Martin Luther King Jr. Day
The life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are celebrated across the region with parades, family activities, concerts, cultural events and acts of service. Here are a few ways to get involved on Monday.
Reserve a pass to spend the afternoon at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, where you’ll find activities and performances under the banner of “The People’s Holiday: The Many Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” On the second level, visitors can contribute to a service project by decorating journals for children in foster care, or make a star to honor someone doing good in their community. Kids (or anyone crafty) can make a button inspired by King, and a community talkback board displays dreams for the future contributed by museum-goers. In the museum’s Heritage Hall, Duke Ellington School of the Arts students share their original Afrofuturism-inspired play, “The Many Futures of Dr. King,” while the Sweet Home Cafe sells slices of chocolate bourbon pecan pie in honor of King’s 95th birthday. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free; registration required.)
The Kennedy Center’s “Let Freedom Ring” concert, organized with Georgetown University, is a musical tribute starring pop singer and actress Jordin Sparks; award-winning jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant; and composer Nolan Williams Jr., who will premiere “Rise Up and Fight,” a song written to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer. While the performance in the Concert Hall is free, tickets are required. A maximum of two tickets per person will be given away in the Hall of Nations beginning at 4:30 p.m. (6 p.m. Free.)
A fixture since 2008, the Folger Theatre’s “Not Just Another Day Off: A Poetic Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” finds poets and actors reading original works and delivering stirring speeches written by King, Frederick Douglass and other notables, as well as live music. The event takes places in the recently reopened Folger Theatre on Capitol Hill; in-person tickets are sold out, but it will also be live-streamed on YouTube. (11 a.m. Free.)
D.C.’s 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk and Parade kicks off with a peace rally at 9 a.m. Monday at Shepherd Park, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X avenues SE, followed by the walk at 10:45 a.m. The day includes the parade honoring King, which begins at 11 a.m. at the R.I.S.E. center at St. Elizabeth’s East and features marching bands, cheerleaders and community groups; a health and wellness fair; and a community cleanup. (The full schedule of events and locations is on mlkholidaydc.org. Free.)
Bring the kids to “It Starts With Me! A Beyond the Book Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King” at D.C.’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, which features music and spoken word performances, story time, and family activities. (1 to 4 p.m. Free.)
Leesburg’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March and Celebration begins at the Loudoun County Courthouse and proceeds to the Douglass Community Center, featuring local organizations and marching bands. A ceremony at the community center includes speakers, musical performances and refreshments. (10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; parade begins at 10:30 a.m. Free.)
The Josiah Henson Museum and Park in North Bethesda was once a plantation owned by Isaac Riley. The Rev. Josiah Henson was enslaved there until 1830, when he escaped to Canada. His autobiography inspired the influential anti-slavery novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The park is normally closed during the week but is opening for special hours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $4-$5; free for children 5 and younger.)
Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week
Sick of cooking after the holidays? Plan a fun meal out at a discount when Winter Restaurant Week returns, bringing deals on multicourse meals to restaurants across D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. Brunch and lunch menus are offered at $25 or $35 per person, while dinner menus run $40, $55 or $65 for on-premise dining. This marks the first time Xiquet, chef Danny Lledó’s luxurious take on Spanish dining, joins Restaurant Week, as does Méli, a standout Greek destination in Adams Morgan with its own membership club. This is a good time to check out other buzzy restaurants, like Shaw bistro Petite Cerise or chef Kevin Tien’s Moon Rabbit, formerly a standout on the Wharf but now appearing at its new Northeast Washington pop-up. The week kicks off with select restaurants offering brunch on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Browse the official Restaurant Week website for menus and schedules. Through Jan. 21. $25-$35 for brunch and lunch; $40-$65 for dinner.
Century Grand takeover at Allegory
At last summer’s Tales of the Cocktail convention in New Orleans, the Spirited Award for the best U.S. cocktail bar went to Century Grand, a Phoenix concept that houses three “turn-of-the-century inspired” cocktail bars in the same building. One of them is Platform 18, an immersive experience that serves drinks within a space made to look like a Pullman-style train carriage. Get a taste of Platform 18 without leaving D.C. when Century Grand founding partner Jason Asher and a team of bartenders take over the Eaton hotel’s Allegory for one night only. There are no reservations, so you’ll want to arrive early — we’re sure plenty of D.C. bartenders will be loitering at the bar to see if they can learn a thing or two. 8 p.m. to midnight. No cover charge.