Take a trip around the world this weekend without leaving the District. Dance the night away Friday at the French Embassy’s Bastille Day Celebration, then head over to the Lotus and Water Lily Festival Saturday for a Asian and African-inspired fashion show. Round out the weekend by exploring a famous Uruguayan artist’s underground mural at the Art Museum of the Americas’s Mural Festival.
Friday
Bastille Day Celebration
Prolong your red, white and blue festivities at the French Embassy’s Bastille Day Celebration, a French national holiday that commemorates the storming of the Bastille. The event’s 230th anniversary includes buffets from more than 17 local French restaurants, an open bar, live music and a silent auction benefiting the the Comite’ Tricolore – an organization that works to improve France’s relationship with the United States. Those looking for a less expensive way to celebrate could purchase a late-night admission at 9 p.m. The later ticket does not guarantee a full buffet but still promises a night of joie de vivre.
Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road NW, General/VIP Admission: $115-175, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m., Late Night Admission: $55, 9:00 to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday
Lotus and Water Lily Festival
This two-day festival features global art forms in the backdrop of the lotus and water lily blooms at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Guests can participate in activities like Afro-Brazilian drumming Buddhist chanting and a fashion show strutting designs from Africa and Asia. Attendees can also learn several dance forms, including the Brazilian dance Samba and Indian dances from the student organization GW Raas.
The Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens at Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr., 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. Free.
Sunday
Mural Festival
Head to the Art Museum of the America’s Mural Festival Sunday for a roundup of mural artwork by Latino artists. The festival – co-hosted by the Latino art nonprofit Hola Cultura – includes a bus tour of murals made by Latino artists around the city, exhibitions of murals currently on display in the museum, live music and Latin American cuisine. You can also take a guided tour of an underground mural, “Roots of Peace,” by the late Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. The mural runs underneath the museum itself.
Art Museum of the Americas, 201 18th St NW, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Free.
