Riot: The Opening Party at Echostage
There are events earlier in the week, but Pride doesn’t really get started until the official opening celebration, which fills the heralded Echostage. The party’s lineup features Sapphira Cristál, the runner-up on the most recent season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and a dozen local kings and queens, including King Molasses, Jaxknife Complex and Mari Con Carne, and veteran DJs like Ed Bailey and WessTheDJ. 9 p.m. $47-$50.
World Ocean Day at the National Museum of Natural History
The world’s oceans should be at the front of our minds every day — after all, they cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. But if a special event forces us to think about the impact of the oceans, and the creatures that live in them, so much the better. Head to the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum to learn about all aspects of the seas: Talk to scientists who study animals from jellyfish to whales, learn about conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay and find out about the effects of artificial reefs. Watch the Sant Ocean Hall’s giant globe to learn about warming patterns and changing weather. Families can arrive early for a “Play Date” with hands-on activities and art. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
‘Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women’ Open House at the Renwick Gallery
Humble materials like cotton, felt and wool turn into masterpieces thanks to the skill of the 27 artists in the Renwick Gallery’s “Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women.” The show includes woven tapestries, rugs, sewn quilts, twisted and bound sculptures, and more pieces that run counter to stereotypes that pigeonhole fiber art made by women as menial labor or domestic work. The exhibit runs through January 2025. But on June 7, an open house will allow visitors to mingle with featured artists L’Merchie Frazier, Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, Lia Cook, Ed Johnetta Miller and Susan Iverson to discuss their pieces in the show. You can also drop in for gallery talks from the Smithsonian American Art Museum curator team. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free; registration online encouraged.
Opera in Concert: Verdi’s ‘Otello’ at the Kennedy Center
The National Symphony Orchestra is capping off its 2023-2024 season with two performances of “Otello,” led by Gianandrea Noseda (who is completing his seventh season as the orchestra’s maestro). The performances will feature D.C. natives Aaron Crouch and Christian Simmons, plus Choral Arts, the University of Maryland Concert Choir and the Children’s Chorus of Washington. Friday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. $30-$115.
‘Pride in Print: The Washington Blade’s Journey’ at Dupont Underground
The subterranean Dupont Circle venue is celebrating the nation’s oldest continually running LGBTQ+ newspaper, which was founded in 1969. The exhibition journeys through the decades, showcasing the Washington Blade’s growth from a small local paper to a nationally recognized news source by reporting on and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 22. $10.
A Night on the Farm at Common Good City Farm
You don’t have to leave the city for a harvest dinner surrounded by fruits, veggies and blooms: Common Good City Farm in LeDroit Park will host a cocktail hour and seated dinner in June as its biggest fundraiser of the year. This ticketed event, dubbed A Night on the Farm, begins with farm-themed drinks and light bites from 5 to 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. You can buy tickets to either event or both; the cocktail hour is $50 per person, and dinner is $85 per person or $150 for two. Chef, food justice advocate and Howard University alum Galila Daniel will prepare a vegan Ethiopian feast featuring dishes like duba wot (berbere-stewed sweet potato), shiro (spiced chickpea puree) and key misir (spicy red lentils), with honey wine, espresso martinis, and Ethiopian coffee and tea to drink. 5 to 8 p.m. $50-$150; $450 for a private table for six diners.
First Friday Art Walk in Dupont Circle
The monthly art walk around the Dupont neighborhood features a mix of exhibits: an opening at the Embassy of Portugal’s art gallery, the debut of four solo exhibitions at IA&A at Hillyer, a night of Pride-inspired still-life drawing at the Washington Studio School and “Pride in Print” at Dupont Underground (see above). While you’re roaming, drop into the Heurich House’s 1921 biergarten to make some posters for Saturday’s Pride Parade, flash back to the ’90s and early ’00s by crafting with rainbow scratch art, and sample Pride-themed adult beverages, including Red Bear’s Bottoms Up and Anxo Pride Cider. 6 to 8 p.m. Free.
Gottmik shot to fame as the first trans man on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and is currently competing on “All Stars” Series 9. Catch a performance, and maybe pick up some ultra-stylish makeup tips, as Gottmik performs at one of 14th Street’s hottest new bars. Performance “10 p.m.-ish.” $5.
The Queer Music Rock Show at Metrobar
You don’t often see drag performances mixed with live music, but the two should combine to great effect at Metrobar’s Queer Music Rock Show. Head to the Metro-themed beer garden for the lush emo-pop of D.C.’s Pretty Bitter and indie “sad dream queen” Ari Voxx, alongside performances from queens including Ruth Allen Ginsburg and Evry Pleasure, while DJ Jugs handles the beats. 7 p.m. Free.
Jason and Alicia Hall Moran’s ‘Family Ball’ at the Kennedy Center
Pianist-composer Jason Moran and singer-actor-composer Alicia Hall Moran, spouses and often collaborators, are intrigued by the idea of physical space as artistic context. But the space that the Morans re-created for their multimedia production “Family Ball” is a completely different sort of expressive: It’s their Harlem living room. “Family Ball” is a hybrid of a theatrical and concert piece. More to the point, though, it’s the Morans’ love letter both to each other and to the life and creative practice they share — and how those things overlap. 7 and 9 p.m. $29-$79.
Step Afrika!’s ‘The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence’ at Arena Stage
As it celebrates its 30th anniversary, Step Afrika! — which specializes in stepping, the percussive dance style popularized at Black fraternities and sororities — will bring its landmark work “The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence” to Arena Stage for a multiweek run. The production pairs dance with images from Lawrence’s “The Migration Series,” his famous 60-panel suite of paintings about the movement of millions of African Americans from South to North in the 20th century. In addition to new costumes, this iteration of the dance will feature images from “Migration Series” panels at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Phillips Collection in Washington; previously, only panels from the latter were represented. Through July 14. $12;$10 for seniors and students with ID.
June 7 is the birthday of Prince Rogers Nelson. He’s being remembered at multiple venues today. Junie Henderson, who sings and plays guitar just like Prince, is paying tribute by performing songs from the “Purple Rain” soundtrack and film, as well as other hits from the Purple One’s extensive discography, during the All-Star Purple Party at the Bethesda Theater. (8:30 p.m., $40.) At Love People Records in Kensington, DJ Dredd — the creator of D.C.’s legendary “Prince vs.” dance parties — is spinning an all-vinyl set and showing off some of his collection of rare Prince music and memorabilia. (6 to 9 p.m., free.)
