Live music, hurricane cocktails and parades are on the way to the D.C. region as the public prepares to let the good times roll in celebration of Mardi Gras. Here are a few of the upcoming events and treats to look forward to in celebration of Fat Tuesday. One of the biggest Mardi Gras celebrations in the region can be found at The Wharf. On Saturday, Mardi Gras at The Wharf features live music performances and a parade, followed by fireworks. The event is free and open to the public. Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area. A separate Mardi Gras celebration hits the streets at 8th Street Barracks Row Saturday. The community-wide extravaganza features several sidewalk parades with live music, plus food and drink specials at participating Barracks Row establishments. The first 100 guests get free entry. Tickets cost $10 per person with free entry for those ages 12 and under. Come for beads, booze and fun at the Mardi Gras Masquerade Bar Crawl at some of Dupont Circle’s major establishments. With the “Carnival Costume” dress code, this event offers drink specials and is only open to those ages 21 and up. Ticket prices vary for the event on Saturday. The Embassy of France is celebrating Mardi Gras with the ticketed event, dubbed “A Night on the Riviera.” Hosted on Friday, this event offers live music, plenty of French food to enjoy and an open bar. Ticket prices vary. In Northeast D.C., metrobar’s Mardi Gras event offers New Orleans music and hurricane specials as well as other craft cocktails. For families and Disney fans, come at 1 p.m. for an appearance and sing-along with Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog.” For those in search of restaurants for celebrating Mardi Gras, here are a few to consider. St. Vincent Wine is hosting their second annual Lundi Gras Party on Monday, March 3, with hurricane spritzes, beads, live music and New Orleans-inspired food specials. The $20 ticket price includes a welcome cocktail and a raffle ticket for prizes. Dauphine’s is hosting a ticketed Mardi Gras party with an open bar, passed bites and several food stations and live musical entertainment and other performances. Tickets start at $175 per person or $200 for VIP admission. Aslin Beer Company ‘s locations across the D.C. region are participating celebrating with the release of a brand new, king cake-inspired bourbon barrel-aged stout conditioned on cinnamon and vanilla. This beer, called “King Baby,” debuts on Saturday. The sandwich shop, Your Only Friend , has an all-day party of their own that they’re throwing on Sunday with focaccia muffulettas, king cake, “gas station” hurricanes and more. Elsewhere, Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar & Eatery in Arlington, Virginia, is celebrating on Tuesday, March 4 with its “Bayou Gras Mardi Pardi.” Specials at the ticketed event include crawfish monica, gulf shrimp jambalaya, chicken andouille gumbo as well as drinks like a king cake daiquiri. Classic New Orleans desserts like king cake, pralines and beignets can be purchased à la carte.
Celebrate the rich history of Black culture through 12 powerful short films at the D.C. Black History Film Festival . The event on Friday at the Lincoln Theatre also includes special dance performances from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. “The Age of Innocence”
At Arena Stage, Edith Wharton’s 1920-published novel, “The Age of Innocence,” is brought to the stage by Karen Zacarías. The story is set in the 1870s in upper-class, “Gilded Age” New York City, with this adaptation unveiling “a searing critique of high society’s suffocating norms.” The production starts Friday and runs through March 30 with tickets that start at approximately $60. My Body My Festival
To kick off the third annual My Body My Festival , Songbyrd is hosting local bands Pretty Bitter, Cherub Tree, Flowerbomb and Massie in a live performance on Saturday. General admission tickets cost approximately $40 with proceeds going to the D.C. Abortion Fund. 90s Flannel Channel Flashband Showcase
Presented by 7DrumCity, eight “Flashbands” are planning on performing alt 90s pop, rock and grunge hits at Black Cat on Saturday. Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. “Legacy on Ice”
This live figure skating tribute is being hosted on Sunday to support the families and loved ones of those who died during a midair collision near Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29. With tickets that start at approximately $25, this event at Capital One Arena is cohosted by 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano with several other Olympians added to the performance.
From Thursday through March 2, the 19th annual Capital Irish Film Festival hosts several feature films, short films, in-person conversations and Q&As. As “one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America,” this four-day festival takes place at AFI’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lúnasa
Named after an ancient Celtic harvest festival, Irish acoustic band Lúnasa is performing at Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Maryland. The event is on Thursday, Feb. 27 with tickets that cost $46 per person. Chuck Brown Band
On Saturday, the band that toured the world with the “Godfather of Go-Go” is coming to Bethesda Theater in Maryland, to perform their greatest hits. Tickets start at approximately $35. Imaginative Journaling: A Tabletop Gaming Experience
This event is for those who enjoy or would like to dabble in tarot, dice, poker cards and other tabletop gaming techniques to shake up their imagination. Local designers Gene Koo, Junk Food Games and Mothspire Games are sharing their own and other popular journaling games at People’s Book in Takoma Park, Maryland, on Saturday. Admission to this event is free, but with recommended purchase of The Games and journaling materials in the store.
