Things To Do In Green Valley

On this week’s agenda: Tony-winning musical Evita leaves the stage, families take in fall foliage, Taste of DC descends on Pennsylvania Avenue, the CW’s favorite magicians perform illusions, and the Wizards begin their season. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC. Evita at the Kennedy Center Opera House Foggy Bottom | Through October 19 Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winning musical about Argentina's beloved Eva Peron closes this week after a critically acclaimed stop on its national tour. Washingtonian theater critic Jane Horwitz applauds Caroline Bowman's turn as Ms. Peron, saying the star ''plays the difficult, vocally challenging role with skill and precision.'' (2700 F St. NW; $39; buy tickets here) Family Hike at Little Bennett Regional Park Clarksburg, MD | Saturday, October 11 Families meet at Wilson Mill parking lot on Clarksburg Road before taking a guided tour of the park to learn about local wildlife and native trees dressed in fall colors. During the morning tour, guides will add their own insights regarding the ways area wildlife changes and adapts during the arrival of autumn. (23701 Frederick Rd., Clarksburg, MD; $10, free for kids; buy tickets here) Taste of DC on Pennsylvania Avenue National Mall | Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12 More than 40 restaurants will turn Pennsylvania Avenue into an open-air festival, setting up stalls to dispense lobster rolls, crepes, cuban sandwiches, and more. Between bites, guests can sip one of 50+ samples at the Stella Artois Beer Garden or the Wine Walk, or take in tunes from house musician Joe Maye and acoustic rockers the Dan McGuire Band. (Pennsylvania Ave., 9th–14th Sts. NW; $10; buy tickets here) Masters of Illusion at Warner Theatre Penn Quarter | Thursday, October 16 Based on the CW show, Masters of Illusion doubles up on the magic by taking time-tested tricks and making them more mind-bendingly crazy. For example, the magicians saw a woman in half, but this time, she's in a transparent box. During another trick, the performers make their participants float, and then levitate right alongside them. Expect more twists on the classic escape trick, and lots and lots of fire. (13th and E St. NW; $27.50; buy tickets here) Washington Wizards Preseason Game at the Verizon Center Chinatown | Friday, October 17 Building on last year's momentum—the Wizards blew past the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the playoffs—the same core team returns to the Verizon Center this season. The team includes familiar superstars John Wall, Bradley Beal, Marcin Gortat, Marcin Gortat's mohawk, and Drew Gooden, as well as new addition (and championship veteran) Paul Pierce. (601 F St. NW; $16; buy tickets here) Photos courtesy of Evita on Broadway and Masters of Illusion

On this week’s agenda: a musical tribute to Walter Dean Myers, a Labor Day jazz and wine fest, baseball with the Hagerstown Suns, an art exhibit from the Trawick Prize finalists, and acrobatics above 35,000 gallons of water. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC. 13th Annual Page-to-Stage Festival: In His Own Words: A Concert in Tribute to Walter Dean Myers at Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Foggy Bottom | Saturday, August 30 At the time of his death earlier this summer, Walter Dean Myers had written more than 100 books for children and young adults, including challenging (and oft-challenged) texts such as Fallen Angels and Monster. The Page-to-Stage Festival's theatrical tribute will honor his legacy with music, dance, and spoken-word pieces inspired by his most famous works. (2700 F St. NW; free) Flo Fest DC 2014 at Gateway DC at St. Elizabeths East Ward 8 | Monday, September 1 Music, wine, and literature get their day in the sun at Flo Fest DC's end-of-summer bash. Jazz, salsa, and R & B from artists such as Marcus Johnson and The Donvonte McCoy Latin Jazz Orchestra pair well with samples of wine and food from local celebrity chefs, or a contemplative trip to the literary pavilion. (2700 MLK Jr Ave. SE; $45; buy tickets here) Hagerstown Suns Baseball Game Hagerstown | Monday, September 1 The Class-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals hosts its final regular-season game against the Lakewood BlueClaws at Municipal Stadium, one of the nation's oldest minor-league ballparks. A win against Lakewood could help the Suns push past their division-leading rivals, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, in the hunt for a South Atlantic League crown. (274 E. Memorial Blvd., Hagerstown, MD; $10; buy tickets here) The 2014 Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards Exhibit Tenley Circle | Wednesday, September 3 The Trawick Prize for visual art gives artists in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, a shot at $14,000 in prize money and wider recognition for their work. In this group exhibit, the nine finalists for the 2014 prize showcase their nominated pieces in the gallery of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. (7700 Wisconsin Ave.; free) Cirque Italia at Sudley Manor Square Shopping Center Manassas | Wednesday, September 3 through Sunday, September 7 Touting itself as "America's First Water Circus," Cirque Italia blends the gracefulness of the waves with the boisterousness of traditional circus acts. Aerialists and acrobats swing and flip from a trapeze that dangles above a 35,000-gallon water tank during a show that also features a strongman duo, a mermaid act, and a bicycling clown. (7807 Sudley Rd., Manassas, VA; $31; buy tickets here) Photo courtesy of Cirque Italia

Sink into the August haze with an R & B fest headlined by Lauryn Hill, or watch one of Shakespeare’s most mystical plays under the stars. Colin Powell shares his insight on the politics of war, Brooklyn authors read poetry and fiction, and the first-ever Puppet Fest invites guests to BYOP. And as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC. Summer Spirit Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia | Saturday, August 2, 3 p.m. The Summer Spirit Festival always brings forth major names in hip-hop and R & B, but this year's fest stands out for marking the return of Lauryn Hill. The singer has spent the last year in the midst of a massive comeback and is expected to perform several tracks from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and the Fugees' The Score while backed by her reggae band. Joining Ms. Hill is Electric Lady Janelle Monae, rapper Talib Kweli, and neo-soul crooner Raheem DeVaughn. (10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD; $46–$125; buy tickets here) Bring Your Own Puppet to Imagination Stage Puppet Fest Bethesda | Sunday, August 3, 1:30 p.m. or 4 p.m. For the first-ever Puppet Fest at Imagination Station, guests are invited to BYOP, or bring your own puppet, to one of two productions of Roald Dahl's The BFG. More than 20 different puppets tell the story of one friendly giant: a 35-pound, 13-foot-tall puppet who can’t help but love to eat children. If you opt to BYOP to the show, you'll receive a lap pass for your puppet, storage space, and a chance to interact with the professional puppeteers. (4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD; $10; buy tickets here) Shakespeare's “The Tempest” at Olney Theatre Center Olney | Through Sunday, August 3 On the outdoor Root Family Stage, the National Players are ending their summer run of Shakespeare's classic tale about a magician who is shipwrecked on a mystical island with his daughter. This is the National Players' 65th consecutive year of touring, and like many of their shows, The Tempest is a labor of love divided between veteran cast and novice players. Theater-goers are invited to bring a picnic blanket and lawn chairs, as well as their own snacks to enjoy under the stars. (2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney, MD; $20, free for children; buy tickets here) Colin Powell: On Life and Leadership at George Washington University Foggy Bottom | Monday, August 4, 7 p.m. In support of his new book, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, Colin Powell discusses what he's learned as a ground soldier in Vietnam, four-star general, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Persian Gulf War. Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, will interview General Powell during the lecture, which will conclude with a book signing. (730 21st St., NW (21st & H); $45; buy tickets here) A Reading Is Sexy Experience at Busboys and Poets U Street Corridor | Thursday, August 7, 6:30 p.m. Brooklyn's indie publisher Papercut Press hosts a night of music, readings, and a Q&A to promote what it considers the new American author: ''socially responsible, politically invested, and staunchly anti-corporate.'' Participating writers include m. craig––author of queer, dystopian fantasy The Narrows––and Rami Shamir, who is the co-founding editor of Underground Editions. Busboys and Poets will serve up its signature vegan bar snacks throughout the evening. (5th and K St.; free) Images courtesy of Ms. Lauryn Hill’s official tour site, The National Players’ official Facebook, and General Colin L. Powell’s official Facebook