Thursday
Chang-rae Lee talks “A Tender Age”
Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, 7 p.m., free
Two days after the official publication date for his eighth novel, Korean American novelist Chang-rae Lee comes to Politics and Prose to chat with Kat Chow, a veteran of NPR’s Code Switch. It’s his most autobiographical novel yet, the Pulitzer Prize finalist and PEN Award winner says, and the book is “a classic bildungsroman,” according to The New York Times review. Tracing the challenges of American adolescents who struggle with the dual difficulties of assimilation and absentee immigrant parents makes for a “quietly moving” account of a 10-year-old boy’s violent world.
“Peter Pan” at Bright Star Theatre
Prince George’s Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Hyattsville, 10:30 a.m. and noon, $6 to $8
Trending
The hottest matinee ticket in town this summer seems to be “Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus!” at Wolf Trap’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. The Kennedy Center commissioned this popular adaptation of Mo Willems’ picture book in 2019, and clearly DMV parents are glad its back: The entire Wolf Trap sold out weeks ago. As an affordable, available alternative, we suggest grabbing the kids and flying off to Bright Star Theatre’s “Peter Pan.”
More to explore: “Lego Socials” at two D.C. public libraries.
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Friday
Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
501 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg, $18, free for children under 11, 3 pm. to midnight.
It’s opening day at the DMV’s only farm fair! Scheduled highlights include the goat show, heifer judging, pig races, chainsaw carving demonstrations and the Decorated Toilet & Toilet Seat Contest. All that entertainment is included with the price of admission, but be prepared to pay extra for the Tilt-a-Whirl and other carnival thrills. The 77th annual fair runs through Aug. 22.
Pomplamoose at the 9:30 Club
6815 V St. NW, 8 p.m. doors, $50
The husband-and-wife duo Pomplamoose derives its name from the French word for grapefruit, deliberately spelled wrong. Silly but appropriate nomenclature for a band that specializes in covering spritzy French cafe music and 50 years of Anglophone pop hits. To wit: Their renditions of “Les Champs-Elysses” and “Lovely Day” each have 18 million Spotify streams. Don’t sleep on their medleys either: Somehow the band’s mashup makes “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics and The White Stripes’ sports anthem “Seven Nations Army” go together better than tonic water and Aperol.
More to explore: The 50th annual Arlington County Fair
Saturday
“American Mosaic” played by the National Symphony Orchestra
The Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, $49 to $121, kids free with purchase of adult tickets, 8 p.m.
With the Kennedy Center (mostly) shuttered and no concerts scheduled (yet) for next season, time may be running out to see the National Symphony Orchestra. Saturday’s performance should be a quality crowd-pleaser, anchored by “American Mosaic,” composer Peter Boyer’s suite accompanied by photography from all 50 states. After intermission, Kennedy Center Honors recipient Renee Fleming joins the orchestra onstage to sing selections from the American songbook. The concert also includes symphonic selections from “West Side Story” and “American in Paris.”
“Gruesome Playground Injuries” at Keegan Theatre
1742 Church Street, 8 p.m., $45 to $55
Dupont Circle’s Keegan Theatre holds down an odd niche in the DMV theatre landscape: It’s one of few District theatres that does not employ professional Equity actors. Instead, the company hires the area’s best hobbyists and up-and-comers to stage a mix of new plays, classics and musicals. Keegan’s 30th anniversary season opens with Rajiv Joseph’s “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” a two-person show about childhood friends who reconnect to reflect on the scraped knees of days gone by.
More to explore: Panda Fest Asian food festival on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Sunday
No Headliners Tour at Songbyrd
540 Penn St. NE, 7 p.m., $19.32
With its Blue Bottle, oyster bars and Warby Parker, Union Market may seem like too bougie a spot to catch an up-and-coming Eritrean American rapper, but never underestimate the idiosyncrasy of Songbyrd Music House. The No Headliners Tour offers a cross-country lineup of rap and R&B artists, including HENO., who recently released a collaboration with Oddisee. Organizers promise “a community-driven atmosphere, centered on authenticity, discovery, and meaningful connection.”
“Unearthed: Mining on Film” at the National Gallery
East Building, 4th and Constitution, NW. 2 p.m., free
It’s August, and the NGA is digging deep with its weekend film series. On Sunday afternoon, the museum screens two documentaries that explore the geographic, economic and social impacts of mineral extraction. Bill Morrison’s “The Miners’ Hymns” debuted in 2011, but includes a century of archival footage shot in Durham, England. “Louisana Story” (1948) was bankrolled by Standard Oil and depicts mid-century oil extraction through the eyes of a young Cajun boy. Both films complement the exhibition “Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography.”
More to explore: String quartet tribute to Destiny’s Child at The Howard Theatre, narrated by Beyonce’s dad.
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