They dubbed their wedding theme “classic ‘80s-inspired church wedding.” On-theme style highlights included magenta bridesmaids dresses and lace sleeves for the bride. Infusing the bride’s Caribbean culture was a priority for the Arlington couple, who opted for a vibrant, Caribbean-inspired cocktail hour with a menu that included caramelized plantains and jerk chicken skewers. Later, the newlyweds sent guests home with black cake—a Caribbean tradition—in custom gold boxes, along with Diptyque-inspired candles featuring a signature scent designed by the couple. See the photos of the big day below.

Wedding Details

The post Magenta Bridesmaids Dresses Were a Highlight of This “Classic ’80s-Inspired Church Wedding” first appeared on Washingtonian.

Sports this weekend: The Nationals host San Francisco tonight, Saturday, and Sunday. D.C. United visits Philadelphia on Saturday. The DC Defenders host the St. Louis Battlehawks at Audi Field on Saturday. Loudoun United FC visits Hartford Athletic on Saturday. Old Glory DC visits Anthem RC in Charlotte Saturday.

You can find me on Bluesky, I’m @abeaujon.87 on Signal, and there’s a link to my email address below. This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Dave, “The Boy Who Played the Harp.” The British rapper Dave has made a career out of cleverly exploring his vulnerability; this song from his recent album of the same name ponders powerlessness amid the sweep of history. Dave plays the Anthem Saturday.  

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

War news: Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ten-day ceasefire yesterday. The US had pressured the countries to strike a truce, a key condition of Iran’s in peace talks between Iran and the US. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group Israel had targeted in Lebanon, was not a party to the deal. (Washington Post) President Trump said the war was “going along swimmingly” and promised, as he has done for weeks, that it would end soon. (CNBC) The Iran-Lebanon agreement signals that the President “may be more amenable to at least some of Tehran’s demands than his public stance would suggest.” (Politico) Trump claimed Iran had agreed to give up its “nuclear dust,” referring to enriched uranium. (Washington Post)

Strait talk: The US continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively closed during the war. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened again to attack civilian infrastructure in Iran if the countries aren’t able to agree on a peace deal. (NYT) Hegseth also attacked the press, likening journalists to “Pharisees” for asking questions about the war. (NBC News) US officials have told European countries that purchased weapons from the US that their shipments may be delayed as the war “continues to draw on weapons stocks.” (Reuters) International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said yesterday that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left.” (AP)

ICEd: Todd Lyons will resign at the end of next month as ICE’s acting director. Lyons “oversaw the agency during tumultuous immigration crackdowns.” Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin praised Lyons’ tenure but did not say why he’s leaving. (NBC News) Prosecutors in Minneapolis charged ICE agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr. with brandishing a gun at people “as he attempted to pass them in an unmarked vehicle on the shoulder of a highway” in February. (NYT) Morgan told police “he feared for his safety.” (AP) Aliya Rahman, whom ICE agents dragged from her car during an arrest in January, filed a complaint against DHS, “the first step necessary for bringing a lawsuit against the federal government.” (HuffPost) During ICE’s hiring spree under Trump, “applicants with questionable histories were either not fully vetted before they were brought on or were hired in spite of their past.” (AP) ICE agents arrested Marie-Thérèse Ross-Mahé, an 85-year-old French woman who moved to Alabama to marry an old flame who later died. A judge said the man’s son, a state trooper, “used his position as a government employee to have Ms. Ross-Mahé arrested.” (NYT)

Appetite for construction: A federal judge allowed work to continue on a military facility below Trump’s planned ballroom on the White House grounds but said Congress must approve aboveground construction first. (NYT) US District Judge Richard Leon did not agree with the administration that the ballroom was necessary for national security. (Washington Post) Meanwhile, the Commission of Fine Arts, a body stocked with Trump supporters, approved his plan to build a “massive, gold-adorned triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery.” (Politico)

