Wanderlist: 40+ Awesome Things to Do in DC in March

It’s almost spring time and we cannot be more excited! Warmer weather means more fun outdoor events and happy hours on patios. Bring it, we are sooo ready!

It also means there's a ton of awesome events springing up to give you a fresh burst of vim and vigor. There are some insanely fun happenings this month, from celebrating women in honor of International Women’s Day to St. Patrick Day celebrations and of course, cherry blossom events galore! 

Check out 40+ of our favorite things to do this month, and make sure you tag us with #CuriousCaravan if you hit up any of these awesome things to do!

Featured Event

Mini Caravan: Smithsonian Arts + Industries' History of Innovation
March 13 @ 11 am - 12:30 pm; $25

Discover the storied past and inspiring future of the reopened Smithsonian Arts & Industries Museum. After standing empty for 20-years, the Smithsonian Arts & Industries museum (AIB) has reopened in honor of the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary. From Edison's light bulb to the Spirit of St. Louis aircraft flown by Charles Lindbergh (very futuristic inventions at the time!), it was once the Smithsonian's most forward-looking museum and is set to become the go-to spot for inspiring displays of invention and innovation once again.

• "Meet" the AIB's first curator who continues to influence today's museums
• Learn about why it's known as the “Mother of Museums”
• Discover secrets and fun facts of the museum
• Explore the new future-forward exhibit

​Harriet Tubman Bicentennial. Numerous DC museums and attractions celebrate American icon Harriet Tubman’s 200th birthday with artifacts, displays and events. Many DC museums already feature Tubman prominently, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Portrait Gallery and even the International Spy Museum. Ongoing

Blue period. The Phillips Collection's groundbreaking Picasso: Painting the Blue Period exhibit provides new insight into the creative process of Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) at the outset of his career. It is the first exhibition in DC in 25 years to focus on the early works of the 20th century icon, just as he was beginning to define himself on the international stage. 💲🎟 Ongoing

National Geographic Museum reopens. After being closed for nearly two years, the National Geographic Museum has officially reopened to visitors. New exhibitions will welcome you back: Once Upon a Climb: Stories of Everest and The Greatest Wildlife Photographs. 💲🎟 Ongoing

Black film festival. Join the DC Public Library at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Tuesdays for the 35th annual Black Film Festival which features a popular film preceded by a short documentary that showcases the depth of the Black experience. Titles includes Judas and the Black Messiah, Candyman and Soul. 🆓 Starts March 1

Indie film festival. You won't find any Marvel films here. The DC Independent Film Festival is back for its 23rd with 40+ independent feature films, documentaries, shorts, and animated films that explore a range of topics, from corruption in small-town U.S. justice systems, and the rise of American Street Art. 💲🎟March 2 - 6

Mediation and sound bath. Soak in the good vibes at a multi-instrumental soundbath and guided meditation journey that includes wooden flutes, drums, metallophone, singing bowls, and chimes on Thursdays as part of Eaton hotel's wellness program. 💲🎟Starts March 3

Modern mariachi. Having thrilling audiences at at Coachella and a NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Kennedy Center is set to come alive with a fresh take on traditional Latin American music. Named for the delirium-inducing Mexican flower used as a love potion for generations, Latin Grammy®-winning, trio Flor de Toloache is one of the finest all-female mariachi groups on the planet. 💲​ 🎟 March 4

Runaway play. Check out Catch Me If You Can, the Tony-nominated musical comedy based on the Steven Spielberg film inspired by a true story. You will be immersed in the world of Frank Abagnale Jr. in this rousing production that follows the deceptions, successes, trials and tribulations of the con man who posed as an airline pilot and lawyer and escaped police captivity, all before the age of 22. 💲🎟 March 4 – April 17

Brewery tour.  Learn how Atlas Brew Works makes their beer at their Ivy City production brewery and enjoy a complementary flight of 5oz pours any beer on tap following the tour every Saturday. 💲🎟 Starts March 5

Monumental voices. Inspired by the city's monuments and memorials, "Written in Stone" at the Kennedy Center is a collection of four short operatic works that take monuments as starting points for explorations of the legacies we preserve and the histories they obscure. 💲​ 🎟 March 5 - 25

The FUTURES is female. Smithsonian's Arts & Industries is shaking up Women’s History Month  with a forward-looking celebration of the power of women and girls in STEM featuring a collection of 120 life-size 3D-printed statues of women in STEM  displayed in Smithsonian gardens and in and around select Smithsonian museums March 5–27, the exhibit is the largest collection of statues of women ever assembled together. 🆓 March 5 - 27

