Semi-Free Goodies and Opportunities for a Swine Flutastic Weekend

• Wednesday, April 29: For those of you who weren’t able to get a free cone from Ben and Jerry’s last week (damn long lines), Baskin Robbins is giving you the opportunity to havealmost free ice cream: tonight you can enjoy a small scoop of any flavor for just 31 cents and the proceeds go to firefighters.No, almost free isn’t as good as free, but its bona fide proof that we’re not becoming a socialist nation. 5-10PM. [ Baskin Robbins ]

• Saturday, May 2: Swine flu outbreak got you worried about food from foreign countries?   If you’re willing to tough it out, embassies all over town are opening their doors today, giving you the opportunity to sample food that could possibly be contaminated, but most likely isn’t. (Too soon?) Infectious diseases or not, there’s still the opportunity to learn and enjoy the food and culture from more than 30 different countries, including Malaysia, the Bahamas and Ghana. [ Cultural Tourism DC ]

• Sunday, May 3: Cinco de Mayo, which, according to the ever so credible Wikipedia, isn’t Mexican Independence Day (who knew?) or even celebrated widely in Mexico (an indication that Americans really will find any excuse to drink and/or have a surprising love for sombreros) will be celebrated in true DC fashion on the Mall. Noon to 6PM. [ WaPO, GOG ]

• Food to look forward to: “Come hungry. Leave happy.” IHOP is coming to town!  Word around town is that stacks and stacks of pancakes with whipped cream and overly-preserved canned fruit (mmm preservatives) will soon be at our disposal when IHOP comes to the ever kinda sorta gentrifying Columbia Heights.  Can’t. Wait. [ DCist ]