Wanderlist: 50+ Awesome Things to Do in DC in April

Spring is arguably the most beautiful (though certainly the most fleeting) time of year in DC even if the weather can be a bit finicky. Rain or shine, there are plenty of ways to make the most of this precious time before the days get meltingly hot. 

​From the long-awaited Yayoi Kusama exhibition to city-wide cherry blossom celebrations, open-air concerts and interactive art and plays, we've curated some off the most awesome -- and unexpected -- things to do in DC this spring.

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​Prologue Theatre - The Revolutionists | April 28 - May 22

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The Revolutionists is a new play about four very real women who lived boldly in France during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Playwright Olympe De Gouge, assassin Charlotte Corday, former queen (and fan of ribbons) Marie Antoinette, and Haitian rebel Marianne Angelle  hang out, murder Marat, loose their heads and try to beat back the extremist insanity in the Paris of 1793. What was a hopeful revolution for the people is now sinking into hyper violent hypocritical male rhetoric. However will modern audiences relate.

This grand and dream-tweaked comedy is about violence and legacy, art and activism, feminism and terrorism, compatriots and chosen sisters, and how we actually go about changing the world.

Petalpaloza art walk. Discover a series of immersive, ‘Instagrammable’ art installations as you walk and explore the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood.  🌸🆓 April 1 - 16

To infinity and beyond. Yayoi Kusama's uber popular infinity rooms are back at Hirshhorn for an encore  exhibition.  One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection features five of her works in their permanent collection, including two of the artist’s transcendent Infinity Mirror Rooms, sculptures, an early painting, and photographs of the artist. Free timed passes will be required to enter. 🆓​ April 1 - Nov 27

CityCenter music. Enjoy the live music of DC cellist and TikTok sensation, Andrew Savoia, while strolling down Palmer Alley or dining at one of the outdoor restaurant spaces at CityCenter. 🆓 April 1, April 2, April 9 

Nameste. Breath deep and enjoy mediation in an all-levels yoga class held in the Kreegar museum sculpture garden. 💲April 2

Bloomaroo. Celebrate cherry blossom season with a free spring festival featuring a full day of cherry-blossomed themed art, music, fireworks, and family-friendly fun along the waterfront capped all off with a fantastic blossoms fireworks finale. 🌸​🆓 ​April 2

Cherry blossom concert. Japanese musician and composer Yumi Kurosawa performs on a modern twenty-string koto and is joined by violinist Emil Israel Chudnovsky and Chinese flute (dizi) virtuoso Yimin Miao for a special outdoor concert at Haupt Garden in celebration of the Cherry Blossom Festival.  Their program features classical music from Japan and China as well as new music composed by Kurosawa for this event inspired by the Freer Gallery of Art exhibition Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan. 🌸​🆓 April 2

Petals in the park. Franklin Park hosts its first cherry blossom celebration that's fun for the whole family! Hosted by the Downtown DC BID, Petals in the Park features live music, food, games, and market-style shopping highlighting District artisans. 🌸🆓 April 2

Blooms after dark. When the sun goes down, Franklin Park transforms into Blossoms After Dark where you can dance the night away through the Petal Promenade or grab a photo with friends in the interactive Greenhouse. 🌸🆓 April 2

Monumental controversies. DC is filled with monuments and commemorative spaces. In the past few years, though, many public monuments in Washington and elsewhere have faced new scrutiny, criticism, and even direct attack. Profs and Pints tackles the questions that have been raised about some monuments and provides historical perspective on the varieties of monuments and their development. 💲🎟 April 3

Off the beaten path choir. Enjoy the National Arboretum as you have never seen it before. Join the All Souls Choir for a strolling choir performance by the All Saints Choir in the evening light to celebrate the bounties of DC in springtime, honoring the ancestors and the cycle of life of both flora and fauna. Donation suggested. 🆓​April 6

Solo play reading.  "Hold Me in the Water Reading," a companion to Woolly Mammoth's "Hi, Are You Single?," is a new play reading that explores  the powerful, erotic look at the joys and uncertainties of first love. 🎟🆓 April 6

Classic farce.  Synethic Theatre stages The Servant of Two Masters, a tale of mistaken identities, wily servants, and madcap antics abound in this laugh-a-minute tale of the ultimate trickster. 💲🎟​ April 6 - 24

Science comedy night. Started by science writer Kasha Patel, get your LOLs with a side-splitting dash of science at DC Improv.💲🎟 April 7 

Stockpile(s). Artist Lauren Rapp turns canvas and wood into playful anthropomorphized shapes ranging from small sculptures to large scale paintings in her solo exhibition at Lost Origins Gallery. 🆓 April 8 - 25

Living sculpture. CultureDC's mobile art gallery heads to The Parks where it will host a large-scale, colorful, tissue paper sculpture collaged together like a quilt by artist Maya Freelon. Workshops will be held for the public to help create one of the sculptures with Maya; the finished works will become the backdrop for local opera company IN Series’ performance of Desdemona, a play by Toni Morrison set to the music of Nina Simone in June. April 8  - May 15

Korean art exhibit. Hosted by the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C,  Boundless features a wide-ranging collection of works by 46 Korean-heritage artists spanning painting, sculpture, craft, and installation. Based on each artists’ individual experiences and perception of society, Boundless seeks to collectively describe and transcend the invisible mental boundaries that permeate everyday life. In-person and virtual. 🆓💻​ April 8 - May 16

C&O Canal spring wildflowers walk. Take a walking tour along the C&O Canal National Historical Park with a naturalist that explores the habitat and seasonal blooms. 💲🎟​ April 9

Table tennis showdown. Table tennis champs and wannabe players are invited to test their skills in Union Market District's first-ever table tennis showdown  with District Fray to benefit the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project. Free to watch, fee to play.💲🎟​April 9

Dumbarton concert.   Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion brings its brand of contemporary percussion chamber music to the Music Room at Dumbarton Oaks. The 2022 Grammy-nominated ensemble returns to the Music Room with an exciting, all-new program.  💲🎟 April 10

Brunch NOLA-style. Enjoy the tastes of New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street with glasses of Cafe Brulot and learn new recipes in a chef-led cooking class at Hill Center. 💲​April 10

DC is beautiful. Inspired by the works of DC-based teacher and artist Alma Thomas who found beauty all around her, photography club students at Woodrow Wilson High School capture beauty in their own worlds in a community exhibit at the Phillips Collection. 💲🎟 Thru April 10

Afro-Atlantic art.  The National Gallery of Art takes an in-depth look at the historical experiences and cultural formations of Black and African people since the 17th century in the exhibition Afro-Atlantic Histories through 130+ works of art, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and time-based media. 🆓​ April 10 - July 17

Love story. Jonathan Van Ness, best-selling author and grooming expert on Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” joins Chasten Buttigieg in conversation about his new essay collection, Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life. In-person and virtual attendance.💲🎟💻 April 11

Theodore Roosevelt Island spring walk. Up and at 'em! Take a early morning walk along the nearly 2-mile path on Roosevelt Island where you'll find willows, bald cypresses, and cattails frame views of Washington, D.C. The morning also includes moments of guided forest bathing to quietly soak up the beauty of this wild island. 💲🎟​April 13

After dark flower power. Just in time for cherry blossom season, after hours programs  return to the National Gallery of Art with an ode to all things floral. Enjoy floral artwork, a set from DJ Little Bacon Bear, pop-up performances from electric cellist Benjamin Gates, and making handmade, whimsical paper flowers. Registration required. 🌸​ 🆓​ April 14

Lincoln assassination tour. Learn about the myriad connections between the people buried at Congressional Cemetery who have a direct association with the assassination on a guided tour in honor of the 157th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. 🆓 April 14

Petalpalooza. DC's cherry blossom celebration continues with a day-long all-ages festival that brings art, music, and play to multiple outdoor stages, interactive art installations, a beer garden, family-friendly hands-on activities, and more, all along the banks of the Anacostia River. The evening is capped by a dazzling 15 minute choreographed fireworks show set to music. 🌸🆓​ April 16

Rooftop writing. Suggest plot points and characters and help Dan Hurley, the 60-Second Novelist, write a novel on his trusty typewriter as he's will be stationed on the Rooftop Terrace at Planet Word. By the end of the day, thanks to Hurley’s continuous typing, his story will reach the sidewalk. 🆓 April 16

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? 💲🎟​ Thru April 17

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. 💲🎟 Thru 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. 🌸​🆓Thru April 17

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. 🌸​🆓​ Thru April 17

Latinx Refuge for D.C. Punk. In this virtual program, Mike Amezcua, assistant professor in the Department of History at Georgetown University, shifts the focus of D.C.’s punk scene from the predominantly white practitioners to the marginalized communities who forged their venues. 🆓 💻 April 18

Travel fiction book club. Travel around the world right without a passport at Southeast Neighborhood Library to  . read and discuss a novel set in a different country each month. 🆓 April 19

In conversation with Janelle Monáe.  Musician, actor, fashion icon and futurist Janelle Monáe talks about The Memory Librarian, a collection of short fiction about the Afrofuturistic world of Monáe’s critically acclaimed album Dirty Computer. In-person and virtual attendance.💲🎟💻April 19

