Learn more about puppetry at The Puppet Lobby, hosted by Wit’s End Puppets. (Photo by Darren Barnes)
The fall equinox is this week, so it’s only fitting to celebrate with some seasonally appropriate activities. Enjoy pups and brews at Dacha’s Dogtoberfest, beat the slightly crisp air with fuel from the D.C. Coffee Fest get-togethers, or give into your inner seasonal guru with a fall equinox gong bathing session.
MONDAY, SEPT. 18
PUPPET POWER Puppets aren’t just for creepy children’s shows. Wit’s End Puppets is an experimental puppet theater in D.C. that focuses both on puppetry craft and pushing the envelope of puppet-based performance. Learn more at The Puppet Lobby, a series of discussions about the art of puppetry. Tonight’s guest speakers will be Ingrid Crepeau, the woman behind the Nationals’ presidential foam mascots, and Gena Beth Davidson, the creator of the company’s life-sized Selkie puppet. (Brookland Artspace Lofts, 7 – 8 p.m., FREE, registration suggested)
FOOD WITH A STORY Chef Dorjee Momo grew up living a nomadic existence in Tibet with his family, moving to a new pasture each season with their yaks and sheep, until he became a Buddhist monk at age 6. He eventually fled Tibet, crossing the Himalayas by foot and becoming a refugee in Nepal and India. He then made his way to D.C., and after stints at Bullfrog Bagels, Maketto, and Honeycomb Grocer, he’s started an eponymous business at Union Kitchen specializing in Himalayan Cuisine. It’s an extraordinary story—get to know more when Dorjee hosts a pop-up at Sally’s Middle Name. A dinner ticket includes five courses with vegan and vegetarian options, and drink pairing tickets are available, as well. (Sally’s Middle Name, seatings every 30 minutes from 6 – 11:30 p.m., $68.51 dinner ticket, $43.19 paired drinks ticket)
GERMAN POLITICS On September 24, Germany will elect members to its 19th Bundestag who are responsible for selecting the country’s chancellor. Dive into a discussion about the future of German politics at the Goethe-Institut; panelists will include Isaac Stanley-Becker, Washington Post correspondent in Berlin; Constanze Stelzenmüller, the Robert Bosch Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution; and Guido Steinberg of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. (Goethe-Institut Washington, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., FREE, registration required)
MORE Few Spirits Whiskey Tasting: National Bourbon Heritage Month (Jack Rose Dining Saloon, 8 – 10:30 p.m., FREE), Loi Loi, Park Snakes, and Thrills (Songbyrd Music House, door 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., $10)
Ed Sheeran takes Capitol One Arena tonight. (Photo by wolfkann)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 19
ED SHEERAN If “Shape of You” hasn’t been stuck in everyone’s heads non-stop, now it definitely will be: Ed Sheeran is coming to D.C. Catch the British singer-songwriter tonight at the newly-minted Capital One Arena. His most recent album, ÷ (yes, just say “Divide”), debuted at number one on the charts, so be prepared for plenty of screaming fans. (Capital One Arena, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., $93.32 – $299)
HEART TO HEART Tonight, The Lemon Collective (formerly The Lemon Bowl) hosts The Emotional Labor Union, an open forum for women and all female-identifying orientations to discuss and share experiences of emotional labor. Those interested in feminism, meaningful conversations and connections, and emotional transparency are welcome. There will be wine and snacks, but additional treats are always welcome, too. (The Lemon Collective, 7 – 9 p.m., $25)
MAP MASTERS Attention humanitarians and tech geeks: The GWU Humanitarian Mapping Society is joining forces with the Missing Maps Project to host a series of monthly mapathons. Many areas where natural disasters occur are so remote that they lack in-depth mapping, making it difficult for responders to provide relief efforts. At this series, volunteers will trace satellite imagery into a mapping platform and add helpful details such as neighborhoods, street names, and evacuation centers. Tonight, prepare to make maps that will help recovery efforts for those affected by Hurricane Irma and the recent earthquake in Mexico. (The National Churchill Library and Center, 6 – 8 p.m., FREE, registration required)
FILM FANS Check out the inaugural Firebird Film Festival at the University of the District of Columbia this week. Intended to promote tolerance, understanding, and discussion about human and civil rights concerns, each film will be followed by a moderated talk. The first day kicks off tonight with a screening of Check It, a documentary exploring the history of the nation’s first LGBTQ gang (a film Louis CK hosted on his website because “I know that, whoever you are, you’re going to love it”). Can’t make it tonight? The festival runs through Saturday, with plenty of options for all tastes. (University of the District of Columbia, event times vary, FREE, registration required)
MORE Remote Year Info Night (WeWork Wonder Bread Factory, 6 – 8 p.m., FREE, registration required), Cuba Libre: A 500-Year Quest for Independence (American University School of International Service, 3:30 – 5 p.m., FREE, registration required), Trade and Gender in Modern Free Trade Agreements (Arent Fox, 12 noon – 1:30 p.m., $25)
