This weekend, celebrate cuisines and cultures from around the world before returning to appreciate local music at a bluegrass festival.
Friday
Noche Iberoamericana
Enjoy a trip around the world through an excursion of foods, cocktails, arts and cultures of 18 Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries at the Mexican Cultural Institute. The event will serve up food tastings from countries like Honduras, Ecuador and Argentina. Then, you can wash it all down with beverage options like Cuban mojitos, Colombian coffee, or Chilean, Uruguayan or Portuguese wine. Dance the night away to live music in styles from Panama and Venezuela before finishing the evening with Colombian desserts. In true young professional fashion, you will have the opportunity to network and meet representatives from embassies of the 18 countries represented. If you’re feeling lucky, you can join a raffle for two round-trip tickets to Costa Rica to make your exploration extend past Friday night.
Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St. NW. 6:30 to 10 p.m. Tickets start at $79. 21+.
Saturday
Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival
Pay homage to the D.C. area’s historic bluegrass scene along the Anacostia River at the Kingman Island Bluegrass and Folk Festival this weekend. About a dozen local bluegrass and folk musicians will perform during the eight-hour event, including country soul singer Babeo Baggins and the bluegrass hip-hop group, Gangastagrass. There will also be an artisan market where local merchants sell craft goods, brews and cocktails, and food trucks set up to snag a bite to eat between sets. Proceeds from the festival go to the Living Classrooms Foundation, which provides D.C. residents with hands-on education and job training.
Kingman and Heritage Islands Park, 575 Oklahoma Ave. NE. 12 to 8 p.m. Tickets start at $35.
Sunday
To Future Women
If you want to be a part of history, Sunday is the last chance to make your mark on an exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. At “To Future Women,” a special exhibit running this weekend, museumgoers can head to the third floor Lerner Room to write letters to future generations of women. Your message, along with countless others’, will be preserved at the Phillips Collection. The exhibit began at the Phillips Collection in January before traveling to other museums around the world over the past six months. The letters will be put on display again in less than two decades on the 20th anniversary of the Women’s March.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
