The spirit of Halloween is still on display across town. Don a costume and party at a museum, lace up your skates for a giant rollerskating festival, and more.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1
MAMMOTH MUSEUM: It’s difficult to envision a time when elephants weren’t a protected species; the new exhibition Elephants and Us: Considering Extinction honors the 30th anniversary of the African Elephant Conservation Act. The documents will remain on display until Sept. 13, 2020 (National Museum of American History, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., FREE)
EXPLORE ART: Get rid of your antiquated college dorm posters and upgrade your space with some actual art. The Superfine! Art Fair returns for a weekend-long art bazaar of affordable art (about 60 percent of the pieces are available for $100-$1,000), plus lectures, live music, multimedia experiences, and performance art. (Dock 5 at Union Market, 12 p.m.-10 p.m., $15+)
DANGEROUS DAYS: When Halloween falls on a weekday, the holiday isn’t over until days later. Celebrate at the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ After-Hours Party celebrating the opening of Live Dangerously, a new exhibition examining women in the natural world. The collection is on view through Jan. 2020; the party features tours, light refreshments, and an open bar. Yes, costumes are encouraged. (National Museum of Women in the Arts, 8 p.m., $35 members/$45 general)
MORE:Spooky Tour (Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., FREE), Dacha Beer Garden Creepy Carnival (Dacha, 4 p.m.-12 a.m., free entry), Hall-O-Screen Party: The Nightmare Before Christmas(The REACH at the Kennedy Center, 6 p.m. start, 7:30 p.m., FREE)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2
FIGHT FINISHED: Our Nats may have won their historic World Series victory in Houston, they’ll get to celebrate with all their fans back home at Saturday’s parade. The team will head down Constitution Ave. from 15th to Pennsylvania and 3rd, where the celebration will end with a rally. (Constitution Ave., 2 p.m., FREE)
IN MEMORY: Celebrate Día de los Muertos with the Day of the Dead Festival. Hosted by the Smithsonian Latino Center and Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the festivities, which include a traditional ofrenda (or altar), the making of paper marigolds, and interactive mural-making, continue on Sunday. NMAI is just one of the city’s cultural institutions celebrating Día de los Muertos this weekend. (Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., FREE)
GLIDE ALL NIGHT: Lace up your skates and get ready to glide at Capital Skatefest 2019. The celebration of rollerskating in D.C. includes an all-ages skate session in the afternoon and a nighttime adult skate session with 2 floors for beginner and advanced skaters. Bring your own skates, or rent a pair for free. (DC Armory, 3:30 p.m., FREE for kids 12 and under/$9.40 for adults)
NIGHT AT THE OPERA: The Washington National Opera presents the Portland Opera’s production of The Magic Flute, Mozart’s final, kid-friendly opera, presented in English with titles and designs by author-illustrator Maurice Sendak. Arrive early for a pre-performance lecture. (The Kennedy Center Opera House, 7 p.m., $25+)
ALL MIRRORS: In recent years, Angel Olsen has expanded the scope of her sound with increasingly ambitious projects. On All Mirrors, the singer-songwriter incorporates a 14-piece suite of instruments for a richly orchestral sound. Vagabon, who also has dramatically shifted her sound on her latest album, opens the can’t-miss show. (Lincoln Theatre, 6:30 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, $35)
MORE: Yoga Garden (The Midlands, 10 a.m. class, $15), Day of the Dead Celebration (Mexican Cultural Institute, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., FREE), Bone Yards 2019 (The Yards DC, 12 p.m.-2 p.m., FREE), DC Beer Fest (Nationals Park, 12 p.m.-8 p.m., $45-$75), Right Proper Ren Faire (Right Proper Brookland Production House, 12 p.m.-6 p.m., FREE) Pray for Snow Party (REI, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE), Día de los Muertos with Maru Montero Dance Company (National Portrait Gallery, 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m., FREE), Explore the Night Sky (Rock Creek Park, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., FREE)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3
CYCLING WITH ELEGANCE: Now entering its second decade, the DC Tweed Ride is your chance to cruise around town in style. The event kicks off at a secret location—revealed to attendees who RSVP—and the 10-mile ride is followed by a dapper party at Roofers Union featuring the sounds of the Foggy Bottom Whomp-Stompers. (Start location TBA, 11 a.m., FREE to ride/$20-$25 Jazz Age Jam party ticket)
SEIZE THE DAY: Organized labor? You love to see it! Disney’s Newsies tells the story of the Newsboys’ Strike of 1899 in which newsboys confronted the competitive tactics of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. The show runs through Dec. 22. (Arena Stage Fichandler Stage, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., $51-$125)
MONO NO AWARE: In 2017, Great Grandpa released the band’s debut, Plastic Cough, a wonderfully ramshackle slice of pop-rock. The band’s latest, Four of Arrows, is a dynamic, introspective level-up. DUMP Him and Merce Lemon open the show. (Songbyrd downstairs, 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, $12 advance/$14 day of show)
MORE: Prevent Cancer Health Fair and 5k Walk/Run (Nationals Park, 7:45 a.m. check-in, 9 a.m. Fun Run, FREE for kids 12 and under and dogs/$10-$35 ages 13 and up), Sunday Flow (lululemon Georgetown, 9 a.m. FREE), Solful Sundays: Wellness Edition III (12 Stories, 10 a.m., $40), Free Community Day (National Museum of Women in the Arts, 12 p.m.-5 p.m., FREE), Washington National Opera: Otello(The Kennedy Center Opera House, 2 p.m., $45+), West Wing Trivia (Glen’s Garden Market, 3 p.m., $5), Profs & Pints: Victims of the Spanish Inquisition (The Bier Baron Tavern, 6 p.m., $12 advance/$15 at the door), Control Top with Minibeast and Time Is Fire (Comet Ping Pong, 9 p.m., $12)
This post has been updated to include the Washington Nationals’ parade and rally on Saturday.
