Photo by visual_anticsFRIDAY
ART MARKETS: Shop for ceramics and jewelry while you rock out with the Rew Smith Band and enjoy food and drinks at The Art League’s (305 Madison Street NW) Artfest tonight. 6-9 p.m. Free. Or stop and shop this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sunday from 12-5 p.m.
>> Numerous other holiday markets are kicking off tonight and continuing through this weekend, including the Downtown Holiday Market, IceBox 2011 Holiday Gift Shop, A Capital Collection of Holiday Shops, the Washington Craft Show, and the Del Ray Holiday Market. Check out our holiday markets guide for all the details.
FOOD & DRINK: Raise a pint of Great Lakes Christmas Ale or Troegs Mad Elf at the Black Squirrel (2427 18th Street NW) Christmas Ales & Cookies event tonight. Beer and cookies? Maybe that’s how Santa got his belly. 6 p.m.-close.
MOVEMBER: It’s the second day of December, but hopefully you haven’t shaved those mustaches yet. Head to the Movember Gala Parté at the Rock & Roll Hotel’s (1352 H Street NE) tonight. Stach judging begins at 9:15 p.m. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets: $20.
MOVIE: Even nearly 20 years later the special effects in Jurassic Park are still pretty great. Yell “shoot her!” and “clever girl” at E Street Cinema’s (555 11th Street NW) midnight screening. $11.
>> The Capital Irish Film Festival continues tonight with The Other Side of Sleep at the Geothe Institut (812 7th Street NW). Check out the full schedule for the other films taking place this weekend. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $11.
THEATER: Like the holidays themselves, Washington Improv Theater’s production of Seasonal Disorder is unscripted and unpredictable. Check out this improv show with a holiday theme, at Source (1835 14 Street NW) through December 31. Shows tonight at 8 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 11 p.m. $10.
VARIETY: Head to the Red Palace (1212 H Street NE) tonight for the Tilted Torch variety show, featuring live music from Christylez Bacon, burlesque by Marla Meringue, belly dancing, poi spinning, burlesque hooping (who knew that was a thing?), plus games, a raffle and prizes. Doors 9 p.m., show 10 p.m. $10 advance, $15 day of.
MUSIC: Check out the Weekly Music Agenda for this weekend’s best live music options.
SATURDAY
ART MARKETS: Support Art Enables by purchasing handmade holiday cards, artwork, and other gifts at their Annual Holiday Show (2204 Rhode Island Avenue NE) Saturday. 2-4 p.m.
>> Plus, stop by one of the many other holiday markets taking place this Saturday, including the Columbia Heights Holiday Market, National Museum of the American Indian Art Market, Swedish Christmas Bazaar, Nana’s Handmade Holly Mart, Kyoto Kimono Holiday Trunk Show, and St. John’s Greens Sale and Christmas Bazaar. For all the details see our guide.
BIKES: Phoenix Bikes, a non-profit community youth bike program, is throwing a Used Bike Sale at Big Bear Cafe (1700 First Street NW) this Saturday. Over 40 refurbished bikes, including mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, single speeds, and cruisers will be for sale, with the proceeds going to support Phoenix Bikes’ youth projgrams. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
BOATS: The Holiday Boat Parade of Lights will make a dazzling spectacle of the Alexandria harbor this Saturday from 6-7 p.m. Come early to see Santa come in via fireboat at 4:15 p.m., then sit down to take free pictures with the kiddies. Free.
HOLIDAYS: Tommy Claus (a.k.a. Councilmember Tommy Wells) will don a beard and make an appearance at Eastern Market (225 7th Street SE ) this Saturday from 12-3 p.m. to light the Eastern Market Holiday Wish Trees, hear wishes from the kids, and pass out reusable shopping bags. There will also be a cooking demo from Jonathan Bardzik at 10 a.m. and live holiday jazz from the Kim Reynolds Quartet from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
>> Stop by Bethesda’s Winter Wonderland this weekend for live music, Santa, and ice sculpting. Free.
STEVE-O: Steve-O, from MTV shows Jackass and Wildboyz, comes to Busboys and Poets (1025 5th Street NW) Saturday to sign copies of his book, Professional Idiot: A Memoir, and raise money for The Kindness Collective. 1-2 p.m. $8 donation suggested. Advance free tickets available here. You can also catch him at DC Improv (1140 Connecticut Avenue NW) performing at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. every night this weekend. $27.
BAR CRAWL: Get your favorite ugly Christmas sweater out of storage and hit the streets for a Christmas Crawl from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door and get you drink specials at 13 bars. Register at The Front Page (1333 New Hampshire Avenue NW) or McFadden’s (2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) from 6-10 p.m.
CRAFTS: Make your own handmade wrapping paper, gift tags, and ornaments while you enjoy seasonal cocktails at Pyramid Atlantic’s (8230 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring MD) DIY Evening of Cocktails and Creativity. 6-9 p.m. $10 (includes a print and two cocktails).
DONOR DRIVE: The U.S. Department of Bhangra performs at BloomBars (3222 11th Street NW) Saturday for the Bhangra Brown Marrow Party & Donor Drive, an event to encourage people to register in the National Bone Marrow Registry and possibly find a donor for Amit Gupta, a twenty-something in need of a transplant. 8 p.m.-midnight.
SUNDAY
HOLIDAY MARKETS: Might as well round out the weekend with two last holiday markets: the National Museum of Women in the Arts Holiday Gift Market and the Olney Farmers and Artists Market. For all the details see our guide.
FOOD & DRINK: A capella group the Georgetown Saxatones perform this Sunday at Virtue Feed & Grain’s (106 S. Union Street Alexandria, VA) Pajama Brunch. $23.
AWARDS: Kick back and watch the 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors on CBS this Sunday, presenting awards to and recognizing the work of Barbara Cook, Neil Diamond, Yo-Yo Ma, Sonny Rollins, and Meryl Streep. 9-11 p.m.
