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Believe it or not, the last weekend of April is almost here with Earth Day celebrations, free festivals and spring markets popping up across the DMV.
If you’re the type of person who goes to open houses just to look (or thinks about doing it 🙋), there’s another way to see how the neighbors live. Home and garden tours are the “it” thing this weekend, popping up in LeDroit Park and Georgetown. It’s also Virginia Historic Garden Week with tours in Alexandria and beyond.
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🌡️ Weekend weather: Sunday will be the better day for outdoor plans because Storm Team4 is tracking rain chances Friday afternoon to Saturday night. It won't be a washout, but we have some suggestions for indoor plans below. Here’s the forecast.
Spring markets
Even if you have enough books, plants or vintage prints, nothing beats the excitement of adding something to your collection – except maybe some chocolate!
Treat yourself at these spring markets.
DC Chocolate Festival
Fri. and Sat., La Maison Française at the Embassy of France, $25+ (free for kids under 12)
🔗 Details
The Scene
The most fun things to do and places to be in D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Snack and celebrate all things chocolate inside La Maison Française. More than 30 vendors will be selling confections.
Go on Friday night for a special wine tasting experience ($75), or choose another session for cheaper tickets.
Plenty of workshops and talks are in the works. We’re intrigued by the CHOCOLATE & WHAT?! “edible lesson” on Saturday with “a unique tasting & talk featuring floral and herbal bites where flavors bloom and facts & folklore flourish!”
Free pick
MV Big Flea
Sat., 8:30 a.m., Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Alexandria
🔗 Details
This flea market supports the Mount Vernon Community School. If you’re a dedicated shopper, you can pay $10 to enter early at 7 a.m.
Free pick
Georgetown French Market
Fri. to Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wisconsin Avenue NW from O Street to Reservoir Road
🔗 Details
Stroll up and down Wisconsin Avenue NW to find goodies and deals at dozens of shops between Reservoir Road and O Street. Don’t miss two pop-up book sales and live music. Sidewalks will be temporarily widened to give shoppers extra room.
Kids can enjoy face painting, balloon twisting, a caricature artist, and games on the back patio of the Georgetown Neighborhood Library.
Free pick
Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair & Plant Sale
Sat., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (public hours), National Arboretum in Northeast D.C.
🔗 Details
Browse thousands of plants and ask experts about any gardening project, from growing herbs on an apartment patio to filling a yard.
Stop by the arboretum’s plant sale tent for rare finds, annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, then peruse 25 local sellers in the Vendor Village.
Family-friendly activities, including face painting, crafts and games, will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors must park at R Street or the Grove lot for free, and a free shuttle will take people to the sale.
It’s a good time to explore the azalea collection, too, or head into the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.
The Plant Sale tent will be open to members only from 9-11 a.m. If the weather is bad, the event may move to Sunday. Check the website before you go.
Free pick
Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival
Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown Leesburg
🔗 Details
Several blocks of historic downtown Leesburg will transform into a spring destination this weekend.
“The festival showcases beautiful flowers, plants and landscaping along with the best of gardening and outdoor living products and services,” organizers say.
Stick around for three stages of music and live entertainment, a rooftop beer and wine garden, a landscape display contest and kids’ activities.
Free pick
Make It Mt. Pleasant! Spring Art Market
Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Lamont Plaza in Northwest D.C.
🔗 Details
Support Mt. Pleasant’s artist community, meet local authors and make cards for hospitalized children before exploring the neighborhood’s excellent dining scene. Joia Burger, Purple Patch and La Tejana are a few highlights our own Eun Yang visited for Food Fare.
Smithsonian Craft Show
Thurs. to Sun., National Building Museum, $25+
🔗 Details
More than 120 artists will show and sell their work, including ceramics, glass, furniture, clothing and more. Each artist was selected by a panel of expert jurors.
Thursday is the preview night benefit. The show will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, then 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Independent Bookstore Day
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day. Explore some stops along the DC Indie Bookstore Crawl, special events for all ages at Old Town Books and free drinks and swag at People’s Book in Takoma Park. Or, check out Kensington's Day of the Book Festival on Sunday.
Indoor activities for a rainy Saturday
Free pick - last chance
Black Cowboy: American Muscle by Brandon Hill
Sat., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 700 Delaware Ave. NW
🔗 Details
It was a pandemic drive from D.C. to Colorado and a book about Black cowboys from his brother that set artist Brandon Hill’s creativity in motion.
Saddle up and get to Culture House in Southwest for the last weekend of “Black Cowboy: American Muscle.” The exhibit challenges what we know about wild west heroes and how African Americans helped shape the culture of the West.
The gallery opens to the public for the final time on Saturday, or you can make an appointment.
Free pick
“The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution”
Through March 2026, Library of Congress
🔗 Details
The Library of Congress' newest exhibit tells the story of George Washington and King George III during the American Revolution through a lens never seen before.
Free pick
Maryland Day 🐢
Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., University of Maryland College Park, free parking and admission
🔗 Details
Maryland Day has something for everybody with more than 400 free activities and events happening at UMD’s campus.
That includes plenty happening indoors in case of rain, including hands-on nature and STEM activities for all ages.
Peruse the full schedule here. There’s also a map to help you get around.
