The DC Lineup for this weekend: Apollo 11, archaeology and free ice cream

Events in the District over the next few days will celebrate a diverse trio: National Ice Cream Day, International Archaeology Day and the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. The 2019 DC Zinefest and the very first Grand African Run will also take place in the city this weekend, July 19 to 21. Finishing up our list are a Motown concert, a regional dance contest, a showcase of films by women and an event hosted by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer that will provide free tech support to local residents.

Temperatures are expected to range from 79 to 100 degrees, making it the hottest weekend of the summer so far. The weather should be mostly sunny, according to the forecast, with thunderstorms Sunday evening.

1. Recreation: To help residents deal with the extreme heat expected throughout this weekend, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the DC Department of Parks and Recreation are extending the hours of 11 outdoor pools and splash parks through Sunday: Banneker, 2500 Georgia Ave. NW; Fort Stanton, 1800 Erie St. SE; Francis, 2435 N St. NW; Friendship Spray Park, 4500 Van Ness St. NW; Harry Thomas, 1743 Lincoln Road NE; Jelleff, 3265 S St. NW; Kenilworth, 4321 Ord St. NE; Landgon Park, 2860 Mills Ave. NE; Oxon Run, 501 Mississippi Ave. SE; Rosedale, 1701 Gales St. NE; and Upshur, 4300 Arkansas Ave. NW. These sites will stay open until 9 p.m. nightly through Sunday and will open an hour early — at 10 a.m. — on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the pools and splash parks throughout the city will keep their standard hours.

2. Food & Drink: National Ice Cream Day is on Sunday — a welcome treat in the midst of a heat wave. DC’s Ice Cream Jubilee is rallying the community to set a new record for the world’s largest ice cream sundae: 100 feet long. (We’re curious how they plan to keep it from melting.) Though all of the available free tickets have been claimed, an additional 40 tickets will be held at the door for the first people in line. Overflow tickets are also available online for $6. Each participant will be able to enjoy toppings and their own two scoops of the sundae. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Navy Yard Ice Cream Jubilee, 301 Water St. SE. … Get free ice cream from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE. My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream is setting up a pop-up stand and giving away its unique treats, which are wrapped in sweet rice mochi dough. … On Saturday, get into the mood with a Kid’s Ice Cream Making Class at Maggiano’s in Chevy Chase, 5333 Wisconsin Ave. NW. A chef will teach a workshop geared toward children ages 4 to 12. Tickets cost $25 for kids, including a breakfast buffet plus a chef’s hat and an apron to take home. Tickets for adult chaperones cost $15. The event is from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

3. Education: Learn about DC history while celebrating the International Day of Archaeology on Saturday during the eighth annual Day of Archaeology Festival at Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St. NW. The free event highlights the archaeology, history and preservation of this region with mock excavations, crafts, 3D-printed artifacts and opportunities to speak with archaeologists. The festivities, which run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., include live music, family activities, face painting and food trucks. The group Archaeology in the Community, which is dedicated to promoting archaeology to young people throughout the Washington area, organizes the event.

4. Science: The National Air and Space Museum and NASA are teaming up to honor the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing with the Apollo 50 Festival. The celebration began on Thursday and continues Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the National Mall between 4th and 7th streets. Live performances, hands-on exhibits and activities plus speakers — including astronauts, authors, NASA scientists and engineers — will be showcased on stage and in 20 tented displays. The festival is free to attend. … On Friday and Saturday at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 p.m., “Apollo 50: Go for the Moon” — a free 17-minute show on the face of the Washington Monument and accompanying screens — will incorporate projection-mapping artwork and archival footage to re-create the launch of Apollo 11 and share the story of the historic moon landing. The designated public viewing area is in front of the Smithsonian Castle between 9th and 12th streets SW. In addition to the “Go for the Moon” show, the image of the 363-foot Saturn V rocket projected onto the east face of the Washington Monument nightly since Tuesday will be shown again Friday and Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. … The anniversary festivities will conclude Saturday with “The Eagle Has Landed” Late-Night Celebration from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the National Air and Space Museum on Jefferson Drive between 4th and 7th streets SW. This portion of the program includes trivia, films, stargazing at the museum’s Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory, an Apollo 11-themed performance by the electronic music duo Quindar, a spacesuit fashion show, and a countdown to the exact moment that Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The late-night celebration includes a mix of free and ticketed events.

