Best Music
1. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony: Emil de Cou conducts the National Symphony Orchestra performing the massive work; the fourth movement, “Ode to Joy,” is sung by the Washington Chorus and guest soloists. Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti plays Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy.”
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8:15 Saturday
Info: $35 to $52 in-house, $20 lawn; 877-WOLFTRAP (965-3872); wolftrap.org.
2. The Planets — An HD Odyssey: Emil de Cou conducts the National Symphony Orchestra in Holst’s “The Planets” performed in sync with the latest images on giant screens from the Mars rovers and past probe missions.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $35 to $52 in-house; $20 lawn; 877-WOLFTRAP (965-3872); wolftrap.org
3. Heart and Soul Tour: Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks share the stage for a memorable concert.
Where: Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Info: $55 to $149.50; 800-745-3000; ticketmaster.com
4. Happy Together Tour 2012: The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, Monkees lead singer Micky Dolenz, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, the Grass Roots and the Buckinghams perform their classic numbers from the ’60s and ’70s.
Where: Wolf Trap Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Info: $42 in-house, $25 lawn; 877-WOLFTRAP (965-3872); wolftrap.org
5. The NSO National Trustees’ Summer Music Institute Orchestra: Elizabeth Schulze conducts Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 and Britten’s Matinee Musicales; the winner of the SMI Concerto Competition will perform with the orchestra.
Where: Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, 2700 F St. NW
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
Info: Free; 800-444-1324; kennedy-center.org
Best Family
1. “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”: Internationally acclaimed German puppeteer Matthias Kutcha uses life-size puppets to share the Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
Where: Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
When: 10:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday
Info: $10; 877-WOLFTRAP (965-3872); wolftrap.org
2. Pinot & Augustine: Clowns from Happenstance Theater perform a family-friendly show as part of the Over the Line Festival.
Where: Round House Theatre Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: 10:30 a.m. Saturday
Info: $15; 240-644-1100; roundhousetheatre.org
3. Public Speaking 101: For ages 10 to 17. Learn public speaking and listening skills.
Where: Columbia Park Community Center, 1901 Kent Village Drive, Landover
When: 7 to 10 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 301-341-3749; pgparks.com
4. Bone Tales Campfire: The whole family will enjoy this program of stories, songs and s’mores!
Where: Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 7 to 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Info: $5; registration required: 703-228-4747; program No. 642952-D
5. Height of Summer Stream Hike: Families, children 10 and older. Look for signs of animals and insects that are in and around our streams. Wear clothes that can get wet and closed-toed shoes that can get wet. You will be outside the whole time.
Where: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
When: 3 to 4 p.m. Tuesday
Info: $5; registration required: 703-228-4747; program No. 642952-H
Best Brainfood
1. LOL: America’s famed comedy troupe the Second City is coming to town in its one-of-a-kind Laugh Out Loud Tour. From the company that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and more comes the next generation of the comedy world’s best and brightest in an evening of hilarious sketch comedy and the Second City’s trademark improvisation.
Where: Lansburgh Theatre, 450 Seventh St. NW
When: Friday and Saturday
Info: $25 to $45; 202-547-1122; shakespearetheatre.org
2. “Stripped Down”: Will Gartshore performs a sassy and a classy cabaret as part of the Over the Line Festival.
Where: Round House Theatre Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: 10:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday
Info: $15; 240-644-1100; roundhousetheatre.org
3. “The Greek Search for Wisdom”: Modern Western civilization is impossible to imagine without democracy, philosophy and tragedy, all of which originated in ancient Greece. In this survey of ancient thought, Michael K. Kellogg, author of “Three Questions We Never Stop Asking,” profiles the lives and work of ten figures whose influence continues to shape art and ideas today.
Where: Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.com
4. History Matters/Back to the Future: This reading features scenes by historic female playwrights, read by luminaries of the stage, screen and television, including Kathleen Chalfant, Mary Beth Peil and Tamara Tunie.
