MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1
PICNIC TIME: Head to the Arlington Arts Center for an evening picnic and Día de los Muertos celebration. Bring your own blanket or chairs and snag dinner from local food trucks like La Tingeria and 7Moltin. Local mariachi music by Grupo Fénix and dancing by the Ballet Folklorico Mi Herencia Mexicana will be the entertainment for the night. (6 p.m., free admission)
OUTDOOR CELEBRATION: Alternatively, you can celebrate Día de los Muertos with a two-day outdoor celebration of music and art at the National Portrait Gallery. Help create a community altar on the museum’s steps, witness a live digital painting by artists MasPaz, Guache, and Omar García, and learn all about the history and mythology behind the holiday. (6:30 p.m., FREE)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
LIVE VIRTUAL SHOW: Tune into a live, crowdsourced, immersive, multi-screen performance from local award-winning artist Brian Feldman. The show, streamed on Zoom from Cleveland Park, features a mysterious character named “txt” who recites a script written in real-time by the audience. (7 p.m., pay what you can)
DIWALI 2021: Celebrate the Festival of Lights early with Mayor Muriel Bowser at the U.S. Navy Memorial downtown. The event includes a lamp lighting ceremony, performances, and light refreshments. (6:30 p.m., FREE)
MORE: Sonny Landreth with Jamie McLean (The Hamilton Live, 6:30 pm, $20), Andy Cohen book talk (Sixth & I, 7 p.m., in-person $35 virtual $32), Nature Hike – Changing Seasons (Potomac Overlook Regional Park, 2 p.m., $7)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
FOOTBALL GAME: Head to Audi Field for the 12th annual Congressional football game with members of Congress and former NFL players facing off against U.S. Capitol Police. The family-friendly event will not only include a spirited competition, but it supports the Capitol Police and honors fallen officers. (7 p.m. $10)
MUSIC AND POETRY: Enjoy an evening of music and poetry at Washington Performing Arts’ “Tomorrow I May Be Far Away” event at Sixth & I. Pianist Lara Downes will perform and focus on eminent Black composers, like Duke Ellington and Nina Simone, with special-guest appearances from Putlizer-winning poet Rita Dove and the Thalea Quartet from the University of Maryland School of Music. (8 p.m., $40)
PAINT THERAPY: Need to relax after a long Halloween weekend? Head to Allure Bar and Lounge for the Paint Amour after-work paint therapy series. Enjoy an evening of fun, paint, and a cash bar. Participants will learn how to pour paint and design a masterpiece while freestyling any way they want. (7 p.m., $25)
MORE: Broken Mic Comedy Presents Wednesday Night Mayhem (Exiles Bar, 8 p.m., FREE), Kal Penn: You Can’t Be Serious (Smithsonian Associates, 6:45 p.m., $25), Tim Mak, Misfire book talk (East City Bookshop, 7 p.m., FREE), Take a Number: Maura Brewer and Casey Michel in discussion (Arlington Arts Center, 7 p.m., FREE)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4
ROAD TRIP: Take a trip over to the Village at Leesburg for a new holiday market called the MADE Market, which opens today through January 2. The indoor artisan market will feature local artists of mediums including oil painting, watercolor, jewelry, ceramics, wood, textile, and more. Most of the artists are local to Loudoun County, and some artwork will rotate out each week. (10 a.m., free admission)
CLASSICAL CONCERT: Enjoy a concert from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Christoph König leads a dramatic program featuring Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto. Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason will present the BSO premiere of the concerto. (8 p.m., $25)
SHAKESPEARE BOOK CLUB: Join the Folger Shakespeare Library for their monthly Zoom book club exploring novels inspired by Shakespeare and the early modern era. November features The Porpoise by Mark Haddon. Staff will be on hand to provide historical context, throw in trivia, and highlight relevant items from the library’s collection. (6:30 p.m., $20)
MORE: Sweeping Promises, Emotional World at Comet Ping Pong (9 p.m., $15)
