The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will host a musical color parade on Saturday in a New Year's program for families as part of the "Maker Morning" series. (Photo courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden)

The DC Lineup for this weekend: Celebrate the first weekend of 2020

By Jennifer Anne Mitchell On Jan 3, 2020 Last updated Apr 24, 2020

The start of the 2020s is full of novel experiences and learning opportunities across the District — some of which could help you get off to a good start with your new year’s resolutions. Spend an evening at U Street Music Hall finding your inner peace through ambient music, enjoy a color parade at the Hirshhorn or take lessons in traditional French folk dance in a historic Dupont Circle mansion. You can also join a discussion on race, attend an elephant vigil, stop by an environmental art exhibition or volunteer to feed people experiencing homelessness. Connect with the city at a release party for a brand-new local beer and a social run around the H Street NE neighborhood over the next few days, Jan. 3 to 5.

The weather is expected to be partly cloudy on Saturday and sunny on Sunday following showers on Friday afternoon, according to the forecast. Temperatures should range from 35 to 61 degrees.

1. Family Fun: Families can ring in the new year Saturday with a musical color parade through the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at Independence Avenue and 7th Street SW. “Maker Morning: New Year, New Color” features a range of activities from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., including hands-on project stations where visitors can build noise makers and make art with light. Visitors can create a cyanotype — a photographic print — based on Feel the Sun in Your Mouth: Recent Acquisitions and take a kids tour of the exhibit at 10:30 a.m. The parade itself starts at 11:30 a.m. It is free to attend, and no reservations are needed. … The Hirshhorn also invites kids and their families to a New Year’s edition of the Storytime series on Sunday. Attendees will explore the museum’s current exhibit Pat Steir: Color Wheel, read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and then create artwork based on New Year’s resolutions. The program is from 11 a.m. to noon on Sunday at the Hirshhorn. Participants will meet in the lobby. It is free to attend; groups of 10 or more should make reservations in advance.

2. Community Service: The Kerala Association of Greater Washington connects members of the South Indian diaspora, specifically Malayalam-speaking people from the state of Kerala. The organization hosts its annual soup kitchen this Saturday. Up to 80 volunteers 12 years and older are welcome to prepare meals for homeless people during two time slots: 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at DC Central Kitchen, 425 2nd St. NW. Registration is required. Monetary donations are also accepted online.

U Street Music Hall will host an evening of ambient music and light displays on Sunday night as new age DJ Chris Richards concludes a decade of his GLIDE events. (Photo courtesy of U Street Music Hall)

3. Music: This is the last chance to experience GLIDE, a free evening of ambient music and light displays presented for the past decade by local new age DJ Chris Richards. The event runs from 9 p.m. on Sunday to 2 a.m. on Monday at U Street Music Hall, 1115A U St. NW. The session is 21 and over, with attendees encouraged to bring their own yoga mat, blanket or pillow. … The City Choir of Washington is offering a chance to close out the holiday season and celebrate the new year with a Twelfth Night concert on Sunday. The program features music by Gabrieli, Bach, Britten and Vaughan Williams, and attendees can sing along to carols as well as Handel’s Hallelujah chorus. The concert is from 5 to 7 p.m. at National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave. NW. Tickets cost $15 to $59.

4. Dance & Music: Bal folk dance is a traditional style of French dancing. Bal DC is hosting its first weekend of Bal folk dance and music, with events throughout Saturday and Sunday featuring dance instructor Jeremy Carter-Gordon as well as traditional French dance bands Nova and Eloise & Co.. Events go from 9:30 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, with breaks for lunch and dinner, at Dupont Circle’s historic Whittemore House, 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW. Sunday’s events there run from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is a pay-what-you-can event, with suggested ticket prices for entry to the entire weekend ranging from $80 to $245. Saturday night’s programs are open to people who aren’t attending the rest of the events, with à la carte tickets available for $7 to $15 for each evening event. All are welcome to attend; no previous dance experience is needed. Registration is required online.

5. Art: Studio Gallery is starting off 2020 with two environmentally themed exhibitions. The downstairs gallery houses ReClaimed ReUsed RePurposed: Sustainable Art for the Planet, a group show that is the first in a series of exhibits about the climate crisis. Featured artists include Jessica Beels, Robin Bell, Julia Bloom, Gloria Chapa, Pat Goslee, Liz Lescault and Erwin Timmers. Each exemplifies the importance of environmental conservation by creating artwork from waste products. On the main floor is Lois Kampinsky’s solo show On the Nature of Things, which is described on the gallery’s website as “a playful look at animals and plants that have captivated her imagination.” The opening reception for both exhibitions is on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the gallery, 2108 R St. NW.

6. Social Issues: This Sunday, Busboys and Poets hosts “New Decade, New Solutions: Addressing Racism From a Diverse Millennial Perspective.” Panelists will share their personal encounters with racism and discuss potential solutions. Audience participation is encouraged. DC- and New York-based lifestyle host Krystal Glass will moderate the panel, which includes local podcaster Madeleine Wisecup, LinkUp housing organizer Yasmina Mrabet and Petworth artist studio Art of Noize owner Adrian Ferguson. The talk is from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Busboys and Poets located at 2021 14th St. NW. Admission is free, but registration is requested.

7. Food & Drink: The DC-based Black Brew Movement connects African American culture and craft brew culture. The organization collaborated with Right Proper Brewing Co. to create a brand-new brew Cuffing Saison, a peach and honey blend. The release party is this Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. at Right Proper, 624 T St. NW. Games, a raffle, music from DJ NiteCrawler and, of course, beer are part of the festivities. Entry is free.

8. Fitness: For those who resolve to exercise more in 2020, or anyone looking to be active in the city, Pacers Running frequently hosts free community runs at locations across the District. This Sunday, their Explore Your Neighborhood Fun Run takes participants on a 5.4-mile course around the H Street NE area from noon to 3 p.m. The course starts at Pacers H Street, 600 H St. NE, and concludes with a social at Duffy’s Irish Pub, 1016 H St. NE.

9. Dance: NACHMO is a global initiative that encourages the dance community to create new works. The Glade Dance Collective invites dancers and choreographers to “NACHMO DC,” a matchmaking audition for choreographers to find the dancers needed to execute their artistic vision. The tryouts take place Saturday from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Joy of Motion, 5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

10. Nature: Elephants DC is a local organization that strives to end the ivory trade and improve elephants’ well-being worldwide. They are hosting the International Candlelight Vigil for Elephants to honor all elephants who suffered and died in captivity in 2019. The event is this Saturday at noon in front of the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.