Where: Davis Performing Arts Center, Gonda Theater, 37th and O streets NW
When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1
Info: Free; first-come, first-seated; 202-687-3838; performingarts.georgetown.edu
5. Our Common Threads: Stories of the African American Community in Anne Arundel County: Quilts tell the stories of the Rosenwald Schools, integration in Anne Arundel County and life at the Anne Arundel County Almshouse.
Where: Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St., Annapolis
When: Through Aug. 31
Info: Free; 410-216-6180; bdmuseum.com
Best Gatherings
1. Dark Side of the Crown: Bellydance Evolution’s theatrical show blends Eastern and Western styles in a tale of murder and deceit.
Where: Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre at American University, 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Info: $35 to $39; 202-885-2587; american.edu
2. “Cabaret XXX: Love the One You’re With”: Pinky Swear Productions, winner of best musical at last year’s Capital Fringe Festival, returns with a musical look at relationships.
Where: The Baldacchino Gypsy Tent Bar at Fort Fringe, 607 New York Ave. NW
When: 9:45 p.m. Friday
Info: $17 with a festival button, sold separately for $7; 866-811-4111; capfringe.org
3. “Trial by Jury”: The Victorian Lyric Opera Company presents an update of Gilbert and Sullivan’s one-act.
Where: Undercroft Theatre, Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW
When: 11:59 p.m. Friday
Info: $17 with a festival button, sold separately for $7; 866-811-4111; capfringe.org
4. “Inanimate Thoughts”: Los Angeles troupe MashUp Contemporary Dance Company parses what separates humans from objects.
Where: GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW
When: 10 p.m. Friday, 7:45 p.m. Saturday, 2:15 p.m. Sunday
Info: $17 with a festival button, sold separately for $7; 866-811-4111; capfringe.org
5. “The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes”: Beyond the flurries of deadly arrows they launch against outsiders, little is known of the Amazon’s “People of the Arrow.” Scott Wallace joined a team of explorers who set out to discover what they could of this elusive tribe, in order to keep them isolated from the modern world.
Where: Politics & Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW
When: 5 p.m. Sunday
Info: Free; 202-364-1919; politics-prose.com
Best Outdoors
1. U.S. Navy Band Commodores: Yards Park hosts a jazz performance. Bring a blanket and a picnic and hear some great music.
Where: Yards Park, 300 Water St. SE
When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday
Info: Free; 202-465-7080; yardspark.org
2. Guided Nature Survival Hike: This guided hike teaches you the skills you need to survive if you get lost in the woods. You will learn pre-hike planning by going over various survival gear and techniques, plus how to purify water, manufacture pure water and build a real debris hut to help you survive your first night in style. This hike is perfect for all those looking to familiarize themselves with wilderness survival.
Where: Knoxville, Md. (see website for directions)
When: 3:15 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $35; thingstododc.com
3. Chesapeake Folk Festival: This celebration of the Bay’s people, arts, work and food offers abundant opportunities for fun, from live music all day long to hands-on activities with regional craftsmen, to paddling around the harbor in small craft made by Bay shipwrights.
Where: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, 213 N. Talbot St., St. Michaels , Md.
When: 10 to 5 p.m. Saturday
Info: Adults $15, seniors $12, children between the ages of 6 and 17 $6, children 5 and under free; 410-745-2916; cbmm.org
4. All You Can Eat Crab Feast Cruise on the Potomac: Come enjoy a memorable cruise on the Potomac River that includes crabs, corn on the cob, hush puppies, potato salad, french fries and cookies. This is a wonderful way to enjoy a meal of world-famous Maryland crab while taking in sweeping views of the Washington skyline and monuments.
Where: Leave from Georgetown Harbor, end of 31st Street NW (see website for more details)
When: 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
Info: $65; thingstododc.com
5. National Garden Tour: Join Alex Torres, Botanic Garden education technician, on a walking tour of the National Garden and discover tips to improving your own garden. Spend the morning learning about Torres’ favorite native plants, the many benefits they provide and the sustainable practices the Botanic Garden is using to care for them. Bring sunscreen, protective clothing and water.The tour is canceled if it rains or during times of extreme heat (heat index of 95 degrees or higher/Code Red weather alert).
