1. Search for your next great find at the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. One of the top five art fests in the country, the annual event—now in its 28th year—draws thousands to Reston Town Center for a weekend of art appreciation as local and national artists share their one-of-a-kind works. // May 17-19; Reston Town Center: 11900 Market St., Reston
2. Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12. Book a bottomless brunch and then send her off to a spa—sans kids. // Check out our reader-recommended spas here.
3. Kick off picnic and wine season at Wolf Trap with Sammy Hagar’s Full Circle Jam Tour. Rock out on the lawn with tunes from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony, plus drummer Jason Bohnam and guitarist Vic Johnson—all coming together to play hits from Van Halen, Led Zeppelin and more. // May 31; Filene Center: 1551 Trap Road, Vienna; $39.50-$89.50
4. Celebrate the long-awaited arrival of summer by being the first in line at SplashDown Waterpark on opening day. Twisty slides, a lazy river and plenty of summer foods (hello funnel cakes!) will help you put the winter behind you. // Opening day: May 25; 7500 Ben Lomond Park Drive, Manassas; season pass $95
5. And speaking of suiting up for summer, don’t forget to take your flip-flops out for a test drive—and get your first pedicure of the season. Consider this your reminder to make a mani/pedi appointment with your girlfriends.
6. Head across the river for the annual National Memorial Day Concert. The concert—staged on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building—will send patriotic chills up your spine. Turn to pg. 24 for even more ways to celebrate the American holiday. // West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building: First St. and Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC; free
7. Plant a vegetable garden to keep your summer salads fresh all season. Merrifield Garden Center hosts Bonnie McDaniel, author of Farm Girl in the City: Of Food and Love, on May 11, for a class on how to create farm-to-table recipes. // 6895 Wellington Road, Gainesville; 10-11 a.m.; free
8. Put on your very best hat and head out to The Plains for the Virginia Gold Cup on May 4. The twice-yearly event always attracts a well-dressed, equestrian-loving crowd for the fancy tailgate. You can BYOB—we recommend all the ingredients for a mint julep. // 5089 Old Tavern Road; general admission, $25, general admission car pass, $100
9. Before the dog days of summer hit and you don’t want to sip wine in the sweltering heat, book a car service and hop from winery to winery to figure out which rosé you’ll be pouring all summer long.
This post was originally published in our May 2019 issue. Want more things to do? Subscribe to our newsletter, which hits your inbox every Monday and Thursday.
