This month's theater is chock full of ongoing productions from November, numerous holiday offerings and some choice openings. more ›

Good morning, Washington, and Happy Thanksgiving. All of us at DCist hope you have an enjoyable day of food, football and relaxation, especially those of you who are enjoying a rare moment of tranquility inside the District of Columbia. more ›

Friday, Veterans Day, is a national holiday. While the day off will certainly be enjoyed by the federal employees in our midst, it's going to be a downright bummer for Metro riders who are depending on the Green Line to get them where they need to go. more ›

As anyone who reads this blog regularly knew, this morning's Metro commute was going to be a tough one for a lot of people. Being the curious bloggers we are, we were actually looking forward to seeing how people were responding out there during this morning's rush. more ›

It's been a painful 2011 for Blue and Orange Line riders, what with more than on weekend project that has cut the lines in two. That trend will continue over the Memorial Day weekend, I'm afraid. more ›

In case it's slipped your mind, tomorrow marks the observation of Emancipation Day in the District -- which means that most of the city's workers will be taking the day off. more ›

Back in February, our interest was piqued at a proposal put forward by seven Maryland state senators to designate February 6 as "Ronald Reagan Day," despite the fact that the Old Line State was one of the few to vote against Reagan in 1980 and give Walter Mondale serious consideration in 1984. But no matter -- the Washington Times reports that it's not going to happen, as the "Reagan Day" proposal hit the chopping block along with proposals to create a "Young Heroes Day" and a "Korean American Day." more ›

It's 10 a.m. on a Thursday and you've got a beer in hand, a fake green beard on your face, and The Dropkick Murphys in your head. Must be St. Patrick's Day! But even though it's the norm, you don't have to celebrate St. Paddy's at a vaguely Irish frat party-like event. While our roundup below does include plenty of opportunities for boozing (including all-day parties), there are also sporty challenges, Irish meals, a movie with Irish accents, some Irish-themed comedy, and more. more ›

To those around the country who incorrectly view our fair city as simply a place where real America comes to protest, don't forget: our local government is to thank for a couple of extra days to file your income taxes this year. more ›

Did you decide to celebrate the Christmas holiday by engaging in the time-honored tradition of cutting down a big piece of greenery, placing it in your home and decorating it with trinkets and various electrical wires, only to take it down a few days after the holiday? Well, don't just throw that tree away -- you can recycle it! The District Department of Public Works says that they'll be collecting trees curbside from treeboxes in front of people's homes between January 3 and 15, but if you don't want to wait, you can also take your tree to any number of recycling centers in the District, Virginia and Maryland and turn that piece of holiday paraphenalia into a soil erosion barrier, a fish or bird feeder, mulch or a path for a hiking trail. Consider it your belated Christmas gift to the environment -- just don't forget to take off the decor. (Yes, even the ugly ornaments.) more ›

Good morning, Washington. So yeah, that snowstorm. The latest models indicate that the D.C. area will be receiving the lower end of snow predicted today - thank Boston, where I am right now, for that - Boston and the rest of the Northeast are expecting blizzard conditions and up to 20 inches of snow. Sorry for stealing all of that from you guys. Capital Weather Gang reports that D.C. and western suburbs will likely be the dividing line between accumulation and just flurries. It appears that right now east of D.C., around the Chesapeake Bay, will get the most accumulation. more ›

A large majority of people appear to be taking their leave of Washington this afternoon, what with the federal government pretty much closing up for the year and many workers having the day off tomorrow. So whether you're readying to be one of the seventy percent of people who won't get an accurate screening from a TSA agent, preparing to hop behind the wheel or simply thinking about traveling around the region, here's a quick look at how things are going around the area's transportation hubs. more ›

This Friday, December 3, the National Zoo kicks off its annual Zoo Lights, which fills the Zoo's exhibits with holiday lights and decorations. As a holiday gift to the city, admission to the event is free (although parking is $8 for FONZ members and $15 for nonmembers). The lights come on between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., Friday through Sunday until December 12, and daily from December 17-January 1 (except December 24, 25, and 31). more ›

There has been a lot of debate about airport security over the last few weeks. But as any holiday traveler knows, actually getting to the airport can be just as much of a hassle as any full body scan -- especially if you don't have a car, a friend with a car that owes you a favor or a bunch of cash to drop on a cab ride. Here are some methods that will (eventually) get you where you need to go. more ›

In this morning's roundup, I mentioned that Virginia's sales tax holiday kicks off on Friday. Turns out that Maryland's sales tax holiday also begins this weekend and lasts for a week. But if you've been waiting all summer to take advantage of the break on sales taxes to buy clothes and other such "school supplies" in D.C., don't hold your breath. If you've forgotten, the city repealed the summer sales tax holiday last year, in an attempt to save $640,000 in tax revenues. (Of course, given that the city is currently missing out on, oh, $170 million or so in tax revenue, that figure sure feels like a little drop in a very big bucket.) Of course, there's nothing stopping you from just hopping on over to our neighbors to get a little discount: sales tax on clothing and footwear priced at $100 or less won't be charged through Sunday in Virginia and through August 14 in Maryland. more ›

