Women’s History Month takes center stage in this edition of The DC Lineup, along with events focused on local Black history, music, art and gardening.
The weather should be cold but sunny with clear skies throughout the weekend, March 5‐7. Temperatures are predicted to range from 25 to 47 degrees, according to the forecast.
1. Community: In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Union Market is presenting events and promotions that feature local, women-owned and -operated businesses. While there are numerous discounts and programs, our top pick is an initiative to bring meals and “love bags” to local women’s shelters like N Street Village and My Sister’s Place. This program is made possible by a partnership between the DC food truck Puddin’ and the grassroots food distribution group Fuel the People, which partners with restaurants and businesses owned by people of color in New York and the District. Donations are welcome to support the effort.
2. Community: Calvary Women’s Services supports local women who are experiencing homelessness. Kick off Women’s History Month by participating in the organization’s Strong(Her) Challenge. Ways to contribute include writing a message on a digital kudoboard to be delivered to the women that Calvary serves, purchasing basic needs items on the Amazon Strong(Her) Wish List, or funding services like safe housing, regular meals and domestic violence support group sessions. Donations are also welcome to support Calvary’s general operations.
3. History: Local public broadcaster WETA is presenting Celebrate the History of the Black Church, a virtual discussion with church leaders and scholars in the Washington area. The Rev. Canon Leonard Hamlin of the Washington National Cathedral will moderate the talk, which features the Rev. Gayle Fisher-Stewart, interim rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church; the Rev. Tony Lee of Community of Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church; the Rev. William H. Lamar IV of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church; the Rev. Yolanda Pierce, professor and dean at the Howard University School of Divinity; and the Rev. Christopher L. Zacharias of John Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Zion. The description notes that the Black church is “the foundation of Black America, Black culture, Black colleges and universities, and civil rights movements,” and that the event is an offshoot of the WETA and PBS docuseries The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. WETA also has a series focused on DC, The Black Church in Washington. The free discussion is on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required to receive further details.
4. History: The Saturday Night Bike Club explores Black history in the District while bike riding through predominantly Black neighborhoods and past Black historic landmarks, as well as supporting Black-owned businesses. This Saturday, the group is hosting its 2021 season opener Amazing Race, a scavenger hunt across the city. Teams of up to six people are invited to participate. Individuals may also join as “free agents” who will be assigned to a squad. One winning team will be selected in each of four categories. Those interested in competing may register for additional details. The race starts at noon at Anacostia Park’s Capital Bikeshare station, 1900 Anacostia Drive SE, and is scheduled to end around 5 p.m. All levels are welcome.
5. Recreation: Support local Girl Scouts by participating in the Thin Mint Sprint 2021, a virtual race that kicks off Sunday and continues through next Saturday. Participants are invited to run or walk a 5K or 1K at any location. The organizers advise following public health guidelines like maintaining social distance and wearing a mask. Registration costs $15 and includes a box of Girl Scout cookies and a medal. For an additional $5, registrants will receive a T-shirt. Items must be picked up between 10 a.m and 2 p.m. on Saturday at the DC National Guard Armory Parking Lot, 2001 East Capitol St. NE. Area Girl Scouts are eligible to receive a Thin Mint Patch upon completing the race and sharing pictures of their run or walk with gscnc.su40.3@gmail.com. Donations are welcome to support Girl Scout Unit 40-03’s SHARE campaign fundraiser, which is at $965 of its $2,607 goal.
6. Music: About 25 years after it was partially installed, the Lively-Fulcher Great Organ at Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle was completed in 2019. This Sunday, the downtown DC church is presenting a free organ recital featuring guest musician Lynn Trapp, who will play compositions by Alexandre Guilmant, Johann Sebastian Bach and Stephen Paulus plus Trapp’s rendition of the Latin hymn Te Deum. A limited number of guests will be able to watch the free concert in person on Sunday from 3:30‐4:20 p.m. at St. Matthew’s, 1725 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Face masks and social distancing are required. All are welcome to watch the livestream on YouTube.
7. Music: The 10th annual Washington Women in Jazz Festival starts this weekend. It was postponed from March 2020 due to the pandemic, and moved to a virtual format for 2021. The opening event will be livestreamed on Facebook on Saturday from 6‐7:15 p.m. with interviews in both English and Spanish. Additional free and ticketed events take place throughout March, featuring female jazz musicians from around the world and a dystopian Zoom jam with the festival’s director Amy K. Bormet on International Women’s Day (Monday, March 8). The program is presented by Washington Women in Jazz, a local group that spotlights women in the DC jazz community.
8. Nature: Cultivate the City is teaching a weekend workshop, Grow Your Own Microgreens! Geared toward urban gardeners, the course will explain how to use a window, balcony or fire escape to foster nutritious greens that add texture, flavor and color to meals whether as garnishes or ingredients. The hourlong class takes place on site at 910 Bladensburg Road NE from 11 a.m.‐noon on Saturday. Basic tickets cost $10 and include microgreen seeds to take home; alternately, tickets that include a microgreen kit with three types of seeds may be purchased for $25.
9. Arts: Local artist, curator and arts organizer Marta Staudinger is participating in a virtual opening program for her solo online Homme DC exhibition, Currency? Material, Radiator: A Retrospective. The multimedia show includes film, audio, installation, sculpture and photography. The free opening event is on Friday at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the link. Virtual programming for the exhibition continues throughout March and includes an artist-led exhibition tour, a talk on drapery in art history and fashion, a DIY wine tasting and artist talk, and a closing curator talk on the future of curating in the District. Homme DC is a fashion and art initiative that began in 2014 at Anacostia Art Center; it typically produces in-person pop-ups that feature local artists and designers.
10. Nature: The U.S. Botanic Garden is hosting a free virtual open house to discuss at-home plant care. Chelsea McKinley, a plant health care specialist at the garden, will explain how to nurture sick or difficult-to-grow plants. The event takes place on Saturday from 11:30 a.m.‐12:30 p.m. Registration closes at 11:55 p.m. on Friday, and participants will receive a Zoom link prior to the class.