The Washington Times

GET OUT: The Week’s Pocket Picks by Samantha Sault

May 31, 2013

Pick of the Pack: Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk

Along with humidity and, this year, cicadas, summer brings tourists to Washington — especially to the Mall, the home of impressive free museums and memorials. If you’re looking to beat the heat with some culture off the beaten path, head to Dupont Circle and Kalorama this weekend for the 30th annual Museum Walk, an opportunity to visit the neighborhood’s numerous museums, galleries and historic houses free of charge. In addition to some of the more well-known museums like the Phillips Collection and the Textile Museum, explore the Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, a community-based museum dedicated to Latin American art and heritage, or the Woodrow Wilson House, where President and Mrs. Wilson retired from the White House in 1921. Other highlights include an exhibit on architect Pierre L’Enfant at the Anderson House, yoga in the Heurich House garden and English country music at Dumbarton House, headquarters of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Saturday & Sunday throughout Dupont Circle and Kalorama. Web: dkmuseums.com.

Exhibit: Kreeger Museum After Hours

This weekend’s weather forecast predicts hot and clear evenings — the perfect conditions for a glass of wine in a wooded sculpture garden in Northwest Washington. The Kreeger Museum, a private, nonprofit museum at the former Foxhall residence of art collectors David and Carmen Kreeger, will open its doors Friday for after-hours tours, live music and refreshments. Enjoy the museum’s 300-plus works by some of the greatest artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Cezanne, Munch, Dubuffet and many more, as well as works by prominent local artists and an impressive collection of traditional African and Asian art. Outside, explore 5 acres of sculpture gardens, and get a first look at the new reflecting pool designed by Washington-based sculptor John Dreyfuss. Get a VIP ticket and arrive early for a champagne reception and private tour of the collection. Friday at the Kreeger Museum, 2401 Foxhall Road NW. 202/338-3552. Web: kreegermuseum.org.

Theater: The Mikado

W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan knew that love triangles and inept politicians make for entertaining musical theater — and their popular ninth collaboration, “The Mikado,” contained both. The musical comedy opened in London in 1885, and boasted the second-longest run of any musical theater work at the time, and has since enjoyed numerous revivals around the world. Set in a fictional town in Japan to disguise the satirical take on British politics, the show indeed features a love triangle, incompetent politicians and clever songs, including “Three Little Maids from School” and “A Wand’ring Minstrel I.” For two nights this weekend, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players will perform the musical comedy at Wolf Trap. Arrive an hour early for a pre-performance discussion with Albert Bergeret, the artistic director of the company, which has been reviving Gilbert and Sullivan’s works since 1974 and has performed annually at Wolf Trap since 1995. Friday and Saturday at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna. 877/965-3872. Web: wolftrap.org.

Wine: Vintage Virginia Wine and Food Festival

You know Virginia is for lovers, but did you know it’s for wine, too? About 30 years ago, Virginia began planting European wine grapes, and the state now boasts over 140 wineries covering 3,000 acres, making it the fifth-largest wine producing region in the country. This weekend, get a taste of Virginia’s vines at Vintage Virginia, a two-day festival featuring food, music and, of course, wine. In addition to sampling wines from dozens of local wineries, enjoy cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs including Roshni Mansukhani of “Chopped” and Barbie Marshall of “Hell’s Kitchen,” as well as family-friendly activities like face painting and balloon and caricature artists. If you have one too many sips throughout the day, nearly two dozen area food trucks will be on hand, too. Saturday and Sunday at Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville. 703/631-0550. Web: vintagevirginia.com.

Concert: DC Jazz Festival

The summer movie season unofficially kicked off a few weeks ago with the release of Baz Luhrmann’s much-hyped version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age story “The Great Gatsby.” Starting Wednesday, you can party like Jay and Daisy during the D.C. Jazz Festival. Many of the festival’s 125 performances will take place at the Hamilton in Penn Quarter, though you’ll be able to get your jazz fix at more than 40 different clubs, restaurants, hotels and galleries in 21 neighborhoods throughout the District. You won’t want to miss Jazz Meets the Latin Classics on June 14 at the Kennedy Center, and the outdoor concert by the Grammy-winning hip hop artists the Roots on June 15 at Kastles Stadium at the Wharf. Additional highlights include From Bagels to Bongos: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra mixing Jewish music and Latin jazz June 9 at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, as well as weekly Jazz ‘n’ Families Fun Days at the Phillips Collection. Through June 16 citywide. 855/332-7767. Web: dcjazzfest.org.

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault