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

By: Mimi Montgomery

A rave-like 5K, brunch on Nats field, and, yes, Hamilton is in town.

Photograph by Ted Eytan

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

LUVS ME, LUVS ME NAWT…If you never wrote a poem to the JV soccer captain that rhymed “art” with “bleeding heart,” were you ever really in love as a teen? Mortified is a show that gets adults on stage to read the embarrassing real-life notes, diary entries, love letters, poems, and songs they wrote as teenagers. Come by to relive the glory days (an extra drink for anyone who brings a cootie catcher on stage).

MY SHOT…If you’re one of the lucky few who sold their soul for a Hamilton ticket, congrats! If not, you can still pretend like you’re there. The Watergate Hotel’s Kingbird restaurant will begin hosting Friday and Saturday night Hamilton dance parties throughout the show’s run in D.C. Stop by to dance to showtunes and sip cocktails inspired by the show, like the Lafayette and the Angelica.

WINE NOT?…Yeah, the World Cup is going on and, yeah, you could go watch it in some smelly bar, but this is so much better. Cork and Fork will have regionally-themed wine tastings based on each soccer group in the Cup. Tonight, come by to pit Spain and Portugal face-to-face off the field. You’ll taste three wines from each country, but only one nation can be declared home to the tastiest vino.

AND…Celebrate D.C.’s DIY culture with No Kings Collective…Rock out to a Michael Jackson cover band…Hit up a artisanal market in Southwest…Play with your wine…Party for the planet…Happy hour on a farm/rooftop combo…Check out an improv show featuring an all-people-of-color cast…Listen to up-and-coming local music at the American Art Museum…

Photograph by Bekah Richards

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

CO HEIGHTS LOVE…Happy Columbia Heights Day! Head to the neighborhood for a street party with live music, dancing, free fitness classes, a carnival, a dunk tank, a beer garden, and an oral history tent. Many local restaurants will be coming by to handle the food, too, so come ready to grub.

HERE PIGGIE PIGGIE…Not to stereotype all the dads out there, but this could be a pretty cool Father’s Day gift. DBGB is hosting a Beer & Butchery workshop, where you’ll learn how to pick apart, stuff, and prepare a whole hog. While you go hog wild, enjoy some snacks, Flying Dog brews, and a nip or two of some ten-years-old Whistlepig.

EYE OF THE TIGER…If you’re the kind of runner that needs motivation to hit the pavement, this is the biggest pump-up event ever. The Night Nation run is a 5K that takes you through multiple party zones with dancers, DJs, light shows, and selfie stations galore. After, stick around as the dance party continues throughout the night and the confetti rains down.

HERE WE GO AGAIN…Okay, how can you not be excited for the second Mamma Mia! movie to come out this summer? Because this is DC, of course you need to celebrate with a themed brunch. Pretend like you’re in the movie belting Abba hits over a boozy brunch of Greek dishes like the Chiquita frittata and Donna’s kagiana, plus cocktails like the Honey, Honey Lemonade and the Our Last Summer Sunrise. Paging Meryl Streep!

ROFLMAO…Grade A comedians like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Steve Carell are all previous members of improv group the Second City, and tonight the hilarious crew will kick off a new performance in town. Written specifically for Kennedy Center audiences, Generation Gap…Or, How Many Millennials Does It Take to Teach a Baby Boomer to Text Generation X? is a LOL-worthy take on age groups.

AND…Make your own swanky Old Fashioned…The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company debuts three new dances…Yoga on a rooftop (at sunrise, of course)…Skip the drinking and do a fitness studio crawl instead…Learn the Islamic book art tradition of illumination…Toss the meat and nom plant-style at this vegan cookout…It’s reggae fest, mon…Jazz Fest + Leslie Odom, Jr. = A helluva party…

Photograph by Jim Harvard

SUNDAY JUNE 17

BASEBALL + BRUNCH…The Nats will be out of town on Sunday playing the Blue Jays in Toronto, which can only mean one thing–we’re going to brunch on the baseball field, of course! Settle in on the baseline for a menu of chicken and waffles, fresh fruit, frittatas, beer, mimosas, and a bloody Mary bar. Bonus: Each ticket comes with Budweiser sunglasses with a built-in bottle opener, so you can party while protecting those eyeballs.

FURTHER…As part of its Explorers Festival, Nat Geo will host the Further Film Festival today, which highlights the work and stories of intrepid folks in the field. Come settle in for a series of movies short and long that cover subjects like nomads in India and diving into hydrothermal vents. The series ends with the documentary Jane, which offers a close-up look at Jane Goodall’s life and research.

FEEL THE MUSIC, MAN…People don’t just sit around and listen to albums anymore, ya know? U Street Music Hall is out to change that. Come by the Universal Listening Room, where you’ll sit around with a bunch of folks and, well, listen. Ranging from songs new and old, beloved and under-the-radar, it’s the perfect environment to sing along, discuss lyrics, or just simply get lost in the tunes.

AND…Strap up and learn the backpacking basics…Hit up a BBQ with D.C. Brau…Go on a killer bike ride through D.C…Riverdance your way through an Irish jam sesh…Groove to Houndmouth…Downward dog to some live music…It’s a beautiful day when U2 is in town…