Hey everyone! This week’s BEST WEEKEND BETS are, as always, hand selected from BYT ALL CITY and carefully calibrated for maximum fun and minimum stress, and will be punctuated with inspirational images of THREE AMIGOS. Predictable considering it is Cinco De Mayo weekend? Yes. Disrespectful to the actual Mexican culture? Possibly. AMAZING? DEFINITELY.

A COUPLE OF PSAs before we start:

• We JUST announced an awesome new BYT event:
• ZOU BISOU BISOU @ The Embassy of France on May 26th. Get them tickets NOW.
  
• Speaking of awesome BYT events, if you missed out on checking out the photos from our HOWARD THEATRE/UNDERGROUND REBEL BINGO + CLASS IS IN SESSION TOP CHEF parties, click on the links above and peruse away.

• Our SPRING/SUMMER Guides are live as we speak: peruse the very exhaustive/extensive: FILM+MUSIC+FOOD+THEATRE+ART+STYLE
• Read up on food here, our amazing movie reviews are here, STYLE Licks can be found here, and as always, GAY Best Weekend Bets are coming right up.

NOW, are you ready for the weekend?

THURSDAY

• If you are smart at all, you’re preserving your energy for this weekend, but there IS a few excellent things going on which seem like pretty solid excuses for leaving your couch:
• young musicians celebrate Marvin Gaye @ the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage
• this is the last weekend to catch the really wonderful and hella weird ARIAS WITH A TWIST @ Woolly
• the rescheduled PM@ the TM Textile Museum after hours is poised to actually happen tonight.
• local/almost local show support: BIG/BRIGHT and White Life are playing DC9 + HUME is @ Black Cat + Ugly Purple Sweater @ RNR Hotel
• and dance party wise both Beats on Repeat @ Velvet lounge
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff

FRIDAY

• spend the morning clutching your credit card and making sure you get all the tickets to all the shows you need/want. Use our awesome weekly “Shows Going on Sale to Spend Your $$$ On” listicle/playlist as your guide.
• leave work early and go catch a free screening of THRONE OF BLOOD (which, apparently, is Macbeth redone as a MEDIEVAL Japanese diva legend, whatever that may mean) @ National Gallery of ART
• there is a super sweet, free with Facebook RSVP Bacardi party @ Montserrat House feat. MNDR, our VERY OWN Cale, Willy Joy and more. Not sure what the deal with it is overall but hopefully there’s pina coladas involved.
• great show @ RNR Hotel: Violens + Lower Dens pour quality music all over you.
• or swing by SOUL TRAIN DC or BODY JAM for your dance needs
• + you know-KORN (!) is @ Fillmore
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff

SATURDAY

(HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO! DERBY DAY! OTHER STUFF!). Is there ANYTHING THAT IS NOT HAPPENING TODAY? Didn’t think so.

• OK-we are having our official CINCO DE GUACO guide up and running tomorrow-should be epic so keep our FOOD section on your radar.
• Other things to know: Jack Rose is doing a genius thing where they are having a CINCO DE DERBY party and serving (wait for it!) …. MINT JULEP AND MARGARITA SNO-CONES (did we mention this was a genius thing?). We went and did the all important Taste Test and you can read all about it HERE.
• ALSO HAPPENING: Ball on the Mall
• ALSO HAPPENING: Critique the Critics annual gala for Arlington Arts Center (with our very own Shauna Alexander defending BYT’s honor)
• ALSO HAPPENING: the big Wine Riot Extravaganza is in town
• ALSO HAPPENING: The massive Cinco de Trucko food truck extravaganza
• ALSO HAPPENING: shows like Ane Brun @ The Hamilton,  FREAKIN’ Light Asylum @ U Hall (followed by a big VOLTA BUREAU late night DJ set)
• ALSO HAPPENING: that CRANK PARTY is back to destroy your liver some more
• + something like 85 derby/cinco de mayo/whatever else things that you can learn about by clicking HERE and then clicking the “SATURDAY” button to filter through

SUNDAY

• an EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY to revisit out HANGOVER CURES Guide. Mark our words.
• after that- you may need some fried food. and with a Chicken fried steak showdown @ Pearl Dive AND a new country fried chicken tradition @ CORK both kicking off today, 14th street is obviously the place to be.
• Then: SEE “THE AVENGERS” (full review in our FILM Section tomorrow)
• or before passing out at a decent hour:
• take yourself for a jaunt to check out the new Joan Miro exhibit  + Jose Andres cafe @ National Gallery of Art (full preview and all that jazz can be found here)
• or start getting into Kennedy Center’s “LOOK BOTH WAYS” awesome street performance festival which kicks off today (We have a preview coming your way Friday)
• + ALL SORTS OF other stuff

REMEMBER: THERE ARE A BAJILLION OTHER THINGS TO DO LISTED IN BYT ALL CITY, so use it (to both post your events and search for them) and if you think we may have missed something, comment away–you know you want to.

and as a parting note: