A dazzling new waterfront development, cutting-edge museum installations and a crop of lively up-and-coming neighborhoods are among the not-to-be-missed locales and events for Washington-bound visitors this spring.
And with schools on hiatus at some point between late February and April, spring is an ideal time to bring the kids. Some not-to-be-missed highlights of the 2018 season:
On the Waterfront
Washington’s newest playground is The Wharf, a vibrant mix of restaurants, entertainment venues and retail shops on the city’s Southwest Waterfront. The sprawling, 10-acre riverfront expanse has four piers dedicated to commerce, entertainment, transportation and recreation. There’s also plenty of green space and its 7th Street Park beckons with walking trails. Waterfront Park sports plenty of shade trees to relax under and bocce courts to play on. When it’s nippy, take a seat in front of an outdoor fire pit. Free jitney service ferries passengers across the Washington Channel to East Potomac Park (a handy way to access the bustling Tidal Basin during the National Cherry Blossom Festival) or rent a kayak or paddleboard and propel yourself across. Commercial sightseeing and dinner cruises also embark from The Wharf. Take in a concert or lecture at The Anthem, a massive theater that accommodates up to 6,000 spectators or watch buskers perform for free in a variety of outdoor venues. The Wharf hosts a number of tony restaurants, but snack stands and informal eateries make it welcoming to budget-minded visitors, too.
Blossom Mania
The National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20-April 15) ushers in what many Washingtonians regard as the city’s most splendid season. Hundreds of Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin erupt in pink and white blooms. The multi-event extravaganza spans four weekends. Among signature events for 2018 are the opening ceremony on March 24 at the Warner Theatre. Tickets are free with a $5 registration fee, but must be reserved in advance. The Blossom Kite Festival takes flight on the grounds of the Washington Monument on March 31. Petalpalooza, a family-friendly event at The Wharf on April 7, features games, interactive art installations and free performances on three stages. It ends with a bang in an evening fireworks display. Get there via the Southwest Waterfront or L’Enfant Plaza Metro stations. Free shuttlebuses also carry visitors from the National Mall. Finally, on April 14, colorful floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands and more, fill 10 blocks of Constitution Avenue in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Arrive early for prime viewing spots on the mile-long route. Or reserve grandstand seating; tickets start at $20. Get there via Metro, the D.C. Circulator’s National Mall route, or Capitol Bikeshare, the city’s bike-sharing program.
New on the Mall
The Smithsonian’s newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, continues to exceed attendance expectations since its September 2016 debut. Like other Smithsonian repositories, admission is free, but tickets to this venue are timed-entry passes and they’re hard to come by. So plan accordingly. Passes are released the first Wednesday of each month for admission three months later, and they’re snapped up quickly. An alternative strategy: Some same-day tickets are released daily. To snag one, jump on the museum’s website (nmaahc.si.edu) at 6:30 a.m. EST. Another option: A limited number of passes are released for walk-up visitors on weekdays. They’re available starting at 1 p.m., but plan to arrive at the building’s Madison Drive entrance by 12:30 p.m. The passes are distributed based on the museum’s capacity limits.
Re-visiting the 1980s
Ah, the ’80s, the decade that brought us Madonna, padded shoulders and Reaganomics. It’s also the era when the lines between art and commercialism blurred. Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Feb. 14-May 13, examines the artist as brand, and art as commodity. The show features 150 works by 66 New York-centric counterculture artists, including Jeff Koons and Cindy Sherman, plus multimedia installations re-created from the 1980s.
Gardens Galore
A harbinger of spring 2018 is the re-opening on March 15 of the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens, closed since July for infrastructure improvements. Designed in 1921 by renowned landscape architect Beatrix Ferrand, its 16 undulating acres are both manicured and wild. After you’ve explored the grounds, take time to check out the Byzantine, pre-Columbian and medieval art collections housed in the estate’s mansion in D.C.’s posh Georgetown neighborhood.
Frederick Douglass Anniversary
February marks the 200th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’ birth, making 2018 an apt time to visit his home in Washington’s Anacostia neighborhood. The runaway slave who became a statesman and abolitionist leader spent his final 17 years at his Cedar Hill estate. Tours of the house, now the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, are conducted daily by National Park Service rangers. Don’t miss the “growlery,” a one-room stone cabin on the grounds. Consider it Douglass’ version of a man cave. The great orator retreated there to think, read, write and simply be alone.
Riverfront Baseball
For baseball fans, the Washington Nationals are at bat April 5 in their first season home game at Nationals Park. Even if you’re not a fan, the Capital Riverfront, a fast-growing neighborhood in a former industrial area, is worth a visit. It sports dozens of restaurants, including the award-winning Bluejacket Brewery, and a 16-mile walking path along the Anacostia River. Access it via the Navy Yard-Ballpark and Capitol South Metro stations or take the D.C. Circulator bus from Union Station.
Burning Man in D.C.
A piece of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert invades the elegant rooms of the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery with the exhibit No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man (March 30, 2018-Jan 21, 2019). Showcasing costumes, jewelry and other ephemera from the annual desert bacchanal, room-size installations will occupy the entire museum, which showcases American craft and decorative arts from the 19th to 21st centuries. Outside in the city’s Golden Triangle neighborhood, No Spectators: Beyond the Renwick will display eye-popping sculptures from past Burning Man spectacles.
Space Race
Spring starts early at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, which is located just minutes from Dulles International airport. Highlights include:
Family Days. Observe African American History Month at the annual African American Pioneers in Space and Aviation Family Day and celebrate the achievements of women at the We Can Do It! Women in Aviation and Aerospace Family Day.
February 10 and March 10
5th Annual Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Open House. Once each year, the Center allows visitors to go behind-the-scenes, with tours of its Restoration Hangar, Conservation Lab, Collections Processing Unit, and Archives. This year’s program will showcase the exciting work taking place as the Museum’s staff prepares for a massive transformation of the building in Washington, DC.
Wednesday, March 28, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
The British are Coming! Celebrate the centennial of Great Britain’s Royal Air Force with a special program. See a selection of the RAF’s aircraft-on display for one day only — outside the Udvar-Hazy Center (weather permitting). Enjoy performances and demonstrations from the RAF band and drill team, and by the U.S. Air Force.