Coal + Ice. Featuring the work of more than 50 photographers and video artists from around the world, COAL + ICE, a new exhibition at the Kennedy Center, in collaboration with the Asia Society, visualizes the climate crisis-its causes and consequences-as a large-scale immersive experience. During its six-week stay, it will feature live music, panel discussions, hands-on art projects, and educational resources. 🆓 Thru April 22

Filmfest DC. Get your popcorn ready! Filmfest DC, the largest and longest-running annual international film festival in DC, returns to theatres with a hybrid combination of in-person and virtual screenings. The varied lineup will feature quite the genre exercise: comedies, dramas, thrillers, shorts and documentaries will all be on display.  💲🎟💻​ April 22 – May 1

Sweet greens. US  Botanic Garden hosts a virtual talk about foraging for the surprising number of edible plants you can find in D.C. and the Mid-Atlantic region this spring. 🆓💻 April 23

Taste of El Salvador. Chef Chef Iris Jimenez from La Casita Pupuseria guides you how to make traditional pupusas with authentic toppings in a fun and interactive class. Plus, you'll get to create your own Elote Loco (corn on the cob) the way it's done in El Salvador. 💲April 23

National Mall bike ride. Celebrate National Trails Day with a Ranger-led bike tour along the National Mall, Hains Point, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Capitol Hill. Explore how cycling pioneers changed their lives and their world, and how you can, too! Bring your own bike. 🆓 April 23

Hill Center concert series. Get ready to get down as the American Roots Concert Series returns to Hill Center with the soulful and accordion-driven Zydeco and Blues sounds of C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. 🆓🎟 April 24 

The Queens are back!  The Adams Morgan BID is partnering again with the DC Public Library and The Line Hotel DC to bring back Drag Queen Storytime  every Sunday for a free children’s story time in Unity Park! 
The goal of Drag Queen Storytime is to inspire a love of reading, while teaching deeper lessons on diversity, self-love and an appreciation of others. 🆓​ Starts April 24 (Sundays)

Viola Davis book talk. Join actress Viola Davis for a virtual discussion about her incredible life, career, and new memoir, Finding Me, in conversation with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Book purchase required.💲💻April 26

Are you smarter than a Somm? Test your wine knowledge Wednesdays nights at District Winery for a blind tasting game where you get to taste 8 wines and then have to try and match them to the correct varietal. If you get the answers right, you win a prize! 💲🎟Thru April 27 (Wednesdays)

Temple open house.  The For the first time in 50+ years, the Washington D.C. Temple of the Church of Latter-Day Saints (the one that looks like a Disney castle) will be open for public tours. This is a rare opportunity to go inside this important landmark and experience its beautiful architecture, art, and décor.  🆓 🎟 April 28 - June 11

Bonjour, Georgetown. Don your beret and best French accent for the 19th annual Georgetown French Market. Originally inspired by the outdoor markets in France, the open-air market features sidewalk sales and retail and restaurant specials, plus a caricature artist, live music, stilt-walkers, and more. ​🆓 April 29 – May 1

Sucker for love. Story District’s Sucker for Love is back with true stories about hookups and heartache, true love and lost love, make-ups and break-ups, first times and last times and everything in-between. 💲🎟 April 30

Project GLOW. Get your glow sticks ready! DC's first ever two-day electronic music festival, Project GLOW, brings together two curated stages of  globally-recognized music artists, and food and beverage at the RFK Festival Grounds. 💲🎟 April 30 – May 1

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. 💲🎟 Thru May 1

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

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. 🌸​💲🎟 Thru June 5

Citywide play. Chemical Exile, the newest interactive and immersive play from Rorschach Theatre, takes participants to eight locations across the DC area as a complex story unfolds about families, forgotten histories and the uncharted frontiers of the mind. The season-long fictional narrative plays out over layers of history and magic realism. Guests receive a box in the mail monthly that includes a new Chapter in the story, each box containing hand-crafted objects - letters, drawings, souvenirs, photos, or even snacks - and a map to a location in their city. The season ends with a live in-person event that culminates the story.  💲🎟Thru July 31

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.  🆓 Thru July 31 ​

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Curious? There's more!

• Think the Tidal Basin is the Only Place to See Cherry Blossoms in DC? Think Again!
• 6 Best Ways to Avoid the Cherry Blossom Crowds at the Tidal Basin
• Beyond the Basin: 14 Alternative Spots to See Cherry Blossoms Around DC
• ​There's More Flowers Blooming in DC Than Just Cherry Blossoms​
• ​Hidden Gem: Kreeger Museum is a Jewel of 19th & 20th Century Modern Art