Enjoy the last few days of February by watching the NBA’s reigning MVP, going green with a veggie cooking class, curling up with a good book, and much more.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24
MVP: Basketball fans won’t want to miss Monday’s matchup between our hometown Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks. The reigning MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and his Buck team are poised by many experts to make the NBA Finals this year. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Wizards, but it’s absolutely worth going to see Giannis in person. (Capital One Arena, 7 p.m., prices vary)
NOMINATED: The short films nominated for an Academy Award are sometimes a little difficult to track down in theaters. One of those mini movies from this year, For Sama, will screen this week at Georgetown University. The short, about one woman’s life during the uprising in Syria, will be followed by a conversation with Syrian activist Sana Mustafa about the film. (ICC Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., FREE with registration)
GOING GREEN: James Beard Award-winning chef and educator Bryant Terry will host a special event in honor of his entirely plant-based book, Vegetable Kingdom. Bryant will take a deep dive into the fundamentals of vegan cooking, including recipes around veggies, legumes, and grains. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jamila Robinson will moderate the discussion and attendees will leave with an autographed copy of Bryant’s book. (The Outrage, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $50)
MORE: Stories Behind the Images: Talk and Book Signing with Corey Rich (George Mason University, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., $29), The Illusionists: A Documentary Screening (The Viva Center, 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., $15)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
SAGAN: The French Embassy continues its Vies d’Artistes film series with a screening of 2008’s Sagan. Directed by Dianne Kurys, the film tracks the life and career of writer Françoise Sagan, best known for her debut novel Bonjour Tristesse, as she contends with fame, drug addiction, and love affairs. (Embassy of France, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE with registration)
LENS: Photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva will speak at the National Geographic museum on Tuesday. Arbugaeva’s recent work has helped to shine a light on the conditions of the people living in the Russian Arctic, where they’ve struggled with not only current political conditions, but climate change too. (National Geographic Museum, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m., $25)
MASK ON: It’s Fat Tuesday, so now’s your last chance to find a suitable Mardi Gras mask. Baked & Wired will give you a chance to create and design your own individualized mask with feathers, sequins, and beads. You’ll also score a King Cake cupcake to take home. Need somewhere to wear your new creation? Check out one of these Mardi Gras feasts or parties around town. (Baked & Wired, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m, $18)
MORE: Screening of Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story (The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., FREE with registration), Meltwater On, In, and Under the Greenland Ice Sheet (Carnegie Institution for Science, 6:30 p.m.-7:45 p.m., $10), Cigar Pop-up Bar, featuring Puffin Pretty and Kamalu Cigars! (Pure Lounge, 6 p.m., $10)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
CRIMINAL: This month’s selection for the Kramerbooks True Crime Book club is the lengthily titled People Who Eat Darkness: The True Story of a Young Woman Who Vanished from the Streets of Tokyo—and the Evil That Swallowed Her Up. Writer Richard Lloyd Perry’s 2012 novel has drawn comparisons to In Cold Blood, mostly due to the unprecedented level of access Perry received to all aspects of the grisly murder at the center of the book. If you don’t have a copy, Kramers will offer 15 percent off the cost of purchase if you buy it there. (Kramerbooks, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., FREE)
UNEXPECTED: Tracy Walder’s story feels like it ripped from a plotline of Alias: The college student went from sorority functions to high-security rooms as a recruit for the CIA. Walder’s tale has been captured in her book, The Unexpected Spy (it’s also due to become a show on ABC) and she’ll visit the Spy Museum to talk all about her wild ride. (Spy Museum, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $10)
JAZZ IT UP: Grammy Award-winning drummer, composer, and producer Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science will perform at the Museum of African American History and Culture on Wednesday night. They’ll perform selections from their critically acclaimed album Waiting Game, which offers messages of political activism through the stirring use of jazz, R&B, rock, improvisation, and hip-hop. (Museum of African American History and Culture, 7 p.m.-8:30, $30)
TREES: Patagonia’s Georgetown location will host a screening of Treeline, a documentary about the many forests of our globe that we depend on to live. The film includes footage from the birch forests of Japan, the bristlecones of Nevada and more. Beer and snacks will also be served for free. (Patagonia Georgetown, 7 p.m – 9 p.m., FREE)
MORE: 86th Annual DCCBG Brown Bag Competition (Green Zone, 8 p.m.-11 p.m., FREE), Daniel Denvir: All American Nativism (Solid State Books, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., FREE with registration), DCist at #ExposedDC (Touchstone Gallery, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., FREE)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27
SWEET TREATS: If you’ve already blown through your yearly stash of Thin Mints and are still craving some delicious Girl Scout cookies, Craft Beer Cellar has a unique tasting event for you that will pair your favorite sweet treat with beer from Bell’s Brewery. There’s also one last chance to pick up cookies for the road—members of Troop 44039 will be on hand to sell boxes. (Craft Beer Cellar, 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., $1, fee waived with purchase of cookies)
MRS. ROBINSON: Continuing their series of screening of movies nominated for Best Picture in 1968, the Library of Congress will host a viewing of The Graduate. The Dustin Hoffman-starring, Mike Nichols-directed romantic drama is considered a classic, all set to a soundtrack from Simon and Garfunkel. See it on a big screen in all its glory. (Library of Congress, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., FREE)
WHAT HAPPENED: The 2018 documentary What Happened 2 Chocolate City tells the story of three generations of Washingtonians, exploring how gentrification is changing black communities in D.C. See the film at the XFINITY store in Chinatown on Thursday evening. (XFINITY Chinatown, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., FREE with registration)
FLOORED: We often look up to walls and ceilings for our art displays, but what about glancing down? Home furnishing company STARK and the Washington Design Center will host a special interactive display featuring decorative carpets from a variety of different artists. In addition to the art itself, you’ll also have a chance to create a piece of your own. (Washington Design Center, 5 p.m.-7 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Big Head Todd & The Monsters featuring Hazel Miller (The Hamilton, 7:30 p.m., $34.75), USGBC NCR Green Tie Affair (District Winery, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., $100)
