Music 1. National Symphony Orchestra: Steven Reineke, principal Pops conductor, presents numbers by “Legends of Washington Music,” John Philip Sousa, Duke Ellington and Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, in person with his band.
Where: West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Info: Free. In case of rain, the concert will take place in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
2. “Peter Pan”: Cathy Rigby reprises her role in the beloved musical as the mischievous boy who won’t grow up.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: $40 to $80 in-house, $20 lawn; 877-865-3872; wolftrap.org
3. Robin & Linda Williams in Concert: The popular Virginia-based couple and Their Fine Group sing fan favorites.
Where: Jammin’ Java
When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $20; 703-255-1566; jamminjava.com
4. Mose Allison: The remarkable pianist/composer/vocalist blends jazz, blues and humor in songs recorded by top artists. He introduces new material from his latest recording, “The Way of the World.”
Where: Blues Alley
When: 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday to Sunday
Info: $25; 202-337-4141; bluesalley.com
5. Maysa: The soulful singer go on a 20th-anniversary tour with Gordon Chambers.
Where: The Birchmere
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Info: $45; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com.
Best Brainfood
1. The Hope Diamond: Every day, thousands to tens of thousands of visitors will press into the Harry Winston Gallery of the Smithsonian’s Geology, Gems and Minerals exhibition to experience the beauty of the Hope Diamond. In addition to being the must-see at the Smithsonian Institution, it is recognized around the world as the ultimate example of value and perfection.
Where: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
When: Through Nov. 18
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; mnh.si.edu
2. Tiber Creek Cabaret: Genre-defying performances from across the region. Tiber Creek Cabaret presents a wide selection of the D.C. area’s alternative artists and performers together onstage in one centralized, Metro-accessible venue. Tiber Creek Cabaret features burlesque, sword swallowing, belly dancing, original dramatic readings and live Victorian-style parlor music.
Where: Harman Hall, Shakespeare Theatre Company, 610 F St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Info: $20; 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org
3. Potomac Bonsai Association Club Exhibits: Bonsai enthusiasts from three local clubs display trees from their private collections during these weekend exhibitions.
Where: National Arboretum, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, 3501 New York Ave. NE
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-245-2726; usna.usda.gov
4. Hisham Matar: “Anatomy Of A Disappearance”: Nuri el-Alfi’s father, Kamal, vanishes in Geneva in 1972, but his family is already familiar with dislocation, as they had been exiled from an Arab country where Kamal was adviser to the king. Fourteen-year-old Nuri begins a desperate search, one that propels him toward the truths of his father’s elusive life and the treacherous edge of his own adulthood.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
Best Family
1. “Last Splash”: Families, ages 5 and older. Dress to get wet as you spend some time exploring waterfalls, trying to catch water striders and taking a closer look at some creek critters. What do they have to tell us? Be prepared for your kids to want to stay after the program ends. Feel free to bring a picnic dinner!
Where: Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
When: 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday
Info: $3; registration required: 703-228-4747; program No. 612851-J
2. Hard Workin’ Worms Campfire: Campfire programs are for the whole family and include stories, songs and animal guests.
Where: Meet at Gulf Branch Campfire Ring, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
When: 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. Sunday
Info: $5; registration required: 703-228-4747; program Nos. 612851-A and 612851-B
3. Fort DeRussy Hike: Discover what life was like for Civil War Union soldiers encamped at Fort DeRussy on this 1-mile hike. Learn how the fort helped defend Washington. Ages 8 and older.
Where: Rock Creek Park, Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road NW
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; 202-895-6070; nps.gov/rocr
4. “Charlotte’s Web”: E. B. White’s popular tale of love and devotion takes theatergoers to Zuckerman’s Farm, where the delightful runt pig Wilbur appears headed for the dinner table — as main course, not as guest. Yet he is saved by the remarkably crafty spider, Charlotte, and the whole town begins talking about it. Some pig!
Where: Adventure Theatre, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Bethesda
When: Through Sunday
Info: $17; 301-634-2270; adventuretheatre.org
Best Gatherings
1. “Julius Caesar”: Shakespeare Theatre Company’s annual Free For All remounts the Bard’s tragedy, which STC staged during the 2007-2008 season.
Where: Shakespeare Theatre Company, Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW
When: Through Sunday
Info: Free; 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org
2. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: The Rude Mechanicals set Shakespeare’s classic in Las Vegas.
Where: Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt
When: Through Saturday
Info: $12 to $15; 301-441-8770; greenbeltartscenter.org
3. Visit the Botanic Gardens and see what’s blooming in the Garden Court in early September: nong nooch vine, Persian shield and much more!
Where: Conservatory Classroom, United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Monday, thereafter 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Info: Free; usbg.gov
4. “Duck Hunter Shoots Angel”: The Port Tobacco Players present Mitch Albom’s comedy about two Alabama brothers who accidentally shoot what appears to be an angel.
Where: 508 Charles St., La Plata, Md.
When: Friday to Sunday
Info: $14 to $17; 301-932-6819; ptplayers.com
5. Tuesday Night Open Mic! Featuring Sonya Renee (2004 National Poetry Slam Champion): For two hours audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken-word performers, open-mic rookies, musicians and a different host every week.
