Get Out! May 5 - 8

A hectic week will soon segue into a hectic weekend - with Cinco De Mayo, Mother's Day AND the Kentucky Derby all on the horizon, who can keep it all straight? Here are our picks for your best bets from around town:

Cinco de Mayo (Woo!):

Ah, Cinco de Mayo. Most Mexicans pay only passing regard to the day they successfully stood their ground in the face of French forces. Americans celebrate by drinking frozen margaritas and shouting "Woo!" in between gulps. You want to shout "Woo!" don't you? and are local stalwarts, but for a sweet deal, head to Masa 14 in D.C., where you can ply yourself with $5 margaritas in fancy flavors like strawberry, peach, pina colada and mango.

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Celebrate Mother's Day weekend with science! The Howard B. Owens Science Center in Lanham is honoring the growing number of female innovators by focusing this week's family science night on "The Mothers of Invention." There will be hands-on activities, planetarium presentations, Challenger Center "mini-missions" and more. 

Free Comic Book Day:

We were skeptical when we found out that Saturday is "Free Comic Book Day." How can an industry that must surely be clinging for life in the digital age justify handing out its products for free?

It turns out that publishers print thousands of comic books especially for the event, which has been taking place on the first Saturday in May for going on 10 years. The comics are sold to retailers for a scant 15 to 50 cents apiece, which the retailers then hand out a gratis.

So on Saturday, head over to to choose from a wide range of free comic books. Make an actual purchase, and you'll be eligible to pick up a free soda at Cornerstone, free small fries at Ollie's Grille and a free slice of cheese pizza at Vito's Pizzeria.

Kentucky Derby Viewing Party at the Red Derby:

The Kentucky Derby is more than just a horse race: It's an opportunity to wear the biggest hat your neck can support. We recommend showing off your glue-gun gumption at the Red Derby in D.C., where they'll be serving up mint juleps and derby pie while it lasts. The main event will be broadcast on a projector, assuming you can actually see from under the brim of your cranial creation.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds:

Nothing fosters feelings of familial closeness quite like watching other, more dysfunctional households fall apart before your eyes. Celebrate Mothers Day with Matilda "Tillie" Hunsdorfer and her selfish, abusive mother Beatrice in "The Effect of Gamma Rays" at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. Leave satisfied that, despite your differences, at least you're not them.