IF IT'S NOT arty, sporty or recreational, what is it? We're calling it "random," a word used incorrectly billions of times each day. It doesn't mean odd, weird or unusual, people, it means "chosen without method or conscious decision." So we used the newsroom supercomputer to select these items in just such a manner. Kidding! We're using the word wrong, too, because we very consciously culled this list from a vast universe of possibilities. Just don't ask us how.
» 17) FOLK ROCKS: One of the highlights of summer is experiencing the Smithsonian without going into a dark museum, thanks to the folklife festival, a giant outdoor celebration of American and international culture. Started in the 1960s, the event focuses this year on Wales, Latin music and "the power of words in African-American culture" — an exploration of black oratory from the barber shop to the pulpit to the political arena. A full schedule of the two-week-long affair will be available in June.
» National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial; June 24-28 and July 1-5, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with some evening events, free; Festival.si.edu. (Smithsonian) F.Z.
» 18) PULLING FOR PORK: It's like that George Thorogood song, but with meat: 60 varieties of bourbon, 40 types of beer and a whole lotta barbecue. Booze sipping and pulled-pork slurping are the main objectives at the Beer, Bourbon and Barbecue Festival, but barrel-rolling contests, the "World BBQ Bean Eating Championships" and a "Ms. Bar-B-Q Babe" pageant offer additional eye candy. And there's a mechanical bull! This year's new, larger location at National Harbor means it's twice the size of 2008's bash.
» 137 National Plaza, National Harbor; June 20, noon-6 p.m., $20-$40 (barbecue not included in ticket price); 800-830-3976, Beerandbourbon.com. J.B
MOUNTAIN BIKING ALONG the red cliffs of Moab. Whitewater rafting on the Snake River in Utah. As the weather warms up, far-flung outdoor adventures sound pretty hot.
But it isn't necessary to catch a westbound jet to paddle, pedal or scale rocks. There are plenty of adventure sports you can engage in just a short drive from D.C. — ask the nationally known athletes with local ties what they would suggest.
» WHITEWATER RAFTING:
When 2004 Olympian Brett Heyl, 25, phones, he's about to leave for Slovakia to compete in a whitewater slalom-kayaking contest. The onetime GWU student and 2005/2006 U.S. national kayaking champion travels globally to roll and paddle. But these days, Heyl seems most excited about a course closer to home: the one at Adventure Sports Center in McHenry, Md.
The man-made course on a mountaintop, about three-and-a-half hours from D.C., features a 1,600-foot waterway, which can be adjusted to produce whitewater from class I (wussy) to IV (pro). "The scale of the thing is incredible," Heyl says.
The center opens to the public May 25, and will host both solo kayakers and guided raft trips for groups. "There are so few courses like this in the U.S.," says Heyl. "Having one so close to D.C. is great. A lot of times, to find good whitewater you have to go out into the wilderness, which is nice. But sometimes you want to drive on a paved road, have a changing room and be able to take a shower when you're done." The center also boasts a climbing wall and mountain biking at the adjacent Fork Run Recreation area.
» Adventure Sports Center, McHenry, Md.; 877-300-ASCI. Rafting trips: $50 each adult, $100 for a group of three adults, and $35 for kids (ages 7-11) with an adult. It's $40 each for groups 12 and over. Solo kayakers, $15 a day. Open Thu.-Sun., 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. through June; Wed.-Mon., 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. July-Aug.
» AT&T NATIONAL
WANT TO GET on Tiger Woods' good side? Stop by this brand-spankin’-new golf tournament, debuting at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda July 2-8. See attnational.org for tickets.
» LEGG MASON TENNIS CLASSIC
Observe the beautiful backhand of
» DAVID BECKHAM AT RFK
Expect the crowd to be packed with adoring females as Becks and the Los Angeles Galaxy take on the D.C. United on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. See dcunited.mlsnet.com.
» WNBA ALL-STAR GAME
Hoop, there it is! See the best players of the WNBA when they dribble into the Verizon Center on July 15 at 3:30 p.m. See wnba.com or ticketmaster.com.
» LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
See Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam compete at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Havre de Grace, Md., June 7-10. Call 302-428-1681.
