MONDAY, OCT. 17
DANCING IN THE STREET: After a three-year hiatus, Sixth & I brings back its signature Simchat Torah celebration and shuts down I Street for the event. Dance to live music, enjoy themed cocktails and snacks, and take part in other festivities led by rabbis and musicians to celebrate the Torah. Tickets include two drink tickets and snacks. (Sixth & I; 7 p.m.; $15)
DESIGN WEEK: DC Design Week, an annual celebration of DC’s creative community, returns for its 14th year. If you couldn’t make the DC Public Library panel about utilizing local talent to create their D.C. exhibit, head to a roundtable discussion with local digital artists about how the internet helps expand their work. (Mindspace DC; 7 p.m.’ $15) Each Design Week event will feature light refreshments and individual admission for $15, and more events will take place throughout the week at various venues.
MORE: Magpie and the Tiger Gyo-Pocha pop-up (Thirsty Crow; 5 p.m.; FREE admission), D.C. Mondays: Walking the Foggy Bottom Historic District (George Washington University Museum; 12 p.m.; virtual; FREE), Profs & Pints DC: Spirits Around the Place (Little Penn Coffeehouse; 6 p.m.; $12.72), Jazz Talk: Rediscovering Hazel Scott (Potomac River Jazz Club; 7 p.m.; virtual; FREE), Lauren Sarah Hayes / Freida Abtan / Niki Afsar (Rhizome DC; 7 p.m.; $10), Cabaret Open Mic (Rosemarino D’Italia; 7 p.m.; tips encouraged)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18
OUTDOOR MOVIE: Love Jane Austen and Halloween? This mash-up event at Dumbarton House will have you celebrating the spooky holiday Regency style with an outdoor screening of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on the lawn. Bring a picnic and a blanket to watch the 2016 film, where warm beverages and snacks will be available for purchase. (Dumbarton House; 5:30 p.m.; $10)
BENEFIT CONCERT: Enjoy a classical concert for a cause. This benefit concert, featuring Ukraine’s New Era Orchestra and violinist Joshua Bell performing Skoryk, Silvestrov, Beethoven, and Bruch, will donate proceeds to those affected by the war in Ukraine. (Kennedy Center Concert Hall; 7:30 p.m.; $79)
STORY OF PENICILLIN: Head to H Street if you’re interested in learning more about the man behind the discovery of penicillin. The Mold that Changed the World is a musical that dives into Alexander Fleming’s fight for antibiotics toward the end of his life. Its opening night will also feature remarks from Sally Davies, the UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance. (Atlas Performing Arts Center; 7:30 p.m.; $24)
MORE:Livestream Lecture: Conversation with Curators: “Grace of Monaco: Princess in Dior” (Hillwood Estate; 6:30 p.m.; $10), Profs & Pints DC: Medieval Monsters (Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital; 6 p.m.; $12.72), The Family Firm author Emily Oster, moderated by Keiana Mayfield (East City Bookshop; 7:30 p.m.; FREE), Mark Tuan (9:30 Club; 7 p.m.; $30), The Smashing Pumpkins + Jane’s Addiction: Spirits On Fire Tour (Capital One Arena; 6:30 p.m.; $48)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19
FREE CRAFTING: Shop Made in DC is turning five and they want to celebrate with a night of free, outdoor crafting at The Wharf. Enjoy beer and cocktails from a cash bar run by Bluejacket Brewery as well. (Shop Made in DC at The Wharf; 5 p.m.; FREE admission)
COCKTAIL PARTY: Learn how to make scary good cocktails ahead of your Halloween party at Basebowl. Make a Dracula’s Kiss cherry-and-vodka cocktail and a spicy Bloody Mary with tajin and gummy eyeballs, while snacking on salmon nigiri and jack-o-macki sushi. (Basebowl; 6:30 p.m.; $75)
BINGO: The new Whitlow’s space in Shaw marks Breast Cancer Awareness month with a benefit bingo night supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. A breast cancer survivor will host the bingo night, where winners will get gift cards donated by local businesses, and other survivors can play for free. (Whitlow’s; 6:30 p.m.; $20)
