Best Music 1. Tan Dun: The award-winning Chinese-born composer conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in his Martial Arts Trilogy score as scenes from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” play on giant screens.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $35 to $52 in-house, $20 lawn; 877-965-8727; wolftrap.org
2. Arlo Guthrie & Time for Three: Emil de Cou conducts the National Symphony Orchestra with folk music troubadour Arlo Guthrie and Tf3 for an evening of country, bluegrass and jazz.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Info: $35 to $52 in-house, $20 lawn; 877-965-8727; wolftrap.org
3. Disney in Concert: Steven Reineke conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in music and video clips from “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Lion King” and other Disney movies, plus a “Mary Poppins” Medley Sing Along, fun for the entire family.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center
When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday
Info: $35 to $52 in-house, $20 lawn; 877-965-8727; wolftrap.org
4. Suzy Bogguss: The country and folk singer shares the classic folk songs that inspired her illustrated “American Folk Songbook,” just like the ones children loved when schools offered music in every classroom.
Where: The Birchmere
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $29.50; 703-549-7500; birchmere.com; her “American Folk Songbook” is available at Cracker Barrel Country Stores nationwide
Best Brainfood
1. Instant Opera Comedy Club: Opera meets improv comedy at Wolf Trap. A party for the young benefactors, Club66, kicks off the evening.
Where: Wolf Trap, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $18; 703-255-1868; wolftrap.org
2. More than Meets the Eye: You can learn quite a bit about the world by simply observing your surroundings carefully. But scientists at the National Museum of Natural History rely on special tools and skills to examine the world’s diversity of life and culture up close and in much greater detail.
Where: Special Exhibits Gallery, 1st Floor, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
When: Through Nov. 4, 2012
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; mnh.si.edu
3. “Beijing Welcomes You”: Tom Scocca, a journalist andSlateblogger, decamped to China in 2004, in time to watch Beijing gear up for the Olympics. As he reports on the stunning transformation of the city, which entailed everything from rerouting traffic to engineering the weather, Scocca makes a case for Beijing as the capital of the future.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 10
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.org
4. DanceEthos: DancEthos is a new modern dance company that strives to create and present dance that can be communicative for both the artists and the audience by tackling subjects that are at the front of the social consciousness.
Where: Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday
Info: 202-269-1600; danceplace.org
Best Family
1. Flights of Fancy — Stories for Children: “Sadie the Air Mail Pilot” by Kellie Strom
Where: Gallery 208, National Air and Space Museum, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW
When: 11 a.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; nasm.si.edu
2. Milkweed Safari Campfires: Fun for the whole family, beginning with songs and stories and ending with s’mores.
Where: Gulf Branch Nature Ring, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
When: 7 to 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Info: Registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 642851-J
3. Gemstone Club: Budding geologists and gem lovers, ages 7 to 11. Examine polished gems and uncut crystals. Learn about geology, mining, legends and literature for each gem. Take home each month’s birthstone.
Where: Meet at Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Road, Arlington
When: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 642821-R
4. Grinding Demonstration: Conditions permitting, the miller will be grinding atColvin Run Mill Historic Site. Highlight your visit with atour of the operational mill, a water-powered technological marvel built circa 1811. On this multisensory tour, you’ll see the massive waterwheel and gears that power the grinding process, feel the furrowed stones that grind grain and smell the burn of mill stones set too close together.To confirm schedule, call 703-759-2771.
Where: Colvin Mill Historic Site, 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls
When: Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday
Info: $4 to $7; fairfaxcounty.gov
5. “The Wizard of Oz”: Based on the original story rather than the movie, this “Oz” is designed to delight young and old.
Where: The Puppet Co., 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo Park
When: Through Sept. 9
Info: $10; 301-634-5380; thepuppetco.org
Best Gatherings
1. 33rd Annual Sandcastle Contest: Dozens of teams craft creative sand castles.
Where: Fisherman’s Beach, 511 North Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach
When: Saturday; Winners will be announced at 5 p.m.
Info: Free; 302-227-6446
2. John Mulaney: The standup comic riffs on his favorite topics.
Where: DC Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: Thursday to Sunday
Info: $15 to $17; 202-296-7008; dcimprov.com
3. Green Genes Lecture Series: “Good Enough to Eat (Part I): Legumes and Rosaceae”: Do you like the fragrance of a rose, cherry blossoms, fresh strawberries, raspberry jam or apple cider? These are all members of the rose family, and the pleasure they provide to us is the product of hundreds of years of selection by gardeners and farmers around the world. Learn how these plant families contribute to both our survival and pleasure.
Where: United States Botanic Garden, Conservatory Classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. SW
When: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday
Info: Free; preregistration required; code: LH080611; usbg.gov
4. Julia Murney: The Broadway star sings as part of Signature’s Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret Series.
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $24; 703-573-SEAT; signature-theatre.org
5. Clara Silverstein: The author discusses “A White House Garden Cookbook: Healthy Ideas From the First Family to Your Family,” a chronicle of the first year of first lady Michelle Obama’s White House garden. A book signing follows.
Where: National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: Noon Friday
Info: 202-357-5000; archives.gov
Best Outdoors
1. Happy Hour Hikes: Adults, 21 and older. If you love a great beer as much as you love to hike, why not leave work early this week? On the first Friday of every month, you can begin at Clarendon for a caffeine blast or a cocktail then load up into a nature center van and hit a hiking trail from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Where: Info given out at registration
When: 4:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $5; registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 642841-I
2. Adams Morgan: Located just two miles from the White House, Adams Morgan is D.C.’s resident funky neighborhood. The crossroads of 18th Street and Columbia Road NW are celebrated for their diversity and eccentricity. This area boasts the largest display of expressive art in the city. As you walk the streets of this lively district, you’ll delight in discovering these colorful and evocative murals.
Where: Roads to Diversity: 8 poster-size, illustrated signs combine storytelling with historic images. The first sign is located at 16th Street and Florida Avenue, NW. The two-hour, self-guided tour proceedsnorth on16th Street, then south alongColumbia Road, andnorth againon 18th Street, with a few detours along the way.
When: Any day
Info: Free; 202-661-7581; [email protected]
3. Hoyles Mill Trail: This trail in Montgomery County connects the Black Hill Regional Park with the South Germantown Recreational Park and nearby Schaeffer Farm trail system. The hike is an easy one, well-maintained and includes the blocked-off Hoyles Mill Road. A newly constructed bridge crosses Little Seneca Creek, replacing the old deep ford and/or bumpy log crossing.
Where: Gaithersburg; See website for directions
When: Any day
Info: localhikes.com
4. Civil War Discovery: Camp Life: Most of a soldier’s life in the army was spent in camp rather than in battle. You’ll set up camp, learn about the items soldiers carried with them and how they occupied their time. You’ll also make and taste hardtack.
Where: Fort C. F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th St., Arlington
When: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 10
Info: $5; registration necessary: 703-228-4747; program No. 642721-C
5. Lady Bird Johnson Memorial Grove: Formerly known as Columbia Island, this park was renamed in honor of Johnson and her campaign to beautify Washington. The grove is a relaxing spot for people to watch the river and view Washington.
Where: On George Washington Parkway near Pentagon and Arlington Memorial Cemetery
When: Daylight hours year round
Info: Free; 703-289-2500
Best Theater
1. “Uncle Vanya”: The Sydney Theatre Company brings an exclusive U.S. engagement of Anton Chekhov’s enigmatic tale of a love, hope and sometimes poignant, sometimes funny events on a dilapidated Russian family estate.
Where: Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
When: Through Aug. 27
Info: $59 to $135; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
2. “The Ramayana”: Based on the ancient Sanskrit epic, the story teaches its audience how approach relationships of love, family, power and servitude. There are beautiful goddesses, fearful demons, playful monkeys, kidnappings and daring rescues.
Where: Constellation Theatre, Source, 1835 14th St. NW.
When: Thursday through Aug. 21
Info: $20 to $35; 800-494-TIXS; constellationtheatre.org
3. “What Would Doris Do?”: Lauren Williams sings as part of Signature’s Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret Series.
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave. Arlington
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Info: $24; 703-573-7328; signature-theatre.org
4. “Clybourne Park”: A white community in 1950s Chicago splinters over the black family about to move in. The plays fast-forwards to today, and the same house represents very different demographics. A hilarious and horrifying look at a pitched battle over territory and legacy.
Where: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW
When: Through Aug. 14
Info: $30 to $65; 202-393-3939; woollymammoth.net
5. “Revenge of the Understudies”: This popular program features performances by Jonathan Atkinson, Bill Diggle, Katie Grace Heidbreder and more.
Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $24; 703-573-7328; signature-theatre.org
Best Galleries
1. Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s: The 1930s World’s Fairs of Chicago, San Diego, Cleveland, Dallas, San Francisco and New York City drew tens of millions of Depression-weary Americans hungry for visions of a technological future of ease and abundance. This exhibit collects some 200 artifacts from the momentous occasions, for which firms like Westinghouse and General Motors team up with visionary designers such as Raymond Loewy, Henry Dreyfuss and Walter Dorwin Teague to lay the groundwork for our modern consumer culture — for better or for worse.
Where: National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW
When: Through Sept. 5
Info: Free, nbm.org
2. Kandinsky and the Harmony of Silence: “Painting with White Border”: Inspired by a 1912 visit home to Moscow, these paintings capture five months of Wassily Kandinsky’s output leading up to his 1913 masterwork “Painting with White Border (Moscow)”, reuniting that work, on loan from the Guggenhiem Museum, with its oil sketch in the Phillips Collection. Historic.
Where: The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW
When: Through Sept. 4
Info: $12, students and seniors 62-plus $10, 18 and under free; phillipscollection.org
3. Chris Martin: Painting Big: Martin’s monumental-scale abstractions explode with life and color. Featuring massive new paintings commissioned for the Corcoran’s beautiful atrium, the show also includes smaller (not lesser) works culled from every phase of Martin’s 25-year career.
Where: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW
When: Through Oct. 23
Info: $10, students and seniors 62-plus $8, 12 and under free; corcoran.org
4. Directions: Grazia Toderi: Italian artist Toderi’s pair of video projections are inspired by her memory of watching Neil Armstrong’s historic moonwalk on television as a child.
Where: Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Independence Avenue SW
When: Through Sept. 5
Info: Free, 202-633-4674; hmsg.si.edu
5. Scapes: The Art League Gallery’s annual landscapes exhibit is curated by Sarah Tanguy and includes scenes of every environment, including the industrialized and urban.
Where: The Art League Gallery, the Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria
When: Through Sept. 5
Info: Free; 703-683-1780; theartleague.org
