The 2020 DC Chinese New Year Parade takes place Sunday afternoon with traditional lion and dragon dances, kung fu demonstrations and more. (Photo by Penny Lee courtesy of DC Chinese New Year Parade)

The DC Lineup for this weekend: dances, dialects, and dolphins in the Potomac

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On Jan 24, 2020 Last updated Apr 24, 2020

The next few days in the District are full of opportunities to learn. Hear a local biology professor’s talk about why dolphins are migrating to the Potomac, attend a multilingual education fair, take ice skating lessons at the National Gallery of Art, celebrate local art history, join a historic walking tour, or learn about stream restoration. Other options for this weekend include an open house for DC’s new XFL football team, a service opportunity for a local justice nonprofit, a Lunar New Year parade and a brand-new art market.

The weather will be cloudy on Friday, rainy on Saturday and mostly sunny on Sunday. Temperatures should range from 32 to 53 degrees, according to the forecast.

1. Nature: Did you know that dolphins — including some with Washington-centric nicknames like Frederick Douglass and Nancy Pelosi — can be found in the Potomac River? The Potomac-Chesapeake Dolphin Project has documented over 1,200 dolphins in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac. Learn why the aquatic creatures are venturing into these local waterways from the project’s lead researcher: Janet Mann, biology and psychology professor at Georgetown University and author of Deep Thinkers: Inside the Minds of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises. Mann, who spent 30 years studying wild bottlenose dolphins in Western Australia, speaks Sunday at the Profs and Pints conversation “Dolphins of the Potomac,” from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Bier Baron Tavern and Comedy Loft, 1523 22nd St. NW. Tickets cost $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

The DC Language Immersion Project presents its Multilingual Education Fair on Saturday at Roosevelt High School. (Photo courtesy of DC Language Immersion Project)

2. Education: At the DC Language Immersion Project’s Multilingual Education Fair, 150-plus exhibitors will connect more than 1,500 families, young professionals, teachers and administrators to educational and career resources in well over a dozen languages. The goal of the event is to showcase the power of multilingualism in communities and the workforce. This year’s presenters include Syrian-American rapper and poet Omar Offendum, who lived in the District as a child; Valencia Perry, a local speech-language pathologist, educator and researcher; and Don Gentile, a senior language authority and chief learning officer in the U.S. intelligence community. The fair takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Theodore Roosevelt High School, 4301 13th St. NW. Registration is open online, with a suggested donation of $20 (or $30 for entry along with a T-shirt).

3. Recreation: Learn ice skating tips from an instructor at the picturesque National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink. The lessons are part of “Blades for Ballet,” a social gathering being held on Saturday. The event is organized by the Jeté Society, a group of young professionals who support The Washington Ballet and its engagement with the community. Tickets cost $9 plus $4 for skate rental. The ice rink is open through March 15.

4. Community Service: The American Advertising Federation’s DC Chapter invites the public to help create a marketing campaign for Rising for Justice, a local nonprofit that teams with law students to help DC residents who need legal representation. Previously known as Law Students in Court, the group has trained thousands of social justice advocates over the past 50-plus years. The public service committee meeting will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the West End Neighborhood Library, 2301 L St. NW. It is free to attend.

“Bessie Shoemaker’s Pigs,” Robert F. Gates, 1934, watercolor on paper

5. Arts: The Winter Opening Reception at the American University Museum in the Katzen Arts Center celebrates six new exhibitions, several of which are related to the history of DC arts. The gathering from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday is free to attend. Before the reception, AU Museum director and curator Jack Rasmussen will present a gallery talk from 5 to 6 p.m. about local artist Robert Franklin Gates and the exhibition of his work, Paint What You See. Gates was a professor in the art department at American University whose artwork can be found at the Phillips Collection, Dumbarton Oaks, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Corcoran Legacy Collection and AU’s Watkins Memorial Collection. The other exhibits of particular local interest include Volkmar Wentzel, which showcases the work of the German-born photographer (a friend of Gates) over his 50-year career at National Geographic; and Good Form, Decorum, and in the Manner, which features select portraits from the collections of members of the Washington Print Club.

6. Sports: The XFL is a “fan-first” American football league established in 2001. It originally lasted only one season, but is set for a revival starting in February. Its goal is to deliver a faster pace of play compared to the NFL, and to allow fans more access to the game. The DC Defenders are hosting an open house on Sunday before their season starts on Feb. 8. Fans can meet the players and get autographs, among other family-friendly activities, from noon to 3 p.m. at the team’s home venue of Audi Field, 100 Potomac Ave. SW. The event is free to attend.

Sunday’s annual parade in DC’s historic Chinatown celebrates the Lunar New Year. (Photo by Penny Lee courtesy of DC Chinese New Year Parade)

7. Culture: Celebrate the Year of the Rat with the 2020 DC Chinese New Year Parade. Traditional lion and dragon dances, kung fu demonstrations, firecrackers and live music are among the festivities, which run from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The parade starts at 2 p.m. at 6th and I streets NW, winds through DC’s historic Chinatown and concludes at 6th and H streets NW. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Washington, DC, produces the event with assistance from the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs and the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, among others.

8. Ward 7 Neighborhoods: The DC Department of Energy and Environment is hosting a Community Stream Walk on Saturday to explain an upcoming stream restoration project in Ward 7 near Erie Street SE, which aims to stabilize the waterway as well as improve water quality and habitat conditions. The project is scheduled to start in February and last four to six months. Saturday’s discussion starts at 10 a.m. at 3345 Erie St. SE.

9. History: Learn about Secrets and Scandals of DC during a guided two-hour walking tour that highlights political hideaways, meeting places of spies, a tree house on the National Mall, and secret chambers and passageways under the White House, among other interesting facts. Participants will meet Saturday at noon at the Independence Avenue exit of the Smithsonian Metro Station, 1200 Independence Ave. SW. Tickets cost $20. Things To Do DC produces the event.

10. Art Market: Dupont Underground is hosting a new pop-up winter market this weekend. The Below Zero Arts Market will feature over 50 vendors selling artistic merchandise like jewelry and clothing. The free marketplace is on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at Dupont Underground, 19 Dupont Circle NW.

This post has been updated to correct the number of attendees expected at the Multilingual Education Fair.