Hello Good Folks!

This weekend is bananas!  There is almost too much going on.  The Boo always tells me I can’t attend everything.  Decisions, decisions! 

One option is some old school music.  You can check out Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly tonight at Constitution Hall.  I love me some Frankie! 🙂 When you go to their concerts,  all age groups are represented.  In my college days, you knew the party had ended when you heard  “Before I Let Go“.  I am actually curious how that tradition started.  I can ‘t believe that this group has yet to be honored, but they are still selling out venues and keeping the crowd moving.

This Saturday, there are a couple of community events taking place. 

The 32nd Annual MLK Parade kicks off at noon at  Ballou Senior High School  and ends at the corner of Good Hope Road and MLK Jr. Avenue, S.E.

Also in honor of MLK and National Poetry Month, The Publick Playhouse is hosting a free,  poetry event which captures the essence of the 1960’s era protests and sit-ins through which Dr. King’s message of non-violence and civic engagement was often presented.  A great event for the whole family.

The Great Day of Service organized by the North Columbia Heights Civic Association is an event promoting volunteerism in the community.  There will be a community clean-up as well as service fair to learn where you can get involved.  Local bands also will be performing.  

Lastly, Cherry Blast III is popping off Saturday night.   Back for the third year, and always a sell-out, be sure to purchase your tickets in advance for this multi-media Festival party with cutting-edge DJs, visual and performance artists, and ever-cool sensory experiences.

Check out some other ThatKellieGirl approved events!

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In coordination with the National Museum of American History, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) 2011 – the 10th Anniversary – examines the legacies of jazz women, and their advocates, who helped transform race, gender and social relations in the U.S. in the quest to build a more just and equitable nation.

Month of April

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

1400 Constitution Ave NW

Click here for the schedule.

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Washington, D.C.’s five day festival celebrating electronic creative culture – music, art, and new media. Entering its fourth year, FORWARD 2011 will continue a tradition of bringing artists and attendees’ cutting edge programming centred on live performances, art exhibitions, and workshops. Through electronic creative culture, FORWARD aims to unite artists, attendees, and the greater D.C. community in cultivating a caring, conscious society interested in pro-actively pushing things forward. To this end, FORWARD 2011 will include workshops and service events that provide a place for sponsors to showcase their products and give industry professionals and participants a place to interact and collaborate.

March 30-April 3

Throughout the District

Click here for the schedule

For tickets, click here

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Check out First Fridays at the Capoeira Spot!  Afro-Brazilian drumming demonstration and workshop. Samba/Afro-Brazilian dance performance and workshop.

Friday, April 1

636 Florida Avenue NW

6PM-8PM

Free

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Experience an intimate performance at the city’s incomparable, soul-infused event, The Park Unplugged.  This week Grammy-nominated producer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, and singer, Ryan Leslie takes the stage.  With his infectious character and adept production skills, Leslie joins the Unplugged series to make your Friday night unforgettable.

Friday, April 1

The Park

920 14th St NW

7PM

Free

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Rick the Ruler aka MC Rickey D aka Slick Rick will be performing tonight, 4/1.  Known for his British accent and his story telling, Hip Hop fans love his acclaimed recordings such as, “Children’s Story”, “La Di Da Di” and “Hey Young World”.  Check him out at LIV with the Hip Hop Lives series.

Friday, April 1

LIV

2001 11th St NW

8PM-12AM

20 bucks in advance

Get tickets here or at the door

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Arts Beats+Lyrics explores several themes in Hip Hop and highlights urban art forms expressed through photography, graffiti and paintings fused with DJ’ing, break dancing and live music.

Friday, April l

Mellon Auditorium

1301 Constitution Avenue NW

7PM-12AM

Free

RSVP here

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The Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is a FREE official event of the 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival co-produced by the Washington Waterfront Association and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront. For more details about the stage performance schedule and activities visit wharfdc.com.  Once activities and performances conclude, watch the National Cherry Blossom Festival® Fireworks Show light up the night sky at 8:30 PM.

Saturday, April 2

600-800 Water St NW

1PM-8:30PM

Free

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Sneaker Con is the premiere Buy/Sell/Trade convention offering sneaker heads of all ages a chance to get their hands on the newest, rarest and most coveted footwear currently on the market. The convention will be traveling to the nation’s capital, Washington DC, marking the first ever Sneaker Con to travel outside of New York City. The one-day event will feature over forty vendors featuring vintage sneakers and clothing from the past three decades, along with all the hottest and most sought after recent releases. Attendees are encouraged to wear a pair of their best kicks and show them off proudly! This will be one of the largest Sneaker Con’s to take place thus far, so if you can make it down, this one is not to be missed!

Saturday, April 2

Atlas Performing Arts Center

1333 H St NE

Noon- 7PM

12 bucks

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ELECTRAFRIQUE is a party that explores recent grooves of all types and flavors from or inspired by Africa. Think about msanzi house, coupe decale, kwaito, kuduro, zouglou, as well as of course classic afrobeat, funk and deep/souful house cuts… This is moving music, and music for moving… So come and ride the rhythm with us!

Friday, April 1

Sutra Lounge

2406 18th St NW

10PM-3AM

5 bucks

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Come ROLL and SPIN at the Ol’ Skool Skate Party.  Spinning the best skate tunes: DJ i:Wah, DJ JAHSONIC and DJ UNDERDOG.  Tickets includes admission, skate rental, thirst quencher ticket PLUS raffles throughout the night.  ABSOLUTELY NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR.

Saturday, April 2

9901 Lanham Severn Rd

New Carrollton, MD

10:30AM-2AM

15 bucks in advance; 20 bucks thereafter

Get tickets here.

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Saturday, April 2

ESL

1212 18th St NW

9PM

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After all of this, I am going to let ya’ll rest on Sunday! 🙂