Out of Town: Washington, D.C.

What’s happening the next few weeks:

* Washington’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival is March 28 to April 11, the best time to see the city’s 6,000 Japanese cherry trees in bloom, above. The celebration includes an arts and crafts show and the popular Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 10 (rain date: April 11). Free. (202) 547-1500.

* The National Museum of American Art opens two new shows on March 19. “Shaker: Furnishings for the Simple Life” examines how the religious belief in the “plain and simple” has yielded some remarkable furniture. “Dominic Di Mare: A Retrospective” looks at the 30-year career of this mixed-media artist. Both shows close July 25. National Museum of American Art, 8th and G streets NW. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free. (202) 633-8998.

* “Oak and Ivy,” a play by Kathleen McGhee-Anderson about the relationship between poets Paul Lawrence Dunbar and Ruth Alice Moore, plays through April 4 at Arena Stage, 1101 6th St. SW. $26 to $45. (202) 488-3300.

* The Washington Opera presents Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” through March 23 at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. $37 to $239. (202) 295-2400.