» REDSKINS TRAINING CAMP
Training camp at Redskins Park in Ashburn, in late July: It’s cheaper than a game, and getting an autograph is much more fun than flipping on the TV. See redskins.com for details.
Written by Express contributor Jessica Milcetich
Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post
LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY and unleash your inner quirkster with these offbeat happenings.
» OPERATION SPY:
A nuclear device has gone missing, and it needs to be relocated before (cue ominous music) ... it ends up in the wrong hands. Sound like a task for Jack Bauer? Wrong! It's up to you and your U.S. Intelligence teammates in this new one-hour virtual-reality exhibit to decipher the clues.
» International Spy Museum, 800 F St. NW; opens June 1, $14 or $24 with regular museum admission; 202-393-7798. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)
» CAPITAL FRINGE FESTIVAL:
What if the art at the Hirshhorn could walk and talk? That's what you get with this 10-day event, now in its second year, which aims to enlighten and enliven with an astounding array of live performances.
» Various locations throughout Washington; July 19-29, tickets TBD.
» U.S. AIR GUITAR COMPETITION:
Ever think you could channel Slash, but when you plugged your axe into an amp it turned out to be nothing more than a loud and screechy mess? Never fear — the D.C. round of the US Air Guitar Competition is here. Grab your hot pants and do your windmill best.
» 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW; June 6, tickets TBD; 202-483-5000. (U Street-Cardozo)
WITH THE FLIP-FLOPS and bad tan lines comes the desire to lounge outdoors and partake of refreshing beverages. So, we did some slurping around and found five of the tastiest summer drinks you can sip in the sunshine. Feel free to thank us with one later.
» CLASSIC MARGARITAS AT LAURIOL PLAZA:
It would have been wrong to kick off such a list with anything else. This popular Dupont Circle Mexican establishment is known for two things: its margaritas and its rooftop. "People love to be up there," says manager Juan Lopez. "They take their time to relax with a margarita after work." And considering it's only $5.75, that actually might mean a margarita or two.
» Lauriol Plaza, 1835 18th St. NW; 202-387-0035. (Dupont Circle)
» KEY LIME MARTINI AT SOUSSI:
If you could drink a key lime pie, this would be it. It's extremely tempting to lick every last bit of the foamy topping from the bottom of your glass to get what's left of this smooth combo of Smirnoff Lime Vodka, melon liqueur, Triple Sec and creme ($8.95). Unfortunately, then you might attract attention from the other folks sitting in the bar's large porch area. Slow-turning fans overhead and worn wooden tables give a low-key vibe at this African-inspired spot, so don't ruin the ambience by desperately draining the last drop. Just order another! A great follow-up is the Grantini. The blend of orange vodka, Triple Sec and cranberry, splashed with orange juice and a sweep of sour, makes for a Sunkist taste ... with a kick, of course ($7.25).
» Soussi, 2228 18th St. NW; 202-299-9314. (Woodley Park-Zoo)
PLAYS. THEY'RE LIKE MOVIES, except the actors are really there! And they cost a lot more, so you'll want to choose wisely. Here, our picks.
» THE TEMPEST:
Shakespeare's last play was ignored, until it became chic for graduate students to write about colonialism. Now the tale of evil dukes, scary fish-monsters and androgynous fairies is one of his most-performed works, here interpreted by up-and-coming director Aaron Posner.
» Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol St. SE; through June 17; $25-$50; 202-544-7077. (Capitol South)
» THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK:
D.C. scored the U.S. premiere of this musical, based on that Cher movie in which three women embark on sexual escapades with Satan. (Actually, it's based on the John Updike novel on which the Cher movie was based.) And here we always thought you were supposed to find an old priest and a young priest.
» Signature Theatre, 2800 S. Stafford St., Arlington; June 5-July 8; $38-$63; 703-820-9771.
» DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE:
The premise will haunt you: What if you died and a complete stranger had to use your cell phone to contact your family? You don't want anyone to see those drunken text messages! Yes, the title is already obsolete, but "Dead Man's Sidekick" just doesn't have the same ring.
» Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW; June 4-July 1; $22-$52; 202-393-3939. (Archives-Navy Memorial)
Continue Reading "Summer Guide: Satan, Sex and Cell Phones" »
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