The DC Lineup for this weekend: music, Mother’s Day and migratory birds

This Mother’s Day weekend, May 10 to 12, is full of ways to celebrate moms, the DC community and global connections. Honor mothers with a blood drive for maternal health, free tickets to the International Spy Museum’s brand-new home, and musical events at the National Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center. Pay tribute to local culture with the Funk Parade, numerous neighborhood garden tours, a combined Jewish film and music festival, and the debut of the DC History Center. A tour on World Migratory Bird Day at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, DC Public Schools’ World Language Day Fest and an open house at European Union embassies showcase ways that our city is connected to the world.

The weather forecast calls for rain throughout the weekend, including scattered thunderstorms on Friday. Temperatures will range from 51 to 80 degrees.

1. Music: The Canales Project, an initiative that uses the arts to connect people across cultures and create social change, presents “Hear Her Voice, Part II: A Mother’s Day Celebration” on Sunday at 3:30 p.m at the National Gallery of Art, located between 3rd and 9th streets on Constitution Avenue NW. The concert honors outstanding female leaders who are dedicated to improving society. This year’s program will feature lullabies from different parts of the world.

2. Local Music: The annual DC Funk Parade — a parade, fair and music fest — takes place on Saturday. The long list of artists and performers includes local musicians such as the Chuck Brown Band, FutureBandDC, and Tone P and District Funk. The schedule begins with the Don’t Mute DC Conference from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and continues with the daytime fest from 1 to 7 p.m., a parade from 5 to 6 p.m. and the evening music fest from 7 p.m. to midnight (with a featured showcase at 8 p.m.). Events all take place in the U Street neighborhood; the parade route runs from Howard Theatre to Lincoln Theatre.

3. Health: The Heroes for Moms blood drive raises awareness of maternal mortality and helps save mothers by collecting blood that is needed during childbirth. The event takes place on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the National Mall at 7th Street and Jefferson Drive SW. Time slots for the blood drive are filling up so make an appointment online. The blood drive is a part of the March for Moms rally — which advocates for the health of mothers nationwide — on Saturday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on the Mall.

4. Film: This is the first weekend to catch global film premieres, discussions and sneak previews at the 29th annual Washington Jewish Film Festival. Presented by the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, DC, this year’s festival will be combined with the Washington Jewish Music Festival to form one celebration called JxJ, which began on May 8 and runs until May 26. A highlight of this weekend’s events is a program of short films on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. at E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW — Diverse or Di-Tryin, which celebrates the power of overcoming divisions by race, age and more. The featured shorts include Death Metal Grandma, about a 97-year-old Holocaust survivor, World War II spy and songwriter who becomes a death-metal singer. On the music side, Israeli recording artist Gili Yalo — who sings lyrics in English, Amharic and Hebrew — will perform Sunday at 8 p.m. at Pearl Street Warehouse, 33 Pearl St. SW. Other venues across DC that are hosting events are Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW; City Winery DC, 1350 Okie St. NE; George Washington University Black Box Theater, 2100 Foxhall Road NW; Goethe-Institut, 1990 K St. NW, Suite 3; Union Stage, 740 Water St. SW; Penn Social, 801 E St. NW; and the Inter-American Development Bank, 1300 New York Ave. NW. Events will also take place outside of the District in Bethesda and Silver Spring.

5. History: The new International Spy Museum officially debuts on Sunday, with a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 700 L’Enfant Plaza SW. According to its website, the museum contains the world’s most prominent collection of spy artifacts, some of which are being seen by the public for the first time. Its programming presents an apolitical history of espionage and intelligence. Tickets cost $22.95 for adults, $14.95 for children (ages 7 through 12), and $17.95 for seniors, college students and military personnel; admission is free for ages 6 and younger. In honor of Mother’s Day, all moms will be admitted to the grand opening for free (the offer applies to tickets purchased on-site and is not available online). … History meets modernity with the inauguration of the DC History Center in Mount Vernon Square’s landmark Carnegie Library, which is also home to a new flagship Apple store. Both open on Saturday at 10 a.m. at 801 K St. NW. The DC History Center — developed by the Historical Society of Washington, DC — includes a renovated Kiplinger Research Library, three exhibit spaces and a retail store with locally themed items. The first exhibits feature panoramic photos of the District, historic DC artifacts and a permanent display on the history of the Carnegie Library building.

6. Education: DC Public Schools’ World Language Festival celebrates language learning with a day of food tastings, performances, exhibitions and workshops. The fourth annual fest will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Alice Deal Middle School, 3815 Fort Drive NW. This year’s theme, “Building Global Citizens,” highlights how exposure to languages from around the world develops global competency skills. The festival is free, with registration available online.

7. Local Music: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Sound Health, a free family music workshop in the Grand Foyer of the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. It’s part of a series geared toward families that takes place monthly on the second Saturday at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Local organizations host the workshops, which showcase how the arts promote wellness in both the mind and body. This Saturday’s event is aimed toward families with kids under 5. It will be hosted by improv musicians from Rhizome DC, a nonprofit arts space in Takoma dedicated to empowering individuals and engaging the community. Registration is not required, but priority admission will be given to those who sign the online waiver in advance.

8. Wildlife: Learn about the birds that stop at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park as a part of their migration on World Migratory Bird Day this Saturday. From 9 to 11:30 a.m., experts will give a guided tour led in both English and Spanish. The event is hosted by the conservation nonprofit Corazón Latino, Washington Parks & People, the DC Audubon Society and the U.S. Forest Service. Along with the tour, the schedule of events includes snacks, crafts and activities for the whole family. The tour will start from the Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th St. NW.

9. Garden Tours: Several DC neighborhoods are hosting tours of gardens this weekend. The 62nd annual Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour gives attendees a view of 16 houses and gardens between 10th and 13th streets from Constitution Avenue NE to E Street SE. The self-guided tour will take place on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $40, with the proceeds supporting the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s programs such as homeowner seminars, walking tours and community forums. … The Georgetown Garden Tour, a self-guided walking tour now in its 91st year, will explore seven hidden gardens in Georgetown on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting at Christ Episcopal Church, 31st and O streets NW. Admission is $45. Proceeds support the Georgetown Garden Club. … The sixth annual Mt Pleasant House & Garden Tour also takes place on Saturday, with the tour from 2 to 5 p.m. and a cocktail reception from 5 to 7 p.m. A tasting of local beverages will be hosted by Irving Liquor from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for the tour, $25 for the reception and $45 for both. Event proceeds support the Bancroft Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization.

10. Culture: This weekend the European Union invites the public to visit the embassies of 28 EU member states with a free open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., primarily along Embassy Row and International Drive NW. Guests will learn about European countries and their national traditions at this annual event, which is sponsored by the Delegation of the European Union to the United States and the 28 EU embassies. Food, family activities, dancing and meetings with diplomats are just some of the events on the schedule.