In the final days of summer, it’s tough to find an exciting and diverse group of “picks” for my column, but now that the weather is cooling down, I have more than I can use. This week, I’ve got something for every taste–including my fellow New Wave fans–in my Washington Times column, available in the print edition, in PDF format, and below. As for me, I’m seeing “Marie Antoinette” at the Woolly Mammoth, which I previewed last week. (I forgot to post, so you can download that column here, too.)

Washington Times Get Out: The Week’s Pocket Picks for September 19, 2014

By Samantha Sault

Pick of the Pack: H Street Festival

In 2002, the D.C. government launched the Main Streets program to revitalize seven business districts in the city. H Street Main Street, serving the Northeast corridor, is one of the program’s biggest successes, as just over a decade later the neighborhood is buzzing with new restaurants, shops, arts venues, and soon, streetcar service. On Saturday H Street Main Street will show off its progress during the H Street Festival, with participation from more than 200 businesses, restaurants and community organizations. Covering 10 blocks along H Street NE, the festival will include 500 musicians and artists of all genres, fitness demonstrations and interactive art displays, plus 70 food and beverage vendors including neighborhood restaurants and the city’s favorite food trucks. The festival kicks off with the Washington Nationals Presidents racing along 8^th and H Streets. While you’re there, be sure to get a look at the D.C. Streetcars, which are expected to begin running this fall. Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. on H Street NE between the 400 and 1400 blocks. Web: hstreet.org. 

H Street NE

Concert: Erasure

Fans of the English New Wave group Erasure have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the band’s 16^th studio album, “The Violet Flame,” which drops on Tuesday. To celebrate, the synthpop duo is touring the globe and has two performances at the 9:30 Club this weekend. Formed in London in 1985, Erasure consists of singer-songwriter Andy Bell and keyboardist-songwriter Vince Clarke, one of the founding members of Depeche Mode. Erasure’s debut album “Wonderland” included instant hits “Who Needs Love Like That” and “Oh L’Amour,” which you can expect to hear this weekend along with chart-topping hits like “A Little Respect,” “Chains of Love,” “Always,” as well as the new songs. Erasure will be joined by Nina, a German “dream-pop” singer who got her start singing back-up vocals for “the German Britney Spears” before launching her solo electropop career. Friday and Saturday at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. 877/435-9849. Web: 930.com. 

Opera: Florencia in the Amazon

Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magical realism comes to life this week when the Washington National Opera performs “Florencia in the Amazon,” inspired by the plots and characters in his beloved works like “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Love in the Time of Cholera.” The opera tells the story of Florencia Grimaldi, a famous opera singer returning to her home country of Brazil to perform for her fans and try to win over Cristobal, the butterfly hunter she’s loved forever. Florencia makes the journey down the Amazon River by steamship, where she hides her identity from her fellow passengers, including a journalist digging into the singer’s life. But with a storm and cholera outbreak threatening her journey, will Florencia ever be reunited with her true love? Starring Grammy Award-winning soprano Christine Goerke as the title character, the opera opens Saturday and will be performed in Spanish with English titles. Through Sept. 28 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW. 800/444-1324. Web: kennedy-center.org. 

Festival: ZooFiesta

Lion tamarins, anteaters and Andean bears—oh my! On Sunday the National Zoo will celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring these critters and others native to Latin America. Get to know the golden lion tamarins with their bright orange manes, the anteaters and sloths found in the hemisphere’s jungles and rainforests, and the adorable Andean bears, recognized by the “spectacles” around their eyes. You’ll learn about their natural habitats and the National Zoo’s efforts to keep the species around for generations to come. Throughout the day, enjoy a “fiesta” of arts and crafts, musical performances and of course, plenty of Latin American food. Since 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 to mark the history, culture and contributions of those from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Sunday at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW. 202/633-4888. Web: nationalzoo.si.edu. 

Exhibit: Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States & American Indian Nations

Nearly 220 years ago, representatives of the Six Nations of the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy met with Timothy Pickering, who would become the third secretary of state, to negotiate peace. The Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora wanted land they lost in the Revolutionary War to be returned to them and, in exchange, they would allow the U.S. Army to claim land in Pennsylvania and Ohio. After 23 days of negotiations, the parties signed the Treaty of Canandaigua on Nov. 11, 1794, with the United States ceding more than 1 million acres in New York. This treaty is just one of several that will be featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s new exhibit exploring diplomacy between American Indian leaders and the United States from the Colonial period to today. Opening Sunday, the exhibit includes the fragile Treaty of Canandaigua, on loan until February, as well as other documents and artifacts that tell the story of the U.S.-American Indian relationship. Through 2018 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, 4^th St. & Independence Ave. SW. 202/633-6644. Web: nmai.si.edu.

© Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC and Samantha Sault