Take the kids to the National Portrait Gallery’s Young Portrait Explorers event. (Photo by Clif Burns)
A Nordic Film Festival, a Katy Perry concert, and a Banned Book Week gathering walk into a bar… What’s the punchline? They’re all happening this week, of course!
MONDAY, SEPT. 25
KID CULTURE: Let the kids become art historians at the National Portrait Gallery’s Young Portrait Explorers event. Toddlers up to age 5 can come learn about the history behind the gallery’s pieces by listening to stories and partaking in hands-on activities. This month’s focus is on Mexican-American dancer and choreographer José Limón—the perfect subject for Hispanic Heritage Month. (National Portrait Gallery, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., FREE, registration required)
SHALOM & SALUD: September 15 kicks off the U.S. National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, and Moishe House in Columbia Heights will be hosting a Shalom & Salud event. Centered around the Hispanic Jewish community, there will be food, fun, and a brief dive into the history of Judaism within the Hispanic world. (Moishe House, 7:30 p.m., FREE, registration required)
ROAR: Feel like you’re livin’ a teenage dream when Katy Perry comes to Capitol One Arena tonight. The artist is performing her latest album on her “Witness” tour, and if Perry’s previous concerts are any indication, the show will be full of zany costumes and whimsy. (Capitol One Arena, 7 p.m., $29.50 – $200.50)
MORE: After-Run Wigle Whiskey Tasting (Pacers Running, 6:30 p.m., FREE), Improv Wars (Laugh Index Theatre, 8 – 10 p.m., $10 online, $15 cash only at door), DC RCPV Career Conference (1111 20th Street NW, 7 p.m., FREE, registration required, open only for returned Peace Corps volunteers and returned staff)
Enjoy a cocktail over a magic show at Shaw’s Tavern. (Photo by Dave Bloom)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 26
MAGIC MAKER: Pick a drink, any drink… What better way to enjoy magic than over a cocktail? Magician Danny Dubin will be at Shaw’s Tavern to play some tricks and wow guests. Each ticket includes a drink, but be forewarned: There’s a chance Dubin may make shots appear out of nowhere. (Shaw’s Tavern, 8 – 9 p.m., $15)
THOUGHT PROVOKER: Starting today, The Atlantic and The Aspen Institute host Washington Ideas, a series of talks that bring together the nation’s best in politics, business, health, the arts, journalism, and tech. Featured speakers include the likes of director Ken Burns, Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, and SoulCycle CEO Melanie Whelan. Miss today? Don’t worry—the events continue through Thursday. (Locations and times vary, $200 – $500)
ALL THE WAY LIVE: This evening, the Anacostia Arts Center hosts its final installment of its All the Way Live Tuesdays! series. The monthly hip-hop gathering has featured a variety of performers and musicians such as Wes Felton, MILK$, and Dior Ashley Brown. Tonight, Head Roc, SlimKat78, and DJ RBI among others will be there to close out the season. (Anacostia Arts Center, 7 – 9 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Drink and Draw (Franklin Hall, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., FREE, registration required)
Head to the Goethe-Institut for a talk on the fall of the Berlin Wall. (Photo by Jack Whitsitt)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27
BERLIN CALLING: Author Paul Hockenos comes to the Goethe-Institut to discuss his book “Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, the Wall, and the Birth of the New Berlin.” Focused on the 1989 reunification of Germany, Hockenos examines the street artists, punk rockers, and underground revolutionaries who not only contributed to the fall of communism, but also to the raw and edgy vibe still felt in Berlin today. (The Goethe-Institut, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., FREE, registration required)
PEN TO PAPER D.C.: Stampede is a group that works to improve the conditions of the people, plants, and animals here in the District. Tonight, it will be hosting a letter-writing night to elderly prisoners with the Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign at The Potter’s House. The materials will be provided, as will a quick workshop on writing to folks in prison. There will be opportunities to write to governors and parole boards, as well. (The Potter’s House, 6:30 – 8 p.m., FREE)
NORTHERN FLICKS: The Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish embassies have joined forces with The Avalon Theatre to host a Nordic Film Week. The tape starts rolling today with a screening of “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki,” a Cannes Film Festival-winner based on the life of Finnish boxer Olli Mäki. The festival continues through October 1, with plenty of options from the entire Nordic contingency. (The Avalon Theatre, times vary, $9.50 – $12.50)
DEAF AWARENESS DAY: Today, the Office of Disability Rights and Commission on Persons with Disabilities hosts a Deaf Awareness Day. Learn about deaf culture and the experience of the deaf community in the District through a series of programs, networking events, and various deaf advocates. ASL interpretation will be provided. (Old Council Chambers, 3 – 7 p.m., FREE)
ALL THE LADIES: Head to the Rent the Runway store in Georgetown this evening for the event Ladies Who Start Fresh. The roster is filled with women-founded brands such as Bossed Up, Lean, Jrink, and SoulCycle. Juice samples, career guidance, and fitness expertise—the perfect way to start fall off on a fresh foot. (Rent the Runway, 6 – 8 p.m., FREE, registration required)
BEER BELLY: Belgian restaurant Belga Café hosts a special fixed-price meal with Goose Island Beers tonight. There will be five courses served through the evening, each with an accompanying brew. With the likes of burrata crostinis, spicy mussels, BBQ pork belly waffles, seared scallops, IPAs, scotch ales, and saisons, it’s hard to say which will be tastier—the food or the beer? (Belga Café, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., $53.73)
MORE: 5Rhythms with Ann Kite (Church of the Holy City, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., $18.02), The LGBTQ Community and the Outdoors (Patagonia store, 7 – 9 p.m., FREE, registration required), Women in Defense National Conference (The Mayflower Hotel, 8:15 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., $50 – $420), Exposed D.C. Happy Hour (Jack Rose Dining Saloon, 6 – 8 p.m., FREE)
Head to a Banned Book Week button-making event hosted by the Harry Potter Alliance. (Photo by Hilary Woodward)
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28
UNCENSORED: It’s Banned Books Week, so head to the interim Cleveland Park Library to make banned book buttons and even check out some previously banned books. The event is hosted by the D.C. chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance, a group that makes activism possible through the power of storytelling. Harry would be proud. (4340 Connecticut Ave. NW, 6-8 p.m., FREE)
COME FROM AWAY: The Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive and Ford’s Theatre will host an archived screening of “Come From Away” at the Chevy Chase Neighborhood Branch Library. The musical tells the true story of a small Canadian town that housed airline passengers stranded during 9-11. Set to a score of lively folk and rock, it’s a heartwarming tale about the importance of human empathy. (Chevy Chase Library, 7 – 9 p.m., FREE, RSVP required)
PASS THE MARGS: Wasting away again in Margaritaville…or Nationals Park. Tonight is Margaritaville Night at the baseball stadium, so prepare for plenty of Parrotheads. Each special event ticket purchased includes $10 of value that can be spent on ballpark concessions and merchandise, and a dollar from each ticket will go toward Hurricane Irma relief efforts in Key West. The first 500 people to arrive with a Margaritaville ticket will receive an exclusive Nats t-shirt, too. (Nationals Park, 5 – 11 p.m., $26 – $40)
BOOK TALK: The Project on Middle East Political Science hosts Northwestern University political science associate professor Wendy Pearlman tonight to discuss her book “We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled.” Pearlman conducted hundreds of interviews with Syrian refugees and shares their stories of wartime displacement in her book. A moderated discussion will take place, as well, with time for a Q&A. (Elliott School for International Affairs, 5:30 – 7 p.m., FREE, registration required)
MORE: Gallery Talk: Twist-Layer-Pour (American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, 6 – 7:30 pm., FREE), Calling All Creatives! End of Summer Social (Spaces NoMa, 6:30 – 10 p.m., FREE, RSVP required), Finding Inner Peace and Calmness (Petworth Neighborhood Library, 7 – 8:30 p.m., FREE, registration required), Will & Grace Watch Party (Nellie’s Sports Bar, 7 – 10 p.m., FREE)