Wild Women of Georgetown.  Fierce preservationists, public figures, and famous starlets have called Georgetown home. On this stroll through historic Georgetown, guides from A Tour of Her Own (TOHO) will highlight stories of the women who built and shaped this neighborhood. Spies and ghosts are just a few of the scandalous stories told about figures such as Jacqueline Kennedy, Julia Child, and Katherine Graham, owner of the Washington Post. (Use promo code CURIOUSCARAVAN2022 to get 35% off) 💲​ 🎟 March 6

Chocolate walking tour. Explore some of DC's grandest homes along Embassy Row and learn about the scandals and stories of the former residents as you sample chocolate from several different international countries! 💲🎟 March 6

Historic home tour. Step back in time with a tour of nearly 200-year Decatur House and its slave quarters -- one of only a few remaining examples of slave quarters in an urban setting -- that's been a fixture of the president’s neighborhood since 1818, 🆓🎟 Starts March 7 (various dates throughout the month)

Classic Cocktail.  Enjoy sipping Fish House Punch, the oldest original American cocktail, while listening to rolicking tales at the City Tavern in Georgetown which was frequented by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other Founding Fathers during the Federal period. 💲​ 🎟 March 9

Garden mediation. Good energy in, bad energy out. Visit Temperance Garden for a group meditation followed by a sharing circle in the spirit of building awareness and cultivating positive emotions. 🆓 March 9

Indian street food. Try your hand at making and tasting savory samosas and pakoras that are ubiquitous throughout India during the Street Food: Samosas & Pakora workshop with Chef Mark Haskell at Hill Center. 💲🎟 May 10

Women in space. Did you know the all women spacewalk in 2019 was canceled because NASA’s space suits were originally created to only fit male bodies did not fit the women? Arts + Industries Building celebrates women’s efforts to build an inclusive future for #WomensFuturesMonth with a discussion with the aerospace engineer who designed the BioSuit that gives astronauts of all sizes the ability to travel into space, and most importantly was developed by a woman. 🆓 March 10

Air + Space adventure. Get the kiddos and get ready to blast off on an Air and Space virtual game adventure!  Using the GooseChase app, you'll earn points for every activity as you complete fun missions, activities and photo challenges you and your friends and family to do together! 🆓​ 🖥​March 12

Pixel petals. Artechouse celebrates cherry blossom season with "Pixelbloom," a spring-inspired exhibit that brings the pink and white blooms to life in a digital explosion of immersive art. 💲🎟Starts March 12

Cheers. Join staff of the National Museum of Women in the Arts for a virtual happy hour to celebrate Black women printmakers with AJ Johnson, partner and bar director of Serenata as she demonstrates how to make a specialty cocktail (or mocktail) in the artists’ honor as you explore the museum’s collection and archives. 🆓 🖥​March 16

Massive mural. While it’s closed for renovations, the National Museum of Women in the Arts will feature a four-story mural by DC artist Cita Sadeli, also known as Miss Chelove. Titled “Reseeded: A Forest Floor Flow,” the piece is meant to portray the resurgence of the world during the pandemic and the contribution of women to ecological activism.  🆓 March 15 - July 31 

Victura Park reopens. Kennedy Center's outdoor pop-up wine garden & cafe at the REACH re-opens for Spring just in time for St. Patrick's Day. 🆓 March 17

Christmas Eve thriller. So what if it's March? Expats Theatre's Christmas Eve is a gripping thriller set the day before Christmas as a professor is accused of planting a bomb by a veteran law enforcement officer. The drama explores questions about terrorism, the rule of law, surveillance, civil liberties, and police conduct. 💲🎟 ​March 17 – April 10

Art down under.  In support of Howard’s Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, Howard University’s Visual Arts Students bring Black Broadway (U Street) back home once more at Dupont Underground with Négritude, an exhibit that uses visual arts, along with  theater and music to bring the story of this center for African-American art, culture, business, and social change during the Jim Crow era to life. 💲🎟March 18 - 20 & 25 - 27

Cherry blossoms celebration. Head to Smithsonian American Art Museum's F Street plaza to celebrate the start of cherry blossom season with traditional Japanese taiko drumming, a koto performance, and an all-vinyl music set of Japanese soul, funk, boogie, pop, and disco. You can also pick up a step-by-step cherry blossom craft kit to take home, and discover spring-themed artworks in SAAM’s galleries with a self-guided scavenger hunt designed for all ages. 🆓 March 19

HerStory 5K. The 4th annual FitDC 5k is back pays homage to the 350,000 women and girls living in the nation’s capital, and the 165 million women and girls across the country, with a pre-race lineup of speakers headlined by Mayor Bowser, a scenic race route down Pennsylvania Ave adorned with fun facts and pop-up exhibits about women’s history, and a post-race finish festival with music, giveaways, and vendors from local women-owned businesses. 🆓​ March 19

