The Anime USA Convention returns to Wardman Park Hotel October 21-23. (Photo via Facebook).
This weekend’s agenda include an Anime convention, Swedish festival, unlimited oysters and beer, and more.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
ANIME CONVENTION: Celebrate Japanese animation, art, culture, history, and fashion when Anime USA returns to Wardman Park Hotel. The three-day event includes a cosplay craftsmanship competition, cosplay masquerade, and catwalk & fashion show, plus panels and workshops covering anime, manga, music, video games, and web comics. $30-55 at the door, or register online for Anime USA membership
REI GRAND OPENING: Celebrate the grand opening of REI’s DC Flagship store at their 3-day Block Party. The weekend festivities will include live music, beer, s’mores, plus workshops in smartphone photography, knot tying, and more. The first 500 people through the doors each day will receive a custom DC CamelBak water bottle with a promo card inside. (201 M Street NE) FREE *cash bar
SEANCE: Help bring Harry Houdini back from the dead at DC Weirdo Show’s Houdini Seance. In addition to making contact with the dead, you’ll also be entertained with magic, mentalism, daring escapes and vaudevillian comedy. (Bier Baron Tavern) 9-11 p.m. $15-20
CEMETERY TOUR: Soul Strolls offers the rare opportunity to take a nighttime tour of the Congressional Cemetery. On this hour- long tour that sometimes strays off path (be ready for uneven terrain), costumed interpreters will tell the stories of the Congressman, carpenters, suffragists, and bootleggers laid to rest at the Cemetery. 6-9 p.m. $20 *tours depart every 15 minutes
MORE: Major & the Monbacks, Amanda Shires, The People Under the Stairs, Naked Girls Reading, Butterfly Bash
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22:
Celebrate Swedish culture at Saturday’s Sweden Festival.(Photo via Facebook).
FESTIVALS: Experience performance art and/or Swedish culture when the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and Embassy of Sweden both host festivals this Saturday. The Hirshhorn Fall Fest (11 a.m.- 6 p.m.) highlights the newest exhibition by performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson, featuring a lineup of performances by musicians featured in Kjartansson’s live performance piece “Woman in E.” The Sweden Festival (12-4:30 p.m.) will features musical performances, dance lessons, Swedish brands, Swedish food, and more.
RYE: Eat and drink rye at the first annual Rye for Bread, a benefit for Bread for the City. Rye drinks will be provided by Catoctin Creek, and pastrami on rye sandwiches will be provided by Smoked & Stacked. (The Passenger) 3-7 p.m. $40
BREWERY TASTINGS: The 3rd Annual Brewers On The Block gives you access to unlimited tasting from over twenty fives of the region’s top breweries, cideries, and meaderies. Plus, attendees will be the first to try D.C’s first hyper-local beer brewed by 3 Stars Brewing, featuring hops grown at Neal Place Tap & Garden. (Neal Place Tap & Garden) 2-5 p.m. $40-60
SCAVENGER HUNT: Join a group of up to four people and search the city as you race to be one of the top three teams with the most points. Points are earned by correctly answering questions and posting Instagram photos and videos of a list of items, and prizes include restaurant gift certificates. The hunt will end with a wine tasting at DCanter, and all proceeds will benefit Wine to Water, an organization working to provide clean water to those in need. (Meet at the Smithsonian Metro Stop) 1 p.m. $20
More: USPTO’s National Trademark Expo, Wine, Cheese, Dance , Taste of Tudor Place, 52 O Street Artist Open Studios, Pumpkin Carving, Used Book Sale
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
Treat yourself to four hours of all-you-can-eat oysters and bottomless beer at the first ever Shucktoberfest. (Photo via Facebook).
OYSTERS AND BEER: Treat yourself to a ticket to Shucktoberfest, presented by Blue Point Brewing Company, and indulge in four hours of bottomless Blue Point Brewing Company beer and spiked beer cocktails, plus unlimited oysters & seafood bites from Rappahannock Oyster Company. BONUS: Football fans need not worry, there will be a football viewing lounge showing the Redskins vs. Lions game. (Union Market’s Maurice Electrical Courtyard) 12-4 p.m. $75
PIE FEST: Do you bake pie? Do you eat pie? Then you should be at the 5th Annual Pie Fest, a fundraiser for the Jayna Troxel Murray Foundation. Enter your best pie into a contest in one of six categories. With one of the categories being “Piepourri (miscellaneous),” all pies are fair game. If you can’t bake, simply eating everyone else’s pie is also highly encouraged. (Bourbon Restaurant in Adams Morgan) 1-4 p.m. $15-25
POTUS: Not thrilled with one or more of this year’s presidential candidates? At the fourth quadrennial production of Washington Improv Theater’s POTUS Among Us, running through November 6, you’ll enjoy debate, sans Clinton and Trump. In this interactive show, attendees will have the opportunity to shape the fictional candidate’s platform and decide who will ultimately be elected. (Source) 7 P.M. $15-20
COMEDY: He’s known for his YouTube videos and parody albums that include songs like “Hotline Bling Remix,” and now rapper, actor, and comedian, Chingo Bling brings his live his comedy to DC Improv. 7 p.m. $20 + two item minimum
More: A Face in the Crowd movie screening, Goosebumps movie screening, Billie Holliday Listening Party, Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company
