The Washington Post - USA (2022-05-27)

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THE

WASHINGTON

POST

.

FRIDAY,

MAY

27, 2022

Best BetsNoteworthy events this week

D.C. Black Pride

After three years, Black Pride

returns for a multi-day gathering

over Memorial Day weekend. The

Renaissance Hotel downtown is

the central hub, with workshops

on topics such as mental health

and body positivity, a forum for

writers, and a marketplace of

LGBTQ vendors. It’s also home to

events including the CommUNITY

Opening Reception on Friday night

with Big Freedia (5 to 10 p.m.,

free) and Saturday night’s Mary

Bowman Poetry Slam (7 p.m.,

free). Dozens of events are taking

place through Monday, including

drag brunches, a U Street bar hop,

theater readings and rooftop

parties. WNBA players Tamera

“Ty” Young and the Mystics’

Myisha Hines-Allen are among the

celebrity hosts. Hope for good

weather on Memorial Day as

Black Pride ends with two outdoor

parties: Us Helping Us’s Pride

Festival in the Park at Fort Dupont

features food vendors, a drag

show, games and house music

(noon to 7 p.m., free), while Project

Briggs’s Pride by the River brings a

day of DJs, vendors and fellowship

to Anacostia Park. Attendees are

encouraged to bring grills and

picnics (noon to 7 p.m., free).

When: Through Monday.

Where: The Renaissance Hotel,

999 Ninth St. NW, and venues

across D.C. Full schedule at

dcblackpride.org.

Tickets: Many events are free, but

prices vary.

Library of Congress

holiday opening

The Library of Congress’s Main

Reading Room is one of the

most beautiful indoor spaces in

Washington: Light filters through

stained glass and the lantern of

the 160-foot dome, illuminating

circular rows of burnished

wooden researchers’ desks,

which radiate out from the

round information desk. Below

the great windows are 16

statues, including of William

Shakespeare, Plato and Isaac

Newton, as well as allegorical

figures representing ideals such

as history and philosophy. The

stained glass features seals of

48 states. Most visitors see this

magnificent room only from a

gallery through sheets of

plexiglass — unless they visit on

a holiday Monday, such as

Presidents' Day or Memorial

Day, when the library has

special opening hours with

access to the Reading Room.

Visitors must reserve free timed

entry passes, which also cover

access to current exhibitions.

But the chance to walk through

the Reading Room, and ask

questions of the docents on

duty, is the star of the show.

When: Monday from 10 a.m. to

5 p.m. Last entry at 4:30 p.m.

Where: Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson Building, 10

First St. SE. loc.gov/visit.

Admission: Free. Timed entry

passes required.

Wednesday at the

Wharf concert series

If you’re looking for a free

concert with a nice perch on the

water — whether for the scenic

view or just good people-

watching — head to the Wharf

this summer. The Transit Pier,

which also houses Cantina

Bambina, will again host a series

of shows highlighting local

bands every Wednesday through

the end of August. The festivities

kick off next week with Collective

Delusion, which covers rock

tunes from the ’70s onward, and

the calendar is dotted with an

eclectic mix of area staples

including DuPont Brass (Aug.

17), Latin Celtic rock from La

Unica (June 22) and even the

U.S. Army Band (July 13).

When: Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

through Aug. 31.

Where: Transit Pier at the

Wharf, 970 Wharf St. SW.

wharfdc.com.

Admission: Free.

On the cover

Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick.”

INSIDE

Memorial Day

Last November, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the

Tomb of the Unknowns, members of the public were

allowed to lay flowers on the plaza in front of the tomb at

Arlington National Cemetery. The tradition continues

Saturday with a new ceremony called Flowers of

Remembrance Day, which invites the public to bring long-

stemmed flowers to lay at the graveside between 9 a.m.

and 4 p.m. Flowers will also be available at the cemetery

for those who need them. The day features talks with

historians about the history of Decoration Day and a

walking tour of the cemetery. Admission is free, and unlike

in November, no reservations are required.

Other commemorations over the long weekend include the National Memorial Day Parade, which is back on

Constitution Avenue NW between Seventh and 17th streets on Monday, beginning at 2 p.m. Grand Marshal

James Harvey III was a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen (americanveteranscenter.org). The National

Memorial Day Choral Festival returns to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Sunday at 3 p.m. While tickets

can no longer be reserved in advance, remaining tickets will be released at will call at 2:45 p.m. (kennedy-

center.org). The National Memorial Day Concert will once again be broadcast from the West Front of the

Capitol on Sunday evening, with guests including Joe Mantegna, Rhiannon Giddens and Craig Morgan. Capitol

Police say, “The concert venue is not open to the public as the Capitol complex continues its phased reopening.”

The concert will be shown on PBS and online beginning at 8 p.m. (capitalconcerts.org).

Dining

Tom Sietsema

answers reader

questions. 8

Movies

“The Bob’s

Burgers Movie”

is a rare

treat. 22

Music

4 concerts to

catch this

week. 5

Stage

“A Monster

Calls” goes

from page to

stage. 19

MATT MCCLAIN/THE WASHINGTON POST

ASTRID RIECKEN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

ABOVE: The N ational Memorial Day Parade, pictured in 2014, is coming back to Constitution Avenue

NW between Seventh and 17th streets on Monday at 2 p.m. BELOW: A visitor salutes after placing

flowers in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in November.

l Email:
[email protected]
l Telephone: 202-334-6808
l Advertising: Ron Ulrich,
[email protected],
202-334-5289

WEEKEND