Dance the night away at this electronic new wave dance party , hosted at Jammin Java in Vienna, Virginia, on Friday. Featuring DJ-D, expect the sounds of Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order and Duran Duran. Tickets cost $15. The Ballyshaners 42nd Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Expect this Alexandria, Virginia, parade on Saturday to feature pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups and other performers and entertainment. The event is free and open to the public. Raclette Fest
Feeling cheesy? Cheesetique’s Del Ray location in Alexandria, Virginia, is hosting the annual Raclette Fest on Sunday. This “apres-ski party” includes unlimited raclette cheese, “alpine drinks,” “ski-lodge games” and a live DJ. The event also invites the public to dress in “ski chic” attire in order to compete for a “best dressed” prize. The ticket costs approximately $35. Have an event you’d like featured in WTOP’s Things to do in the D.C. area weekly guide? Let us know! Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here .
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DC
D.C. Black History Film FestivalCelebrate the rich history of Black culture through 12 powerful short films at the D.C. Black History Film Festival . The event on Friday at the Lincoln Theatre also includes special dance performances from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. “The Age of Innocence”
At Arena Stage, Edith Wharton’s 1920-published novel, “The Age of Innocence,” is brought to the stage by Karen Zacarías. The story is set in the 1870s in upper-class, “Gilded Age” New York City, with this adaptation unveiling “a searing critique of high society’s suffocating norms.” The production starts Friday and runs through March 30 with tickets that start at approximately $60. My Body My Festival
To kick off the third annual My Body My Festival , Songbyrd is hosting local bands Pretty Bitter, Cherub Tree, Flowerbomb and Massie in a live performance on Saturday. General admission tickets cost approximately $40 with proceeds going to the D.C. Abortion Fund. 90s Flannel Channel Flashband Showcase
Presented by 7DrumCity, eight “Flashbands” are planning on performing alt 90s pop, rock and grunge hits at Black Cat on Saturday. Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show. “Legacy on Ice”
This live figure skating tribute is being hosted on Sunday to support the families and loved ones of those who died during a midair collision near Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29. With tickets that start at approximately $25, this event at Capital One Arena is cohosted by 1988 Olympic champion Brian Boitano with several other Olympians added to the performance.
Maryland
Capital Irish Film FestivalFrom Thursday through March 2, the 19th annual Capital Irish Film Festival hosts several feature films, short films, in-person conversations and Q&As. As “one of the largest programs of Irish cinema in North America,” this four-day festival takes place at AFI’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lúnasa
Named after an ancient Celtic harvest festival, Irish acoustic band Lúnasa is performing at Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Maryland. The event is on Thursday, Feb. 27 with tickets that cost $46 per person. Chuck Brown Band
On Saturday, the band that toured the world with the “Godfather of Go-Go” is coming to Bethesda Theater in Maryland, to perform their greatest hits. Tickets start at approximately $35. Imaginative Journaling: A Tabletop Gaming Experience
This event is for those who enjoy or would like to dabble in tarot, dice, poker cards and other tabletop gaming techniques to shake up their imagination. Local designers Gene Koo, Junk Food Games and Mothspire Games are sharing their own and other popular journaling games at People’s Book in Takoma Park, Maryland, on Saturday. Admission to this event is free, but with recommended purchase of The Games and journaling materials in the store.
Virginia
ICONSDance the night away at this electronic new wave dance party , hosted at Jammin Java in Vienna, Virginia, on Friday. Featuring DJ-D, expect the sounds of Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order and Duran Duran. Tickets cost $15. The Ballyshaners 42nd Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Expect this Alexandria, Virginia, parade on Saturday to feature pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups and other performers and entertainment. The event is free and open to the public. Raclette Fest
Feeling cheesy? Cheesetique’s Del Ray location in Alexandria, Virginia, is hosting the annual Raclette Fest on Sunday. This “apres-ski party” includes unlimited raclette cheese, “alpine drinks,” “ski-lodge games” and a live DJ. The event also invites the public to dress in “ski chic” attire in order to compete for a “best dressed” prize. The ticket costs approximately $35. Have an event you’d like featured in WTOP’s Things to do in the D.C. area weekly guide? Let us know! Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here .
