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Lotus and Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Forget cherry blossoms: There’s another peak bloom in D.C. to look forward to. Washington is home to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the only park in the National Park Service devoted to growing aquatic plants, which will be in full flower during the Lotus and Water Lily Festival. Arrive early in the morning, when the lotus petals open and the water is covered with flowers in shades of pink, white, fuchsia and yellow. There are special extended hours — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — on Saturday, then again July 20-22. A wide range of events throughout the week include outdoor yoga, ranger tours, live music, cultural performances, dance classes and foraging expeditions. Through July 22. Free.
Major League Soccer’s summer showpiece takes over Audi Field on Wednesday, with D.C. United’s Wayne Rooney managing a selection of the league’s top players in a sold-out match against English Premier League runners-up Arsenal. There are events across the area in the run-up to the main event. The Wharf hosts the MLS All-Star Soccer Celebration on Saturday and Sunday, featuring outdoor screenings of MLS matches, player appearances, live music and, on Sunday, an eMLS gaming tournament. Tuesday brings the sold-out All-Star Skills Challenge at Audi Field, with teams of 10 MLS and Arsenal players facing off in a series of passing and shooting challenges. (Resale tickets are available on Ticketmaster.) On Wednesday, before the big match, the MLS NEXT All-Star Game features young players in an East-vs.-West format at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. The game is free and open to the public, with kickoff at 10:30 a.m. Schedules for all events are available at mlssoccer.com. For fans of the visitors, there are official gatherings on Monday night and before and after Tuesday’s Skills Challenge, leading up to a big pregame party at the Bullpen on Wednesday. See facebook.com/dcarmoury for more Arsenal-related events around town.
Broccoli City Festival at RFK Festival Grounds
Even with two male headliners, this year’s Broccoli City Festival lineup is anchored by the female rappers who are making the biggest moves in hip-hop right now, and female artists pushing the music industry forward in general. Washington’s premiere music festival has a lineup that will excite most hip-hop and R&B fans. Lil Uzi Vert and Jazmine Sullivan are headlining a first day that also includes rap darlings Ice Spice and City Girls and singer Chloe. Sullivan’s Grammy award-winning 2021 “Heaux Tales” is the gold standard for the modern R&B album, while Ice Spice is undeniably rap’s It Girl and recently teamed up with Nicki Minaj on the “Barbie” movie soundtrack. Maryland’s own Brent Faiyaz is headlining a second day that also features fellow singers Mariah the Scientist and Coco Jones and rappers GloRilla and Lola Brooke. Through Sunday. Doors open at 2 p.m. Passes start at $149.
‘Saved by the Bellini’ at the Gibson
John deBary worked at New York City cocktail den PDT and served as the beverage director at Momofuku, but his lively and humorous cocktail books are the opposite of the usual dry tomes targeted at amaro nerds. The latest, called “Saved by the Bellini,” is full of drinks inspired by 1990s video games, TV shows and random pop culture. One, which deBary debuted in Bon Appetit this month, is a mix of absinthe and Yoo-hoo dubbed the Absinthe-Crag — a name that might resonate with fans of the Nickelodeon show “Guts.” DeBary makes an appearance at the Gibson this weekend to discuss and sign “Saved by the Bellini,” while bartender Chantal Tseng makes cocktails from the book. Admission includes snacks and one cocktail; the book will be for sale at the event. 7 p.m. $20.
Dew Drop Inn Eighth Anniversary Party
Has the Dew Drop Inn really only been open for eight years? The quirky, sprawling bar, with its large parking lot beer garden and deck with views of passing trains, has become a fixture on the D.C. bar scene, especially for those who like good music, affordable drinks and, it must be said, a vibe that feels slightly off the beaten path. To mark its anniversary, Dew Drop features different sides of its personality: pop and rock covers from Space Otters, hip-hop dance grooves from DJ Eskimo, free tarot readings, empanadas and quesadillas by the La Buena food truck, and free cake and ice cream to help celebrate the special day. 4 p.m. Free.
Denizens Brewing Turns 9 ’90s Party
Denizens Brewing is turning the clock back to celebrate nine years in Silver Spring — not to 2014, but to the 1990s. Expect a DJ spinning ’90s tunes, ’90s-themed swag and giveaways, and prizes for the best ’90s outfits. Keeping with the theme, the brewers are unveiling Brett Party, a barrel-aged version of their Third Party Tripel with house brettanomyces to bring out funky tropical flavors. It checks in, of course, at 9.5 percent ABV. The party takes places indoors and out — the tented beer garden can hold almost 200 people. Noon. Free admission.
Skate Day at Aslin Beer Garden
The raddest day of the year at Aslin’s Alexandria beer garden features the D.C. Wheels skateboard team, who’ll put on a show of tricks and riding ramps in the parking lot. Grab a beer from the brewery before browsing vendors, listening to some tunes and watching the skaters do their thing. All ages are welcome. (This event was originally scheduled for June 24 but postponed due to the weather.) 2 to 7 p.m. Free.
‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture’ at AFI Silver
In July 1973, David Bowie shockingly announced the retirement of his alter ego Ziggy Stardust — an androgynous alien who was the central character on the hit albums “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” and “Aladdin Sane” — during a concert in London. The uncut footage from that performance, which features a cameo from guitarist Jeff Beck, has been restored to coincide with the anniversary of the end of the Ziggy era. Don your best glam outfits for this one-night-only screening. 7 and 9:15 p.m. $8-$13.
The one word that best describes the version of indie rock offered by the Stews? Soulful. The Auburn, Ala., band’s guitar melodies are undeniable, and the drums are lively. And lead singer Preston Hall’s thrillingly raspy voice is invigorating — even, occasionally, shiver-inducing. From the Stews’ self-titled 2021 EP, the song “Make It Out” (the band’s most listened to on Spotify) is a great encapsulation of what makes the Stews so good. Throughout the song, Blake Dobbs’s rhythm guitar playing sounds almost wavy, like he’s submerged in water. It’s a rousing and introspective song about making it out of a difficult place. When Hall sings, “Oh, it’s hard to stand here when it could all burn down / You just got to know it’ll be just fine,” you can feel his gritty vowel sounds in your bones. On the Stews’ latest album, “What Was,” released in April 2022, the band is just as soulful and perhaps more reflective and moody than usual. In the breakup song “Notions,” softer percussion tiptoes around a subdued guitar. “Seems like breaking out won’t be too far in the end,” Hall sings, giving in to a relationship’s doom. 8 p.m. $20.
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