Administration perambulation: Trump plans to nominate Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA. Hamilton had been the agency’s acting leader in the early days of the administration, but former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem fired him last year “after he testified to Congress that he did not agree with her direction for the agency.” (Washington Post) Trump will nominate Erica Schwartz to lead the CDC. “The White House was seeking a nominee who would minimize controversy,” according to “people familiar with the matter.” (WSJ) Unlike, say, vaccine skeptic Health Secretary RFK Jr., who clashed with Democratic lawmakers during hearings yesterday. (AP) DNI Tulsi Gabbard told Trump in February that “she had reservations about reauthorizing a key spy authority without incorporating reforms to protect Americans’ privacy.” (Politico) The House managed to pass a two-week extension of of Section 702 of FISA overnight after some Republicans joined Democrats to vote down a compromise floated by Speaker Mike Johnson. (Punchbowl News) The Senate still needs to approve the temporary measure. (NYT) The administration will create an online portal for businesses to apply for refunds from tariffs the Supreme Court said were illegal. The process does not appear simple. (CBS News) DOJ is investigating former US Representative Eric Swalwell of California over the sexual assault allegations that appear to have ended his political career. (NOTUS) The British government said Peter Mandelson became the UK’s ambassador to the US despite failing being vetted for the position. Prime Minister Keir Starmer‘s office said he didn’t know the foreign office had overruled that finding when he appointed Mandelson, who was later fired after he appeared in the US government’s Jeffrey Epstein files. (NYT)

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• In the market? Here’s our list of good-looking open houses this weekend.

• These were the most expensive residential real estate transactions in the area last month.

• It’s spring market time! Here are nine great places to shop.

Local news links:

Horrible news: Police in Fairfax County say former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Cerina Wanzer Fairfax, early Thursday, then killed himself. The couple’s teenage children were home at the time of the shooting. The couple were in the midst of a contentious divorce, and court documents say Justin Fairfax had been drinking heavily for the past few years. (Washington Post) A judge had ordered Justin Fairfax to move out of their house by the end of this month and had granted custody to Cerina Fairfax. (NBC4 Washington) Leaders in the commonwealth, including Governor Abigail Spanberger and former Governor Ralph Northam, expressed horror and offered prayers for the couple’s children. (Virginia Mercury) Cerina Fairfax was a dentist who was “widely recognized for her contributions to the profession and her community.” (WUSA9)

Local media news: NPR announced it will receive gifts of $80 million from Connie Ballmer and $33 million from an anonymous donor, the network’s largest gifts since Joan Kroc donated $200 million in 2003. The gifts will not replace federal funding slashed by Trump, CEO Katherine Maher said. (NPR) NOTUS will change its name to the Star, a nod to the newspaper the Washington Star once owned by NOTUS funder Robert Allbritton‘s father, Joe Allbritton. The Star plans to cover local news and sports in the wake of the Washington Post’s dramatic layoffs this year. (NYT)

• Jack Evans has dropped his challenge to DC Council President Phil Mendelson. (Tom Sherwood/X)

• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser “declared a 15-day public emergency Thursday to reinstate and extend the District’s limited juvenile curfew.” (NBC4 Washington)

• A five-year-old boy died after falling into the Anacostia River yesterday evening. (NBC4 Washington)

• One man is dead and another is hospitalized after someone attacked them with a pipe outside the Addison Road Metro station yesterday morning. (NBC4 Washington)

• The US Secret Service arrested a pedestrian they said leapt over a bollard near the US Treasury building yesterday. The Secret Service says the person resisted arrest and caused an agent to suffer a laceration. (DC News Now)

• An affiliate of California private equity group KHP Capital Properties has a contract to acquire the Hotel Harrington in downtown DC. (WBJ)

Weekend event picks:

Friday: Juliana Huxtable DJs at Transmission.

Saturday: “¡Puro Ritmo!,” a new exhibition about salsa music, opens at the National Museum of American History.

Sunday: Celebrate Emancipation Day at Franklin Park.

See lots more picks for the weekend from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Arch Yes, Ballroom No; ICE’s Leader to Step Down; Washington Will Get a New ‘Star’ first appeared on Washingtonian.

1

Where: Wesley Heights.

Bought by: Alex Velinsky, a partner and finance lawyer at Morgan Lewis, and Elizabeth Velinsky.

Listed: $3,550,000.

Sold: $3,300,000.

Days on market: 214.

Bragging points: A renovated 1940 Colonial with six bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, a dining room with cathedral ceilings, a recreation room, a flagstone patio, and a fenced backyard.

2

Where: Georgetown.

Bought by: Madeline M. Grayson, cofounder of Tuckernuck, and Paul C. Grayson, a principal at BG Ventures.

Listed: $5,995,000.

Sold: $5,995,000.

Days on market: 9.