In an area of the country where heavy snowfall isn't SOP for winter, last weekend's storm was a big blow for local businesses. The Washington Business Journal reports that some stores may end up reporting big losses for the end of the year, having missed out on one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, either because they were forced to close or because shoppers just stayed home. Not surprisingly, stand-alone stores which shoppers have to drive to were hit harder than the neighborhood walkable stores. Check your local shops to see who might have extended their hours or their holiday sales today and tomorrow, or even through the end of the year. more ›

Tune in to WAMU 88.5 FM (or listen online) today and catch DCist Editor-in-Chief Sommer Mathis as a guest on The Kojo Nnamdi Show. Sommer will bring you her expertise on everything to do this weekend in and around D.C. for those souls sticking around for the holiday. Her segment begins around 12:30 p.m. more ›

The Thanksgiving holiday weekend will see a number of changes to Metrorail and Metrobus schedules, so be sure to make a note of them as you try to get around the city over the next few days. more ›

Susie Cambria, via her excellent Budget & Policy Corner blog, reminds us that there are 900 D.C. foster children who are hoping to get Christmas presents this holiday season, and the Child and Family Services Agency needs D.C. residents to help. If you're able to purchase a few gifts for some needy local foster kids this year, you can find more details on this flier. Just tell CFSA how many children you can buy gifts for, and they'll give you the age, gender and sizes for each child. Delivery dates for gifts for specific kids are Dec. 7 & 8, while general toy donations can be dropped off on Dec. 14 or 15. Also on the flier are details on how to put together a Thanksgiving dinner basket for a CFSA family. more ›

WMATA has posted the holiday transit schedules for D.C.'s transit system, along with the nearby suburban systems. Note that on Monday, Memorial Day, Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess will all operate on a Sunday schedule, with the Metrorail system open from 7 a.m. to midnight. Parking at all Metro-operated lots will also be free on Monday. Check the full schedule for more details. more ›

It's almost time to hit the road for the shore, and AAA Mid-Atlantic has per usual put out its prediction for holiday weekend traffic. Bad news, area drivers: they're putting it a 4 percent increase over last year, and as we recall, last year was pretty terrible in its own right. An estimated 608,000 D.C.-area residents will be traveling by car this Memorial Day holiday weekend, versus 49,000 who will be flying. Please to consider carpooling, fellow travelers. We don't want to have to end up in a road rage-fueled shoulder-driving expedition followed by eventual arrest and the paying of big fines. It'd really put a damper on our BBQ plans. more ›

The Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Park Police are warning area drivers about the following temporary road closures for events scheduled over the Memorial Day weekend. more ›

Traditionally, the White House Easter Egg Roll has been attended mostly by D.C. area families who camped out early with their kids to score tickets to the free annual event. But on Monday, the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll played host to over 30,000 people from 45 states and the District of Columbia, thanks to a new online ticket distribution plan put in place by the new administration. Local parents grumbled, but 4,000 tickets were also distributed separately to students from D.C., Maryland and Virginia public schools. DCist photographer Meaghan Gay was there to capture what an Easter Egg Roll hosted by the Obama family looks like. more ›

Washington's museums are atwitter with the season, offering many holiday themed events great for visiting family and friends in among other non-holiday themed exhibits. more ›

Veterans Day is Tuesday, which means federal workers have the day off and transit schedules will be different. WMATA says that Metro will be operating on a modified Saturday schedule tomorrow; that means the system will open at the regular 5 a.m. time, but peak travel times will operate on a non-peak basis. In other words, budget a little extra time on your way in to work tomorrow, since there will be fewer trains running than normal. Other changes for Tuesday include that off-peak fares will be in effect all day and parking at all Metro lots will be free. Metrobus and MetroAccess will operate on a normal, non-holiday schedule. more ›

This coming Monday is Columbus Day, which is technically a federal holiday. That being the case, WMATA has announced as it always does that it will be following a holiday schedule for the day, meaning the Metrorail system will operate on a modified Saturday schedule, opening at 5 a.m. and closing at midnight. In other words, there won't be any peak service during rush hour. But how many of you actually have Monday off? More of you than, say, get Veterans Day off? About the same? We're curious. more ›

WMATA has released a schedule for Independence Day -- and it includes a change from what we first told you last week. Metro will open at 7 a.m. and close at 3 a.m. on Friday, July 4. This schedule is different from what was published on WMATA's holiday schedule on their web site last week (it said it would close at midnight), but that schedule has since been updated. more ›

Be sure to make a note of Metro's holiday schedule, which is available on WMATA's web site. more ›