Things to do the week of Mar. 3-6, 2025
We've gathered up things to do across the nation's capital, including museum exhibits, concerts, only-in-DC events and much more. Don't miss our things to do this weekend and things to do this month as well.
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Monday
Orchids: Masters of Deception
Marvel at a rotating display of orchid specimens from the extensive collection of the U.S. Botanic Garden and Smithsonian Gardens. The Garden Court will display stories of orchids who are – you guessed it – masters of deception, using smell, shape and color. There will also be two nine-foot-tall tree sculptures covered in pink and white orchids (a nod to DC’s cherry trees) as well as eight-foot-tall orchid curtains that show off the plant’s special roots.
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission
U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20001
We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists
Two years ago, the Smithsonian American Art Museum acquired 35 quilts from Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, who holds a doctorate in aerospace engineering and is also a prolific artist, curator and scholar. The scope of the quilts featured is remarkable and groundbreaking in its representation of Black history and culture.
11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission
Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004
Signature in the Schools: Failureland!
Signature Theatre Company’s 30th Signature in the Schools play sees area high school students perform an original comedy by playwright Dani Stoller about discovering your courage. Failureland! follows Tori as she questions herself right as she’s about to submit her college applications only to fall into an “enchanted haven” where she runs into Maya Angelou, Galileo and Vincent van Gogh. These figures share their own experiences with fear, failure and hope.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Tuesday
Uncanny
The National Museum of Women in the Arts invites visitors to an exploration of unease across a range of surreal media. The only museum solely dedicated to championing women artists treads into new territory with Uncanny, which reveals women’s authorship of surreal narratives, revealing how the concept is used by these artists to regain agency and dissect feelings of revulsion, fear and discomfort.
Hours & Admission
National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy (and friends) Play R.E.M.’s Fables of Reconstruction and more
Actor Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy – along with some very talented friends – celebrate the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.'s iconic 1985 album, Fables of the Reconstruction, with a U.S. tour. The pair’s sold-out 2023 run in honor of R.E.M.'s famed debut album, Murmur, saw the four original members of R.E.M. come together for the first time in 17 years at the tour’s Athens stop. This new journey will take Shannon and Narducy to nearly three times as many cities across the country, including this show at the iconic 9:30 Club.
7 p.m. | Tickets
9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
NSO at Mount Vernon
If champagne, chocolate and mingling with musicians aren’t your thing, you’ll want to stay far away from Mount Vernon this spring. But if the triple threat of bubbly, bites and classical delights entices you, book your tickets immediately for this charming series of concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra at George Washington’s estate. Concerts begin at 7 p.m.; musicians will join the receptions that follow at 8 p.m.
Tickets
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, VA 22121
The Age of Innocence
Adapted from the beloved Edith Wharton novel by playwright Karen Zacarías, this new play at Arena Stage will captivate audiences with its stirring depiction of 1870s New York City. The Age of Innocence is timeless in its powerful critique of the harshness of societal norms as it masterfully depicts Newland Archer’s struggles as he must choose between privilege and passion.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Wednesday
How to Be A Power Player: Tudor Edition
The Folger Shakespeare Library exhibit features more than 60 objects from the collection to demonstrate the dos and don’ts for how to be a successful courtier in 16th-century England. Social climbing was a sport in Tudor England and visitors can engage with the entire playbook and even create their own with a 21st-century spin. You can also draw your portrait, design a dinner menu and make your own rules.
Hours | Free Admission
Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
RIOT! Funny Women Stand Up
Celebrate Women’s History Month at the Kennedy Center with a special comedy event that sports an all-woman lineup. Leading standups like Jen Kirkman, Zarna Garg, Chloe Radcliffe, Irene Tu, Jenny Yang, Janelle James, Ali Kolbert, Sam Jay, Melissa Villaseñor, Jamie Lee and numerous others will take the stage over the course of the evening.
8 p.m. | Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
A Room in the Castle
The Folger Theatre co-produces a new play with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company that reimagines the stories of the women in Shakespeare’s Hamlet to create both gut-busting comedy and heart-rending drama. Ophelia, her handmaid and Queen Gertrude are suffering at the hands of a wild prince’s antics and realize how dangerous their lives have become. The thriller explores how we can help each other through tough times and the responsibilities of one generation to another.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Thursday
A South Fourty: Contemporary Architecture and Design in the American South
The National Building Museum’s new exhibit is dedicated to distinctive modern architecture and contemporary design practices in the American South. The display aims to provide an overview of the current vibrancy of contemporary architecture through illustrated profiles of buildings and practices, statements of principles and observations by those who build in the region.
Hours & Admission
National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
RIVERDANCE 30: The New Generation
Since emerging onto the cultural landscape 30 years ago, Riverdance has brought a Grammy Award-winning fusion of Irish and international dance to audiences all over the globe. Now, the show embarks on a special anniversary tour with new choreography and costumes as well as state-of-the-art motion graphics, lighting and projection.
Tickets
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
It’s A Mother****ing Pleasure
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, along with the award-winning and disability-led theatre company FlawBored, invite you to explore disability rights and wrongs. The searing satire focuses on PR firm “Rize” as they team up with Ross, a Blind influencer who’s ready to profit off the guilt of non-disabled, anxious people. Prepare yourself for a sensational examination of identity politics and the cost of doing the right thing.
Tickets
Wolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
LEGO®
LEGO® F1®-themed Build the Thrill Event
The entire family should head to the LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC for an exclusive LEGO® F1® - themed ‘Build the Thrill Event’. Grab a pit pass and take in a drivers briefing before choosing your team. Kids can get hands-on with LEGO® bricks to create a minifigure driver and build an ultimate race car, take on build challenges and of course … race. Admission to Build the Thrill is included with your admission to the museum.
Tickets
LEGO Discovery Center Washington, DC, 6563 Springfield Mall, Springfield, VA 22150
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Foodie Photo of the Week
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