 | |  The U.S. Botanic Garden The United States Botanic Garden is a living plant museum that informs visitors about the importance of plants to the well-being of humans and to earth's fragile ecosystems. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1820, the U.S. Botanic Garden is one of the oldest botanic gardens in North America. Since 1934, it has been administered through the Architect of the Capitol. The Garden has been recognized as a museum and offers a range of programs from lectures, workshops, special tours to concerts, cooking demonstrations and more. There's something for everyone from children through adults at the U.S. Botanic Garden! | |  |  Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend The narwhal has inspired legend in Inuit society and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. This exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History dives deep into the narwhal's Arctic world to explore what makes this animal and its changing ecosystem important. Visitors can explore hands-on activities with volunteers, and engage with experts on the Arctic, narwhals, and Inuit communities. This exhibit will be on display through 2019. |  DC World Reggae Festival Attend the first World Reggae Festival at RFK Stadium on Sunday, August 19. Doors open at noon, with a last performance scheduled at 9:30 pm. The Caribbean cultured event aims to promote diversity and unity through music among the relatable diasporas. The event's debut theme ‘The Wise Men' covers topics of love, unity, and health awareness. Enjoy music styles including roots reggae, ska, calypso and kompa. |  Beyond Practice: Watercolors by David Cox Enjoy a watercolor exhibit on display at the District Architecture Center through August 31. David Cox, FAIA is a Founding Principal of cox graae + spack architects and recipient of the 2009 Centennial Award, the highgest honor given by the American Institute of Architects, DC Chapter. Early in his education, Mr. Cox developed an interest in watercolor painting. In retirement, he expanded his watercolor skill set by collaborating with his gardener wife, Mary Jane. The watercolor works are a study in transparency and luminosity. On Monday evening on August 27, Mr. Cox will discuss his painting techniques from his early architectural travel sketches to the floral still lifes and landscapes. Register for the discussion here. |  World on the Horizon: Swahili Arts Across the Indian Ocean Located at the crossroads of Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Swahili coast has been an arena of global cultural convergence. For centuries, peoples from the Arabian Peninsula, Asia, Africa, and Europe have journeyed across the Indian Ocean with some settling on the east African coast. This confluence of peoples gave rise to diverse communities often called "Swahili" - after the Arabic word meaning "edge" or "coast." World on the Horizon explores Swahili arts. This exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art closes on September 3. | | Friday, August 17 Tour - Tragic Tales of Georgetown DC by Foot Tour - Investigation: Detective McDevitt Ford's Theatre Theater - Dave Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage Tour - Women of Civil War Alexandria National Women's History Museum Concert - Voodoo Threauxdown Featuring Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Filene Center at Wolf Trap Concert - Jazz in the Garden National Gallery of Art Exhibit - Bringing the War to Our Doorsteps Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Saturday, August 18 Event - Living History Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Smithsonian Postal Museum Event - Film and Director Q&A with Theo Anthony Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum Exhibit - Wall Flowers: Botanical Murals U.S. Botanic Garden Exhibit - Lately Arrived: Recent Additions to the Collection DAR Museum Exhibit - Zenith Comes of Age: 24 Years on Seventh Street Zenith at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Sunday, August 19 Tour - Hirshhorn Museum Highlights Hirshhorn Museum Exhibit - Secret Cities: The Architecture and Planning of the Manhattan Project National Building Museum Exhibit - Journey to Yuki's World Touchstone Gallery Tour - Explore Buddhist Art Freer|Sackler Exhibit - The Plane of Tomorrow, Today! College Park Aviation Museum Monday, August 20 Exhibit - Diggers and Doughboys: The Art of Allies 100 Years On Embassy of Australia Exhibit - Remembering Vietnam National Archives Concert - Jeff Beck and Ann Wilson of Heart Filene Center at Wolf Trap Exhibit - Titanic the Untold Story National Geographic Museum Event - Stories from the Frontline: Fighting Zika Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Tuesday, August 21 Exhibit - Playball National Museum of the U.S. Navy Tour - Art Across Cultures Freer|Sackler Exhibit - 1968: A Time of Uproar in Europe and the U.S. Goethe-Institut Washington Exhibit - Form & Function: The Genius of the Book Folger Shakespeare Library Exhibit - Fun House National Building Museum Exhibit - Curtis Woody: A Sketch of Slavery in the District of Columbia Dumbarton House Wednesday, August 22 Event - Underground Silent Disco Yoga Dupont Underground Exhibit - Your Community, Your Story Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum Exhibit - Making Room: Housing for a Changing America National Building Museum Exhibit - Breaking News: Alexander Hamilton George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum Event - Downtown DC Get Social Happy Hour with DCBX Downtown DC BID Exhibit - Currents: Water in African Art Smithsonian National Museum of African Art Exhibit - The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Thursday, August 23 Concert - Dawes with Shovels & Rope and Joseph Filene Center at Wolf Trap Film - Bard in the Park: Kiss Me Kate Folger Shakespeare Library Exhibit - Expanding Spacetime Korean Cultural Center Film - Mata Hari Agent H21 International Spy Museum |