(Photo by lylesy)
Get in the autumn spirit with a new, nature-themed interactive exhibit, enjoy some spooky entertainment, or spend some time by the water before it gets too chilly out.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
MURDER MOTEL: There are nearly three weeks to go until Halloween, but you can get in the spooky spirit this weekend with Paradise Motel, an installment of The Coil Project’s annual Strange Tales Halloween anthology series. The setting of the performance is room 116, a deeply strange and probably haunted room in a motel frequented by thieves, gangsters, and other nefarious fellows. You can also catch the show Saturday night. (Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 8 p.m., $20)
WRITTEN IN THE STARS: Elton John and Tim Rice’s 1998 musical Aida opens this weekend on 14th Street. Based on the 19th century opera by Antonio Ghislanzoni and Giuseppe Verdi, this English language production dives into power structures and forbidden love. After Aida is kidnapped, she’s brought to Egypt, where she serves as handmaiden to a shallow princess and soon captures the attention of her fiancé, a military man destined for the crown. Will Aida choose to fight for her heart, or her homeland? It’s a tragic, but beautiful tale, and it’s only on stage for a few weeks. Constellation Theatre Company presents this production in preview Friday night, which means cheap tickets. (Source, 8 p.m., $15)
DON’T TURN INTO A PUMPKIN: Oh. Hi, Mark! Are you tearing me apart or doing the time warp again? It’s totally up to you with concurrent midnight screenings of two cult classics that have had people staying up late and getting weird for years. Buy a few boxes of plastic spoons and get ready to toss the ol’ football around while watching The Room, or dress up and let your Transylvanian freak flag fly at The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 11:59 p.m., $10)
MORE: The Comedy of Errors (Lansburgh Theatre, 8 p.m., $59-118); Compañía Flamenca Eduardo Guerrero (George Mason University Center for the Arts, 8 p.m., $30-$50)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
BRING THE OUTSIDE, INSIDE: Instagrammers, rejoice! Just when you thought you’d be stuck with a pumpkin patch or apple picking photo to celebrate the arrival of flannel season, Artechouse comes through with a new exhibit. New Nature opens this weekend, and like all of the previous installations, it’s an interactive adventure for kids and adults alike. Designed by Marpi, the artwork in New Nature responds to your movements, creating patterns inspired by plants, landscapes, planets, critters, and more. If you usually can’t keep a plant alive, consider this one way to break the curse. (Artechouse, open 10 a.m.-11 p.m., $15)
MOVE OVER, STREETCAR: The annual H Street Festival is this Saturday, bringing several blocks of entertainment to the corridor. Come dance, eat, mingle, and make art at one of the largest street festivals the city has to offer. There will be more than a dozen indoor and outdoor stages, and it’s free to attend. (H Street between 4th and 14th streets, NE, noon-7 p.m., FREE)
ARTSY FARTSY: If you’re craving an evening featuring delicate stemware and art—something that will set you apart from your uncultured swine housemates—you might spend your Saturday evening at Champagne in the Galleries. The fall fundraiser for The Kreeger Museum will include access to the collection, champagne, hors d’oeuvres, and live music from the Zack Pride Trio. Proceeds benefit the museum’s arts education programs for D.C. area students. (The Kreeger Museum, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., $75)
SHINE YOUR LIGHT: Maimouna Youssef performs at The Kennedy Center this Saturday for one night only. Born in Baltimore and raised in D.C., “Mumu Fresh” has shared the stage with Sting, Nas, Common, Lauryn Hill, Ed Sheeran, Jill Scott, Bruno Mars, and more. She puts on a powerful performance, and she’s a local gal, so show some love. (The Kennedy Center, 7:30 p.m., $29-$49)
BIG, FLUFFY, AND FREAKY: Giant rabbits usually aren’t anything to be afraid of—unless you’re a carrot … or a gardener … or the rabbit bites. But some rabbits are terrifying, especially when they’re armed and out of their minds and not actually rabbits. There’s a local legend that says a guy ran around in a bunny costume, hacking people apart with a hatchet. And some folks say that tale inspired some creeper aspects of the film Donnie Darko. This Saturday, learn the true origins of the tale of the Bunnyman, then watch the 2001 cult classic. It’ll all take place in the dark passageways of a former underground trolley service. There will be a cash bar. (Dupont Underground, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m., $26)
MORE: DC Acrobatic Convention (Xtreme Acro and Cheer, All Day, $25-$170); Dance Party: Soul in the Horn with Natasha Diggs and DProsper (The Kennedy Center, 9 p.m., $10); Taste Of The Harvest (Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus, 4 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14
PARTY, PORTSIDE: The historic waterfront in Alexandria is welcoming a new park later this fall, and the town is celebrating with a new programming series that launches this weekend. The Portside in Old Town Festival will feature various music, history, art, and fitness events throughout the weekend. On Sunday, you can take a free tour of the tall ship Godspeed, take a strength and yoga class, listen to live music, grab a slice from a Pizzeria Paradiso pop-up, and enjoy a waterside brewski from Port City Brewing Company’s beer garden. (Waterfront Park, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., FREE)
THE RUFF. THE RUFF. THE RUFF IS ON FIRE: We The Dogs DC is throwing a rooftop Luau Pool Pawty before it’s officially too chilly to hang poolside. Co-hosted with Tito’s Vodka, the party will feature cocktails, a doggy swim, treats for the fur babies, and food for you. (Art and Soul at Liaison Capitol Hill, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., $10 suggested donation for puppers/FREE for hoomans)
MORE: Vikings at the Wharf (The Wharf, 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., FREE); Dave Attell (DC Improv, 7:30 p.m., $35); The Wedding Singer (NextStop Theatre, 2 p.m., $40)
