If you still don’t have plans for this much-needed long weekend, you’re in luck–because my weekly Washington Times picks were published a day early and FOR ONCE I’m on top of my game in getting them online before Friday evening. This weekend, after taking care of a few final items on the spring cleaning to-do list, I’m eager to check out a few museum exhibits I haven’t gotten around to seeing and, hopefully, eat some hot dogs outside. Despite living in the area for most of my life, I’ve never actually gone to the National Memorial Day Concert, either, so if the weather is especially nice on Sunday, I may take a long, leisurely walk to the Capitol. What do you have planned?

You can find details about the concert and the rest of my picks in the Washington Times print edition, in PDF format, and below.

Let your patriotic flag fly this weekend in Washington. (Credit: PBS)

Get Out: The Week’s Pocket Picks for May 22, 2014

The Washington Times

By Samantha Sault

Pick of the Pack: National Memorial Day Concert

If you have a three-day weekend, we recommend you stick around Washington and honor our brave men and women who serve in the armed services with one of the city’s most patriotic annual events. (You may also have an easier time getting a seat at hot spots like Rose’s Luxury or Little Serow.) On Sunday, the 25^th National Memorial Day Concert will feature an evening of free music and tributes to our military heroes and their families. Hosted by actors Gary Sinise (“Forrest Gump”) and Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”), this year’s concert will feature a variety of performers. Special guests include singer/actress Megan Hilty of NBC’s “Smash,” Jennifer Nettles of the country band Sugarland, retired Army Gen. Colin Powell, and Danielle Bradbery, winner of Season 4 of NBC’s “The Voice.” The National Symphony Orchestra and the acclaimed bands and choral groups of the Army, Navy and Air Force will perform. The event also will commemorate the 70^th anniversary of D-Day and welcome home Afghanistan veterans with speeches, dramatic readings and documentary footage. Gates open at 5 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m. If you don’t want to brave the crowds, you can catch it live on PBS. Sunday at the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, First St. SW. Web: pbs.org/national-memorial-day-concert. 

Festival: Capital Wheel Opening

What do London, Cape Town and Myrtle Beach have in common? Observation wheels. Washington joins them this weekend, when the Capital Wheel opens at the National Harbor. Beginning Friday at 11 a.m., and operating 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. through August, the wheel will offer a birds’ eye view of the Washington area, including the White House, the U.S. Capitol, Arlington Cemetery and Old Town Alexandria. Standing 180 feet tall, the Capital Wheel boasts 1.6 million LED lights and 42 closed, climate-controlled gondolas, including a VIP gondola with glass floors and wine chillers for special occasions. If you decide to take one of the first rides on Friday, stick around for a free concert on the plaza at 6 p.m. by country singer Sara Gray, or enjoy drink specials and dueling pianos at Bobby McKey’s, which will grant free entry with an armed forces ID card. Opens Friday at the National Harbor, 165 Waterfront St, National Harbor, Md. 877/NATLHBR. Web: thecapitalwheel.com. 

Concert: Jazz in the Garden

Washington natives know that the place to be on a Friday evening in the summer months is not in the car on the way to the beach but at the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art. This week, the museum will kick off the 14^th season of “Jazz in the Garden,” a free concert series featuring performances by jazz artists across the genre on the 6.1-acre garden, home to works including Joan Miró’s “Personnage” and Claes Oldenburg’s “Typewriter Eraser.” The series begins Friday at 5 p.m. with Elikeh, an Afro-funk band from Togo, and continues each week during the summer with classic jazz, swing, blues, salsa and even blues harmonica and Cajun and Louisiana funk. Cancel your afternoon conference calls, pack a blanket and a picnic—or purchase appetizers, sandwiches, wine and sangria at the Pavilion Cafe—and enjoy the summer sunset before the swamplike weather takes over. Fridays through Aug. 29 at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, 700 Constitution Ave. NW. 202/289-3360. Web: nga.gov. 

Party: Adult Swim Pool Party Opening

If your apartment building has a pool, you probably find yourself entertaining many more visitors once summer’s swelter arrives. But if you don’t have one, the Capitol Skyline Hotel once again comes to your rescue with its annual Adult Swim pool parties. Every Sunday, the hotel’s pool deck will be transformed into a Las Vegas-style poolside party with games, live music, DJs, drink specials, and of course, access to the cool, chlorinated water. The festivities begin this Sunday at 11 a.m., and we recommend you arrive early to claim one of the new lounge chairs and take advantage of the revamped food and beverage menu at the poolside bar. Or, if you’re feeling like a high roller, reserve a table and bottle service in advance. Sundays through Labor Day at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, 10 I St. SW. 202/488-7500. Web: dcpoolparty.com. 

Lecture: Alpha House: Fun with the Senate

Between the darkness of “House of Cards” and the melodrama of “Scandal,” America might make the mistake of thinking Washington is no fun at all. “Doonesbury” creator and satirist Garry Trudeau, however, highlighted the comedy of everyday life in the nation’s capital for audiences outside the beltway with his series “Alpha House,” which premiered in 2013 on Amazon Prime. Starring John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Mark Consuelos and Matt Malloy as four Republican Senators who live in a frat-style house on Capitol Hill, the series is based on the real-life row house shared by Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer—who made a cameo appearance in the show—and Democratic Rep. George Miller. On Wednesday, hear Johnson, who previously starred in “The Wire,” and Jonathan Alter, the show’s executive producer and longtime Washington journalist, discuss the making of the show and how it compares to real life on the Hill. Wednesday at the Smithsonian S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. Web: smithsonianassociates.org. 

© Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault