Things to do in the DC area: Holi, Black Film Festival … and more!

The annual holiday, Holi, is a popular and significant Hindu festival that is also known as the Festival of Colors, Love and Spring. Every year, people throw colored powder on each other, and on Friday, those in the D.C. region will be able to participate.

Friday’s event is at The Plaza behind Union Market.

Check back every Thursday for a roundup of Things to do in the D.C. area.

The powder is washable and non-toxic, but it is recommended that those who participate wear clothes they don’t mind getting colorful.

The event is free with no tickets required.

Here’s what else is happening in the D.C. area:

DC

Free Pi Day Show
Pie Shop is celebrating the annual pi holiday with a free, live musical performance on Friday with local acts Girls on Toast, Ammonite, Endlings and JJX.

DC Modular Society showcase
On Sunday, several local electronic music enthusiasts will come together at Neptune Room alongside the Baruch Taco Truck for an enjoyable evening of techno and tacos.

Nowruz Family Festival
Enjoy Persian food and live musical performances at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art on Sunday in celebration of Nowruz, or Iranian New Year. The event is free with advance registration recommended.

Maryland

Ameya Taylor: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin
The Montpelier Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland, is honoring Aretha Franklin with a live performance by R&B recording artist Ameya Taylor. The event is on Thursday.

Maryland Black Film Festival
For its second year, the Maryland Black Film Festival is back with three days of in-person and virtual screenings, workshops and meet-and-greets. The festival runs from Friday to Sunday at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts in Bowie, Maryland.

New African Film Festival
Presented by AFI and Africa World Now Project, the 21st annual New African Film Festival has returned to the D.C. area. This year features 29 films from 19 countries, showcased at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. The event runs from March 14 through 27.

‘To Make Her Own Way’
This augmented reality exhibit, titled “To Make Her Own Way,” transports the public to the 1800s in Prince George’s County for guests to learn about Margaret Adams, a free Black woman who owned a tavern at the time. Explore the world of Adams and how she defied the slaveholding society by coming to this exhibit. It’s presented by the Sankofa Mobile Museum in the parking lot of the Upper Marlboro Branch Library in Maryland. Learn more about how the Sankofa Mobile Museum is bringing the past to Prince George’s County students on WTOP.

Virginia

Pi(e) Day Celebration with cookbook author Brian Noyes
Brian Noyes is the founder of the Red Truck Bakery in Marshall, Virginia, and the author of the “Red Truck Bakery Cookbook.” On Friday, he is coming to One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia, to discuss his recipes. In celebration of Pi Day, he’s also providing pies to share. An in-store general admission ticket is free, but signed copies of his cookbooks will be available for $28.

Hip O’Hop Yoga
Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria, Virginia, is hosting this all-levels yoga session followed by craft beer on Sunday. The event is complemented by DJ Thunder Bunny, who plays hip-hop favorites, Irish jigs and other crowd pleasers. Admission costs $30.

‘Clyde’s’
Running through April 6, this theatrical production at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, features a story about a truck stop sandwich shop that offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Tickets for “Clyde’s” cost between $25 to $40.

Have an event you’d like featured in WTOP’s Things to do in the D.C. area weekly guide? Let us know!