The DC Lineup for this weekend: Arab culture, crime fiction and a Civil War Fantasy Draft

The last weekend of April is full of so much cultural richness it is hard to believe it all takes place online. A celebration of Arab culture and a reading with local crime fiction writers top our list. The DC creative community is also featured in a virtual marketplace, a zinefest, a music concert, an artist’s studio visit, a theater performance and a dance party. A historical version of fantasy football and a digital lesson on detecting edible greens growing in your own neighborhood are other options over the next few days, April 24 to 26.

With cloudy conditions on Friday and Saturday and rain expected on Sunday, it’s good there are lots of ways to stay engaged inside. Temperatures will range from 45 to 66 degrees, according to the weather forecast.

1. Culture: The DC-based media organization Arab America seeks to promote an accurate image of the Arab-American community and the Arab world. This Sunday, the group is celebrating Arab American Heritage Month with a free virtual commemoration that will honor Arab Americans who are on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, working in public service, medicine, law enforcement, restaurants and grocery providers. The Arab America Foundation is working to identify these individuals and welcomes the public to send nominations via email to info@arabamerica.com. Donations are welcome and will benefit the United Way COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund. Members of Congress, Arab-American opinion leaders and traditional Arab music will also be part of the program, which runs from 5 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

2. Literature: Virtual Noir at the Bar is an opportunity to hear nine local crime fiction writers read from their work while supporting Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café. Authors David O. Stewart, Caroline Bock, Mark Bergin, Austin Camacho, Nik Korpon, Greer Macallister, Adam Meyer, Tara Laskowski and Sujata Massey are slated to perform on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. on Crowdcast. Their books are available for purchase at Bookshop.org, which raises money for local bookstores. Washington Independent Review of Books columnist E.A. Aymar will host, and local jazz musician Sara Jones will play noir-themed music. The night is one in a series of virtual Noir at the Bar readings to benefit Washington-area bookstores. Registration is required to reserve a spot for the free event.

3. Local Business: The Heurich House Museum is hosting Christkindlmarkt in April — and it’s all online with free shipping. The special edition of its wintertime market ends Sunday at midnight, so this is the last weekend to shop and support local merchants such as Bicycle Trash, Typecase Industries, The Dough Jar and Sarah Cecilia Jewelry & Metal Goods. DC-themed items include prints, notecards, a recipe book and Senate Beer coasters. 

4. Art: Submissions for DC Zinefest’s COVID-19 ZINE are due May 1, so this is the last weekend to prepare your submission. The guidelines mention that a number of forms of creative expression are accepted, including comics, poems, collages, doodles, drawings, stories, jokes, memes and photos. No experience is necessary, and a Google Slide template is provided to assist with formatting. Final entries should be sent to dczinefest@gmail.com with the subject line COVID19ZINE.

5. Theater: The award-winning local performance artist and actor Brian Feldman is bringing his creativity to the digital space with #txtshow, an interactive two-screen performance that takes place on Saturday from 7 to 7:45 p.m. (and next Saturday, May 2, at the same time). The lead character txt (pronounced “text”) will read tweets as they are sent by participants. Those without Twitter accounts can participate via a single-use Twitter account they’ll receive upon registering. Since the show will be based on whatever the audience writes, the organizers at Rhizome DC note that it might contain mature content. There’s a suggested donation of $1 to $20 for tickets. Though this act seems like it could have been created for this current period of staying home, Feldman debuted this work back in 2015 at the American Poetry Museum. According to a City Paper review of one of the first performances, “txt delivers all the breathless, anything-can-happen anticipation and nervous laughter of an improv show.” … Speaking of improv, Washington Improv Theater streams “ICDC: Charity Blackwell” on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The event kicks off with an interview of the spoken word artist, host and emcee; afterward, members of ICDC improvise a “fun and freewheeling montage” of scenes inspired by the interview. Tickets are free, although donations are invited. There’s also a free Improv for All online workshop via Zoom on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

6. Music: Sixth & I and DCist’s Living Room Sessions broadcast performances from local artists’ living rooms. This Friday, DC-based musician Odetta Hartman shares her “cowboy soul” sound, which includes vocals, banjos and violins. The free hourlong concert starts at 4 p.m. on Facebook.

7. Art: Local artist Mary Early celebrates International Sculpture Day 2020 on Saturday at noon with a two-hour virtual visit to her studio. Early frequently integrates beeswax into her sculptures, which can be previewed on her website.

8. History: History buffs can partake in a variation of fantasy football that incorporates famous generals with the Civil War Fantasy Draft. The event takes place on Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the Facebook page of the DC-based organization American Battlefield Trust, which preserves and shares information about the nation’s battlegrounds. This is the group’s first-ever Civil War Fantasy Draft, so participants will be making history while rewriting it.

9. Food & Drink: Knowledge Commons DC describes itself as “a volunteer-run floating school” that delivers free classes to people of all ages. This Sunday, Knowledge Commons is presenting the virtual tutorial “Sidewalk Foraging” that will offer viewers instructions on how to identify nutritious wild greens right in their own neighborhoods, along with advice for serving the greens. The organizers note that foraging might be especially valuable for those seeking to limit time in stores during the current public health crisis. An RSVP is requested but not required. The 30-minute class will be broadcast at 1 p.m. on the Instagram accounts of both Knowledge Commons DC and the instructor April Thompson.

10. Dance: Following up on his virtual prom last weekend, local DJ Chris Styles is hosting a Virtual House Party this Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. (with the possibility of extending if there is a demand). Participants are invited to drink wine and wear ’80s and ’90s clothes to fit the music, which will be from those decades.