A bluegrass fest, Georgetown gardens tour, Earth Day activities and more will get you out and about in D.C. this Spring.
Kingman Island Bluegrass Festival Banner (Courtesy Image)
KINGMAN ISLAND BLUEGRASS FEST
APPALACHIAN ANTHEMS
The largest all-local music festival in the region is back at Kingman and Heritage Islands Park on the Anacostia River, so plan to make a day of it by joining more than 13,000 visitors for eight hours of bluegrass, folk and Americana music. Featured headliners include Spirit Family Reunion and Magic Giant. The nature-minded can also take advantage of free kayaking and a bike course. There will be plenty of giveaways and a children’s stage with arts and crafts along with Washington’s best food trucks. Proceeds benefit the educational efforts of Living Classrooms and the maintenance of Kingman Island. Saturday,April 30 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., General admission is $20 and VIP tickets are also available; 575 Oklahoma Avenue NE; A free shuttle will run from Stadium/Armory Metro Station; kingmanislandbluegrass.com.
GEORGETOWN GARDEN TOUR
URBAN TREASURES
Glimpse inside the treasured private spaces of some of Georgetown’s most celebrated houses during the Georgetown Garden Club’s 88th annual garden tour. This year, guests can visit eight homes and gardens that range in style from “spacious sweeping lawns and majestic trees to intimate outside rooms.” The tour benefits local organizations supporting the preservation of green spaces that in the past have included Book Hill Park and Trees for Georgetown. Included in the ticket price is afternoon tea at Christ Church with refreshments and baked goods prepared by members of the Garden Club. Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., georgetowngardenclubdc.org. Tickets are $35 before May 1 on the website. After May 1 tickets will be available at $40 on the website and on the day of the event at Keith Hall, Christ Church, 3116 O Street NW.
Picnic at Tudor Place (Courtesy Photo)
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART EXHIBITION
AMERICAN PRINTS
Mary Cassatt, Kara Walker, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Paul Revere are included among more than 100 artists featured in “Three Centuries of American Prints from the National Gallery of Art,” a special traveling international exhibition that coincides with the gallery’s 75th anniversary. It is the first major museum survey of American prints in more than 30 years; the range of prints explores “major events and movements in American art … from the Colonial era to the present.” For easy viewing, the prints are organized chronologically and thematically through nine galleries. On view in Washington from April 3 through July 24; nga.gov.
EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES
BROCCOLI CITY FESTIVAL Future, Jhené Aiko,The Internet and more will perform at the fourth annual Broccoli City Festival at Gateway D.C.The millennial-focused festival that aims to promote healthy, eco-friendly living in urban communities while bringing people together through music will also feature a live art installation from No Kings DC and an organic juice bar. April 30, $59 general admission, 2700 Martin Luther King Jr.Ave. SE, bcfestival.com.
POTOMAC WATERSHED CLEANUP Volunteer, lead a cleanup or become a sponsor of the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative’s 28th annual cleanup day. Throughout April, families can help remove trash from one of 276 sites along the Potomac in Washington, Maryland and Virginia. April 16, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., fergusonfoundation.org.
TUDOR PLACE PLANT SALE AND PICNIC Support conservation and education at Tudor Place during its annual plant sale, where you can picnic on the grounds for one day only. April 17, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Admission is free but registration encouraged, tudorplace.org.
GREENBRIER’S SAM SNEAD FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING SLAMMIN’ SAMMY
Sam Snead called The Greenbrier home for more than 60 years, but the storied resort in the bucolic West Virginia town of White Sulphur Springs did not rename its annual tournament after the gold legend until 1957, after Snead took home the title three years in a row. This year’s festival will take place from May 30-June 1 and consist of a 36-hole, Pro-Am tournament on two of The Greenbrier’s championship courses. Host, Sir Nick Faldo, captured captured six major championships and was ranked #1 player in the world for 97 weeks, before becoming lead golf analyst for CBS Sports. The Greenbrier is offering a VIP tournament package for $1,995 which includes receptions, practice round and two days of tournament play. For more information, call Ashley Hamilton, Director of Special Events at (304) 536-5318.
These picks appeared in the April 2016 issue of Washington Life.