5. Sports: The inaugural Grand African Run takes place on Sunday. Sponsors of the 5K fun run/walk have invited world-famous athletes of African origin as well as notable musicians, politicians, actors, speakers and religious leaders to participate alongside the general public. The 5K begins at 9 a.m. and is limited to those over age 11. Younger racers are welcome to participate in a 1K kids run set to begin at 8 a.m. Registration costs $25 for general admission, or $20 per participant for groups of 10 people. The race starts and ends at The Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Proceeds will support children’s education in Africa.

6. Publishing: The 2019 DC Zinefest is a one-day showcase of writing, art, prints and more by over 70 zine-makers, self-published authors and writers. It takes place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Art Enables, 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE. Since some vendors won’t accept credit or debit cards, attendees should bring cash to buy merchandise. The fest is free to attend. Donations are accepted to support the event and Art Enables, a gallery and vocational program that helps artists with disabilities earn income from artwork they create. … This weekend’s slate of author readings at Politics and Prose includes three events of particular local interest. On Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW store, Jenny Masur and Heather M. Butts discuss their respective books, Heroes of the Underground Railroad Around Washington, D.C. and Healing Civil War Veterans in New York and Washington, D.C. Later in the day, former DC Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi talks about his newly published memoir Still the Promised Land, which reflects on growing up in a village in India with no electricity or running water, moving to the United States at age 25 with just $7, and eventually assuming a top government position in a major American city. Gandhi’s talk runs from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Politics and Prose location at Union Market, 1270 5th St. NE. A third DC-related book talk takes place Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW when Bruce M. Beehler discusses Natural Encounters: Biking, Hiking, and Birding Through the Seasons and Birds of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

7. Music: Saturday is the first concert in the Fort Dupont Park 2019 Event Series, which runs every Saturday until Aug. 24 in the Fort Dupont Park Amphitheater, 3600 F St. SE. This weekend is a tribute to Motown performed by Brencore Entertainment and the Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute Band. Gates open at 6 and the two-hour performance starts at 7 p.m. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating. Upcoming shows will celebrate classic hip-hop, DC music, world music, soul and R&B.

8. Dance: Watch 16 of the best dancers in the Mid-Atlantic compete on Saturday at a regional Red Bull Dance Your Style event, an invitation-only contest for a chance to advance to the nationals in Las Vegas and then the world finals in Paris. Dance styles range from hip-hop to house. The featured dancers are BBoy Hannibal, JustSole, Lil O, Neverless, Stout, Captain Puerto Rico, Floey, King Havoc, Scream, MonTahje, Nubian Nene, TJ Pye, E Solo, DQ, Queso and OPM. Junious Brickhouse & Ryan “Future” Webb of Urban Artistry, DJ Trayze, Queen P & Infinite Flow and Baltimore-based Team Squad Up Dance Crew are also part of the program. The performances run from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. Tickets cost $15.

9. Technology: Connect.DC is an initiative created by the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer to bridge the digital divide by making technology easier to use, more accessible, more affordable, and more relevant to the everyday lives of District residents. This Saturday, technicians will offer free support — such as repairing gadgets and resolving software issues — at an All Hands on Tech event in the Navy Yard neighborhood from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register online and come with your device to Arthur Capper Community Center, 1000 5th St. SE; attendees are asked to identify the make and model. If you can’t make it to Saturday’s event, next month’s session will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave. NE.

10. Film: This Saturday and Sunday, Smithsonian Theaters presents Fantastic Female Filmmakers, a showcase of films made by women. On Saturday, A League of Their Own by Penny Marshall is slotted at 5 p.m. and Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola at 7:15 p.m. Then on Sunday, Monsoon Wedding by Mira Nair will play at 4:30 p.m. followed by Selma by Ava DuVernay at 6:55 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $9 for seniors and military personnel. All screenings take place at Warner Bros. Theater at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

This post has been updated to include three book talks at Politics and Prose.