Bring the pups to Dacha for Dogtoberfest. (Photo by walker_bc)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20
DOGTOBERFEST Dogs + beer…is there anything else to say? This year, Dacha Beer Garden is celebrating Oktoberfest from September 16 to 30. That’s two full weeks of events, but this one is for multiple species. Bring your pup by or simply come solo to make some furry friends. Happy hour starts at 4 p.m., and the Dacha Beer Club will be featuring brews from Flying Dog Brewery. (Dacha Beer Garden, 4 p.m., FREE)
ACROSS THE POND The National Churchill Library and Center hosts Matthew Barzun, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Barack Obama. Barzun will speak about the “special relationship” between the U.S. and U.K., as well as his experiences at the Court of St. James’s. Expect him to touch on Brexit and populism abroad, as well, and its effect on U.S. foreign relations. (Gelman Library – National Churchill Library and Center, 6 – 7 p.m., FREE)
CITIZENSHIP DAY On September 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution. Each year, the 17th is celebrated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and the week surrounding it is considered Constitution Week, too. Celebrate those who have or are taking the steps to become U.S. citizens at Vinoteca’s Citizenship Day happy hour. The party continues all evening: There will be extended happy hour prices available with a donation to the Central American Resource Center, which provides legal services, counseling, and other services to D.C.’s Latino population. (Vinoteca D.C., 5 – 9 p.m., FREE)
MORE Build a web app with Java Script and jQuery (In3, 6:30 – 8 p.m., FREE, registration required)
D.C. Coffee Fest starts tonight with a latte art throwdown. (Photo by Ryan Bloom)
THURSDAY, SEPT. 21
LOVE IT A LATTE To kick off the weekend’s D.C. Coffee Fest, the Florida Avenue La Colombe will host a latte art throwdown. Sign-ups begin at 7:18 p.m. sharp, and it’s a $5 buy-in with the winner taking all. Both artistic baristas and plain old coffee-lovers are welcome to attend, and there will be a pre-gathering at Franklin Hall before the competition kicks off. Check out the D.C. Coffee Fest website for the many events happening throughout the weekend, including the big finale: The U.S. Coffee Champs Barista Championship. (La Colombe Coffee Roasters – Florida Avenue NW, 7:18 – 11 p.m., FREE, registration required)
GONG BATH Never tried a gong bath? Now’s the time. Gong bathing, or sound meditation, is when a group meditates to the sound of a gong being played, letting the vibrations lull them into a state of calm. Take Five Meditation and Dupont Underground are partnering to host a Fall Equinox Gong Bath. Participants need only bring a yoga mat and a mind primed for meditation. (Dupont Underground, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., $35)
HARVEY HELP Alumni from schools in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Louisiana have banded together to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Join them this evening at the Hope for Houston: D.C. Alumni Network Harvey Fundraiser to do some good by eating and drinking. Ten percent of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to hurricane relief efforts, and additional donations are requested, as well. (District Distilling Co., 5 – 9 p.m., donation requested)
A JOLLY GOOD TIME Anglophiles will love tonight’s garden party at the British Embassy. Hosted by British Ambassador Kim Darroch and wife Lady Vanessa Darroch, thingstodoDC.com, and the British-American Business Association, the embassy’s grounds will officially be open for partying. A ticket includes bites from a British food menu, drinks, and a parting gift, and there will be music, too. Cheerio! (The British Embassy, 6 – 8 p.m., $170)
HISTORY HAPPY HOUR This month, History Happy Hour returns to the Willard InterContinental Hotel by popular demand. Led by Jim Hewes, the long-time bartender of the Willard’s Round Robin Bar, the event combines talks from Washington historians with hands-on mixology classes. Tonight, guests will sample drinks from the new Off the Wall menu featuring cocktails inspired by the portraits gracing the bar. With libations inspired by Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Abraham Lincoln, and Lillian Russell (with the chance to make a signature cocktail of one’s own), there’s a little bit of history for everyone. (The Willard InterContinental Hotel, 6 – 8 p.m., $40)
MORE Havana Nights (The Graham Georgetown Rooftop, 7 – 10 p.m., FREE), Watergate Wet Bar Pool Party (The Watergate Hotel, 9 – 11 p.m., $60), Hispanic Heritage Month Happy Hour (Rito Loco, 5 – 8 p.m., FREE, registration required), Third Thursdays in Brookland (The Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market, 5 – 8 p.m., FREE), D.C. Fashion Week’s Fashion Industry Networking Party (Dirty Martini, 6 – 9:30 p.m., FREE, registration required), Congressional Black Caucus reception (The Park at Fourteenth, 5 – 11 p.m., FREE, registration required)
