In honor of Presidents Day, the National Park Service will host a "Dead Presidents" walking tour on Saturday starting at the chamber of the Lincoln Memorial. (Photo courtesy of National Park Service)

The DC Lineup for this weekend: performing arts, presidents and political cartoons

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On Feb 14, 2020 Last updated Apr 24, 2020

This weekend offers numerous ways to celebrate Presidents Day, Valentine’s Day and Black History Month. Other options include programs celebrating local musicians, poets, choreographers and dancers. Events to help out community members in need and a 51st state-themed 5K also make our list for this weekend, Feb. 14 to 16.

After a rainy week, the next few days will be relatively mild with a mostly sunny Friday and Saturday and some clouds on Sunday. Temperatures should range from 18 to 52 degrees, according to the forecast.

1. Social Causes: The Skylyne Foundation is a Baltimore-based nonprofit that provides essentials to people experiencing homelessness and others in need of assistance. This Saturday, as part of a Feed the Homeless charity event in DC, they are seeking volunteers to serve trays of hot food and give away food, clothing and other donated items. An extensive wish list includes school supplies, cases of water, cans of mixed vegetables and baked beans, blankets, pillows, coats, and winter gear like gloves and hats. People with knowledge of mental health care, homeless services, and bullying and suicide prevention are also being recruited to help out. The event is from noon to 2:30 p.m. in Franklin Square Park near 13th and K streets NW.

On Valentine’s Day, Grassroots Comedy presents the Super Spectacular Comedy Show for Employment Assistance at Kramerbooks. (Photo by Conor Schmertz courtesy of Grassroots Comedy)

2. Comedy: On Valentine’s Day weekend, Grassroots Comedy DC ponders how anyone can “celebrate at all without a job to pay for all that chocolate, booze, tissue, and Advil for the morning after.” Their answer is the Super Spectacular Comedy Show for Employment Assistance to benefit StreetWise Partners, a career mentorship program focused on helping people in marginalized communities find work. StreetWise, which has offices in New York, Detroit and DC, notes that Friday’s event is a chance to support job growth in your community while watching what Grassroots Comedy calls “some of the funniest comics in the Mid-Atlantic” — including headliner Randolph Terrance, who has appeared on Sirius/XM Radio, BET and PBS. Tickets are sold out online, but may be available for $20 at the door. The show is from 8 to 9:30 p.m. at Kramerbooks and Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW.

3. Dance: In honor of Black History Month, the DC-based dance group Step Afrika! performs this Sunday at the Apple store in Carnegie Library, 801 K St. NW. The hourlong showcase starts at 1 p.m. followed by a Q&A session with Step Afrika!’s founder C. Brian Williams. Step Afrika! is the world’s first professional dance company dedicated to traditional stepping and to integrate song, storytelling, humor and audience participation into its shows, according to the organization’s website. Sunday’s event is free to attend, with registration open online. The Apple store is hosting a variety of events throughout February in honor of Black History Month.

4. Music: Local self-taught cellist Benjamin Gates performs a free concert at A Baked Joint’s Valentine’s Day Jazz Pizza Night on Friday from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at 430 K St. NW. Gates has graced the stage of the White House during Barack Obama’s presidency as well as the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and embassies while sharing his talents as a guest artist and teacher at local schools. A Baked Joint features local jazz and pizza every Friday night.

5. History: This Saturday, the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site is celebrating its namesake’s 202nd birthday as well as the centennial of the 19th Amendment. An opening ceremony takes place at 10:15 a.m. in the auditorium at Anacostia High School, 1601 16th St. SE. That event kicks off a day of programs that run until 5 p.m. at nearby locations including the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, 1411 W St. SE; Anacostia Arts Center, 1231 Good Hope Road SE; and Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, 144 Constitution Ave. NE. Highlights include spoken word poetry, storytelling, political cartoons, reenactments of Douglass’ famous speeches, and discussions of the history of voting and women’s empowerment. Girl Scouts may count hours spent in this program toward the 10 hours they need to earn a Ranger Badge. … The National Mall and Memorial Parks commemorates Presidents Day with “Dead Presidents” — a free guided walking tour of presidential memorials, starting at the chamber of the Lincoln Memorial. A National Park Service ranger will share stories about how each president highlighted on the tour died. The tour will take place Saturday at 10 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Both will last about 90 minutes.

Joy of Motion’s Friendship Heights studio hosts a weekend showcase of new dances by area choreographers. (Photo by Rob Cannon)

6. Dance: During National Choreography Month in January, local choreographers were challenged to create new works. See the outcomes of this initiative on Saturday and Sunday at a final showcase in the Jack Guidone Theater at Joy of Motion in Friendship Heights, 5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Audience members are welcome to share their feedback to help refine the pieces. Performances will take place on Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 7 p.m., with a different lineup each night. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for students.

7. Youth Poetry: Students from around the area will perform Saturday during an open mic at Busboys and Poets, 450 K St. NW, for a chance to qualify for the DC Youth Slam Team finals in March. Youth who make the finals for this award-winning team will represent the District at regional and national poetry slams. The team took first place at the international poetry festival Brave New Voices in 2014 and advanced to the semifinals the next four years. The team is affiliated with the local literary arts organization Split This Rock, which hosts a monthly youth open mic at Busboys and Poets that features young poets, singers, musicians and actors. Tickets for Saturday’s qualifier cost $5 online or at the door. A final qualifier takes place next week at RealTalkDC’s Floetic Friday at the Freestyle Peer Education Center, 651 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Registration for the RealTalkDC event is open to middle and high school students.

8. Education: George Washington University assistant professor Laura Papish, who teaches a seminar about the philosophy of love, sex and friendship, will present a Valentine’s edition of Profs and Pints on Sunday. Her talk — “The Love Lecture” — will explore old-fashioned and modern-day ideas about love through ancient Greek history, classic novels, more recent films, pop culture and the concept of the “soul mate.” Papish will offer a matinee lecture at 3 p.m. and an evening lecture at 6 p.m., both at the Bier Baron Tavern, 1523 22nd St. NW. Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

9. Recreation: The 51st State 5K Club aims to persuade participants to socialize and to get themselves in shape through free monthly informal 5Ks. This Saturday marks the group’s Inaugural 51st State 5K Club Walk/Run. Attendees will meet around 10 a.m. at Coolidge High School, 5th and Sheridan streets NW. The route will begin and end at the school. No registration is needed.

10. Family Fun: The National Portrait Gallery is hosting Presidential Family Fun Day on Saturday from 11:30 a.m to 3 p.m. in its Kogod Courtyard, 8th and F streets NW. The program includes crafts, music, dancing, games and tours of the exhibition America’s Presidents. The free daylong event brings together representatives from President Lincoln’s Cottage and the DC Public Library, as well as artists, the Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents, and experts from the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing.