From checking out a sunset concert to finally investing in a solid hammock you’ve been eyeing, May is a special time in D.C. So bust out your social planner, here’s our monthly guide to the District for May.
BBQ Bike Trek
2Fifty BBQ just opened on K Street, but their OG location in Hyattsville is worth a trek. You can bike the underappreciated Anacostia Riverwalk Trail all the way there. It should only take 45 minutes – plenty of time to work up a hankering for smoked meats. Go for lunch (the good stuff is sold out by dinner), create some absolute carnage, then explore Hyattsville’s cute downtown. Grab an espresso tonic from Vigilante Coffee to replenish your fluids post-meat sweats. On the ride home, catch the sunset at Kenilworth Park or Anacostia River Park.
Sunset Dance Parties
Flash nightclub’s Saturday rooftop parties, Sündown, are back! The shows run 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. every Saturday this month, so it’s perfect for aging fans of ‘oontz-oontz’ music who need to get home for the nightly news. Enjoy one of the city's best sound systems from their beautiful rooftop, but make sure to adhere to their ‘no phones on the dance floor’ policy. Respect the vibe man!
Crafters Heaven
The Smithsonian Craft Show is from May 1 - 5 at the National Building Museum. Just $20 gets you a day pass to witness artisan glassblowers, woodworkers, and even acorn basket-makers. Major craft-heads can shell out $250 for the preview night, where you can see and shop the show a day early while sipping free bevvys. But go easy on the booze or you might walk out with a bong made out of a lamp or something 🤪
Sunset from Kenilworth Park. (Ashe Durban/City Cast DC)
Hot Flicks
Outdoor movies are officially back. NoMa’s CiNoMatic outdoor theater in Alethia Tanner Park is kicking things off on May 8 with “National Treasure” for the Nick Cage freaks in the chat and “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou” for the men of constant sorrow. If plotting to steal the Declaration of Independence isn’t your thing, catch “Grease” at Union Market’s drive-in theater or “I, Tonya” at Adams Morgan Movie Nights.
Bark on the Competition
Head down to The Wharf to see the Running of the Chihuahuas. Maybe you’ll come home with an award-winning pup! While you're down there, you can head over to Audi Field to cheer on our 2021 NWSL champs, the Washington Spirit. Tickets are as cheap as $14 in the supporters section (but get ready to get covered in beer). If you’re not footy-mad, the stadium’s Heineken Rooftop bar is one of the best places in the city to catch the sunset.