Where: National Garden Lawn Terrace (meet on Terrace by entrance to Conservatory), United States Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Ave. SW
When: 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. August 2
Info: Free; no preregistration required; 202-225-8333 usbg.gov
Best Theater
1. “Marathon 33”: American Century Theater produces June Havoc’s play about her life as a marathon dancer. You will find yourself transported back to the Great Depression of the ’30s, a spectator at a dance marathon as exhausted and jobless competitors literally dance for their lives.
Where: Gunston Arts Center, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington
When: Friday through Aug. 25
Info: $35, seniors, students and active-duty military $32, kids 18 and under free with a paying adult; 703-998-4555; americancentury.org
2. “Church”: Young Jean Lee transforms her lifelong struggle with Christianity into an exuberant church service. Both celebratory and confrontational,”Church”will test the expectations of the religious and nonreligious alike.
Where: Round House Theatre Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: 9 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Info: $15; 240-644-1100; roundhousetheatre.org
3. “on the nOse”: This multimedia clown show by Happenstance Theater interweaves on-screen interviews with onstage antics, shredding your stereotypes of the clown into a bucket of confetti. And at every performance, an audience member gets to pie one of the performers!
Where: Round House Theatre Silver Spring, 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring
When: 9 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, noon Sunday
Info: $15; 240-644-1100; roundhousetheatre.org
4. Seventh Annual Capital Fringe Festival: Hundreds of performing arts productions occupy 12 venues throughout the city. Bonus: free music and a sidewalk cafe.
Where: Various venues (see website for more details)
When: Through Sunday
Info: Single tickets $17, festival button $7 (see website); 866-811-4111; capfringe.org
5. “Big Love”: In Charles Mee’s update of Aeschylus, 50 brides flee their 50 grooms and seek refuge in a villa on the coast of Italy.
Where: The Hub Theatre, John Swayze Theatre, 9431 Silver King Court, Fairfax
When: Through Aug. 12
Info: $25, seniors and students $15; 800-494-8497; thehubtheatre.org
Best Galleries
1. Richard Diebenkorn: The Ocean Park Series: Diebenkorn’s groundbreaking series of abstract paintings made from the ’60s to the ’80s gets its unforgettable first major museum exhibition. Its nearly 80 pieces include finished paintings as well as mixed-media drawings, prints, monotypes and other preparatory documents. Do not miss.
Where: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW
When: Through Sept. 23
Info: $10, seniors and students $8, members, children ages 12 and under and active-duty military personnel free; 202-639-1700; corcoran.org
2. 40 Under 40: Craft Futures: Forty artists born since 1972 contribute work made after Sept. 11, 2001. in living-arts mediums as varied as sculpture, ceramics, fashion, installation art and even mathematics.
Where: Renwick Gallery, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: Through Feb. 3
Info: Free; 202-633-7970; americanart.si.edu/renwick
3. Refresh II: New work by old favorites Mike Webb, Amy Genser, Marie Ringwald and others accompany pieces from newcomers Jason Wright and Martina Nehrling.
Where: Long View Gallery, 1234 Ninth St. NW
When: Through Aug. 19
Info: Free; 202-232-4788; longviewgallery.com
4. ReMixed Messages: A(I)DS, Art + Words: Curated by John Chaich for the New York-based nonprofit arts organization Visual AIDS, this exhibit features about 30 text-based works responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic across generations.
Where: Fathom Gallery, 1333 14th St. NW
When: Through Aug. 4
Info: Free; 202-483-1102; transformerdc.org
5. Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop: Dating back more than 500 years, the Tawaraya Workshop supplied Japan’s imperial households with custom silk garments and furnishings. Hyoji Kitagawa, the 18th-generation head of the Tawaraya, helped curate this exhibit of priceless Japanese silks.
Where: The Textile Museum, 2320 S St. NW
When: Through Aug. 12
Info: Free, $8 donation suggested; 202-667-0441; textilemuseum.org
