Free & easy events

This week, dance away your tax day blues, grab a Mediterranean lunch and celebrate Earth Day a little early.

Thursday
'Dance Is the Answer' opening party
Work out that tax day stress by joining a dance flash mob to kick off "Dance Is the Answer," a 20-day celebration. Along with the massive choreographed dance party (check out the festival Web site, www.danceistheanswer.org, to learn the steps), take the opportunity to mingle with other dance enthusiasts while hearing about highlights for the coming days.

Friday
Bethesda Literary Festival
Bethesda's annual celebration of all things bookish kicks off with an event featuring Newsweek political columnist and author Eleanor Clift, who will talk about her memoir, "Two Weeks of Life."

Saturday
Family Day: Earth Day Celebration
The 40th anniversary of Earth Day may be a week or so from now, but it's never too soon to go green. Celebrate the wonders of nature with this kid-friendly day of live performances and storytelling, which also offers the opportunity to make eco-friendly collages and placemats.

Sunday
White House Spring Garden Tour
Visitors will be able to view the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, the Rose Garden, the Children's Garden and the South Lawn of the White House. Free timed tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 8 a.m.

Update: We moved the events we wrote about earlier in the week to the bottom of this post, so you can see our picks for today at the top.

Monday
Guarneri Members & Friends open rehearsal
The renowned string quartet, still going strong after 40 years, is joined by members of the University of Maryland faculty for a practice performance open to the public.

Tuesday
Thomas Jefferson's birthday
Mark the 267th birthday of the Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president. There will be a wreath-laying, a military color guard and the sounding of "Taps."

Wednesday
Lunch at Roti
Roti Mediterranean Grill is celebrating the debut of its first Washington location by offering free lunches. Diners are asked to pay it forward with a donation to D.C. Central Kitchen.

-- David Malitz, Stephanie Merry and Justin Rude