Luck of the Irish. Get out all your green gear for the Ireland at The Wharf festival with bagpipers, live music, dance performances and a Guinness beer garden on District Pier. 🆓 March 19

Say "Grace." Created by DC native Nolan Williams, Jr., the world premiere musical "Grace" celebrates the history of the African-American culinary tradition  and the challenges faced by Black-owned businesses through an eclectic mix of styles including jazz, R&B, rousing up-tempos and raise-the-roof ballads. 💲🎟 March 19 - May 14

Holi party. Dressed to get messy  and celebrate Holi, a festival of spring, with color bombs music and food at The Ven at Embassy Row. 🆓 March 20

Petal porches. Back by popular demand, spring starts at your doorstep with Petal Porches! The National Cherry Blossom Festival invites DC residents to unleash their creativity and celebrate their springtime spirit by decorating their home. 🆓​ March 20 - April 17

Art in bloom. If you loved scouting cherry blossom sculptures across the city last year, your're in luck! Art in Bloom is back with custom cherry blossom public art sculptures  placed at distinct locations all over the DC metro area during the three-week celebration. 🆓​ March 20 - April 17

Mexico in a bottle. Experience the link to history, tradition, food, art, and music through a celebration of mezcal Mexican craft spirits, food, art, music and more at the Mexican Cultural Institute. 💲🎟 March 21

Keep it secret, keep it safe. In the drama Private, Mosaic Theatre explores what happens when a married couple agrees to round-the-clock monitoring and audio surveillance as a condition of employment at a leading technology company. Will the threat of having their secrets exposed–especially to each other–be too much for their young marriage to survive? March 23 - April 17

Drink like a lady. Join Republic Restoratives and Vitis Wines for a cocktail 101 class. Learn the basics with female owned, locally produced spirits. and even take a few bottles home! 💲🎟 March 24

Watercolor cocktails. Forgot boring landscapes and still-lifes. Paint your own pre-drawn cocktails with Shop Made in DC in a guided painting class paired with an included class of wine. 💲🎟​ March 24

Architecture & Design Film Festival. Architecture and design lovers rejoice! The National Building Museum is partnering with the Architecture & Design Film Festival to screen of 12 feature-length and short films from around the world that explore a range of timely issues in sustainability, equitable development, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse, Highlighted architects and designers range from icons like Frank Lloyd Wright and Marcel Breuer to lesser-known creatives. 💲🎟March 24 - 26

Word play. Get a sneak peek of Lexicon Lane, Planet Word's new immersive word-sleuthing adventure before it opens to the public. The event features snacks from their restaurant partner Immigrant Food and a puzzle-themed cocktail while you try your hand at Planet Word’s newest immersive group experience, Lexicon Lane. 💲 🎟 March 25

Fly a kite. Experience the joy of kite flying on the Washington Monument grounds, at featured parks, and at home at DC's long-standing Blossom Kite Festival. This year's high-flying event features both virtual and in-person options. 🆓 March 26

2022 Wammie Awards. Set to be held at the new Capital Turnaround, join the Musicianship to recognize the DMV 's best artists and musicians for their music releases and community impact in 2021, including exclusive revel of the winners and live musical performances. 💲🎟 March 26

Sunrise cherry blossoms. Early to bed, early to rise! Capture the perfect picture of the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin on a guided sunrise photography workshop. 💲March 26

Yoga play. No downward dog required. Keegan Theatre is home to this dark comedy about vaguely disguised Jojomon, a behemoth of yoga apparel, awash in scandal after its CEO is ousted scandalously. Joan has been brought in to stabilize the company, but she runs headlong into trouble and collapsing sales almost immediately. March 26 – April 23

National Cherry Blossom Festival: The Legacy of Satoshi Kon. The National Museum of Asian Art teams up with the Japan Information & Culture Center to present a retrospective of the influential anime director Satoshi Kon, including a new documentary about his life and work. 🆓 🖥 March 26 - April 10

Forest bathing. Experience National Arboretum through your senses during a two-hour guided  forest bathing session designed to boost health benefits. 💲🎟 March 28

Jazz at the Turkish Embassy. Visit the Turkish embassy for a jazz concert to commemorate the musical success of Ahmet Ertegün and his larger-than-life influences on many of America's most renowned jazz musicians. 🆓🎟March 30

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Curious? There's More!

• There's More Flowers Blooming in DC Than Just Cherry Blossoms
• Beyond the Basin: 14 Alternative Spots to See Cherry Blossoms Around DC