Just as Jazz in the Garden means it's summer, ice skating by the National Mall means it's (nearly) winter. more ›

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, this week's Arts Agenda has a lot to see. more ›

Yesterday, four members of the Washington Capitals -- forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson, and defensemen Karl Alzner and John Carlson -- took a break from their usual weekend routine to get back to basics on the National Mall. more ›

You may not want to think about it, but the onset of winter is inevitable. The temperature is falling, the wind is getting brisker and we're already talking about the ticket lottery for the White House's Christmas Tree lighting. But the creeping chill isn't all bad: for instance, the colder temperatures means that the Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden is reopening soon. more ›

But perhaps you're like me, and have begun to feel the urge to strap on some thick socks, tighten up the laces and hit the ice. If so, here's some good news: the Washington Post Weekend twitter feed reported yesterday that the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden skating rink will open for public use on November 14 this year, but two weeks from today. While this editor is plenty excited to hear the scraping of ice on metal firsthand, I'd certainly be remiss if I failed to disclose that this news saves me from having to dig deep for an innovative date spot next month, if but for one evening. (Thanks for the help, Smithsonian National Gallery of Art!) more ›

Editor's Note: We're trying out a new end-of-the-day feature this week, affectionately called Go Home Already, which gives us the chance to point out any important headlines we might have missed during the day, great posts from the local blogosphere, a fun photo, and of course, remind you to get the heck out of your office because there are enough workaholics in this city as it is. It's just a trifle, but we're sure you'll let us know what you think in the comments. more ›

Always looking for the D.C. slant to a story, DCist found a loose District tie, albeit a strong mid-Atlantic one, to all the Olympic action on the ice in Turin, Italy. more ›

Taking advantage of last weekend's unseasonably warm weather to visit some sites at the National Mall last weekend, we were curious to discover a rather long line at the U.S. Botanic Gardens. more ›

What to do on New Year's Eve can be a yearly dilemma—one that rarely presents an easy answer. Restaurants book up early and often forgo their usual fare for a more creative prix fixe option. Bars and clubs are expensive, crowded, and can be difficult to get into. The big parties are also expensive, and feature notoriously long lines for the bar. So, what about taking a break from all the craziness and checking out one of the First Night celebrations going on around town? Admission is usually low cost or free and activities include bands, dancing, entertainment, fireworks, laser light shows, and more. Plus, since these events are billed as family friendly, they usually limit or do not allow alcohol, which means that you won't be starting off the new year with a monster hangover. more ›

It seemed that those photos of the elevated ice skating rink on the first level of the Eiffel Tower in Paris were all over the place a few days ago. (How cool would it be to ice skate on the roof terrace of the Hotel Washington, or some rooftop venue with a great view of the city's monuments.) Well Ballston seems to be jumping on the sky skating trend as well, but we aren't sure if the views of Arlington is what's being targeted in a new proposal that is ready to skate to reality. more ›

With the holiday season upon us, DCist is bracing for the usual phalanx of seasonal activities. There's a number of events around the mall of interest. more ›