Photo by John Jack Photography.
FRIDAY
ART: American painter Richard Estes will speak about his life and art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F streets NW). The program coincides with the opening of the exhibition Richard Estes’ Realism, “the first complete overview of Estes’s work in the U.S. since 1978.” 6 p.m. Free.
MOVIES: Union Market’s drive-in series begins again with Monsters University. As always, it’s $10 to park a car, free to sit in front of the screen. The market will be open throughout and Timber Pizza Co. will be outside. 6 p.m. gates, 8 p.m. movie. Or check out Zoolander in Lamont Park (3213 Mount Pleasant Street NW). 7:15 p.m.
ZOMBIES: Chase and be chased by zombies during DC Dead, described as “one part haunted house and two parts interactive theatre,” at Fort Fringe (607 New York Avenue NW). “Please come prepared to stand, climb stairs, scavenge for supplies and dodge that fatal swipe from the infected undead!” Performances last around 20 minutes and run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is $35.
SATURDAY
MORE ZOMBIES: If you’d rather just pretend to be a zombie while getting drunk, The Walking Dead bar crawl has you covered. The person in the best zombie or character costume wins a $200 bar tab, while dressing like a zombie will get you three free drinks. Participating bars include Fado Irish Pub, Penn Social, RFD Washington and Jackpot. Tickets are $30 in advanced, $35 at the door. Check-in takes place at Penn Social (801 E Street NW) between 3 and 6 p.m.
DANCE: The VelocityDC Dance Festival will conclude Saturday will performances by the Capital Movement Pre-Professional Company, Silk Road Dance Company, Company Danzante Contemporary Dance, the Washington Ballet, KanKouran West African Dance Company and more. $18. 2 and 8 p.m. Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW).
THEATER: Big Nate, a musical theater adaptation of the perpetualy-in-sixth-grade comic strip of the same name, makes a stop at Olney Theatre Saturday and Sunday (2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md.). The show features the eponymous Nate vying to win his school Battle of the Bands. The national tour of this adaptation, via Adventure Theatre, last hit D.C. in 2013, and will play once more in Bethesda late next month. Tickets are $22 and you can get them here. 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. shows. — Riley Croghan
CLASS: Knowledge Commons DC will host a free roller derby class with the DC Rollergirls at the Anacostia Skate Pavilion (1900 Anacostia Drive SE). “We’ll be covering derby stance, stride, and stops; the basics of gameplay; and what happens when the ladies hit the track. This class will be taught as a series of demonstrations. Although you won’t be skating as part of the class, if you’d like to bring your skates and hang out at the rink afterwards (the rink also has free skate rentals!), you’re more than welcome to.” 10 a.m.
FESTIVAL: Columbia Heights Day activities will stretch down 11th Street NW from Park Road to Kenyon Street, with two stages for live music. “In addition to the music entertainment, local businesses, community organizations, and local politicians will be exhibiting in the street area nestled between moon bounces, dunk tanks, and face painting stations for the kids. Our 11th Street businesses will be serving up delicious street food in the festival area and their restaurants and bars will be open to enjoy an adult beverage and full menus. To make the day even more festive, we’ll have an eating contest, an adult tricycle race, an outdoor moving screening, and many more activities for both the kids and the adults.” 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. A screening of ET: The Extra Terrestrial will follow at 7 p.m. in the yard at Harriet Tubman Elementary School.
ART: The fourth (semi) annual Call + Response art show is taking place at Hole in the Sky (2110 5th Street NE) on Saturday at 7 p.m. For this year’s show, co-organizers Kira Wisniewski, Dillon Babington, and Mike O’Brien tapped Philadelphia’s Restorations to write and record a 12-minute instrumental work, which was then given to a group of writers and artists to create work inspired by the music. All work will be on display and Restorations will perform a special set at the opening. Food and drinks will be available courtesy Three Stars and Milk Cult. $5, more info here. (Disclosure: DCist Associate Editor Matt Cohen is one of the participating writers).
SUNDAY
EAT: Taste of D.C., which takes place on both Saturday and Sunday, will feature food from 40 restaurants, 15 food trucks and other vendors along Pennsylvania Avenue NW, from 9th to 14th Street. Tickets, which start at $10, can be purchased online and redeemed at the 11th Street entrance, or purchased day-of at either entrance.
TV: Little Miss Whiskey’s (1104 H Street NE) will screen the season premiere of The Walking Dead at 9 p.m. You can expect to watch the entire season at the bar, except for the episode on October, 26, when the Saints play Green Bay. Quoth owner Mark Thorp: “SAINTS TRUMP DEAD. DUH.” No cover, but you must buy a drink.
