Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: May 25
Parties, exhibits, concerts and more through May 31

TODAY (Friday)
The HIV Working Group will be doing outreach at Town’s (2009 8th St., N.W.) Bear Happy Hour this evening. Happy hour begins at 7 p.m. and tickets are $5. For more information, visit towndc.com or thedccenter.org.
Special Agent Galactica plays happy hour at Black Fox Lounge (1723 Conn, Ave. N.W.) this evening from 6 to 9 p.m. She will be performing music that includes artists like Duke Ellington, Ell Fitzgerald, Cole Porter and the Beatles. The performance will be free admission with full food and drink services still provided. For more details, go to pinkhairedone.com.
Phase 1 ( 525 8th St., S.E.) hosts a “Dance Party with DJ Saylo” tonight. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $10. For more information visit phase1dc.com.
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) hosts the National College Dance Festival 2012 starting today through Sunday. There will be a performance today at 2 p.m. and another at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. For more information visit kennedy-center.org.
A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor hosts a live broadcast in the Filene Center at Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd.,Vienna) starting at 8 p.m. Ticket prices for the event ranges from $25-$55. For more information visit walftrap.org.
Marcus Johnson, a jazz musician from Washington, plays tonight at the Hamilton (600 14th St., N.W.). The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $27.50. For more information visit thehamiltondc.com.
Saturday May 26
Positive Women Making Positive Choices hosts a family pride picnic and “celebration of love, commitment, family and community,” at Ft. Washington Park (13551 Fort Washington Rd., Ft.) today from noon to 8 p.m. Activities include kickball, volleyball, tug-of-war, three-on-three basketball and face painting. For more information, visit thedccenter.org.
Burgundy Crescent, a non-profit organization for LGBT volunteers, helps at Food & Friends today. Food & Friends (219 Riggs Rd., N.E.) feeds more than 1,100 people living with AIDS in the District and the surrounding area. Burgundy Crescent will be volunteering twice today: from 8-10 a.m. and from 9:45 a.m.-noon. Those wishing to volunteer should email to [email protected].
Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) hosts a swimwear fashion show tonight exhibiting new 2xist swimsuits courtesy of Universal Gear. Music will be provided by DJ Chord. Doors open at 10 p.m. and cover charge at the door is $8 and $12 after 11 p.m. Visit towndc.org for more details.
Black Cat (1811 14th St. N.W.) has “Stereosleep” tonight at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. To buy tickets or to find out more details, visit blackcatdc.com.
Sunday May 27
The D.C. Center has this month’s Food for the Soul: Soul Session Sunday Brunch fundraiser today from noon-3 p.m. at Tabaq (1336 U St. N.W.). Admission is free but there will be suggested donations. For more information, go to thedccenter.org.
African-American Collective Theater performs at the Warehouse Theater (1021 7th St., N.W.) for the final time this evening at 5 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. This is their first D.C. Black Pride Theater Showcase where they will be reading the most recent plays by Alan Sharpe. Tickets are $15. Details can be found at thedccenter.org.
Black Cat hosts Pygmy Lush on its backstage tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8. For more information, visit blackcatdc.com.
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) hosts the National Memorial Day Choral Festival today at 3 p.m. to commemorate those who served the country. The event is free, but tickets must be reserved. To reserve tickets or get more information, call 800-395-2036 or visit memorialdaychoralfestival.org.
Monday May 28
HIV+ Newly Diagnosed Support Group meets tonight at Whitman-Walker Health (1701 14th St., N.W.) at 7 p.m. This is a confidential group for anyone who has been recently diagnosed with HIV. People of all sexual orientations and genders are welcome. The group requires previous registration. For more information, call 202-939-7671 or go to whitman-walker.org.
The play “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play” by Anne Washburn opens at Woolly Mammoth (641 D St., N.W.) tonight at 6 p.m. The play showcases a post-apocalyptic world without electricity and how the survivors cope. Usually tickets would start at $30, but tonight is the theater’s special offer of pay-what-you-can. Tickets start selling at 5 p.m. and only two tickets will be sold per person. For more information or to buy tickets, visit woollymammoth.net.
Tuesday May 29
Today is the last day to check out art exhibitions “It’s My Nature” by Kate McConell and “Vivid Horizon: Color and Light” by Colleen Sabo at Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave. N.W.). For more information, go to touchstonegallery.com.
D.C. Center hosts a FUK!T Packing Party tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court N.W.). FUK!T or TOOLK!T packets are safe-sex kits given out in Washington to combat HIV/AIDS. For more information, go to thedccenter.org.
Western Affairs plays Black Cat (1811 14th St. N.W.) tonight at 8. Tickets are $8. For more information, visit blackcatdc.com.
The Bolshoi Ballet opens with “Coppelia,” a comedic story about mistaken identity, at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) tonight at 7:30. Tickets range from $29-$150. The show runs through June 3. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.
Wednesday May 30
Capturing Fire Queer Spoken Word Summit & Slam begins tonight at Busboys & Poets (14 & V St. N.W.). This event is an international poetry festival where queer-identified writers gather for a showcase of poetry slam performances to increase visibility of LGBT performance artists. For more information, visit thedccenter.org/capturing fire.
Art exhibitions “Holding Patterns” by Susan Feller and “Rail Ways” by Shelley Lowenstein opens today at Touchstone Gallery (901 New York Ave. N.W.). Feller’s work focuses on the transitional moments in life where Lowenstein’s captures scenes of people at train stations. The opening receptions for both shows is Friday at 6 p.m. For details, visit touchstonegallery.com.
The Lambda Bridge Club meets at the Dignity Center (721 8th St., S.E.) for duplicate bridge at 7:30 p.m. No reservations are required and all are welcome. Those without a partner should contact the group through lambdabridge.com.
Thursday May 31
D.C. Center and Capital Pride host a town hall discussion tonight at 7 at Hotel Palomar (2121 P St. N.W.). The topic is LGBT youth homelessness in Washington and will include a panel of specialists. For more information, go to capitalpride.org.
Ugly Purple Sweater, a local band that fuses pop music with tight harmony, plays tonight at the Black Cat (1811 14th St. N.W.). Doors open at 8; tickets are $8. Visit blackcatdc.com for details.
The Grammy-winning Zac Brown Band plays Merriweather Post Pavilion (10475 Little Patuxent Pky. Columbia, Md.) tonight. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and tickets range from $42-$77. For details, visit merriweathermusic.com.
Photos
PHOTOS: Helen Hayes Awards
Gay Men’s Chorus, local drag artists have featured performance at ceremony

The 41st Helen Hayes Awards were held at The Anthem on Monday, May 19. Felicia Curry and Mike Millan served as the hosts.
A performance featuring members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington and local drag artists was held at the end of the first act of the program to celebrate WorldPride 2025.
The annual awards ceremony honors achievement in D.C.-area theater productions and is produced by Theatre Washington.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)



























2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)











a&e features
Looking back at 50 years of Pride in D.C
Washington Blade’s unique archives chronicle highs, lows of our movement

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in Washington, D.C., the Washington Blade team combed our archives and put together a glossy magazine showcasing five decades of celebrations in the city. Below is a sampling of images from the magazine but be sure to find a print copy starting this week.

The magazine is being distributed now and is complimentary. You can find copies at LGBTQ bars and restaurants across the city. Or visit the Blade booth at the Pride festival on June 7 and 8 where we will distribute copies.
Thank you to our advertisers and sponsors, whose support has enabled us to distribute the magazine free of charge. And thanks to our dedicated team at the Blade, especially Photo Editor Michael Key, who spent many hours searching the archives for the best images, many of which are unique to the Blade and cannot be found elsewhere. And thanks to our dynamic production team of Meaghan Juba, who designed the magazine, and Phil Rockstroh who managed the process. Stephen Rutgers and Brian Pitts handled sales and marketing and staff writers Lou Chibbaro Jr., Christopher Kane, Michael K. Lavers, Joe Reberkenny along with freelancer and former Blade staffer Joey DiGuglielmo wrote the essays.

The magazine represents more than 50 years of hard work by countless reporters, editors, advertising sales reps, photographers, and other media professionals who have brought you the Washington Blade since 1969.
We hope you enjoy the magazine and keep it as a reminder of all the many ups and downs our local LGBTQ community has experienced over the past 50 years.
I hope you will consider supporting our vital mission by becoming a Blade member today. At a time when reliable, accurate LGBTQ news is more essential than ever, your contribution helps make it possible. With a monthly gift starting at just $7, you’ll ensure that the Blade remains a trusted, free resource for the community — now and for years to come. Click here to help fund LGBTQ journalism.




