Walking Tours, Iranian-American Markets, Tree Planting: Last-Minute DC-Area Weekend Ideas 3/3-3/6

High of 75 on Sunday!

Hello Neighbor,

In case you’re looking to use Rock Creek Trail this weekend, portions of Rock Creek Trail are closed between P St. Northwest and Connecticut Ave. Northwest. There is no alternative route. This is due to an archaeological study near the Mount Zion-Female Union Band Black cemetery. The study is to determine if there are any buried persons underneath the Rock Creek Park Trail and to recover historic artifacts dating to the early 20th century using non-penetrative methods. The study will be conducted on March 21, and the trail should reopen to the public on March 28. This will be done in collaboration with the National Park Service and DC Government.

To learn more information about the historic cemetery, which is home to a vault that hid those escaping on the Underground Railroad, click here.

So, What Should You Do?

For your convenience, this newsletter includes emojis to help you during these unprecedented times: 

Your Last-Minute Weekend Plans

1. Get outside this weekend. ☀️

2. A weekend film festival. 🎞 Catch a screening at the 16th Annual Capital Irish Film Festival return (Wed-Sun, $, 🛋, Silver Spring) or the 2022 DC Independent Film Forum (Wed-Sun, $, 🛋, Silver Spring/Penn Quarter).

3. DC is an art capital. 🖼 There are a few local art exhibit openings this week you may want to check out including “12 x 12” at Grand Duchess (Thurs-Sun, free entry, 🛋, Adams Morgan), “Jennifer Sakai and Philip Taplin” (ongoing, free entry, 🛋, Glen Echo) at Photoworks, and “Small Scale Site Specific Sculpture Show” (starts Saturday, free entry, 🛋, Truxton Circle) at But, Also. This week is your last chance to see the Torpedo Factory’s ‘Sweet Tooth’ (until Sun, free, 🛋, Alexandria), Artechouse’s “Transient” (until Sun, $24 adult, 🛋, The Wharf), and Renwick’s “New Glass Now” (until Sun, free, 🛋, Downtown).

4. Libraries in prisons. 📚 The National Building Museum will be highlighting the collaboration between the MASS Design Group and Freedom Reads, which designs and places libraries inside prisons. A Freedom Reads Library will be installed in the museum’s “Justice is Beauty” exhibition. A public reception will follow a panel discussion (Thurs, free, 🛋, Penn Quarter).

5. Cocktails 🤝 ice cream. 🍹🍦 To celebrate Women’s History Month, local and female-owned Ice Cream Jubilee is debuting six new flavors such as bottomless mimosa sorbet, mocha rum truffle sorbet, and double stout caramel. A portion of proceeds of an ice cream flight of flavors will raise funds for Regarding Her, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting women-owned food businesses (ongoing, $14 for a flight, 🛋, various locations).

6. The coming of Iranian New Year. 💐 Catch an Iranian-American pop-up featuring 11 local vendors this weekend. There will be Iranian confections such as bastani sonati (a traditional saffron rose pistachio ice cream), oscars (walnut thumbprint cookies filled with jam), and kolompehs (date-stamped cookies). There will also be a variety of jewelry, plant, and flower vendors (Sat, free entry, 🌲, U St.).

7. Sacred Relics. 🤍 The Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine will present a teaching and exposition of over 150 relics from the Vatican collection. Visitors are encouraged to bring their articles of devotion and pictures of ill friends/family to touch to the reliquaries as means of intercession (Thurs, 🛋, free, Pleasant Hill).

What Is on Our Radar: Volunteer Outside

Jade Womack is an energy economist by day, and an events blogger by night. She started her blog, Clockout DC, when she was moonlighting as a bartender in 2019. She grew up in Arlington, and currently lives in Adams Morgan with her dog.