WASHINGTON – There is plenty to celebrate this weekend, including books, records and Mother Nature. So ignore Metro delays or possible rain, and check out some of the region’s best entertainment picks.
Friday through Sunday, Montgomery County welcomes the 13th annual Bethesda Literary Festival, which will novelists, poets, journalists and children’s authors. Highlights include Walter Isaacson who recently released a Steve Jobs tell-all, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas and public radio legend Bob Edwards. Check the website for a full list of events or call 301-664-7300 for more information.
A piece of history is making its home at the Udvar-Hazy Center and families are invited to give it an over-the-top welcome during Discovery Family Weekend Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be activities for all ages, including a play zone for tots, robot demonstrations for kids and discussions with astronauts for adults. Admission is free, but parking costs $15.
Saturday is also national Record Store Day, which means everyone should visit their local shop and buy some new tunes. If you happen to be in D.C., stop by the Georgetown Water Street Project art space and catch local bands Les Rhinoceros, Young Rapids, Shark Week, Akshan and Silver Liners during Local Music Day. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. and is free to the public.
If you’re seeing green on Sunday, don’t worry. That is perfectly natural given all the Earth Day festivities.
In Wheaton, stop by the Earth Day Festival at Brookside Gardens from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteer on the planting project, learn about gardening or participate in a tree scavenger hunt. University of Maryland Entomologist and author Mike Raupp will read from his children’s book, “26 Things That Bug Me.” Click here for a full list of events or call 301-962-1429.
The EarthDay@Loudoun Family Festival will offer a complete educational experience on being green. There will be more than 70 eco-exhibitors featuring solar, sustainable landscaping, alternative transportation, energy efficiency and more. Don’t miss live music and a beer and wine garden, plus activities for the whole family. The event is free and goes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
But the biggest Earth Day celebration is on the National Mall from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on the nation’s capital for the 40th anniversary, and festivities will include speakers, demonstrations and live music from Cheap Trick, Dave Mason and Kicking Daisies. No tickets are needed. Just show up and be ready to rock out.
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