Where: Langston Room, Busboys and Poets, 14th and V streets NW
When: 9 to 11 p.m. Tuesday
Info: $4; wristbands sold starting at 10 a.m.; see website for details; busboysandpoets.org
Best Outdoors
1. Back By Popular Demand: Two more night of music in the Friday Evening Concerts: Wind down your week on the river, listening to live music, enjoying food and drinks, and relaxing on the boardwalk.
Where: Yards Park, N and 3rd St., SE
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and September 9
Info:Free; 202-465-7080; yardspark.org
2. Visit the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge: A 27,000 acre wildlife refuge of tidal marsh and woods is home to bald eagles, waterfowl and the endangered Delmarva fox squirrel.
Where: 2145 Key Wallace Drive, Cambridge, Md.
When: Dawn to dusk, all year
Info: $3/vehicle; 410-228-2677; friendsofblackwater.org
3. Grab your mountain bike and get to Colvin Run Steam Valley Park: 70.90 acres of wilderness and about 3 miles of natural surface/stone dust trail between Hunter Mill Road and Leesburg Pike.
Where: Hunter Mill Rd., Route 7, Fairfax County
When: any day, dawn to dusk
Info: Free; fairfaxcounty.com
4. Local Bird Walk: Join members of the Northern Virginia Bird Club for an informal walk through Long Branch and Glencarlyn Parks. Experienced and beginning birders welcome. Bring binoculars and field guides. Info: 703-228-6535.
Where: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center Parking lot, 625 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington
When: 8:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday
Info: Free; registration required: 703-228-4747; Program #612941-A
5. Lake Frank Loop: Scenic lake and stream, well maintained loop. Easy, 3.8-mile round-trip hike. For hikers and dogs. Well-maintained.
Where: Derwood, Md.
When: Any season
Info: Maryland National Park Planning; localhikes.com
Best Theater
1. “Imagining Madoff”: Deb Margolin’s play finds Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff in prison, where he recounts his relationship with Holocaust survivor, poet and investment client Solomon Galkin. Two complex minds are revealed as the men compete to confess and confide.
Where: Theater J, 1529 16th St. NW
When: Through Sept. 25
Info: $8 to $18; 202-518-9400; dcjcc.org
2. “The Stenographer”: A professor and a girl spend an unlikely evening together in a suburban house in a college town near New York. The conversation turns to “Crime and Punishment.” The drama is the result of a mix of alcohol, literary analysis and philosophical rationalization.
Where: Venus Theatre Play Shack, 21 C St., Laurel, Md.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; through September
Info: 8 to $18; 202-236-4078; venustheatre.org
3. “Grease”: It’s summer 1958. Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko spend their days at the beach and their nights falling in love. When Sandy transfers to Rydell High in the fall, she’s surprised to find Danny isn’t exactly the guy she fell in love with. This classic summer musical is fun for all.
Where: The Olney Music Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney
When: Through Sunday
Info: $26 to $54; 301-924-3400; olneytheatre.org
4. “Oklahoma!”: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical once again returns to the Fichandler Stage, featuring many of the same cast members as were in the original production.
Where: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW
When: Through Oct. 2
Info: $61 to $106; 202-488-3300; arenastage.org
5. “The Hollow”: Based on Washington Irving’s classic “Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” this production has music and lyrics by Matt Conner and book by Hunter Foster.
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: Through Oct. 16
Info: $67 to $81; 703-820-9771; signature-theatre.org
Best Galleries
1. Pressing Ideas: Fifty Years of Women’s Lithographs from Tamarind: June Wayne’s Tamarind Lithography Workshop has started or nurtured the careers of dozens of artists since 1960, as this show of some 75 prints by the likes of Louie Nelson, Polly Apfelbaum and Kiki Smith proves.
Where: National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW
When: Through Oct. 2
Info: 202-783-5000; nmwa.org
2. Exercise Your Mynd — BK Adams I Am Art: Storied District entrepreneur and “Art Man” BK Adams gets his largest retrospective to date, with more than 50 of his sculptures, paintings, photos and video assemblages documenting the “other way of seeing” that has served as his compass throughout his eventful life.
Where: Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE
When: Through Nov. 27
Info: Free; 202-633-4820; anacostia.si.edu
3. Delusions of Grandeur: Ascension: Must an artist self-aggrandize simply to find the strength to participate in the struggle of creation? Jamea Richmond-Edwards, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Shaunte Gates engage in a dialogue about the role of ego in art making.
Where: Parish Gallery, 1054 31st St. NW
When: Through Sept. 15
Info: 202-944-2310; parishgallery.com
4. Kandinsky and the Harmony of Silence: Painting with White Border: Inspired by a 1912 visit home to Moscow, these paintings record five months of Wassily Kandinsky’s output that set the stage for his 1913 masterwork “Painting with White Border (Moscow).” That work, on loan from the Guggenhiem Museum, is here shown with its oil sketch in the Phillips Collection for the first time in a century. Historic.
Where: The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW
When: Closing Sunday
Info: $12, $10 seniors 62-plus and students with valid ID, free for 18 and under; phillipscollection.org
5. To Make a World: George Ault and 1940s America: This is the last chance to see this fascinating exhibit of the eerie paintings Ault made during World War II, along with pieces 22 artists who bear Ault’s influence, from famous names such as Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth to lesser-known creators like Dede Plummer and Edward Biberman.
Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW
When: Closing Monday
Info: Free, 202-633-7970; americanart.si.edu
