The DC Lineup for this weekend: intro. courses, drive-ins and works-in-progress

Education is the theme as we move into September, traditionally the start of the school year. 

The weather will start off cloudy with occasional showers, followed by lots of sun on both Saturday and Sunday, according to the forecast. Temperatures this Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4 to 7, are expected to range from 62 to 91 degrees.

1. Music: The National Symphony Orchestra’s annual Labor Day Concert is happening drive-in style this year and features the work of the late composer and pianist George Walker, a DC native who was the first African American recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The concert livestream will be shown Sunday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Park Up DC, 2400 East Capitol St. NE, on the grounds of the RFK Memorial Stadium. Registration is required, and tickets are free. The event is “bring your own snacks”; alcohol is not permitted. Attendees can tune into the posted radio station to hear the music in their car. The performance video will be available online as of Monday at noon.

2. Comedy: Local comics are opting for a drive-in, too, as they perform in DC Improv’s Drive-In Comedy show — also at Park Up DC outside RFK Memorial Stadium, 2400 East Capitol St. NE. The slate of performers — Lafayette Wright, Kandace Saunders, Rahmein Mostafavi, Lucas Bohn and Paris Sashay, with host Tim Miller — includes some who are regulars in the District comedy scene, and others who got their start here and have moved on to national projects. Face masks must be worn when outside of vehicles, and physical distancing will be enforced. The 9 to 10:30 p.m. performance on Saturday is sold out; but tickets still remain for the follow-up set from 11:15 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. Prices range from $35 to $50. 

3. Nature: On Labor Day, learn from the deputy executive director of the U.S. Botanic Garden during Corpse Flower 2020: Live Botany Q&A. The Botanic Garden’s collection of corpse flowers (Amorphophallus titanum) has bloomed twice this year, though they typically produce a flower just once every four to five years. The free online program led by botanist and educator Susan Pell is on Monday from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on Sunday, and is required to obtain the program link.

4. Arts: This is the first weekend to view Transformer’s Summer Program Replay, a recap of the DC art space’s offerings of the past few months. Highlights include the exhibition Which Yesterday Is Tomorrow?, about returning to traditional ceremonies during our modern age, and an online viewing of art objects in collectors’ homes. The replay will be on the art space’s website through Sept. 12.

5. Literature: The local book publisher Neon Hemlock Press is hosting a book launch party for its new releases Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling and Stone and Steel by Eboni Dunbar. Both authors will read from their work. Attendees are invited to play games and learn how to make novella-themed cocktails. Yellow Jessamine’s cover artist will make live art during the program, which is from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday. It is free to attend, and registration is required to receive the Zoom link.

6. Education: The DC language school Let’s Learn Irish offers a free online introductory Irish language course the first Sunday of every month. Though many schools remain closed for in-person classes due to the pandemic, this weekend could be a great time to get into the spirit of education and start learning. The class is on Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. Register online to receive the Zoom link.

7. Arts: Local artist Kelly Wahl will explain “vegan taxidermy” — the process of making animal models from materials like paper, paint and cardboard — during an online DC Public Library Maker Talk on Saturday at 1 p.m. Wahl will give a tour of their home studio and discuss the artistic process. Entry is free, and reservations are required.

8. Literature: Rhizome DC’s Puppet Lab starts online this Saturday, providing a creative outlet for those interested in puppet theater. Artists are invited to share works-in-progress, fine-tune techniques, share ideas and connect with the puppet community. Tickets are priced on a sliding scale, from $1 to $10. The program continues from 10 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of the month through Dec. 5. 

9. Culture: The Korean Cultural Center Washington, DC, is hosting “K-Art at Home: Yaloo | 2020 Korean Media Art Series.” The virtual art exhibition is the first in its 2020 Korean Media Art Series, and showcases works by Korean multimedia artist Yaloo, whose artwork “explores contemporary consumer culture and symbolism in the context of her Asian cultural heritage,” according to the description. This exhibit opens on Friday at 6 p.m. and will remain on view through Sept. 24. 

10. Education: Cultivate the City is teaching a Worm Bin Workshop about the fundamentals of vermicomposting, an “apartment-friendly” composting process that relies on live worms to decompose waste materials. The lesson will go over how to make a worm bin. It takes place at H St. Farms, 910 Bladensburg Road NE, on Sunday from 11 a.m. to noon. Tickets cost $20 for general admission and $40 for admission with a worm bin included.