Bragging points: An 1850s brick house with seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two half baths, three fireplaces, a grand foyer, a double-parlor living room, a library, a flagstone terrace, a brick patio and garden, and a pool with a pool house.

3

Where: Berkley.

Sold by: Jason L. Twomey, a financial adviser at Oppenheimer & Co., and Melissa H. Twomey, founder and principal of VisionArt Consulting.

Listed: $5,999,000.

Sold: $5,999,000.

Days on market: 12.

Bragging points: A Neoclassical-style mansion with six bed­-rooms, five and a half bathrooms, three fire­places, a reception area, a library, a recreation room, a dining patio, a loggia, a pool terrace, and an English garden.

Maryland

4

Where: Bethesda.

Sold by: Susan L. Furbay, a hospitality-real-­estate investment professional.

Listed: $3,599,000.

Sold: $3,550,000.

Days on market: 105.

Bragging points: A transitional-style home with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, two half baths, two fireplaces, a library, a recreation room, a front porch, and a tree-lined backyard.

5

Where: Chevy Chase.

Bought by: David M. Uhlmann, former EPA assistant administrator, and Virginia E. Murphy, a professor at the University of Michigan.

Listed: $3,195,000.

Sold: $3,000,000.

Days on market: 38.

Bragging points: A new three-story house with six bed­rooms, five and a half bathrooms, two fireplaces, an elevator, a large recreation room, a covered patio, and a rear porch.

Virginia

6

Where: McLean.

Sold by: Former Washington Caps center Nicklas Backstrom.

Listed: $11,995,000.

Sold: $11,000,000.

Days on market: 188.

Bragging points: A 17,135-square-foot estate with seven bed­rooms, seven bathrooms, five half baths, six fireplaces, dual staircases, an elevator, a catering kitchen, a sauna, a theater, a gym, a recreation room, and a resort-style pool area.
 

7

Where: McLean.

Bought by: James M. Roth, an author and former CIA officer.

Listed: $7,395,000.

Sold: $7,200,000.

Days on market: 116.

Bragging points: A custom-built home with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, three half baths, five fireplaces, an elevator, a two-story foyer, a library, a theater, a fitness room, an outdoor kitchen, a saltwater pool, and a four-car garage.

This article appears in the April 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post 7 Luxury Home Sales in the Washington Area—and Who Bought and Sold Them first appeared on Washingtonian.

The chef’s kitchen anchors the main level with a generous island, handmade Spanish tile backsplash, leathered granite countertops, and premium Bertazzoni appliances—flowing effortlessly into indoor and outdoor living with a large deck overlooking a private, fenced backyard. Upstairs, the serene primary suite feels like a retreat, complete with skylights, a spacious walk-in closet, and a spa-inspired bath with natural stone finishes, rainfall shower, and double vanity.

A fully finished lower level offers additional flexibility for guests, work, or recreation, while a detached garage and secured parking add everyday convenience—rounding out a turnkey home that balances warmth, style, and function, tucked along a quiet, tree-lined block in 16th Street Heights.

Address: 5711 Colorado Ave NW, Washington, DC 20011

Contact:
Andrew Riguzzi
202.595.5757
andrew@propertydc.com

The post This Impeccably Renovated Row-home is a Seamless Blend of DC Charm and Modern Living first appeared on Washingtonian.

Smithsonian Craft Show

This annual showcase presents an eclectic variety of jury-selected ceramics, furniture, glass, metal, leather, wearable art, basketry, and more. The National Building Museum will host 120 artists to commemorate the theme of “American Artistry” in craft and design ($25+ general admission, $300+ for preview party).

Georgetown French Market

Georgetown transforms into an immersive French Market this month where you can shop sidewalk sales and deals from area boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and cafes. Dive into French culture along Wisconsin Avenue (from O Street to Reservoir Road) as stilt-walkers, jazz bands, face painters, balloon twisters, and a French unicyclist fill Book Hill at the three-day open-air market. Also, there’s European cuisines to taste, and books and vinyls to browse (free).

Alexandria Art Show and Craft Spring Fair

Get a head start on Mother’s Day gift shopping at this outdoor Alexandria Art Show and Craft Spring Fair. Dozens of vendors will be selling accessories, bath items, skin care products, fine art, and other items at John Carlyle Square Park (free).