FilmFest DC
Opens Thurs., most screenings are at Regal Gallery Place and cost $14
🔗 Details
Most showings, from D.C.-focused films to music movies to international offerings, will be shown at Regal Gallery Place. The closure of Landmark E Street Cinema earlier this year sent the iconic film fest looking for a new home. Glad they found it!
Concerts this weekend
Brother Ali, 7 p.m. Thursday, Pearl Street Warehouse, $20-$30
One of the stalwarts of the Rhymesayers Entertainment hip-hop collective, the indie rapper known for his socially conscious lyrics has teamed up with producer Ant again for “Satisfied Soul,” his latest LP released earlier this year. Details.
Lee Bains III, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Quarry House Tavern, $19.84
Alt-southern-rocker sang and played guitar for southern punks The Dexateens before striking out on his over a decade ago with The Glory Fires. Details.
Alejandro Escovedo, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, The Hamilton, $20-$30
With San Francisco punks The Nuns, Escovedo opened the last show the Sex Pistols played. And while The Nuns didn’t last long, Escovedo never slowed down. He was a cowpunk pioneer with Rank & File and mastered roots rock with The True Believers before launching a long and prolific solo career. Truly a remarkable career. Details.
Things to do in D.C.
Smithsonian Craft Show: Thurs. to Sun., National Building Museum, $25+
FilmFest DC: Opens Thurs., most screenings are at Regal Gallery Place and cost $14
Cathedral in Bloom: Through Fri., National Cathedral, $18-$25
MelaninCON Marketplace: Fri., noon to 7 p.m., The Gathering Spot DC in Northwest, free
DC Chocolate Festival: Fri. and Sat., La Maison Française at the Embassy of France, $25+ (free for kids under 12)
Friends of the National Arboretum Garden Fair & Plant Sale: Sat., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., National Arboretum (visitors must park at R Street parking lot near the Visitor Center or the Grove parking lot), free entry
Georgetown French Market: Fri. to Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wisconsin Avenue NW from O Street to Reservoir Road, free entry
Georgetown House Tour: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $65
Dreaming Out Loud and City Blossom's 8th Annual Spring Festival: Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Farm at Kelly Miller in Northeast D.C., free
Yoga in the Sculpture Garden: Sat., 10 a.m., Kreeger Museum, $20
Anacostia Watershed Society Earth Day Cleanup: Sat., various parks, free
LeDroit Park Home and Garden Tour: Sat., 1-5 p.m., $50+
DC Indie Bookstore Crawl: Sat., throughout D.C., free
DC Wine Fest: Sat., Dock 5 at Union Market, $35+
DC Dyke March Earth Day Crafternoon: Sat., Rhizome DC, $10-$15
Petworth PorchFest: Sat., concerts on porches 2-6 p.m. and main stage 5-8 p.m., free
Living Earth Festival: Protecting the Elements: Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., American Indian Museum DC, free
Make It Mt. Pleasant! Spring Art Market: Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Lamont Plaza, free entry
Last chance - “The Print Generation” Japanese printmaking exhibit: Through Sun., National Museum of Asian Art, free
Things to do in Maryland
Anacostia Watershed Society Earth Day Cleanup: Sat., various parks, free
Maryland Day: Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., University of Maryland College Park, free parking and admission
Takoma Park Earth Day: Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park, free
Gas and Steam Show: Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, free
Celebrating African Rhythms through Dance & Song: Sat., noon to 4 p.m., Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park in Olney, free
Earth Month Family Celebration: Sat., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, free
GreenFest 2025: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Wheaton, free
Jam Session at The Treehouse (BlackRock Center): Sat., 1-4 p.m., BlackRock Center for the Arts, free
Go Go Gadjet at Hello Betty's 3nd Annual Anchor Drop: Sun., 3-6 p.m., North Bethesda, free entry
8th Annual MCPL Rang Aur Patang Utsav (Colors and Kites Festival): Sun., Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, $23.18
National Capital New Play Festival - “Bad Books”: Through May 4, Round House Theater in Bethesda, $43+
Things to do in Virginia
Ballet - "ALICE (in wonderland)": Thurs. to Sun., Capital One Hall in Tysons, $44-$109
Modern Calligraphy for Beginners: Thurs., Port City Brewing Co. in Alexandria, $70
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival: April 25 to May 4, Winchester
Arlington Festival of the Arts: Sat. and Sun., 3140 Washington Blvd in Arlington, free
Leesburg Flower & Garden Festival: Sat., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sun., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown Leesburg, free entry
Arlington Bunny Hop 5K: Sat., starts at Clarendon United Methodist Church, free to $50
MV Big Flea: Sat., 8:30 a.m., Mount Vernon Recreation Center in Alexandria, free (or enter early at 7:30 a.m. for $10)
Independent Bookstore Day at Old Town Books: Sat., 9-5 p.m., Alexandria, free
Alexandria Art Show and Craft Spring Fair: Sat., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., John Carlyle Square Park in Alexandria, free
Purcellville Music and Arts Festival: Sat., noon to 7 p.m., Purcellville Music and Arts Festival, free
Virginia Historic Garden Week: April 26 to May 3 (includes Old Town Alexandria)
PNC Alexandria Half (formerly known as The Parkway Classic): Sun., Old Town Alexandria, $20-$115
Earth Day Every Day: Sun., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Langston Boulevard in Arlington, free
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