The Poppy Wall of Honor, a temporary memorial made by USAA, features more than 645,000 synthetic flowers, with each one honoring a fallen military service member since World War I. The wall is on display on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial again this year. (Photo by Rodney Choice/AP Images for USAA)

The DC Lineup for this weekend: Memorial Day remembrance, rest and recreation

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On May 24, 2019 Last updated May 24, 2019

This Memorial Day weekend, May 24 to 27, the city will commemorate the holiday with concerts, a parade and a demonstration. The long weekend also features DC Black Pride, various meetups, and the start of festivals celebrating Walt Whitman and photography — plus the official opening of outdoor pools and spray parks throughout the District.

The weather report predicts mostly sunny skies on Friday, partly cloudy conditions Saturday and Monday, and isolated thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon. Temperatures will range from 69 to 93 degrees. Here’s a look at the DC Lineup:

1. Remembrance: Poppies symbolize sacrifice. According to its website, the Poppy Wall of Honor is a digital tribute to the over 645,000 people who have died in service to the United States since World War I. This weekend, a real-life, 133-foot-long, 8 1/2-foot-tall version of this memorial, with more than 645,000 synthetic flowers to honor each of those service members, comes to the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial for a second time. The temporary wall attracted over 15,000 visitors when it first installed a year ago, according to the Connecting Vets network. To honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, the 2019 memorial will include information specific to that historic battle. It opened to the public on Friday at 9 a.m. and continues until Sunday at 6 p.m. The Poppy Wall of Honor is produced by USAA, which created a video to promote the project.

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation will open its outdoor pools for the season on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of DC Department of Parks and Recreation)

2. Recreation: To celebrate the official opening of pools across the city — an unofficial start of the summer — Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation are hosting Jump In, DC! at the Langdon Pool and Spray Park, 2860 Mills Ave. NE. This event happens on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. — a day before the full opening. On Saturday, spray parks will formally open at 10 a.m. followed by outdoor pools at 11 a.m. Look around the DC Department of Parks and Recreation’s list and interactive map of outdoor pools to find one near you.

3. Literature: This is the first weekend to catch the Walt Whitman 200 Festival. This event celebrates the bicentennial of the birth of one of our country’s most prolific poets, who was born on May 31, 1819. The schedule for this weekend includes events across the city, including a walking tour in downtown DC that highlights the decade that the poet spent in the District from 1863 to 1873; guided meditation based on Whitman’s poetry; a choral concert; and poetry workshops. The festival runs until June 3 and is sponsored by HumanitiesDC.

4. Festival: The 29th annual DC Black Pride celebration is this weekend, starting with the CommUNITY Opening Reception on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, 999 9th St. NW. Over 60 organizations in the District are co-hosting the event, including DC Health, Casa Ruby, Capital Pride Alliance, Black Youth Project 100, Human Rights Campaign and Whitman-Walker Health. This weekend’s schedule also includes poetry slams, workshops, a vendor expo, a bar crawl, speed dating, health screenings and various parties.

5. Art: A monthlong celebration of photography in the District called Click DC starts this weekend with an opening reception on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Lost Origins Art Gallery, 3110 Mount Pleasant St. NW. Throughout the four weeks, Click DC will showcase photography with talks, workshops, photo walks, exhibits and more. The DC-based nonprofit Focus on the Story, which promotes visual storytelling, is the lead organizer.

6. Music: PBS pays tribute to those who have served with their National Memorial Day Concert on Sunday at 8 to 9:30 p.m. This year’s speakers and performers include Patti LaBelle, Gavin DeGraw, Gen. Colin L. Powell, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Soldiers’ Chorus. The television event, broadcast across the country for 30 years, is held on the West Lawn of the Capitol and is free to attend. No tickets are needed. Gates open at 5 p.m.

7. Remembrance: The advocacy group Rolling Thunder says there are 86,521 service members still unaccounted for who served in U.S. wars and military conflicts beginning with World War I. The 32nd — and what looks to be the final — Rolling Thunder First Amendment Demonstration Run takes place this weekend to commemorate these men and women. The annual event began in 1988 to create awareness of the service members who were abandoned after the Vietnam War, including those who were declared missing in action or were prisoners of war left behind at the end of the war. The schedule includes a “Blessing of the Bikes” at the Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by a candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 9 p.m. On Saturday, vendors near 22nd Street and Constitution Avenue NW will sell official Rolling Thunder patches, pins and T-shirts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Then on Sunday, bikers will rally at 7 a.m. in the parking lots of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The demonstration and run begins at noon, followed by speakers at the Lincoln Memorial at 1:30 p.m.

8. Parade: The National Memorial Day Parade takes place on Monday for the 15th year to pay tribute to our country’s service members from the American Revolution until today. With the upcoming 75th anniversary of D-Day, participants in the epic World War II battle will be featured at the event along with celebrity guests such as Kiefer Sutherland and Miss USA Cheslie Kryst. Organized by the American Veterans Center, the parade is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. along Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th streets NW, and is free to attend. It will also be livestreamed on YouTube and Military.com and broadcast on the American Forces Network, which reaches troops worldwide.

DC Jews on Bikes will hold a Sunday evening bike ride to take advantage of the presence of fewer cars on the streets over the holiday weekend. (Photo courtesy of DC Jews on Bikes)

9. Bicycling: A Sunday evening bike ride brings its own perspective on the holiday weekend: with so many residents traveling out of town, the streets of the city might be clearer to bike along. This gathering is hosted by DC Jews on Bikes, a social bicycling group. Join them at 4:30 p.m. at Chinatown Park, 555 I St. NW, for an approximately 7-mile ride that starts at 5 p.m. Riders and anyone else who is interested are welcome to gather at The Coupe, 3415 11th St. NW, around 6 p.m. for celebratory food and drinks.

10. Local Art: Unwind by creating art this weekend at the Art Barn Reunion and Landscape Opportunity on Saturday at Peirce Mill in Rock Creek Park, 2401 Tilden St. NW. The visitor center at the mill was known for years as the Art Barn, offering a place for artists to teach classes and display their work. The event is hosted by the Washington Studio School, National Park Service and Friends of Peirce Mill. It is free and open for all to come paint or draw in nature from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees are welcome to bring their own supplies or borrow them.

The DC Lineup Things to Do