUAC IT OUT…Here, guac isn’t extra (looking at you, Chipotle). The fifth annual Guac Off will see amateur chefs facing off to determine who makes the best dip of all. If you don’t want to be judged, show up to do the tasting and cast your vote. This is a BYOB event, so make sure to pick up a pack of Corona on the way (because what’s a guac-loaded chip without a brewskie?).

AND…Nom on some crawfish…Sit in on a book talk with A.M. Homes…Get lei’d…Learn to destress via meditation…Snap some sunrise photos of Abe…Talk the Civil War with a park ranger…Dive into the history of Meridian Hill Park…Throw water balloon, duck, cover, repeat…See a musical about women’s suffrage…You can never have too much rosé…

Photo by Lorie Shaull

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

QUACK: Join the Southwest BID and Neighborhood Advisory for a cookout by the historic Southwest duck pond. There will be free barbecue, ice cream, bluegrass, games, and dance lessons. And, hopefully, lots and lots of ducks (!!!!!!).

OMMMM IN THE OUTFIELD…If you were at Saturday’s Nats Park rosé event, you can head back today to detox. After the Nats take on the Giants again, the outfield will open up for a yoga class. A ticket to the game lets you get your namaste on, and it comes with a complimentary Nats yoga mat, too. TBD whether Bryce Harper will downward dog with you.

EAT MARY’S LITTLE LAMB…Lamb is often regulated just to Easter and special spring dinners, but today it gets revamped at Lamb Jam. Sixteen D.C. chefs will duke it out to see who can come up with the most inventive and tasty lamb dish, and you get to decide who’s the winner. Sample creations from the chefs at spots like Fainting Goat, Brothers and Sisters, Zaytinya, Bluejacket, and more. How ba-a-a-a-adly do you want to go?

DINING IN…Have you heard of Dining In? It’s Alison Roman’s highly-lauded, aesthetically beautiful cookbook beloved by Instagrammers and foodies everywhere. Tonight, East City Books will host a Sunday supper club where everyone brings a dish made from the cookbook. Dibs on the salted butter chocolate chunk shortbread.

AND…Learn 2 sew…Here’s what Alexander Hamilton ate…Dive into Henry David Thoreau’s love of trees…It’s storytime at the Hirshhorn…LOL at Woolly Mammoth…Sip ‘n’ learn about tea at the same time…DIY cutting board…Eat as much Jamaican jerk food as humanly possible…Groove to Hot Snakes at Union Stage…Watch the documentary Footprints of Pan Africanism…