MORE: Race, History and Rock Creek: Civil Rights in Meridian Hill / Malcolm X Park (Rock Creek Conservancy; 5:30 p.m.; virtual, FREE), Jackie Evancho sings Joni (City Winery; 7:30 p.m.; $55), “Weird Al” Yankovic: The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour (The Kennedy Center Concert Hall; 8 p.m.; $79), Intro to Embroidery for Basic Witches w/ The Other Cat Creations (Shop Made in DC Union Market; 5 p.m.; $45), Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief Fundraiser (Hawk ‘n’ Dove; 5 p.m.; $50), “Water is Life” Open Mic Night (Busboys and Poets 14&V; 8 p.m.; $5), District Connect 2022 (MLK Memorial Library; 10 a.m.; FREE), Fall 2022 Cocktail Party & Fundraiser to Benefit Run Hope Work (Hook Hall; 6 p.m.; $25), You Had Me at Pet-Nat: A Conversation with Pipette founder Rachel Signer (Bold Fork Books; 6 p.m.; $5), Free Angela and All Political Prisoners film screening and discussion with The Claudia Jones School for Political Ed (The Outrage; 6:30 p.m., pay what you can)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
SERBIAN ART: Join the Anacostia Arts Center and the Serbian Embassy for an evening of Serbian wine tastings and Serbian art. The event, highlighting talks from the artists, is the culmination of a collaborative group exhibition of Serbian contemporary art. (Anacostia Arts Center; 6:30 p.m.; FREE admission)
CRAFT FEST: Get a sneak peek of the Smithsonian Craft2Wear festival at a preview benefit night with exclusive access to vendors, wine, beer, and snacks. The festival will open up on Friday with the country’s premier jewelry, leather, and wearable artists selling their crafts. (National Building Museum; Benefit is at 6 p.m.; $100; Festival admission throughout the weekend is $17)
DIWALI CELEBRATION: Join the Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs for an early celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights, that includes a lamp lighting ceremony, a central tradition overseen by a priest, cultural performances, and food sampling. (The National Housing Center; 6:30 p.m.; FREE)
BEST OF DC: Celebrate the announcement of the Best of LGBTQ DC Awards from the Washington Blade, the District’s local LGBTQ+ newspaper, and the oldest in the U.S. Eaton DC hosts a party featuring performances by local drag queens Cake Pop!, Desiree Dik, Molasses, and Vagenesis. (Wild Days; 6 p.m.; $15)
AUTHOR TALK: George Saunders, author of the recently released A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, sits down with Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh to discuss the new book. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A and a book signing with the author. (Arlington Central Library and virtual; 7 p.m.; FREE)
OPERA: The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presents a night of fanciful works, including Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition, Oliver Knussen’s Songs and Sea Interlude from Where the Wild Things Are and Ravel’s Mother Goose.The orchestra will be led by conductor Finnegan Downie Dear and feature soprano Olivia Warburton (The Music Center at Strathmore, 8 p.m., $35)
MORE: Art & copy go hand in hand: DC Design Week 2022 (Planet Word Musuem, 9 a.m., $15), Volunteers of America’s Harvest for Hope Gala (Newton-White Mansion, 6 p.m., $125), Off the Mall Tours’ Secrets of Alexandria Walking Tour with author JoAnn Hill (12 p.m, $30), The Tin Can Collective with The Southern Ocean, Careless Odds, and Pinkhouse (The Public Option; 8 p.m.; $10), Phil Rosenthal (Sixth & I; 7 p.m.; $22), Bulgarian Wine & Dinner Feast (Embassy of Bulgaria; 7 p.m.; $75), Mahogany Bookshop presents April Ryan discussing Black Women Will Save the World (Eaton DC; 7 p.m., FREE), Storytellas DC (The Line DC; 7 p.m.; FREE), Fall Opening at ArtHub609 (Teass \ Warren Architects; 6 p.m.; FREE), The Treatment of Soviet Prisoners of War in German POW Camps during WWII (German Historical Institute; 6 p.m.; FREE)
