Coming off the heels of spring break, venture down to the National Mall to scope out the cherry blossoms for some artsy events during your first weekend after break.
Start your weekend with an architecture-themed film festival at the National Building Museum, track down a kite to fly on the National Mall at the annual Blossom Kite Festival Saturday and spend your Sunday at a new Asian Art Museum exhibit dedicated to Japanese legends and fables.
Friday
Architecture & Design Film Festival at the National Building Museum
Attend screenings of films that delve into timely challenges that have faced the architecture industry at a film festival hosted by the Architecture and Design Film Festival at the National Building Museum Friday. The festival includes 12 feature-length and short films shown Thursday through Saturday, which address themes like sustainability, equitable architectural development and contributions from indigenous architects who overcame adversity within the industry. On Friday night, the museum will feature films like “Beyond Zero,” an inspiring documentary about a carpet tile company’s struggle to operate in an environmentally sustainable way. Catch films about famous architects and designers Frank Lloyd Wright and Marcel Breuer, who shaped architectural movements of the 20th century, on Saturday.
National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW. Films run Friday from 6:30 to 10:15 p.m. $25 for student tickets. Register here.
Saturday
Blossom Kite Festival at the Washington Monument
Join kite enthusiasts for the Blossom Kite Festival at the Washington Monument to participate in the D.C. spring tradition of flying a kite among the cherry blossoms. Participants can fly their own kite or simply enjoy the colorful collection of kites around the National Mall during this reoccurring event of more than half a century. The festival will also host a kitemaker’s competition at the Washington Monument where participants can register their homemade kites for consideration. After missing out on the last two cherry blossom season celebrations due to the pandemic, make the most of the stunning spring weather and sights of the National Mall blanketed with blossoms at the kite festival.
Washington Monument and featured parks around the District. Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free. Find more information here.
Sunday
Underdogs and Antiheroes: Japanese Prints from the Moskowitz Collection
Explore legends and stories of misfits featured in theater, literature and visual arts through a collection of Japanese prints at the National Museum of Asian Art’s newest exhibit Sunday. The exhibition illuminates the stories of individuals who are seen as complex moral characters who reject societal norms, like bandits, tattooed firemen and rogues. The exhibit also utilizes new imaginative visual and thematic ways of portraying Asian cultures through art, so make sure to embrace the creativity featured in this exhibit.
Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Ave. SW. Open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free. Find more information here.
