The Washington National Cathedral will present a live webcast of its Easter service on Sunday morning. (2019 photo by Danielle Thomas courtesy of Washington National Cathedral)

The DC Lineup for this weekend: beef, books and a brand-new Nats beer

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On Apr 10, 2020 Last updated Apr 10, 2020

The next few days in the District include some virtual variations on classic seasonal activities, like the Nationals’ opener, Easter, Passover and spring dating fever. A local music concert, a free cooking class and interactive arts programs are other digital options for this weekend, April 10 to 12. Plus applications are open for an arts fellowship and literary festival that begin in August and October, respectively.

The weather will be cloudy on Friday, sunny on Saturday and partly cloudy on Sunday, according to the forecast. Temperatures should range from 38 to 72 degrees.

World Central Kitchen is partnering with the Washington Nationals and using Nationals Park as a cooking and food distribution center. (Photo courtesy of Washington Nationals Baseball Club)

1. Food & Drink: While the Washington Nationals’ season opener has been delayed indefinitely due to the global health crisis, there are other ways to show team spirit. This is the first weekend to try the brand-new Curly W IPA, a golden brew that celebrates the 2019 World Series title. Devils Backbone Brewing Co. and the Washington Nationals released the beer on Monday at several DC retailers, which can be found using Devils Backbone’s online beer finder. It’s not the same as a baseball game, but “a virtual happy hour with your buddies — with a 1:05 p.m. start time, of course — some 2019 World Series highlights, and a 12-pack of Curly W is a solid way to pass the time,” suggests Hayes Humphreys, chief operating officer of Devils Backbone Brewing Co., in a press release. Or cable subscribers could organize one or more virtual Curly W watch parties this weekend as MASN rebroadcasts the final game of the National League Championship Series against the Cardinals (airing Friday at 7 p.m.) and the first two games of the World Series against the Astros (Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.). … In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Nats have partnered with chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to use Nationals Park as a cooking and food distribution center. Over 1,000 meals were made and given out on Tuesday, the first day of operations. The organizers estimate that once the initiative is running smoothly, they will be able to produce 50,000 meals each day. Anyone interested in supporting these efforts can donate to the NATS4GOOD Community Response Fund, which has allocated $100,000 so far in grants to fight food insecurity. As of April 1, Washington Nationals Philanthropies (the team’s new charitable foundation) had donated $25,000 to 4PFoods and $15,000 to Martha’s Table.

2. Spirituality: The Washington National Cathedral has created an online portal with virtual events throughout Easter weekend. An online Good Friday ceremony begins at noon with scripture, music and prayer. There are three live webcasts on Easter Sunday: a morning service at 11:15 a.m., an organ recital at 2 p.m., and a performance of Handel’s Messiah at 4 p.m.

3. Spirituality: On Sunday, the Capitol Hill-based Jewish community Hill Havurah is hosting “Make a Joyful Noise,” a virtual Passover celebration during which reconstructionist Jewish leaders from around the United States — including Hill Havurah’s Rabbi Hannah Spiro — will participate in a hallel singalong. Song lyrics are available on the organization’s virtual offerings page. Registration is open online. The musical event starts at 7 p.m. and will be livestreamed on Reconstructing Judaism’s Facebook page.

4. Arts: This is the first weekend to catch the Rise, Rhyme & Read Facebook Live series with Jessica “Culture Queen” Hebron, children’s cultural literacy ambassador-in-residence at Busboys and Poets. The interactive programs include storytelling, history lessons, music and physical exercise geared toward kids around age 5. The 30-minute broadcasts take place Fridays at 6 p.m. through the end of April, with weeknight offerings each Monday and Wednesday as well.

5. Music: The Petworth bar, music venue and burger joint Slash Run is hosting a livestream music concert this Friday at 9:30 p.m. to celebrate the DC-based punk trio Clear Channel’s album release. Donations may be made through Venmo or Eventbrite, and proceeds support the establishment’s staff and musicians who are unable to work during the ongoing public health emergency.

6. Relationships: DC Fray is hosting the first in a series of Digital Speed Dating nights this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. Ice breakers will be provided to spark conversations with at least five dates per attendee; the event will feature time to socialize before and after, too. Tickets cost $10; registration closes 30 minutes before the online meetups, which will continue every Friday until May 29. (This week’s event is sold out for women.)

Singer-songwriter Anthony Hamilton will discuss his book Sunday afternoon in an online talk on the DC Public Library’s Facebook page. (Photo by LeAnn Mueller)

7. Literature: Grammy Award-winning R&B singer-songwriter Anthony Hamilton will talk about his book Cornbread Fish ‘n Collard Greens on Sunday at 3 p.m. Streamed live on the DC Public Library’s Facebook page, the online talk by the father of six will explain the inspiration and methodology behind his large catalog of music. This is part of the LIT.erary Lounge by Mocha series run by the DC-based PR firm The Oracle Group, which specializes in book publicity. … Self-published authors can prepare their applications this weekend for the East of the River Book Festival on Oct. 10. Registration opens on Monday, when more details will be available on the website. The fest celebrates indie writers, bookstores and publishers as well as cultural diversity with panel discussions and workshops.

8. Arts: Applications are now open for the two-year Hamiltonian Artists Fellowship, which provides five visual artists with career development opportunities. Participants will engage with the DC arts community through artists’ talks and exhibitions. The award includes perks such as a $2,000 annual honorarium, commercial gallery representation, grant writing assistance, and monthly field trips to local art and cultural institutions as well as small group meetings with the leaders of these organizations. The fellowship operates out of the gallery located at 1353 U St. NW. The next cohort of fellows will join in August. The space is temporarily closed and current fellows are operating remotely in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

9. Food & Drink: True Aussie Beef & Lamb promotes the Australian red meat industry from its North American office in downtown DC. This Saturday, the group is offering a free 30-minute cooking class online starting at 4 p.m. During the interactive lesson, attendees will learn how to make Greek-style butterflied Aussie leg of lamb with roasted vegetables and grilled lemon, as well as general cooking tips. Professional chefs will be on hand to troubleshoot cooking issues.

10. Film: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is hosting filmmaker Linda Hoaglund for an online discussion of her documentary Edo Avant Garde, which was partly filmed in DC at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Hoaglund’s film — which highlights the influence that Japanese artists of the Edo era (1603 to 1868) had on the West’s modern art movement — features 200 works of art in museums and private collections throughout the United States and Japan. A retired curator of Japanese art at the Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler galleries is among the art professionals who share their knowledge in the footage. The Zoom talk will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday and is free to attend.

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