Arlington Festival of the Arts with Craft Marketplace

At this two-day neighborhood marketplace you can score handcrafted sculpture, pottery, jewelry, photography, mixed media, and other neat pieces of artwork (free).

Flower Mart

Flower Mart returns to the Washington National Cathedral this spring. The family-friendly event features carnival rides, choral performances, dance, and a chance to shop flowers plants, books, and more across 65 boutique booths. The annual event helps support the cathedral’s gardens and grounds  (free).

Takoma Flea

If you’re looking to shop repurposed items, you can stop by the Takoma Flea Market for vintage clothing, records, jewelry, furniture, and other great finds. This year’s participating vendors include Heathers Hangers, Portfolio District, Far East Antiques, and more (free).

Bethesda Fine Arts Festival

Browse 120 booths full of fine art from local and national creators at the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival. Also, you can two-step to live jazz, rock, and country performances on the outdoor stage. DC’s own soul and jazz vocalist Cecily is scheduled to perform at this year’s festival (free).

Lucketts Spring Vintage Market

Go on a shopping spree at Northern Virginia’s Lucketts Spring Market. Browse chic garden gems, painted furniture, architectural salvage, rustic antiques, and other vintage finds at this outdoor, three-day market. Shoppers can expect live music, a beer garden, and food trucks. For a less crowded visit, the early-buyer option for May 15 is a morning pass to shop before general admission ticket-holders join the excitement ($20 general admission, $50 for early-buyer weekend pass).

The Capital Rare Book Fair

Calling all bookworms to The Capital Rare Book Fair in May. Book-lovers can spend hours browsing antique manuscripts, historic documents, and unique maps from more than 20 antiquarian booksellers from throughout the US. To start the reading fest early, there’s a preview party serving pours of wine and beer, snacks, and musical entertainment ($15 general admission, free for ages 16 and younger, $60 for opening night).

If you enjoyed these events, please don’t forget to share this post with a friend on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for more things to do.

The post 9 Creative Spring Markets and Fairs to Shop in the DC Area first appeared on Washingtonian.

A Midcentury-Modern-Infused Home in Virginia

Price: $999,900

Where: 5222 Bradfield Dr., Burke, Va. 

Bedrooms/bathrooms: 5/4

House size: 3,445 sq feet

Listing agent: Jessica McCain, Realty ONE Group Capital 

Open house: Saturday, April 18, 2 — 4 PM

At this contemporary-meets-midcentury-modern home, a covered porch leads into a two-story foyer and beyond, a two-story family room with vaulted ceilings and nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, a loft with a skylight, and breakfast, sitting, and dining rooms. Outside, there’s a brick terrace with a built-in fireplace.

A Charming Semi-Detached Home in Michigan Park

Price: $784,900

Where: 1122 Upshur St., NE 

Bedrooms/bathrooms: 3/2

House size: 1,698 sq feet

Listing agent: Yianni Konstantopoulos 

Open house: Saturday, April 18, 1 — 4 PM; and Sunday, April 19, 1 — 4 PM

This colorful semi-detached brick home features arched doorways, an eye-catching fireplace, flex space on the lower level, and a back deck and patio. 

A Two-Story Condo in Petworth

Price: $949,000

Where: 5404 4th St., NW, Unit 2 

Bedrooms/bathrooms: 4/3.5

House size: 2,250 sq feet

Listing agent: John A. Coplen II, Long & Foster Real Estate 

Open house: Sunday, April 19, 2 — 4 PM

In addition to its four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, this renovated two-story penthouse condo in Petworth has oversized windows allowing lots of natural light, off-street parking, and a rooftop deck. 

An Updated Brick Home in Bethesda

Price: $1,299,000 

Where: 7515 Cayuga Ave., Bethesda 

Bedrooms/bathrooms: 5/3

House size: 2,608 sq feet

Listing agent: Karen Galanti

Open house: Sunday, April 19, 1 — 3 PM

The interior of this updated brick home features a mudroom, gas appliances, an airy living room, dedicated dining room, two fireplaces, and a lower level with built-in bookshelves, while the exterior includes an expansive deck with a screened porch and fenced-in backyard. 

The post 4 Open Houses Worth Checking Out This Weekend first appeared on Washingtonian.

This roundup is available as a morning email newsletter. Sign up here.

I can’t stop listening to:

Swansea Sound, “Not My Order.” Swansea Sound includes Hue Williams of the Pooh Sticks and Amelia Fletcher from Heavenly. This tune connects internet shopping to the profound loneliness of modern existence, and I’ll have to buy lots of stuff on Amazon to feel better now that I’ve heard it. Swansea Sound and Heavenly play Black Cat tonight alongside Lightheaded.

Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.

Here’s some administration news you might have blocked out:

Fed: White House plans to highlight tax refunds under President Trump went awry when Trump threatened to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell in an interview with Maria Bartiromo that aired Wednesday. (Politico) In response, US Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina reiterated his position that until Trump ends the criminal investigation of Powell that he dialed up—the President told Bartiromo that *he* didn’t plan to drop the probe, which is supposedly being conducted independently by the DC US Attorney’s office—he wouldn’t vote to confirm Kevin Warsh, Trump’s pick to succeed Powell when his term ends next month. (NBC News) Cue the anonymous sources: “Some of Tillis’ fellow Republicans privately acknowledged Wednesday they don’t understand the White House’s current strategy.” (Politico)

And then, of course, there’s the pope thing: Tillis also advised Trump to apologize for his attacks on Pope Leo XIV. Instead, the administration “abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities to shelter and care for migrant children” that had been in place for more than six decades. (Miami Herald) Trump seems to be searching for the limits of his religious supporters’ patience: In addition to picking a fight with the pope, he used the f-word in a post on Easter Sunday and posted, then deleted, a meme that depicted himself as Jesus. (His explanation that he thought it made him look like a doctor doesn’t seem to have settled any nerves.) “These things add up,” Erick Erickson said. (Washington Post) There’s a rather amazing piece of connective tissue between Trump’s campaigns against Leo and Powell: Federal housing official Bill Pulte, who reportedly encouraged the Powell investigation, brought the Jesus meme to Trump’s attention. (Axios)

Meanwhile, life keeps getting more expensive for many Americans. Trump seems to have abandoned his campaign pledge to help with the cost of child care. (Washington Post) The price of gas has shot up because of the war he started with Iran, and the White House plans to ask oil-company CEOs today to drill more, which is not exactly a near-term solution. (Politico) The wealthy are doing great: Major indices had record days yesterday on hopes that Trump’s Iran adventure may end soon. (WSJ) And a new report says dozens of US corporations “paid no federal corporate income taxes in their most recent fiscal year despite enjoying substantial pretax profits in the U.S.” (ITEP) Because of Trump’s antics, a “growing number of White House allies are resigned to losing the House and fear that the Senate is also in play.” (Politico)

Speaking of Congress: Republicans in the Senate blocked a resolution that aimed to reign in Trump on Iran. (Reuters) Six House Republicans joined Democrats to advance a bill that would restore Temporary Protected Status to Haitian immigrants. (NBC News) The Department of Homeland Security remains unfunded. (NYT)

Administration perambulation: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, her husband, Shawn DeRemer, and her father “routinely sent personal messages and requests to young staff members.” (NYT) Sebastian Gorka—remember him?—wants to run the National Counterterrorism Center. (Washington Post) John Eastman, the legal engine behind Trump’s attempts to overturn the election he lost to Joe Biden, got disbarred. (NYT) The Commission of Fine Arts will pretend to consider Trump’s planned triumphal arch today. (NYT) Rodney Mims Cook Jr., one of many allies Trump has on the commission, says DC needs even more arches. (Washington Post) Emails acquired via FOIA detail the, uh, extremely thorough bureaucratic processes involved in the Space Force’s pursuit of a theme song. (404 Media) A new book says Health Secretary RFK Jr. once cut off a raccoon’s dinger “for further study.” (TMZ) Trump thinks soda cures cancer. (The Hill)

Hidden Eats, by Ike Allen:

What started as a bakery in Anacostia became an African-inflected soul food takeout spot with popular fried whiting sandwiches. Now, Open Crumb is a mostly Ghanaian counter-serve restaurant just off H Street Northeast. The place still feels a little temporary, but chef Peter Opare’s cooking feels grounded and reliable. I liked the hearty vegetarian take on the classic West African egusi stew, with tender leaves of spinach and ground melon seed. Suya-spiced grilled beef atop jollof rice is brightened by an herb-y corn salad.

Recently on Washingtonian dot com:

• These unusual bagels will drive purists crazy.

• 323 Dhaba Express, a restaurant serving hearty Punjabi vegetarian fare, is spicing up Sterling.

• Architect Deborah Buelow talks about turning an 8,200-square foot Del Ray house into an energy-efficient “passive house.”

• Jazz in the Garden will return next month. Here’s how you can get tickets.

• This extravagant November wedding featured two ballet performances.

Local news links:

Trouble in the data center: Three years ago, almost 70 percent of Virginians polled said they would be comfortable with a data center being built in their area. Now only 35 percent say the same. (Washington Post) Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is seeking changes that would weaken bills “designed to shift more costs onto data centers.” (Virginia Mercury)

• Hair-touching Metro creep and Trump-pardoned January 6 rioter Bryan Betancur must remain in custody while his case proceeds, a judge ruled. (NBC4 Washington)

• Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he will sign a bill that forbids dynamic pricing in grocery stores. (DC News Now)

• Prosecutors “have added terrorism and weapons-of-mass-destruction charges” to the case against accused January 6 pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. (Washington Post)

• A DC cop didn’t show up for a hearing about an 18-year-old arrested for carrying a pistol illegally, so the charge got dropped. A week later, police say, the teen shot and killed someone. (WCP)

• The Appellate Court of Maryland ruled in favor of the Washington Post in a suit the paper filed against Ocean City’s police department. The court ruled that a pro-transparency law the state passed in 2021 requires police departments to release the names of officers in use-of-force reports. (Washington Post)

• A 12-year-old boy died yesterday, the second child killed in a shooting Tuesday outside a convenience store in the District. (NBC4 Washington)

• Three people on scooters struck a pedestrian who confronted them about smoking weed on the Washington Monument’s grounds, US Park Police cops say. (ABC7)

• The Washington Capitals “might be more ready to move on” than Alex Ovechkin is. (WTOP)

• The Washington Commanders unveiled a new alternate uniform that includes the image of a spear, a reference to the team’s former name. (Washington Post)

• Former NPR President Kevin Klose died Wednesday. He was 85. (NPR)

• The FAA is looking into audio that shows two pilots near DC “making dog and cat noises” on their radios. (WTOP)

• Someone placed a “golden crapper” on the grounds of Culpeper County, Virginia’s administration building. The local sheriff’s department joked that the culprit should “come in here and beg for mercy.” (WUSA9)

Thursday’s event picks:

• It’s the first day of Filmfest DC.

• See “Freaky Friday”—on a Thursday.

• David Michael Wyatt plays the Howard Theatre.

See more picks from Briana Thomas, who writes our Things to Do newsletter.

The post Big Day for Trump’s Arch, Sebastian Gorka Is Back, and Someone Left a Golden Toilet in Virginia first appeared on Washingtonian.

Exit 323 on Interstate 81, near the Virginia/West Virginia border, looks a little desolate. There’s an Amazon warehouse, a fireworks store, a Methodist church, and some mobile homes and old houses along Martinsburg Pike. One business does stand out, though: 323 Dhaba Punjabi Veg Kitchen, a low-slung truck-stop diner advertising Northern Indian regional specialties in the middle of the Piedmont farmland.

The owner is Jasdeep Singh, a longtime trucker from the Punjabi village of Chamkaur Sahib, who settled down in Virginia in 2022 to run a truck-repair business. A year later, he added a vegetarian restaurant by popular demand. Hundreds of thousands of Punjabi Sikhs work in trucking in the US—about 20 percent of the industry’s workforce, by some counts—and Singh says about half his West Virginia customers are truckers.

Last November, Singh and his wife, Sandeep Kaur, opened their second location much closer to DC, near Dulles Airport. At 323 Dhaba Express, they’re catering to Loudoun County’s Indian community—more software and IT workers than truckers.

The menu at both locations is all vegetarian but no less hearty for it. Curries such as dal tadka (split-lentil stew) and kala chana (black chickpeas) are enriched with plenty of ghee. Punjab, sometimes called “the granary of India,” is known for its roti, paratha, naan, and kulcha. Fittingly, 323 Dhaba serves some of the best Indian breads in the area, all cooked to order in the restaurant’s tandoor oven. Parathas—as wide and oven-blistered as Neapolitan pizzas—can be stuffed with potatoes, cauliflower, paneer, or all the above. Lachha paratha is flaky and layered like a Malaysian roti canai. Makki di roti, a supple corn flatbread, is traditionally paired with creamy mustard greens.

The most impressive product of the tandoor is Amritsari kulcha, a stretchy flatbread stuffed with potatoes and dotted with crushed coriander seeds. A meal in itself, the kulcha arrives with a tray of condiments: salted butter, sliced onions, chickpea curry, green chilies, pickles, and raita with a confetti of fried chickpea flour.

The bread is named for the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, which is pictured on the walls of the restaurant. A message nearby offers a history lesson on India’s partition, which split Punjab between that country and Pakistan in 1947. It memorializes the death and displacement of millions because of decisions made “by those who were neither Punjabi nor ever lived in Punjab.”

For restaurant decor, it’s unusually solemn, and it speaks to Singh and Kaur’s desire to tell the full story of Punjabi culture through food.

“Here in Northern Virginia at 323 Dhaba Express,” the message reads, “we bring you the authentic taste from Punjab, the land of five rivers, along with our stories of sorrow, joy, and hope.”

This article appears in the April 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post This Indian Restaurant Is Bringing Savory Vegetarian Dishes to the DC Area first appeared on Washingtonian.

“The size was its biggest challenge,” says architect Deborah Buelow of Cedar Architecture in Alexandria. “It’s a big space, and that’s not easy to make a net-zero home.”

The family wanted more than energy efficiency—they envisioned what’s known as a net-positive, certified-passive, extreme-energy-efficient home, meaning it would power itself, store surplus energy for emergencies, and even feed electricity back to the grid. To receive its certified status from the Passive House Institute of the United States, the home required airtight insulation, a constant-ventilation system, a solar roof, and thermal heating and cooling.

“If this house had been built in a traditional manner, it would use more than three times as much energy as it does now,” Buelow says.

From the start, there were obstacles. The half-acre site had an irregular shape, cobbled together from three lots. After demolishing the existing structures, Buelow began designing, taking into consideration that while her clients wanted a spacious home, they also wanted it to blend in with the character of their Del Ray neighborhood in Alexandria.

To achieve this, Buelow had the front of the house built out of brick made in North Carolina from 100-percent recycled ceramic materials. For the rest of the exterior, she used Kebony wood, a sustainable eco-treated pine that starts brown but weathers to a silvery gray. The homeowner added his own whimsical touch to the front porch by handcrafting swinging chairs from scrap wood.

“We brought the brick in as a way of kind of speaking to the Colonial style, but then wrapped the front of the house in wood to still give it a contemporary feel,” Buelow says. “And the wood will last forever. This type will never have to be replaced, painted, or coated. You never have to do anything to it.”

Throughout the process, Buelow prioritized incorporating nature into the design. While the house’s south-facing orientation captures abundant sunlight, generous four-foot roof overhangs shade the front windows from the high sun and prevent overheating during summer.

Other natural touches include slate flooring, rain roof gardens with native plants, and natural-grass wall coverings. Circadian bulbs in the Ketra intelligent lighting adjust during the day to mimic natural outdoor light. At the rear of the house, 16-foot-wide floor-to-ceiling sliding doors made by Zola draw in light and views of the back garden.

To preserve the interior climate, triple-pane windows and insulated doors were installed. The walls are 16 inches thick, including four inches of exterior insulation—creating a tight thermal envelope. The front door is secured with a bolt system in five places, keeping it tight to the frame to ensure that no air slips in or out when the door is closed.

“Any gaps in the exterior—whether through windows, doors, or wiring—pull air out and cause heat loss,” Buelow says.

Inside is where the true energy efficiency is on display. After creating the sealed environment, a circulation system moves air throughout the house and continuously draws in filtered outdoor air. The kitchen operates entirely on electricity, including an induction cooktop in the island that boils water in minutes while keeping cool to the touch—a necessary safety feature for a household with four young children.

But the house has an equally impressive design. Despite its large footprint, individual rooms were configured on a more intimate scale to keep from feeling overwhelming. To create a seamless flow, Buelow established transitional zones between rooms, giving each area a distinct function. White-oak slats affixed to the front entry’s ceiling and walls, along with a modern hanging light fixture, create an elevated atmosphere for welcoming visitors. A separate mudroom entrance—with built-in benches; storage for coats, shoes, and backpacks; and laundry and plant potting stations—provides a practical space for everyday comings and goings.

“We were aiming for spaces that are comfortable and not just about grandness, more about how a family actually uses the house,” Buelow says. “We spent a lot of time thinking about what they need in each room.”

An eye-catching central staircase, created by Treenet Collective, serves as a sculptural focal point, its “rainbow whirl” design featuring multicolor paracord typically used by rock climbers. Two slowly moving fans over the staircase circulate air, and the staircase is flanked on both sides by a three-story curtain window-wall that provides natural light deep into the home’s interior.

A mechanical room in the basement serves as the hub for the house’s energy efficiency. Integrated Tesla Solar roof panels feed power into smart panels in the room. A battery backup system stores the excess, up to three days’ worth of electricity, meaning that the homeowners might never even pay an electric bill.

“The amount of solar supply from the panels equals just a little bit more than the amount of energy this house requires,” Buelow says.

The home also has a geothermal heating-and-cooling-exchange HVAC system. It consists of three wells in the driveway that circulate water on a continuous loop via pipes that extend 300 feet underground. Because the water circulates through a constant underground temperature, it can keep the house’s temperature fairly constant and cut heating and cooling costs by 20 to 50 percent, Buelow says. Maryland, Virginia, and DC offer incentives and tax credits for installing geothermal electricity-based heating systems.

With changing climates and escalating heating and cooling costs, Buelow expects more homeowners to look into eco-friendly options when updating, renovating, and building homes. Though constructing a net-zero house of this type may cost 5 percent more upfront, she says, lower utility bills over time can make the investment worthwhile.

“The demand is growing as people are learning about the benefits,” Buelow explains. “Building codes are going to be requiring you to build with more energy efficiency anyway. People are going to have to understand that it’s going to have to be part of their homes and that your home can be the house you want and also be energy-efficient.”

Four Energy-Efficient Upgrades

1. Replace Your Windows

Switching from single-pane to double-pane windows is one of the most effective ways to reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency.

2. Seal Air Leaks

Gaps around windows, exterior doors, or electrical wiring can allow air to escape, causing significant heat loss. Insulating these areas helps maintain your home’s temperature. Another way to plug leaks around an exterior door is a multi-lock system, in which one key turns multiple bolts that run the length of the door. This not only provides greater security but also pulls the door tighter to the frame, reducing heat and cold loss.

3. Install LED Bulbs

LED lights use at least 75 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent, according to the Department of Energy. In addition, LED bulbs such as Phillips Hue and Ketra can simulate the natural light patterns outside by changing throughout the day, thereby helping regulate your biological clock. “That helps keep your body in relationship to nature, which has many proven health benefits,” says architect Deborah Buelow of Cedar Architecture in Alexandria.

4. Replace Your Stove

Induction cooking offers multiple advantages: Water boils faster than on either conventional electric or gas; the cooktop stays cool to the touch, eliminating burn risks; it requires less energy; and it provides healthier home air quality compared with gas.

This article appears in the April 2026 issue of Washingtonian.

The post How an Eco-Efficient Del Ray Home Was Redesigned to Power Itself first appeared on Washingtonian.

Gates open at 5 PM, giving attendees time to stake out a picnic spot and grab some sangria. Concerts begin at 6 PM, though there will also be some casual dance lessons preceding the shows. No performances will take place on June 5 or on July 3.

Securing tickets for the popular event requires some luck. Tickets are doled out through a lottery system that opens on Mondays at 10 AM the week before each show and closes at noon the following Friday. People will find out if they are selected the following Monday, with the opportunity to claim up to four passes. Even if you don’t win the lottery, there’s still hope: Some tickets will be offered at the garden entrance gates at 5 PM on show day.

Beyond the music, the concert series is a lovely opportunity to spread a blanket for a picnic surrounded by art. You can pick up a bite from the Pavilion Café or bring your own fare to pair with beer, wine, sangria, and soda available at bars in the garden. No outside alcohol is allowed.

Here’s the lineup for the 2026 Jazz in the Garden season:

May 22: Oh He Dead

May 29: The Fly Birds

June 5: No concert

June 12: The Fly Birds

June 19: Georgia Heers

June 26: Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars

July 3: No concert

July 10: Garry Burnside

July 17: Joe Pug

July 24: Red Baraat

July 31: Eric Byrd Trio

August 7: The Honey Dewdrops

August 14: Brass Queens

The post Jazz in the Garden Returns to DC This Summer With 11 Concerts first appeared on Washingtonian.